Santa Cruz, California, October 28th, 2014

Santa Cruz, California, October 28th, 2014

Friday, August 30, 2013

Why do I write what I write?

A lot of people wonder why I write about some historical injustice heaped upon the Navajo People in the 1800's.

I mean, they're just Indians, right? 
Who really cares, right?
Just hush up and accept what happened and move on, right?

No. No. And no.

A thousand times, NO.

Imagine this little girl, chased by a grown man on horseback, yanked off the ground by her collar and taken captive. 




Jesus died for her.
He knew HER name on the cross.
He knew the hairs on her sweet little head.
He knew her giggle.
He knew her smile.
He knew her name.


My smart, kind, witty and very gracious Navajo advisor, Mr. Theodore Charles, told me to look up a document from 1493 that set hell in motion for millions of people.

Here is an excerpt of an article on The Document of Discovery.


"King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella required those working on their behalf to read a statement to any Indigenous Peoples they discovered. The statement was read in Latin and Spanish, languages spoken by none of the people they encountered. In part it said to the Indigenous People:

But if you do not do this (accept Spanish rule), and maliciously make delay in it, I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter into your country, and shall make war against you in all ways and manners that we can, and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and of their highnesses; we shall take you, and your wives, and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their highnesses may command; and we shall take away your goods, and shall do you all the mischief and damage that we can, as to vassals who do not obey, and refuse to receive their lord, and resist and contradict him: and we protest that the deaths and losses which shall accrue from this are your fault, and not that of their highnesses, or ours, nor of these cavaliers who come with us…

Before we judge the papal edicts too harshly, we need to know of the Anglican connection to this Doctrine of Discovery. In 1496, King Henry VII granted a patent to John Cabot and his sons to possess all lands in the New World not previously discovered by Portugal or Spain. It is known as the 1496 Royal Charter of the Church of England. It reads in part:
And that the before-mentioned John and his sons or their heirs and deputies may conquer, occupy and possess whatsoever such towns, castles, cities and islands by them thus discovered that they may be able to conquer, occupy and possess, as our vassals and governors lieutenants and deputies therein, acquiring for us the dominion, title and jurisdiction of the same towns, castles, cities, islands and mainlands so discovered..."


You can read the whole article here: http://www.doctrineofdiscovery.org/krallsermon101506.htm



Can you imagine you're standing on a beach in Brazil and some twit in short pants and a silver helmet is reading this to you? Only you don't really know what reading is, because you don't have a written language. And you can't understand him anyway. And he and his peeps look gnarly and smell funny.

And the next thing you know, you and everyone you know is in chains.


Tell me where the mercy and justice and Christ-like behaviour was then and in 1864, and then we'll chat about why I write what I do.






Theodore Charles' son Mark Charles has a great blog, which you can find here:http://wirelesshogan.blogspot.com




Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Splat, thump, ugh and zzzzzzzzz.


Hey Redheads!

I'm back. Yep. Actually AT HOME.

Vaycay was fun. Funnnnnn. Fun funny fun fun.

Ish.
Fun-ish.
Fun-ish-like.
I did enjoy spending time with Hub's parents and several of his siblings. No names to protect the guil...innocent.

Nowhere near as fun as that wee trek me and my Intrepid Travel Partner (Hi ITP!) made in June. Heck nooooooo!

Anyway, ahem, I am HOME.

And I am TIRED.
I leave for ACFW in 23 days and 21 hours.
I have a tonne of stuff to do AND I am feeling stressed already!!

So, I might beg off an entry until next week, when I shall thrill you, yet again, and make your lives SO MUCH better and all meaningful-y.
So until next week, mwah, kisses and hugs and pray for me as I prepare for ACFW.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Off like a herd of turtles.



My grandmother used to say, of ushering slow moving people out the door: "Well, we're off like a herd of turtles."

We're outta here on Sunday, so, see you all in 2 1/2 weeks.

I may, MAY, post while I'm away, but we'll see.

So, until we meet again, behave.

Somebody has to.








And to anyone robbing our house?

 PLEASE take the TV. 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

An open letter for ACFW.





All right, this is an open letter to anyone who's been to ACFW, or any other writer's conference.

Tell me your advice, any and every thought.

I'm nervous, but not crazy 'breathe into a bag' nervous.

Tell me anything from how much sleep I'll be getting,  how fancy to make the one sheet, to what not to worry about to where to go for breaky.

Annnnnnnnnnd...

GO!!



Thursday, August 1, 2013

The winner is????




Here at TFTR, we like to shake things up a little.

So, I did the high tech work of writing each entrant's name on a piece of 3x5 index card, folded it perfectly and put it in a hat.
But not just ANY hat.
My straw cowboy hat I bought last summer at the Indian Trading Post in Oklahoma. 

It is being worn by my handsome assistant, Zachary. Who is also modeling our unfinished steps.






"Can I wear the hat?"

"Sure."


He's shy, JUST like his mother. And he needs a bath.








"Now what do I do?"

"Shake up all the pieces and make sure you touch each one a few times."




Which he DID, but I accidentally deleted that photo.






"Now what?"
"Pick one!"
"Okay!!!"



                               



"Hold it up to the camera."














The winner of Lori Benton's debut novel, Burning Sky is 
Patti Iverson!
Congratulations, Patti!


I will email you and get your deets, and Lori will mail the copy to you.


Sadly, it will NOT be personally delivered by Neil or Tames His Horse.   


Which I think is just wrong...