Monday, March 29, 2021
Revolutionary War Rambles

Sunday, March 28, 2021
Indoor Dining and Other Joyous Occasions by Connie Vines
We have all been social distancing, staying home, and donning masks for the past year to prevent infection. Depending on the size of your "social bubble" (usually, immediate family members), you are able to interact with others. The vaccine availability seems to have lessened stress levels of many, and for that, I am grateful.
However, here in southern California, we have been "closed" for almost and entire year.
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Historic Downtown Upland |
Even outdoor dining was only a very recent and not very frequent option.
Being an Introvert by nature, and a writer with two dogs for company, life hasn't been intolerable for me. However, the days and weeks seem to blend into one another.
And, while my dogs were able to visit the groomer--I was not.
I am not very good at do-it-your-self hair cuts. Still, I am ambidexterous, so my nails are presentable. (Not a good trade-off, but it is what it is.)
When we were given the okay for indoor dining, I realized I have not sat inside a restaurant since Jan. 2020.
Wow.
My favorite restaurant (Souplantation) is shuttered for good.
This gave me a chance to re-define 2021 with a tentative baby-step. Nothing profound, mind you, but a step back into normalcy.
I do love coffee but I also enjoy a cup of Earl Grey tea every afternoon, I realized, pondering a place to dine.
I visited my hairstylist.
I was able to make a reservation at a 'newly relocated' English Tea Room.
The Magnolia Tea Room is only 6 miles from my home. It's also located in the Downtown Historical District in Upland, California.
I thought I'd share my joyous occasion and '1st 2021 Adventure' with you :-).
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The Outdoor Garden |
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The Afternoon Tea setting |
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The scone was delicious (I didn't snap a picture) |
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The Ladies' Room |
After I click the 'publish' button for this post, I'm back at my keyboard with a pup in my lap and a cup of hot tea within reach.
Happy Reading! (remember to mention a favorite tea in any comment you leave for me.)
Next Release |
Saturday, March 27, 2021
WARRIOR WOMEN Part 1 - THE ANCIENT WORLD - by Vijaya Schartz
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Find most of my BWL titles HERE |
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo - FB
Friday, March 26, 2021
Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? Tricia McGill
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Find all my books here on my BWL author page |
Not this girl’s that is for sure. I
have never understood the weird fascination some members of the human race
possess for shiny objects brought up from beneath the earth’s crust.
Personally, the only so called precious substance I have or have ever possessed
is my wedding band made of gold, and a small pendant with an opal drop
purchased for me by my husband in Broome where all the best pearls come from. I
think pearls are ugly to be truthful—and feel sorry for the poor old oysters
forced to grow them.
As for diamonds, the ugly truth of
diamond mining is the horrendous tally of folk who died over the years while
working in the mines. Two of my most treasured pieces of jewellery are a dainty
marquisette watch and a ring given to me by my mother and a sister on my 21st
birthday a long time ago. The watch gave up working years ago as it is one of
those wind up versions, but is still tucked away amongst my other pieces of
memorabilia. Marquisette is practically useless these days but these pieces are
more precious to me than all your diamonds or gold.
found new evidence that Tutankhamen’s death mask was in fact made for his stepmother Queen Nefertiti. Using ground-penetrating radar to scan around Tutankhamun’s tomb archaeologist Mamdouh Eldamaty has reported that her tomb may be in a space behind his burial chamber.
I wear rings and earrings of course
I do, but none of them are worth more than a few hundred dollars, if that, but
mean a lot to me as they were given to me by special people in my life and are
treasured. Fact is I would be scared to walk around with expensive objects on
my person. My husband bought me a really nice ring with a topaz stone in
Singapore and sad to say I lost it while on holiday at Broken Hill years ago—so
it seems I am not to be trusted with expensive stuff anyway, and so avoid it.
Find excerpts from my books here on my web page
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Lovely Lobelias by A.M.Westerling
(Haha yes, I
once again have succumbed to my love of alliteration for the title of this blog
post!)
Lobelia is one of our favorite summer annuals for its delicate flowers and tendency to spill over the edge of the containers, particularly hanging pots. The other thing we love about it is its vibrant blue color, especially the Crystal Palace variety. Blue flowers are rare in garden flowers, making up less than 10% of the plant world. As an aside, other blue flowers include blue hydrangea, blue sea holly, blue daisy and Siberian larkspur. However, Lobelia also comes in shades from white through pinks and purples. Sometimes the flowers will have a white dot in the middle.
They are a group of
flowering plants that are native to North America. There are more than 400 species that include upright and mounding
lobelias, annuals, half-hardy annuals, perennials, and even shrubs and aquatic
plants. Considered an annual herb, Lobelia likes full sun but will
tolerate part shade. It prefers rich, moist soil.
My experience has been that the plants last longer in cool, wet weather. We live in a dry climate so during hot spells, I make sure to water the containers frequently. They don’t always last the entire summer, but we enjoy them while they do. I fertilize every couple of weeks with a 20 20 20 mix. They don’t need deadheading as they are self cleaning. Although I’ve never tried this, apparently you can cut them back by as much as one-half to two-thirds which will spur new growth. If you like bushier plats, you can also pinch them back.
When filling
mixed pots, I always go by the rule of a thriller, a filler and a spiller. I
find Lobelia works nicely as both a filler and a spiller. These plants also
work as hummingbird havens, in borders, as ground covers, along creeks or ponds
and containers, especially hanging baskets. As you can see by the pictures, we really do enjoy the vibrant blues!
I was interested to discover that Lobelia has some health properties and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. It’s also called Indian tobacco because Native Americans once smoked the plant to treat asthma and muscular disorders. It’s also known as pukeweed as it was once prescribed by doctors to induce vomiting although high doses can be fatal. Lobeline, its main ingredient may protect against depression, improve memory and concentration and help treat drug addiction. It can treat symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness and wheezing because the lobeline may relax the airways, clear mucus from the lungs and stimulate breathing. Lobelia may also help with ADHD. However, human research is limited. For more info on the health benefits, check out this website: Lobelia: Benefits, Dosage, and Side Effects (healthline.com) For research, I used the following websites:
Lobelia – How to Plant,
Grow and Care for Lobelia Plants | Garden Design
Growing
Lobelia: Tips For Care Of Lobelia (gardeningknowhow.com)
*****
You can find my books on the BWL Publishing website HERE. Perhaps some of the miners in Barkerville were treated with Lobelia! Find Barkerville Beginnings HERE.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021
March Featured Author - Janet Lane Walters
Janet Lane-Walters has been writing and having her books published since the days of the typewriter. She
has more than 40 novels and dozens of novellas plus four non-fiction
books published. Janet lives in the scenic Hudson River valley. She is the
mother of four and the grandmother of five with two children expected
to arrive soon from China. Janet writes in a number of genres - Romance
from sweet to sensual and from contemporary to fantasy and paranormal.
She has published cozy mysteries and medical suspense. She also has a
number of YA fantasies published.
For more information about Janet's books including blurbs, reviews and purchase links, please visit her blog: http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
BWL PUBLISHING FREE NOVEL DOWNLOAD
Janet Lane Walters is the author of this month's free download. Visit our website at https://bookswelove.net and click the book cover of Murder and Mint Tea to download your free copy of this first book in Janet's Mrs. Miller Mysteries series.
Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The
small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted
Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon
Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families.
When amoral
Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house,
trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her
fear for her friends and family. Finding the killer becomes her goal.
Editorial Review
Murder
and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic
American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel.
Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that
makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to
the villainess themselves. ~ Writer Gail Roughton
Here are just a few of Janet's many series published by BWL Publishing Inc.
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
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