Fibromyalgia, a cold, a cough and no sun

What do they all have in common?  They all put you right down for the count.  After a week and a half, I finally am coming out of the cold.  The sun is out today and it will be a productive one for me. With Fibromyalgia I cannot function without the sunshine and warm weather.  This last week was a very difficult one.  I am sure all of you fibro sufferers will agree, certain things aggravate the condition and sun deprivation is one of them for sure.  I don't know exactly how I will survive another Wisconsin weather at this rate. At least burning with wood helps warm me a little better.  Anybody else have tips how to deal with cold and dark ole' winter?

Prologue to Acres of Bitterness

PROLOGUE:

Everyone has a certain curiosity about their heritage and I have decided that the time has come for me to investigate mine.  I believed it would be an enjoyable pursuit back into the archives of my genealogy, little did I know how far removed from the simple realm of things this adventure would be.

There has always been something missing, I have always felt, both in my heart and in my mind.  Especially in my heart, I have had painful, pinching twinges shoot through my delicate life sustaining organ that began almost to the hour that we left our beloved home on Allison Creek.  And I would experience flashes of light and unfamiliar scenes quite often throughout my life, quite often interrupting my normal thought processes and terrifying me in my slumber.

My birth name was Josephine Anna LeClaire.  I am the result of a French-Canadian father and a Native American mother.  My first name stems from a two-fold admiration; my father’s to the Emperess Josephine, wife to Napoleon Bonaparte and my mother’s to Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe, who was her uncle. 

To begin tracing my mother’s history appeared to be the logical point of origin; she was born in White Bird, Idaho and was a member of the Nez Perce tribe.  As for my father’s origin, he was born in Alberta, Canada in the wilderness area known as Gregoire Lake Provincial Park. The two met as young adults by mere happenstance and believed that they were fated to meet and fall in love.  My mother’s family had moved down to Riggins, just a short distance south of White Bird, and my father relocated there from British Columbia to work in the mill to be closer to her.

 You are always taking a chance when you attempt to learn the complete story, that, you may also be made aware of things that were not revealed for a reason.  Which is why it is now, only after both of my parents are deceased, and all of my own children are grown and on their own that I am putting aside my present family life in search of my lineage.  My father would always say, however, when my inquiring mind asked, that, “you know all that you need to know, Josie.”

My children, of course, met my decision with much skepticism and began strictly analyzing my motive and my need for closure in these matters. The general conception was that their mother and the grandmother to their children had “lost her mind.”  They thought I certainly must be mentally inept to even think of undertaking such a task.  “But you could get hurt, or lost or worse yet, be killed.”  I responded by telling them that they are viewing it in the incorrect context; I will not be trudging through the mountains or careening down the river in a canoe searching for clues.  Rather I am looking for the untold story.  It has become my mission in life, my duty, to discover life lines to pass on to their children’s children. Our history as it stands, based on the information I was given, is not complete and certainly not truthful.  And now that I have reached this point in time, I have been presented with the opportunity to discover all of the pieces of the puzzle that are my life.

twitter link

Now I do not see the to twitter come up, where did I find that?

missing blog entry

Last week I posted a heartfelt entry. Then I saw a link to twitter. After I posted to twitter, my blog post disappeared and now it's lost. It was good too.  I am disappointed.

Breast Cancer Survivor

I am proud and happy to announce that I am a one year survivor of breast cancer.  It is quite a shock to learn that you have breast cancer. We all react in different ways and survive it in different manners.  I was a lucky one, it was caught in early stage one and I was fortunate enough to not have chemotherapy or radiation treatments.  Even though the mass was removed, I will always have that worry that it will come back around the area removed or surface in the other breast.  Now with routine mammograms your chances are at least somewhat better than they were in earlier years.

It does have positive effects on you though, you want to spend every moment with those that you love.  And truly appreciate being here to have those time with them.  You never know when it may be taken away from you.  I participated in the Breast Cancer Walk again this year and meeting the other survivors and listening to their stories was amazing.  The woman who spoke had a mother, sister and cousins who all had or have breast cancer, and she feared for her granddaughter now.   I also have three girls and a granddaughter to worry that someday they may face the same diagnosis.  I hope that prevention and a cure will happen in their lifetimes and they will be free from facing what so many women have.

Chippewa Valley Book Festival

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Well, my Author's Group known as "The Devious Minds," held an event at The Local Store last evening and the audience was pretty thin. I posted press releases in four newspapers, all the community venues I could think of and hung up 15 posters. Tina from Vol. One and I scheduled the group to showcase their books and read a short blurb from them during Chippewa Valley Book Festival Week thinking people would be coming out for this opportunity for authors to get our names and books out there. Michael Perry was scheduled to be on deck at the University. Who can compete against that?

My Authors Group

I belong to a great authors group and we are very supportive of each other.  So I decided to list them all for you here. Perhaps you have even read some of their work as I have and if you haven't, I strongly recommend that you do.  Here they are:

Marjorie Swift Doering with 'Dear Crossing' and 'Shadow Tag'

Donna White Glaser with A Letty Whittaker 12 Step Mystery Series of ‘The Enemy We Know’ #1; ‘The One We Love’ #2; and ‘The Secrets We Keep’ #3-5 (currently working on The Blood We Spill)

Darren Kirby with ‘Coordinates for Murder’ and is working on a sequel.

Marla Madison with ‘She’s Not There’ and ‘Relative Malice’ (working on untitled)

Katie Mettner with ‘Sugar’s Dance’ and ‘Sugar’s Song (currently working on Sugar’s Night)

Debra A. Patrow with ‘Acres of Bitterness’ (currently working on Bittersweet Reunions)

Dave Tindell with ‘The White Vixen’

Glowing Reviews

Sometimes we need to read a glowing review over again.  I got the most awesome, wonderful, super creative review from fellow author G.F. Smith.  I cannot believe he wrote all of the great things about my story lines, my plots, the twists & turns, the characters, etc.  I am feeling very good right now about what I created through Acres of Bitterness!  It takes a long time to put a book together and to hear these good words makes it all the more worthwhile!!   Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Anyone wanting to read it, check out my book on Amazon.com and scroll down to the reviews please.

"The Devious Minds" Seven Mystery Writers Gather

"The Devious Minds" are seven local mystery writers and we are gathering together for an event at The Local Store.  It is located at Volume One at 205 N. Dewey St. in Eau Claire, WI.  It will be held on October 17, 2013 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.  Authors will be showcasing their books and reading a passage for the audience. There will be time for questions, meeting,  and the will be happy to sign their books for you.

Hayward Fall Festival

I went to the Hayward Fall Festival yesterday with two fellow authors, Marla Madison and Dave Tindell.  We had a wonderful time showcasing our books and meeting people.  We each had an awesome sales days!!  Lots of people interested in Marla's two books; "She's Not There" and "Relative Malice," and Dave's book "The White Vixen."  And of course, my book; 'Acres of Bitterness."  We will definitely be going back to that street fair again next year!

I just typed a long submission to this blog on my tablet on Monday and it is gone.  I did not get a chance to finish it that day. So I went in today to finish it and did so.  When I hit the publish key it told me my session was timed out, try again.  Gone, absolutely gone.

I wrote about my fabulous summer with my grandchildren and there is absolutely no way to remember all that I had written. Great, just great.

I did alot of fun things with them this summer. We did the beach, the circus, Paul Bunyan camp. Ryan only did a couple activites and was able to come stay one time, but we trimmed some trees, which is his favorite things to do here and pulled down some dead branches.  He is disappointed that my compute is so old, because he can't play his fast paced video games on it.  So, he's stuck with watching You-Tube and the TV.
But it turns out for the Madison and Guyton that their favorite things were the woods and sewing.  We walked in the woods one day to go blackberry picking and ended up on a long adventure instead. They pretended their were animals chasing us in the woods etc.  Then they picked some tiny ears of corn to cook over a pretend fire on a stump. But then we brought them home and we tried roasting them on a campfire. Probably would have tasted OK except for the pine needles they put in the pot!!  Then Guyton and I went up in the woods near the house the next day and made a little camping area. We cleared an area of debris and put logs down to sit on and made a firering with rocks. Then we put the sticks in teepee fashion, but I told him we couldn't have a real fire in the woods.  So, at almost seven he gets an awesome idea. He said, 'lets put two Y sticks on each side of the fire and hang a stick between the two.  Then we will tie a flashlight onto it and it will shine on the sticks and we can pretend its a real fire." Now that's a bright child!!

Madison did crafts classes this summer and came home with awesome ideas. She made necklaces from potholder loops and braided yarn and beads together for more necklaces and bracelets. She made pincushions and playdough and candy recipes.  Then she got the idea for patchwork pillows, what a great project, she made a couple for her Mom and Guyton made one for his brand new little brother Beckham, and a little quilt too. I am so happy with all of this because I have been crafting and sewing since I was a little girl.  I had a treddle sewing maching of my own and made doll dresses representing different countries and displayed the dolls in my bedroom.  I made my first pair of bell bottoms when I was 11 and in the 7th grade for the 4-H Fair and earned a blue ribbon for them. She told her Mom she wished she was into sewing, so I hope she will love it as much as I do.  YAY!!!

The Unforgettable "Cancer" Call

 You are never prepared for the phone call that comes at 9:30 p.m. from your Dr. and you never forget the words he speaks. " You  have breast cancer," he tells you. That moment changes things forever.

 People are even more important and precious to you than they were before.   I hang onto my grandkids a  little tighter these days, you never know when that could all taken from you in the beat of a heart.

I have made a full recovery but all are not so lucky and I will try to live life to make those proud who cannot live a life of any kind. But god bless all of you for your brave fights for your lives to live another day to see your family.

July Heat

Well, the July heat is here. What does one do when it's hot and humid outside (besides go to the beach that is) you write of course!! I am currently working on a couple of short stories for a local book of, about and by grandmothers of the Chippewa Valley.  In it you will find stories of all kinds; sad and happy ones, heartwarming ones or just plain humorous ones.  Mine for last year was title:  Life Before...Just About Everything!  I went into great detail about life before indoor plumbing, set in the good old 50's and 60's of my childhood.  I shared plenty of stories on children being let loose with just warnings, don't stick your fingers in the fan, don't get your hand in the fly wheel of the tractor, don't stick your hand into the syryp for the peanut brittle or the hot soup.  It was just assumed that you were listening and would mind, and usually you did. Now, parents follow their kids from room to room for fear they might get hurt, of course if they do, then they are terrible parents. Or worse, if they need stitches, social services will come knocking on their door.  Great world we live in that kids can't learn by doing anymore.   Well, enough of that, back to the book.  It is a wonderful publication that will "go out with a bang" this year and will not be seen again.  Shame real shame.

My story this year is about my second home as a child. I had no grandparents so my parents neighbors and friends sort of adopted me.  I had many great experiences in the Freid household and talk about them for the next issue of the book.  Pick one up this year and you will be hooked. (next year too)

And then I am preparing for an author's event that my group is holding on July 30,2013 at the Chetek Library.  We will be speaking on our travels as Self Published Authors.  My speaking partner and I will be doing the pros and cons of the process.  And the remaining five authors will cover other topics.  Come on in and listen at 7pm!!

Poetica Gramatica

The 2013 copies of Poetica Gramatica are out!! They published my piece, 'Life without. - just about Everything.' The book is in its tenth and final year. Will be sad to see it end, it is always wonderful to read all of the stories that have been published in it. People have interesting lives and sharing them is with us is priceless. I will definitely be submitting another story on my life as a young lady.

Writing a book

Writing a novel can be many things; exciting, exhilarating, excrutiating and excellent! Why all the ex words you say, because that's just how I'm feeling about it today. I have had a winter like no other and have not been able to write a single word. It is time for that to stop, NOW. But before I organize all of my ramblings into some sort of sensible chapters, I must take baby steps and get back into the onlne world a bit. So, slowly I go, I need to format Acres of Bitterness into an ebook. before I start more writing of Bittersweet Reunions. I am trying to attend various sales and sell my book, but it is getting harder to do, I need to get my strength back from this winter. I had a bout with Breast Cancer, but am completely fine now. Then we remodeled our kitchen and that did me in. I was kept so busy with both of those things, that any energy for my book, or either of them, was out of the question. I'm hoping for a little time now to get back into the swing of it. Still trying to work one day a week, but I think that has to stop very soon. The grandkids will be with us a couple days a week this summer, and I want to save my energy for them, they are more important than anything to me. With that being said, I'm signing off for today. Happy Mothers Day to all moms out there

Writers Block

 On the subject of writers block, someone recently posted: "don't be a baby, there is no such thing as writers block."  Someone responded a couple of days ago that teachers or doctors don't get blocked. I strongly disagree there. When the teacher tells the students they have a field trip tomorrow, thus giving no notice to parents, babysitters and the like and then say they "spaced it out." That is block. Or when you go to the dr. for a cut on your finger and he gives you an antibiotic only to make your finger turn bright red, throb and swell to the size of a cigar, and then admits when you go back in that he "shoulda known that one wouldn't work for that." That is block. Same applies to each and every single individual or enterprise which requires human thought behind it.  Block happens.


Author: Acres of Bitterness, Native American Romance Novel and Historical Fiction, Chief Joseph of the  Nez Perce tribe

Winter Still???

April 20, 2013 and still winter? I guess so, the weather indicates it anyway. Cold, windy and snowy, what's the deal? At least the sun is out today. Good day to stay in and read and write, will try anyway. Seem to have writers block, well actually just worries block. Too much important health issues of myself and famiy members on the brain and rightly so. Perhaps taking time off will jump start me when I am ready.

April Fool's Day

Hope you all survived April Fools Day without to much incident.  I lost everything in my inbox a day prior to, I figure it was a surprise in advance.  Have no idea how it happened.  I was in another site altogether and when I went back, poof, it had disappeared. I lost alot of important email too.   Nice huh, now what?  Nothing, I guess, just have to put on my big girl panties and deal with it, as they say!

Native American reading is my favorite kind of romance novel or historical fiction.  Reading about Idaho, the Rocky Mts, the Bitterroots and the Nez Perce get my attention too!

Compliments

 Every time that someone tells me that I should write more; that I have a talent for it. I become humbled, I am just a gal with stories to tell. But each time I hear it, it makes me feel so glad that I finally sat down and put words on paper and that I wrote Acres for people to enjoy. I heard last night from someone again that they thoroughly enjoyed my novel and what I chose to write about!!

Sunshine!

What a glorious week this has been!  The sun has been out each and every single day.  Makes for a productive week.  Getting back into the swing of writing will be tough after a long illness preventing me from working.  But starting right now, I am officially back to try and sell books online.  I have no idea what I'm doing or how, but have to keep trying.  Have a gajillion of them in print to get out there for everyone to read.  Right now though, I have other duties to perform.  Catch ya later!









Debra A. Patrow, Acres of Bitterness, Wisconsin, Riggins, Idaho, Rocky Mts. Bitteroot Mts. Native Americans, Historical Fiction, Nez Perce, Romance Novel, 1877, 1905,1930 love, lost, birth, death, intrigue, mystery, suspense, secrets

Spring yet?

Winter still, first day of spring come and gone.  Spring you say, hmmmm, not really.  Read a facebook post with a picture of Puxhautany Phil on a wanted poster.  For Fraud!! Gotta laugh!

Snow Days

Another snowy day in Northern Wisconsin. Groundhog missed his mark this year, but I guess more snow doesn't necessarily mean 6 weeks of winter. But in this case it does!!

Trying to work on Book No. 2 which will be titled 'Bittersweet Reunions.' It will be of the same genre as Acres of Bitterness which is a Native American Historical Fiction Romance Novel. I hope it turns out as well as everyone tells me that Acres did and that they can't wait for me to write another one.  Going slow this time around due to several factors, healther being the biggest one. 

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in October, had surgery and have made a full recovery now.  Saving you the details, I was very lucky.  Girls, have your mammograms on time.  I was early stage one because I go on a regular basis and as a result escaped the horrors that some women go through.  I empathize with those who do for their suffering.

Winter in Wisconsin

Waiting once again for snow to hit WI.  What a perfect week to curl up with a good book.  If you ordered right now, you could get one before it's over.  I would love to share Acres of Bitterness with all of you and the riveting scenarios that I created.  It excited me to write it and I'm hoping all will feel the same.  I was at a show last weekend and a lady purchased a book from me.  I received a card in the mail from her and this is what it said:

Debra,
I finished your book this morning and I really enjoyed it.  Keep writing, you have a wonderful talent.  Will look forward to your next book. 

Mary

Now that is what an author loves to hear!

Hello, everyone out there.  This is my first post as a blogger.  Not sure what to write about, so I'll tell you a little bit about myself to begin with.  I am a wife, mother, and grandmother; lovin' that last one!  Grandkids are great, spoil 'em and send 'em home I always heard.  And that is so true, so true!  I have done many things over the years, stay at home Mom for most of them and that was the most rewarding, watching my kids grow up every day.  But I took a few part time gigs here and there, babysitting, store clerk, store room clerk, when the kids got into high school then I got a real job.  Ended up being a legal assistant and book keeper and I still am both of those.  But semi-retired to write a book that I always wanted to get around to.

And so it happened and it went a little like this.  People read my writings in greeting cards, especially the annual Christmas poem to the rhyming of  'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'  Each section had exactly the same amount of lines per person in my family, two sections per person.  So, it got to be a two page deal, but I just knew that someday one of my grandkids would count to see if anyone got priority.  And it happened, one year Ryan did it and excitedly told his mother, "Did you know that Grandma wrote exactly the same many lines for everyone?"  I have always been crazy like that, you know make sure the Christmas presents and birthday presents all add up to the same cost.  Heaven forbit, one should get $5.00 more than another.  From that I received many, many words of encouragement to write something; write a book maybe.

 More next time, have to go for today.