Beanerywriters's Weblog

Forgetting the Dread

beanerywriters — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:12:04 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

FORGETTING THE DREAD

Kern F. Little

seemly lost

walked alone

fog filled

dark horizons

envelop our

minds

walking

head down

knowing

where I am

where I’ve

been

but never

where I’m

going

sunset breaks

knowledge

awaits

for those

once lost

soaking in

sun’s warmth

eyes now

off feet

looking forward

to be enlightened

but still

seemingly frightened

we must

raise our

heads

forgetting

the dread

finally to

listen and

learn

from what

other’s

have said

ADDITIONAL READING:

POETRY
“DATING WHEN FIFTY-SOME:” A Guy’s Version
Bookshelves of Conscious
A FAT CAT AND A SAD DAD
Moose, Goose, Deer
Two Haikus: A Summer Day & Night Sky
QUINTESSENCE
A Beach Remembered
Regrets
Talents Forgotten
AFTER THE SCOTTISH GAMES AT LIGONIER
I BELIEVE GOD INVENTED DANCING
JASMINE & JEWEL — A DOVE STORY Part 1
THE WIND
CURLS AT TWELVE YEARS OLD
JOAN’S VICTORY RIDE
TO FEEL SAFE
MAGIC SHADOW-SHOW
SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL
A SONNET IS A POEM?
A Cry For Goodness
THE VIEWING
QUINTESSENCE

Jesus

The Life (and death) Cycle of the Ice Cream Soda

SITE LINKS:

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com/

www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com

www.LVWonline.org

www.barbarapurbaugh.com

www.pennwriters.com

www.ellenspain.com

www.westmorelandphotographers.ning.com

www.ligonierliving.blogspot.com

http://www.methodists-care.org/

The Hunter is Caught

beanerywriters — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:02:24 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

THE HUNTER IS CAUGHT

Bo Brocious

SO FOCUSED

SO QUICK AND

OH! SO SKILLED

TOO LATE!

CAUGHT BY SOMETHING UNKNOWN

“HOW DARE THEY TOUCH

MY MAGNIFICENT FEATHERS!”

WHAT POWER he must have had

LARGE BLACK OWL EYES FOLLOW

The furry little fellow

Running thru the dried leaves

CAUGHT IN THE CLAWS OF THE

UNKNOWN

MERCY IS GRANTED

FEATHERS ON THE WIND!!!!

SO FOCUSED

SO QUICK and

OH! SO SKILLED

This poem was inspired by the entrapment of an owl as reported in the post, It’s Been an Animal Day (direct link: http://carolyncholland.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/its-been-an-animal-day/ ).

Photos of the owl can be viewed by clicking on the following links:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/4085249240/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/4085248082/in/photostream/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/4085247888/in/photostream/

ADDITIONAL READING:

JASMINE & JEWEL — A DOVE STORY Part 1

THE SNITTY CAT LIKES PUMPKIN PIE?

The “Meow” Chorus: A cat symphony on a Greyhound Bus

WHAT RIGHTS DO CATS HAVE, I ASK

BEANERY WRITERS NEWSLETTER Vol. 2 Issue 8 November 1, 2009

beanerywriters — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:19 +0000

BEANERY WRITERS NEWSLETTER

Vol. 2 Issue 8 November 1, 2009

Edited by Carolyn C. Holland and BWG members

(Forward this newsletter to the writers you know!)

ABOUT THE BEANERY WRITERS NEWSLETTER

The BWN shares information on our members—their writing, their activities/interests/accomplishments, their concerns, their thoughts, as well as news on conferences, perhaps a joke or two, book reviews etc.

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The BOLM (www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com) accepts submissions (in any genre) from guest writers. Items may be edited, but if there are any significant changes your work will be returned to you for your approval.. Submit your post to beanerywriters@yahoo.com with the word “Submission” in the subject line. Seeking submissions for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve/Day.

BEANERY WRITERS GROUP MEETINGS

The BWG meets the second and fourth Fridays each month, 1:00-3:00 p.m, in the back room at the Coffee Bean Café in Latrobe (PA) (they opened a second Coffee Bean Café on Rt. 30 in Greensburg by Office Max—wrong site!). Some members come early to socialize over coffee or lunch. New members—or visitors (including writers who are visiting the area from out of town)—are welcome to join us. Our members are eclectic: they write in all genres and all skill levels!

NOTE: The second meeting in November (27) and the second meeting in December (25) are cancelled for obvious reasons. The next meeting dates are: November 13, December 11, January 8 and January 22.

PROFILE:

Mary Marcum was born in Santiago, Chile. When she was about five years old, her family moved to Long Island in New York,

Part of her culture shock included language. She didn’t know a word of English. And couldn’t understand a word the neighborhood children said. In kindergarten, the language deficiency culture shock was intensified. Things were so unfamiliar to her that she thought she was being given items, and didn’t share them. Thus, she flunked kindergarten because I wasn’t sharing.”

“I think this affected my life,” Maria said. “Looking back, I understand that I realized I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.” Soon after she abandoned her Spanish language to speak only English, which she regrets today.

By the time she was in third grade she had decided to become a teacher, wanting to help kids navigate through the problems she had experienced. She observed teachers to learn what the good ones did, and the not so good ones didn’t do.

She also read a lot in third grade, and started writing humorous stories, sometimes developing nursery rhymes into stories at other times turning inanimate objects into stories. It was more comfortable writing and reading.

In her senior year she visited Chile, where she “felt so like I had come home,” so connected to her roots—her grandparents, uncles, cousins. To meet them and once again leave them was wrenching, and she cried the entire way home.

After high school she attended Hofstra University on Long Island, majoring in education and psychology. In graduate school at Hofstra she became a reading specialist.

She taught for several years before accepting a teaching job in the Virgin Islands. After a while, she left the Virgin Islands to travel, ending up in New York. There she fulfilled her second dream, becoming a flight attendant. After flying for a few years, her flight attendant career, which she loved, was interrupted by the oil embargo. While on leave, she moved to Denver, where she found a job in with an oil company and met her husband Dave, a company geophysicist. His daughter, Sandy, and their daughter, Stephanie, completed the family.

After the oil industry collapsed Mary returned to her first love, teaching, bringing her full circle. Ironically, having forgotten all her Spanish, she was a bi-lingual teacher—Spanish and English.

She resigned from her Denver classroom when David found a job with a large international company headquartered in Monroeville. They found a home in Laurel Mountain Borough.

About eighteen months ago Mary began collaborating with a friend on a children’s foreign language project that combined art and writing.

“I spend a lot of time with the characters in the children’s project, which now focuses on a children’s story. This project is leading me into other writing genres, which I enjoys very much.”

Last spring a neighbor, Carolyn, the Beanery Writers Group facilitator, invited her to join the group. She was hesitant to share her writing with others. She’s gradually becoming more at ease, and is absolutely looking forward to continued meetings with the Beanery Writers, and improving her writing skills.

MEMBER ACTIVITIES

Bob Sanzi experienced a severe heart attack October 9. Kern, an inactive member of the Beanery Writers Group, emailed this update:

Today Vic & I…found a vibrant and alive Bob Sanzi…(who) had his IV removed…(and) walked, no almost ran, down the hall to show us a view of the city, and told us how interesting it looked at morning’s break…He seems better than normal!…he might be going to Latrobe for Rehab…(we) think he is doing great, when he was seemly gone a few moments ago…He can receive e-mails but can’t send them…tell him how much you care and tell him to EAT AND LISTEN TO THE NURSES!!!! (if you do not have Bob’s E-mail address, “good wishes” can be sent to him in care of beanerywriters@yahoo.com . Be sure to type “Bob” in the subject line.)

BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY MEMBERS

(Publications in past month, and all books)

For information on purchasing books, E-mail beanerywriters@yahoo.com with the words “BOOK INFO REQUEST” in the subject line. Items available at Second Chapter Book Store on East Main Street, Ligonier, will be noted.

SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA STORIES

The Beanery Writers, Volume 3, 2009, Writings on Southwestern Pennsylvania, includes 14 articles by Beanery Writers Group members and one written by a guest writer. It is available in large print. Look for our table with limited hours at the Second Hand Bookstore during Ligonier Days.
Orders for special occasions include a sheet, inserted in the booklet, for holidays, birthdays anniversaries or get well, and an envelope for mailing. Cost will be $5.00.
Copies can be purchased for $4.00 through the writer’s group members, at the Second Chapter Bookstore on E. Main St. in Ligonier, through E-mail (beanerywriters@yahoo.com ) or by calling Carolyn C. Holland, 724/238-3493.

To order by mail, send check or money order to Carolyn C. Holland, P. O. Box 300, Laughlintown, PA. 15655. Make check payable to Carolyn C. Holland. Please include number of copies, your mailing address. Add $1.75 (TOTAL $6.75) shipping and handling charge for each booklet ordered. Allow six weeks for delivery.Available at the Second Chapter Bookstore,

KATHLEEN CLARK: Articles written by Kathleen can be seen on the Geyer Performing Arts Center (Scottdale, PA) website www.geyerpac.com . She also continues to write the GPAC’s monthly newsletter.

JOE F. STIERHEIM: Two self-published books, Americur, a fantasy, and The Finding of the Blue Feather. (Second Chapter Bookstore)

CHARLES R. and SARA MITCHELL MARTIN: Self-published books, Warpath, a saga of the Pennsylvania frontier family of John Martin, based on true events during the French and Indian War, 1755-1764. (Second Chapter Bookstore)

SALLY MARTIN: Mustang Sally’s Guide to World Bicycle Touring. (Second Chapter Bookstore)

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS BY NON-MEMBERS

ELLEN SPAIN: Secrets in the Fog: the Invisibility Project released in May 2009, by eTreasures Publishing (250 pages) as an eBook and printed trade-back, ISBN: 978-1-61623-076-0. Available from the publisher eTreasures Publishing in PDF e-book Format: $5.50 and on CD-ROM: $7.95. Available in Paperback $15.00 from Amazon.com. Click here to read excerpts from Secrets in the Fog: the Invisibility Project.

JOKES/QUOTES

“You’ve got to get into the process. The process is liberating. The process is good. You take it word by word. You take it day by day. And you have to not worry too much.”

“You aim for what you want and if you don’t get it, you don’t get it, but if you don’t aim, you don’t get anything.” -Francine Prose

“In the end, the best thing a writer can do for his society is to write as well as he can.” -Gabriel Garcia Marquez

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE (BOLM)

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com

POST REPORT FOR OCTOBER:
MOST VIEWED POSTS in the last week:

Impact on Western Civilization: Julius and Augustus Caesar vs. Jesus Christ

ALL SUMMER IN A DAY: The Use of Descriptive Language

Interviewing Casper the Friendly Ghost

Living with OCD

A PIECE OF ME

Halloween Night

SITE VISITS: Total to date: 28,673

CAROLYN C. HOLLAND’S SITE

MOST VISITED POST in the last week:

IN SEARCH OF THE ARABELLA: A Story of Two Boats

Ghostly white pumpkins of the Lunar variety

CHILD ABUSE AND SCRIPTURE

ABRAHAM, SARAH, HAGAR and sons ISHMAEL and ISAAC

CHILDREN LEFT HOME ALONE (or in cars alone)

KILLED STRANGELY: A NEW ENGLAND MURDER STORY

WRITERS GROUPS IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

LIGONIER VALLEY WRITERS GROUP: a nonprofit group serving writers and readers throughout western Pennsylvania. Meets in Greensburg, PA. Membership is open to everyone interested in writing. For more information about LVW events or publications, visit www.LVWonline.org

NEW GROUP! SCOTTDALE, PA. Contact facilitator Clyde Stoner, clyde22@zoominternet.net . Put “Writers Group” in subject line.

NEW GROUP FORMING! Greensburg, PA. Walk-in Writers meet Sunday afternoons at Barnes & Noble in Greensburg. For further information, E-mail beanerywriters@yahoo.com E-mail beanerywriters@yahoo.com with the words “Barnes & Noble Sunday group” in the subject line.

GREENSBURG BARNES & NOBLE meetings. Contact Dave Samuel, schnapps5@verizon.net. Put “Writers Group” in subject line.

WORKS IN PROGRESS WRITERS’ WORKSHOP: Somerset, PA. For additional information, please contact Barbara at 814-443-9541, E-mail purbaugh@comcast.net or visit www.barbarapurbaugh.com

THE PENNWRITERS-PITTSBURGH EAST WRITERS new meeting location as of November 14th will be the first floor conference room at the Monroeville Public Library. The dates and times will remain the same: the second Saturday morning of each month, beginning at ten to approx. 12:45. Check www.EllenSpain.com or E-mail Ellen Spain at DuckIslandMaine@aol.com for additional information about the Pennwriters-Pittsburgh East Writer’s monthly programs.

CRITIQUE GROUP NORTH meets at the King’s Restaurant (just off the Wexford Exit of I-79) on Thursday, November 12, at 10:00 a.m. Please don’t forget to email your writings, as soon as you can, so they can be read before the meeting, allowing us to take time to think about your work and how we can contribute to enhance it, bringing out your best writing. For details contact Madhu B. Wangu at m.wangu@comcast.net.

NEW GROUP FORMING! “Forum About Spirituality, Religion and Creativity.” For writers of (spirituality, faith) or arts (poetry, painting) who feel their work is too quirky for religion/art magazines and too religions for literary ones. The first meeting of the group will be 28 January 2010. Madhu B. Wangu will facilitate the group. For details E-mail Madhu B. Wangu at m.wangu@comcast.net. Her website www.spirituality-sparks.com is dedicated to religoun and art topics.

THE PITTSBURGH (SOUTH HILLS) DAYTIME CRITIQUE GROUP is open to new members. We are informal but focused, having mixed genres that include nonfiction articles, poetry, essays, children’s sci-fi and fantasy, chick lit, historical romance, and historical mystery. Members, divided about half and half between published and unpublished, swap critiques and discuss markets, books, and anything literary. Meetings are alternate Tuesdays from 10:00 to noon at Westminster Presbyterian Church (room 231) on Route 19 in Upper St. Clair . Contact Meredith Cohen at meredithcohen61@ yahoo.com for further details or directions.

THE SOUTH HILLS CHAPTER meets at 11:30AM on Thursday, October 29 at the Café at the Barnes and Noble at South Hills Village. Note: this is not our permanent home, but it is a temporary meeting location until the Panera Bread meeting room becomes available. For more information or to RSVP, E-mail adashofy@yahoo.com. The South Hills Chapter will not meet in November. Our annual Christmas party will be Thursday, December 3, 2009 at Tambellini’s Restaurant in Bridgeville. We will hold our annual book exchange at that time. Bring a wrapped new or gently used book to be part of the swap. Reservations are required, so please RSVP to me at adashofy@yahoo.com if you plan to attend.

THE SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH GROUP meets November 10 at 7:00PM at the Barnes and Noble at the Pointe in North Fayette (across Route 60 from Robinson Town Center ). Lori Morris, guest speaker, will present a workshop on Grammar. To RSVP or for more info, contact Meredith Cohen at meredithcohen61@yahoo.com.

ANCILLARY GROUPS

WESTMORELAND PHOTOGRAPHERS: Its mission is to promote an interest in the art and science of photography. Members are encouraged to participate in exhibits and to share their collective experience and diverse knowledge. Meets monthly the second Monday in the Prep Room 215, above the library, on the St. Vincent College Campus, Latrobe, PA. Meetings alternate between speakers and photograph critiques. Members do photo outings and photo shows. Visit www.westmorelandphotographers.ning.com

MELLO MIKE: Meets Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the first floor dining room of the LIGONIER TAVERN, located on the corner of West Main Street and Fairfield Avenue in Ligonier, PA>. Organized by Diane Cipa, founder of the Ligonier Living Blogsite.

For further information http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/

The Geyer Performing Arts Center (Scottdale, PA) is presenting “Steel Magnolias” Oct. 1-3 @ 7:30 pm ~ Oct. 4 @ 2:30 pm. Tickets are $8.00 person. For further information on the theater, visit their website, www.geyerpac.com. To make reservations,call 724-887-0887.

SONGWORKS, in Johnstown: southsidestray@hotmail.com. More information coming.

CONTESTS, COMPETITIONS, CONFERENCES

Remember, the BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE seeks submissions. See above for details!

++++++++++++

THE 2010 PENNWRITERS CONFERENCE
May 14-16, 2010
Best Western Eden Resort, Lancaster, PA
FRIDAY KEYNOTE: Best-selling adventure thriller author James Rollins (HarperCollins)
SATURDAY KEYNOTE: Children’s author and Pennwriters member Elizabeth Kann (HarperCollins)
PLUS
• agent/editor pitch appointments
• 30-plus 1-hour workshops on writing, marketing, and selling
• all-day intensive writing classes the day before the conference
• read and critiques with agents, editors, and published authors
• genre networking lunch
• writing contests in poetry, article, and novel beginnings

Sneak Peek!!! David Pomerico, editorial assistant at Spectra (Bantam Dell/Random House) has agreed to attend the 2010 Pennwriters Conference.
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/spectra/

Miriam Kriss from the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. Miriam is actively building her list. If you’re writing commercial fiction—anything from mysteries to urban fantasies to romance—you’ll want to check her out. http://www.irenegoodman.com/about.php

+++++++++++++

ALL-DAY WORKSHOP featuring Debra Dixon

Crown Plaza: Pittsburgh Airport Hotel

September 25, 2010

Debra Dixon is author of Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction. Details will be posted here as they become available.

++++++++++++

CONTEST TO BE AWARE OF

The Young Voices Foundation

A 501(c)3 educational organization

http://www.youngvoicesfoundation.org/writingcontests.html

For writers guidelines, click on:

http://www.youngvoicesawards.com/distinguishedjudges.html

Ellen Spain, Ph.D., M. A., Coordinator, Pittsburgh East Writers, will be a Judge for the Young Voices Foundation’s 2009 awards.

Visit her website: DuckIslandMaine@aol.com
ellenspain.com

AUTHOR BOOKSIGNINGS/READINGS

Book Signing:

“BROKEN PLACES”: A Poetical Journey

Natalee Russo

November 21, 2009 (Saturday)

7:00 p.m.

Greensburg Barnes & Noble

For further information visit www.BROKENPLACESPOETICA.com

WRITERS EVENTS

LIGONIER VALLEY WRITERS GROUP

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

December 6, 2009

St. Michael’s Church (Rector, PA)

3-5 p.m.

Just in: Storyboarding for Children and Teens

November 21, 2009

2:00-4:00

Ligonier Valley YMCA

Free, open to the public, all ages and skills. Supplies will be provided.

Reservations: 724 238 7580

Sponsored by the Ligonier Valley YMCA Writer’s Voice Series

Using comic strip pictures and captions, writers will create a fantasy character who they’ll take on a hero/heroine’s journey. For those too young to write long sentences, the story comes out in the pictures. Instructor is Linda Ciletti Rodkey, author of several published medieval fantasy novels.

WRITERS SITES ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.writersweekly.com

http://www.writersdigest.com

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

www.WritingRaw.com

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

BEANIE BABY FUNDRAISER

Our fundraiser to support printing our annual booklet continues. We have a number of collectible and less collectible Beanies, which are still available to be adopted out for a donation. See Punxsutawney Phil: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beaneryonlineliterarymagazine/2493962362/

BOOK & WHITE ELEPHANT FUNDRAISER

The Beanery Writers have a second fundraiser. Members bring their used books or other small items to the meetings for “adoption by donation.” Again, this raises funds to publish our print booklets, to bring in guest speakers, and to underwrite poetry and prose readings.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO OR UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE BWN

The BWN is distributed monthly by subscription. To subscribe, send your name, your regional location and your E-mail address to beanerywriters@yahoo.com . Please put the words “Subscribe Newsletter” in the E-mail subject line. To unsubscribe, E-mail beanerywriters@yahoo.com with the words “Unsubscribe Newsletter” in the subject line.

WRITING LINKS:

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com/

www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com

www.barbarapurbaugh.com

www.ellenspain.com

ADDITIONAL READING ON WRITING:

ALL SUMMER IN A DAY: The Use of Descriptive Language

ARE WEBSITES (BLOGSITES) BENEFICIAL TO WRITERS?

THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW: Things Writers Should Know

BAD WRITING CONTESTS

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

DAVID PAGE: Notes from St. David’s Writer’s Conference

DEVELOPING CHARACTERS IN NOVEL WRITING

DOES EXAGGERATING THE TRUTH CREATE GOOD STORIES?

HOW THE BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE WAS CREATED

HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ONLINE

INTEGRITY: A JOURNALISTIC CODE OF ETHICS REVIEW

JOURNALISM QUESTION

JOURNALIST ETHICS CONCERNING THE RECEIPT OF GIFTS

THE LIGONIER 250TH ANNIVERSARY BOOKLET

MORALITY IN WRITING

REFLECTING ON MY WRITING LIFE IN 2008

SELF-PUBLISHING AS I WANDER THROUGH IT

THE TIME IS NOW…

WHAT IS THE KEY INDICATOR TO YOUR WRITING SUCCESS?

WHO CARES?

WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part I: VOCABULARY TEST

WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part II: VOCABULARY DEFINITIONS

THE WRITING LIFE: There’s a World Out There?

THE WRITING LIFE CONTINUES

THE LEGACY FROM MY EDITORS

COPYRIGHTS GET NO RESPECT!

Arthur St. Clair

beanerywriters — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:38:08 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

ARTHUR ST. CLAIR

Shirley Iscrupe

Arthur St. Clair, Ligonier Valley’s most famous citizen of Revolutionary times, was born in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland, in 1734. As a young man he joined the 60^th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot to fight in Canada against the French.

After marriage to a niece of the governor of Massachusetts, he served as an agent of the Penn family interests in western Pennsylvania, and as civil commandant of the decommissioned British fort at Ligonier. At the outbreak of hostilities with the English, St. Clair was commissioned as a colonel in the American army. He rose to the rank of major-general, becoming the highest ranking Pennsylvania officer in the Revolutionary War.

After the close of the war, St. Clair held civil offices in Philadelphia, and in 1787 was elected president of the Continental Congress. When the ordinance for establishing the government in the Northwest Territory was passed, he was nominated as first governor, a post he held until 1802.

Although at times living near Philadelphia or in the Northwest Territory, St. Clair and his family maintained large land holdings and a home in Ligonier Valley throughout his long military and civil career. When his mansion house, “The Hermitage” (two miles north of Ligonier on the right side of the road), iron furnace, grist mill, and adjoining lands were sold by the sheriff for debts in 1808, St. Clair was forced to move to property in Unity Township on the Chestnut Ridge.

~~~

The Chestnut Ridge tract had been granted to St. Clair in September of 1783 by a special resolve of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania:

Whereas Major General St. Clair of the Pennsylvania line hath signified to the General Assembly of this state his desire to obtain leave to take up and purchase a tract of Vacant mountainous land lying adjacent to his other land on Loyalhanning Creek and known by the name of the Chestnut ridge, beginning at the lower end of a tract of land settled by George Keltz, Jr.,…including by estimation about 5,000 acres; therefore and in consideration of the merits of the said Major-General St. Clair; Resolved, a preference of right to the above described tract of land be given unto the said Major-General St. Clair.”

When the tract was surveyed for St. Clair on Oct. 21, 22, and 23, it was found to contain 6,219 acres and 35 perches. Adjoining landowners included David Band, George Leashle, George Eager, and the heirs of William Jenkens. Two other properties belonging to St. Clair also formed the boundary. The Kittanning Path intersected the northeastern side of the survey, and the Pennsylvania Road (sometimes called the State Road or the Great Road), which followed the old Forbes Road, cut across the southern end.

In 1794, St. Clair sold the entire Chestnut Ridge tract to Revolutionary War financier and friend, Robert Morris, of Philadelphia, for $5,600, but in 1796 he repurchased two parcels for $510.13. One lot contained 209 acres 54 perches and the other, 300 acres 134 perches. Morris sold the remainder of “St. Clairs Forrist” to fellow Philadelphian Samuel Mickie Fox for $12,000 the following year.

St. Clair’s residence on the ridge was a small log house along the State Road, where he operated a tavern. His wife, Phoebe (much impaired in mental health), divorced daughter Louisa St. Clair Robb, and several grandchildren lived with him. Although his daughter Jane often visited and he maintained correspondence with his other children, particularly Daniel in Montgomery County and Betsy and her children in the state of Indiana, no doubt his was a lonely existence.

When work was begun on the Stoystown-Greensburg Turnpike in 1815, the route followed the Loyalhanna Creek, thus by-passing St. Clair’s tavern. A few hardy souls continued to use the old trail and some folks even followed the road up from Kingston Forge, stopping to visit the old General. Lewis Cass reported seeing St. Clair “some years before his death in a rude cabin, supporting himself by selling supplies to wagoners on the road, one of the most striking instances of mutations which checker life.”

Ohio congressman Elisha Whittlesey wrote to a friend, “In 1815 three persons and myself performed a journey from Ohio to Connecticut on horseback in the month of May. Having understood that Gen. St. Clair kept a small tavern on Chestnut Ridge, eight miles east of Greensburg, or the distance may have been greater, I proposed that we stop at his house and spend the night. He had no grain for our horses, and after spending an hour with him in the most agreeable and interesting conversation respecting his early knowledge of the Northwestern Territory, we took our leave of him with deep regret.

“I never was in the presence of a man that caused me to feel the same degree of veneration and esteem. He wore a citizen’s dress of black of the Revolution; his hair clubbed and powdered. When we entered he arose with dignity and received us most courteously. His swelling was a common double log house of he western country, that a neighborhood would roll up in an afternoon. Chestnut Ridge was bleak and barren. There lived the friend and confidant of Washington, the ex-Governor of he fairest portion of creation. It was in the neighborhood, if not in the view, of a large estate at Ligonier that he owned at the commencement of the Revolution, and which, as I have at times understood, was sacrificed to promote the success of the Revolution. Poverty did not cause him to lose self-respect; and were he now living his personal appearance would command universal admiration.”

In August of 1818, on his way down to the neighboring community of Youngstown, perhaps for supplies or a visit with his friend William Findley, Arthur St. Clair fell from his wagon onto the rutted road. He was found, unconscious, later in the afternoon, and taken back to his home. There he died on August 31, to be followed in just eighteen days by his wife. Both are buried in old St. Clair Park in Greensburg.

Early in the twentieth century the St. Clair chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution marked the tavern location with a wooden sign denoting it as the site of the “cabin where died Major General Arthur St. Clair.” The Daughters of the American Revolution, feeling that a more permanent plaque was needed, dedicated a monument there as reported in The Ligonier Echo of June 7, 1935: Members of the Phoebe Bayard Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution of Westmoreland County, paid tribute to the memory of Phoebe Bayard St. Clair and her illustrious husband, Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, Memorial Day, by unveiling a tablet on a large boulder erected near the log dwelling house near Ligonier, where the two patriots died in 1818.

The bronze tablet has inscribed upon it the following: “Site of the last home of Phoebe Bayard, 1734-1818, and her husband, Gen. Arthur St. Clair, 1734-1818. This monument erected in honor of the beautiful, cultured and wealthy woman, who sacrificed all she had for liberty of the American colonies, and in commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of the birth of her soldier husband, Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, who was one of Washington’s faithful friends and trusted officers, Phoebe Bayard Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.”

Several hundred persons were in attendance at the unveiling of the marker at the very place on Chestnut Ridge where the two patriots lived and died. Boy Scouts participated in the program.

Mrs. John Brunot, regent of the Chapter, gave the welcoming address and dedicated the marker. Miss Elizabeth Sweeney, chaplain of the Chapter, read the ritualistic grave-marking service and the closing ritual. The flags with thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, that of the latter part of the Revolutionary War, which draped the marker, were removed by Miss Nellie Woods and Mrs. Frank E. Madocks.

Dr. Thomas St. Clair, of Latrobe, a descendant of General St. Clair, was the orator. He urged the members of the Daughters of the American Revolution to strive to preserve the ideals that the couple carried out during their lives. (Author’s note: Dr. Thomas St. Clair of Latrobe was not a direct descendant of Arthur St. Clair. They did, however, share a common ancestor.)

~~~

Along Route 30 East near the former Sleepy Hollow Inn are two markers designating St. Clair Hollow, which is to the right. The metal marker was placed there by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The stone monument was erected by E. B. McColly and Son in 1927. County Commissioners Elliott L. Hibbs, James F. Torrence, and John P. Kilgore approved the $350 cost in 1928. The inscription reads:

“St. Clair Hollow,

Named In Honor Of

Gen. Arthur St. Clair,

The Source Of This Hollow Is

A Large Spring Two Miles

South, Where Gen. St. Clair, In A

Log Cabin, Spent His Last Days.

He Was

A Major General In

The Revolution.

President Of The

Continental Congress.

First Governor Of The

Northwestern Territory

A Pioneer Ironmaster In

Western Pennsylvania

Born 1736—Died 1818

Buried In Greensburg.”

The Planinsek family, owner of the tavern site since 1917, report that travelers over the Darlington-Youngstown Road still visit the spot where St. Clair spent his last years. While the present spring house and watering trough are not the original structures, no doubt they stand on the same locations as in St. Clair’s day.

A solitary stone step is all that remains of the cabin; a mute reminder of Arthur St. Clair’s years of poverty and his belief, “I hold that no man has a right to withhold his services when his country needs them. Be the sacrifice ever so great, it must be yielded upon the altar of patriotism.”

ADDITIONAL READING:

Moving to the (Laurel Ridge) Mountains

AT FORT LIGONIER: Excerpt from book, WARPATH

LAUREL HIGHLANDS

THE OHIO COMPANY AND SCIOTO ASSOCIATES LAND PURCHASES (Novel #2)

BOOKALICIOUS!

There’s a Bug (Moth) In Carolyn’s Ear

Ghost on Laurel Mountain (PA)

beanerywriters — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:35:47 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

GHOST ON LAUREL MOUNTAIN (PA)

Diana Hunt

The greatest Allegheny County scandal at the start of the 20^th century involved a woman connected to Laughlintown, Pennsylvania, three and a half miles east of Ligonier.

On April 12, 1901, an attempted burglary and a murder were committed in a store and the adjoining home of Thomas Kahney, in Mt. Washington, a part of Pittsburgh overlooking the city from high atop the hills. The crime was committed by the Biddle Boys and their gang, the Chloroform gang.

Mr. Kahney was fatally shot in the head by one of the gang members. It was this awful mistake during the robber that landed brothers Ed and Jack Biddle in the Allegheny County jail, to end their miserable lives once and for all. It is also where our story really begins.

Well, let’s see…about two years earlier a house was built in Laughlintown, a handsome stone home with a maid’s quarters, old-fashioned fish pond, and in-ground pool—quite fashionable for its time. It was built by Pete and Kate Soffel as a place to take their children, including Kate, to escape smoggy Pittsburgh.

Kate had heard about the famed Biddle Boys, who had had their trial and were sentenced to Death Row. It was easy for her to visit them, since she had open access to the jail due to her father’s position—deputy warden of the jail.

She had rooms there. As a matter of fact, she was known as the “Queen of the Jail.”

It wasn’t long before Kate was making Ed treats and bringing him reading material, including the Bible. Soon his charms won her over.

Little did she know that her husband had filed for divorce. It wouldn’t have mattered, anyway. Kate was in love and with a doomed man. Ed gave her all the attention and affection a young wife needed and didn’t get from a pre-occupied husband. Ed made her feel passionate again, and alive, in a place where life had ceased in so many ways.

By November, 1901, escape plans were begun.

Kate brought saw blades to Ed between the pages of the Bible. She brought him black wax and chewing gum, used to reaffix the bars after they’d been cut in preparation for the time of escape.

On the morning of the escape, Thursday, January 30, 1902, Kate lightly chloroformed her husband Pete so he could not answer the alarms. During the scuffles and fights between the guards and the Biddles, Kate was not really sure whether to stay or go with them. Ultimately, she left with the brothers.

We really don’t know the truth about the rest of that day until they stole a horse and sleigh in Perrysville at 1:00 a. m. At 7:00 a. m they stopped for breakfast at a country hotel in Cooperstown, 38 miles north of Pittsburgh. By that time, an armed posse was already after them. It consisted of two sleighs, one from Pittsburgh, the other from Butler.

At lunchtime, Kate, Ed and Jack ate at a hotel in Mt. Chestnut Hotel. Then, while traveling northwest towards Prospect, they met the posse at the crest of a hill.

It was about 5:00 p.m.

Ed gave the reins to Kate and fired the first shot. Then all the men were firing their guns. The posse shot Ed twice and Jack fifteen times, and one of their horses was killed The lawmen, miraculously, were unharmed.

The Biddle Boys and Kate tried to fulfill a suicide pact before they were caught, but they botched that. Jack shot himself twice in the mouth. Ed shot himself in the chest, and either he shot Kate, or she shot herself.

The brothers didn’t die until that Friday evening. Before Ed died, he admitted to Kate that he loved no one in his life but his mother. Because Kate was significantly older than Ed, he may have seen her as a mother substitute. Should Kate have seen that coming?

On Saturday the bodies of the Biddle Boys were exhibited for two hours. A crowd of about four thousand people gathered to view them. They are buried in a single grave in a Pittsburgh cemetery.

Kate healed from her gunshot wound, pled guilty to aiding and abetting the escape, and was sentenced to two years in Western Penitentiary. After she was released early for good behavior, she tried to capitalize on her infamous name by recreating her story in a play called “They Died For Liberty.” Later, she tried to hide from the notoriety by using her maiden name. Alone and humiliated, her children gone, she supported herself as a seamstress.

Ed had filled her head and heart with empty promises wrapped in nothing, and now even he was gone. She’d given him everything, even a last hope for a chance at a new life.

Pete resigned his position as warden of Allegheny County Jail and took the children to Ohio, where he remarried.

FOOTNOTE: My parents purchased the house on Laurel Mountain near Washington Furnace Restaurant. I lived there between 1973 and 1979. One night I saw a misty human shape that whirled and turned, and moved from the dining room to the living room, then through the open French doors, before it disappeared. My dog was also alert at this time. Could this be Kate’s ghost, revisiting a spot of joy in her life?

ADDITIONAL READING

THE HAUNTED CABIN IN THE WOODS

SADIE

Interviewing Casper the Friendly Ghost

True Love

And the only case in American history where the verdict was decided on the testimony of a ghost…

KILLED STRANGELY: A NEW ENGLAND MURDER STORY

Apologize to a Vet

beanerywriters — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:37:31 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

APOLOGIZE TO A VET
Joe F. Stierheim

     Last year I attended a meeting on Veterans’ Day. Before the meeting started, one of the attendees came up to me, hand extended in friendship. “Thank you,” she said.
     “For what?” I asked, genuinely confused.
     “You’re a veteran, aren’t you? Veterans are supposed to be thanked on Veterans’ Day.”
     It wasn’t until after the end of the meeting—after I had had a chance to get my thoughts in order—that I talked to my friend a second time.
     “I appreciate you doing what you thought you should,” I said, “but next Veterans’ Day, don’t thank me or any other veteran. Instead, offer your apology to them.”
     I am a veteran of the Korean War. That’s not really true because I never saw action. I was still in basic training when the peace treaty was signed. But I did want to see action; that was why I volunteered to be drafted. I was young and idealistic at the time and to me the war was a landmark in the history of the world. It was the first time that the nations of the world had stood united to withstand aggression. Had that been the norm in prior times, I felt, much bloodshed and suffering could have been prevented. I wanted to do my part in ushering in a new era that would surely bring peace to the world.
     It was not until years later that I gained another perspective on the Korean War. I learned that the war had been brought on by a series of acts by colonialism that had begun long before. The events that led up to it were the result of oppression of a people. That was when the prevention of the war should have taken place—in the time of peace.
     Finding those facts out was the beginning of a new understanding for me. I was brought up to believe that America fought always on the side of right and justice. It took some time to correct that belief. All our wars, even those that we felt were necessary to “end all war”, could have and should have been avoided. Some began as a result of mistakes or errors of judgment and some were brought on by lies told to the American people. But all were avoidable. And those who served in those wars did so unnecessarily. Those who died or were wounded suffered unnecessarily as did and do their families.
And who was responsible for those injuries? It is convenient to put the blame on another group of people whom we do not know and certainly do not understand. But that lack of knowledge and understanding is simply another avoidable cause for war. We are a democracy, with government of the people and by the people. If we, the people, were not responsible for those wars, then who?
     It should be up to us to at least accept that responsibility it is not for peace that wars are fought. War cannot bring peace. War is not something to be proud of or be thankful for.

This Veterans Day, apologize to a vet.

ADDITIONAL READING:

The Battle for Peace: A Book Review

THOUGHTS ON PEACE

PAST CARING

AT FORT LIGONIER: Excerpt from book, WARPATH

Destination: Ligonier (PA)

FLIGHT 93 CRASH SITE MEMORIAL

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR WRITERS: NOVEMBER 1, 2009

beanerywriters — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:38:04 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR WRITERS: NOVEMBER 1, 2009

This is excerpted from the November 2009 issue of the Beanery Writers Newsletter. To -subscribe to this newsletter send an E-mail to beanerywriters@yahoo.com (to insure the E-mail is opened, please type “Beanery Newsletter” in the subject line).

UPDATE ON BEANERY WRITERS GROUP MEMBER

Bob Sanzi experienced a severe heart attack October 9. Kern, an inactive member of the Beanery Writers Group, E-mailed this update:

Kern, active contributor to the Beanery Online Literary Magazine

AUTHOR BOOKSIGNINGS/READINGS

Book Signing:

“BROKEN PLACES”: A Poetical Journey

Natalee Russo

November 21, 2009 (Saturday)

7:00 p.m.

Greensburg Barnes & Noble

For further information visit www.BROKENPLACESPOETICA.com

WRITERS EVENTS

LIGONIER VALLEY WRITERS GROUP

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

December 6, 2009

St. Michael’s Church (Rector, PA)

3-5 p.m.

++++++++++++

Sneak Peek!!! David Pomerico, editorial assistant at Spectra (Bantam Dell/Random House) has agreed to attend the 2010 Pennwriters Conference.
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/spectra/

+++++++++++++

ALL-DAY WORKSHOP featuring Debra Dixon

Crown Plaza: Pittsburgh Airport Hotel

September 25, 2010

Debra Dixon is author of Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction. Details will be posted here as they become available.

++++++++++++

CONTEST TO BE AWARE OF

The Young Voices Foundation

A 501(c)3 educational organization

http://www.youngvoicesfoundation.org/writingcontests.html

For writers guidelines, click on:

http://www.youngvoicesawards.com/distinguishedjudges.html

Ellen Spain, Ph.D., M. A., Coordinator, Pittsburgh East Writers, will be a Judge for the Young Voices Foundation’s 2009 awards.

Visit her website: www.ellenspain.com or Email: DuckIslandMaine@aol.com

WRITING LINKS:

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com/

www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com

www.barbarapurbaugh.com

www.ellenspain.com

ADDITIONAL READING ON WRITING:

HOW THE BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE WAS CREATED

HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ONLINE

INTEGRITY: A JOURNALISTIC CODE OF ETHICS REVIEW

JOURNALISM QUESTION

JOURNALIST ETHICS CONCERNING THE RECEIPT OF GIFTS

THE LIGONIER 250TH ANNIVERSARY BOOKLET

MORALITY IN WRITING

REFLECTING ON MY WRITING LIFE IN 2008

Interviewing Casper the Friendly Ghost

beanerywriters — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:12:18 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

INTERVIEWING CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST

Joanne et al

During our October Beanery Writers Group meeting, several Halloween prompts were given out. One was: You are the star reporter for Halloween Headline, and you’ve just landed an interview with Casper the Friendly Ghost. Write out 20 questions to ask during the interview. Responses from members of the group are below.

Do you eat? If so, where does the food go?

Do you have parents? Do ghosts beget ghosts or were you human at one time?

I have to ask—are you a boy?

Why are you friendly?

Are you on Prozac? Who is your shrink?

Do you have medical insurance?

Will you grow up?

How do you drive your ghostmobile? Does it have foot pedals?

Are you photophobic?

How do camera flashes or lightning flashes effect you?

Any reader who would like to add questions to this list, please do so in the comment box below.

If Casper the Ghost is out there, perhaps s/he would be willing to answer any or all of the questions above in the comment box below.

ADDITIONAL READING:

Halloween Night

True Love

THE KILLER KITTEN

THE HAUNTED CABIN IN THE WOODS

JOURNEY’S END

Ghostly white pumpkins of the Lunar variety

A Jack-O-Lantern Interview

Halloween Night

beanerywriters — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:34:47 +0000

BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Kathleen Clark

Hey, there, Halloween eyes

master of disguise

lurking around in the dark

giving my heart a jump-start!

Darkness unfurls like Dracula’s cape

swirling around the mustard moon

soon…very soon…

the living dead will escape…

Gliding across misty fields, lurking down inky alleys

little ghouls and goblins

slink on cat feet, ring doorbells on pumpkin-lit porches

then RUN SCREAMING…

It’s a devilishly scary night

so slip inside and revel in the fright

of cobwebbed corners, flickering lights

blood-curdling screams!!!

Shiver with delight as you sit

cross-legged with flashlight

reading ghostly, sanguine tales

of horror and doom.

ADDITIONAL READING:

True Love

THE KILLER KITTEN

THE HAUNTED CABIN IN THE WOODS

JOURNEY’S END

Ghostly white pumpkins of the Lunar variety

THE SNITTY CAT LIKES PUMPKIN PIE?

True Love

beanerywriters — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:05:29 +0000

True Love

Ed Kelemen

“John, you moron,” she continued, “I told you that we should’ve evacuated with the rest of the neighbors. But, ohh-noooo, you had a better idea. You wanted to ride out the storm.”

OK, he admitted to himself, he might have made a mistake. But just then wasn’t the time to dwell on it. It was damn cold and wet up on the roof of the mobile home that was threatening to give in to the floodwaters any time.

Why wouldn’t she just shut up?

She went on, “You saw a chance to make some money out of the flood. Yeah, right.”

She clutched that damn scraggly-ass alley cat to her overflowing bosom and went on, “How much did you think you could make robbing a trailer court?”

“Listen Mary, it was a no-brainer. I gathered up all the jewelry, valuables, guns, and whatnot from all the other mobile homes and cut all their tie downs so that they’d drift away in two lousy feet of water.”

The cat yawned, blinked his bilious yellow eyes, and made a yowling sound.

She went on, “See, your stupidity has even made Mr. Snugglebum unhappy.”

The rain beat down, and the wind howled and even his underwear was soaked. He thought about giving Mr. Snugglebum a swimming lesson.

She went on, “I guess you expected to find the crown jewels of England in a trailer at Happy Dale Trailer Estates.”

“Mobile homes, Mary. They’re called mobile homes,” he muttered.

She went on, “If you can put wheels on it, it’s a trailer. I never shoulda hooked up with a loser like you.”

Mr. Snugglebum showed his agreement with Mary by directing a yellow-fanged smile in his direction. He wondered how far Mary could swim through eight feet of storm-driven floodwater.

She went on, “You are a loser, you know. Nothing you have ever tried has worked out. You haven’t had one good idea since we got married. If it wasn’t for me and my disability check, you’d be out in the cold.”

He thought about some hot soup, hot coffee and hot sausage sandwiches and hoped she hadn’t heard herself.

No such luck.

“Out in the cold. Out In The Cold! OUT IN THE COLD! Where in the hell are we up on this goddamn roof in the middle of a hurricane if it isn’t out in the cold?” she wanted to know.

She went on, “And it’s all your damn fault, you stupid ignoramus, you.”

She pushed Mr. Snugglebum down in her voluminous breast region so that he’d be warm. All that was visible of him was his happy contented face poking up from between those two monstrous melons of warmth. He sent another snaggle toothed smile John’s way.

He thought how comfortable he could be in the cat’s place. It wasn’t going to happen.

They’d been up on this roof for six hours. The sun had long ago deserted the sky, along with any rescue choppers.

It looked to be a long night.

She went on, “You know. I coulda married Cletus. At least he has a truck. He works for a living. He wouldn’t have me stranded on top of a piece of crap like this. He woulda took me places.”

John thought of one place he’d like to see Mary go to. It was as cold and wet as the roof, but the water was deeper.

The water must’ve gotten to the transformers. The last street light had gone out. At least he didn’t have to look at her doughy little face with the raisin eyes and nostrils. He bought her the goddamn teeth, why wouldn’t she wear them?

She went on. ”Yeah, Cletus woulda at least bought me a double-wide. And we woulda probably been on our own lot, too. Not stuck in some swampland trailer court.”

She got up and stood over him like a harbinger of doom, her fists resting on her pannier-like hips. While he could barely make out her features, he had no problem locating the malevolent yellow glow of Mr. Snugglebum’s eyes peering from under the ruffles of her ludicrous tank top.

Rising to his feet to be on an even level with her, he thought that, just as some women shouldn’t wear stretch pants, he was married to one who should never wear a tank top. Even if she could find one that fit.

She went on, and on, and on, punctuating each and every insult, complaint, and nasty remark by poking him in the shoulder with her right index finger.

“Mary, don’t poke me,” he said evenly over the sound of the rain.

“Don’t poke you? What are you gonna do about it big guy?” She punctuated this with an even harder poke to his shoulder. Mr. Snugglebum gave his approval of her actions with a yawning yowl, exposing his bilious fangs.

The sight of that comfortable, warm, snug, smug cat ensconced in Mary’s ample bosom was more that John could stand. He lashed out and struck back, pushing Mary with all his might on both of her shoulders. It was just an uncontrollable impulse on his part. But the consequences…

Mary stumbled back, teetering on the edge of the roof, all the while directing every invective in her vast repertoire straight at John. He even reached out to help her, but he couldn’t.

A screaming, spitting ball of fur, fangs and claws exploded from her tank top, pushing with all its might to escape her now precarious position. Using one of Mary’s huge breasts as a launching platform, Mr. Snugglebum leapt onto John’s face and stapled himself there for a quick moment. He then scrabbled up and over John’s face. His push on the back of John’s head was just enough to destroy what little balance John was maintaining and John fell onto Mary. The pair of them disappeared into the swirling flood waters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, the water had receded and the rescue teams were combing the neighborhood for survivors.

The corporeal remains of John and Mary were found snagged in the hawthorn tree at the corner of the street.

“Ah Charlie. Look at this. These two loved each other so much that they are hugging each other, even in death.”

Charlie replied, “Just bag and tag ‘em. Don’t get sentimental, it’ll drive you crazy.”

As one rescuer disentangled the bodies from each other and the tree, he was distracted by a plaintive cry for help. Charlie searched out its source and then said to his team mates, “You guys get them into the body bags. I’ll go get that poor starving kitty up on that trailer roof.”

ADDITIONAL READING:

THE KILLER KITTEN

THE HAUNTED CABIN IN THE WOODS

JOURNEY’S END

Living with OCD

ALWAYS IN THREES

Grandparents, homemade cookies, & licking cream off milkcaps

Should your cat be kept indoors or outdoors?

Nicole

G-20 Poem

AT FORT LIGONIER: Excerpt from book, WARPATH