Says:
I can't begin to imagine the frustration ... I mean, your whole life and livelihood can get wrapped up in these little mechanical monsters. (Whoops, better not speak ill of it!) Best wishes!!! Clyde
Mocha with Linda Says:
Your Mac, my washer/dryer. The new ones attempted to be delivered Friday arrived damaged (from the factory, not in transit). Maybe Tuesday will be a good day for both of us!
Oooh, love the little hints about your book! Makes me smile in anticipation.
When I heard about Billy Mays, it made me think about that actress who died after the ski injury. If you get bonked on the head, get it checked out!
Says:
Such creative folks. Does yours do that, too? Just get a leash and head to the beach!
You actually convinced me at Glen Eyrie, Angie. Someday, but meanwhile, it's 3 x 5 cards for me.
Blessings,
Mary Kay
Kimberly Says:
Funny! I bought one on Sunday and I'm still hating it. Everyone promises I'll get used to it though! (On the PC now by the way!)
Says:
Insane, but fascinating. I wonder how he started the process. How did he deflect their natural instincts to treat him as an enemy or just plain prey. As a domesticator of slightly smaller felines, I try to avoid antagonizing them into a behaviour that might hurt me. I wonder if there is someone who is studying HIS behaviour. Clyde
Kay Day Says:
I can see how that would be an amazing thrill. Incredible.
Born Free used to be one of my favorite movies.
Oh, my. Yesterday was a strange day in terms of celebrity. Says:
At our house our cat is the trainer.
Says:
Ah, Angie, you have made my day; what a delight! Thank you, Clyde (and Amy and Andie, too, who were not quite as enthralled as I)
Mocha with Linda Says:
His one statement in the middle speaks volumes; "Sometimes the cats teach us the tricks."
Pretty funny. I'm sending that to a friend.
Wonder if there's a PETA in Moscow?! LOL
Momstheword Says:
Notice how she slipped the cat a tidbit? Pretty cute. In fact, pretty amazing, considering how independent and unwilling most cats are. Loved it.
Says:
Love the video!! Most of the time Clarabell forgets that she once lived on the streets and thinks that she is the queen and we are here to serve her. This morning she was touching me with her claws to get me out of bed so she could have my place.
Angie, I thought of you when I saw the Elwell in the baby's name.
I just don't get why the uproar over Michael Jackson's death. But I was depressed for a week when Roy Rogers died.
Smilingsal Says:
We've completed our move, but the internet did not come along with us. It's sloooowly dragging behind. I hope to get it fixed soon. That's why I've not been making so many visits.
You have a good day and keep writing!
Angela Says:
Glad you got moved, Sally, but no internet? Waaaah.
I once had a condo on the beach for a week . . . but as it had no internet, I spent almost all my time prowling the bookstores and coffee shops, desperately seeking a hotspot. :-/ After two days, I couldn't stand it and went home.
LOL. The things we do . . .
Angie
Mocha with Linda Says:
That is truly creepy!
I love it when you are writing! That means good things for us to anticipate!
Kay Day Says:
The weird thing about those photos--ok, there were several weird things--was that after a bit they started looking normal to me. But it also made me feel nauseated and I had to stop.
I can write backwards--mirror writing--and after a while, I can't remember how to do it the right way.
Leslie Says:
Glad I'm not the only one that got nauseated. Had to stop after the Evangeline Lilly picture.
Says:
What a scream!!!
Momstheword Says:
Weird doesn't say it. I only looked at a few. Like Kay, I found them beginning to look more normal and could recognize them. Some even looked better. I also can mirror write but thought it was because I'm left-handed.
Mocha with Linda Says:
The rapidity with which those numbers are advancing is frightening even aside from the staggering size of the amounts.
And nationalized health care is just HMOs on steroids. No thanks.
Says:
that was entertaining!
where do you find these?
thanks!
jan
Says:
Creative advertising. How clever. And interesting that some words appear in "English." Especially surprised by ghettoblaster!
Thanks for the fun, Angie.
Mary Kay
Christy Lockstein Says:
I finished The Help this weekend and was so impressed on how the author handled such a delicate topic with compassion. It was a fascinating read!
Says:
I will add this to my list. My mother-inlaw, lives in LA and has had the same Mexican housekeeper for 50 years. They are both in their 80's now. Theresa is a sweetheart. I have never understood why she ate breakfast with us in the kitchen but never sat down with us for dinner in the dining room. Very awkward. I would rather visit her than MIL.
Says:
Don't want you to feel like nobody read this, so I'm jumping in with an inane comment. Never thought these movies would appeal to me, but I will give it a shot. After all, my Netflix queue is down to a measly 35 titles! Do well on your project - like I really needed to say that. Having a Barnabas moment!!! Clyde
Kay Day Says:
I love his movies, but I've only seen the Madea ones so far. My favorite is Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
I love the way he mixes heart wrenching pain with ridiculous humor.
I love the redemption.
Have you read any of his personal story? It's very interesting, too.
Maybe the other movie is The Family that Preys? Haven't seen it, but heard it's good.
Lisa Says:
I've never seen those movies, but I'm having surgery next week, and I'll have time to watch something. Thanks for the tip! I just finished The Silver Sword, and can't wait to go get the rest of the series. I read She's in a Better Place last week, but if I don't pace myself, I'll have nothing left to read when I'm recovering! Good luck on your project.
Says:
Tyler Perry's movies always have many life lessons in them.My favorites are "Dairy of a Mad black Women and Madea goes to jail. He always brings to light the importance of family in each and every situation. He is so comical and very real in his movies. I love the way He lives outside the box when He shares his faith in God. We are not perfect people and we live in a imperfect world but we serve a perfect God who is crazy in love with us! He so wants to walk each step with us on this earth.We just need to draw near to Him..God is there for us! Kim from Tampa, Florida
Adrianna O'Regan Says:
I was just thinking that I wanted to go watch "Diary of a Mad Black Woman!" I quite enjoy Tyler Perry.
Kay Day Says:
I would say Ed Dobson has been pointing people to Jesus most of his life.
But when he became aware of how few marbles may be left (puts a whole new meaning to "losing your marbles") he really upped it a notch.
I have 4,392 marbles, according to the test. But maybe I should consider upping it a notch too, just in case there are fewer marbles in my jar than I expect.
Says:
Wow--pretty cool! I was just thinking yesterday about how I want to make more of an impact for Jesus, and I don't want life to pass me by. This really spoke to me today!
Angela Says:
I took the life expectancy test at this link:http://www.livingto100.com/
and found that I should live to 94 years, which gives me 2040 marbles left in my fishbowl. Wow.
Wonder where I can find that many marbles?
Angie
Says:
Ed Dobson will always be Dean Dobson to me. He was always my favorite preacher and I loved hearing him preach in the Old Sanctuary on Thomas Road. His speach was always so lyrical and pleasant and his messages were always right on the money.
I had no idea he has ALS.
His is definitely a book I will pick up as soon as it is available.
Thanks for sharing the video, Angie.
John
Kay Day Says:
I got 97 on the live to 100 test. That's 7 years more than the other test.
I'm not sure I want to get that old, honestly.
Says:
Thanks Angie, and Kay Day, for the links. Talk about redeeming the time. He's a man I'd like to know.
My life expectancy test said 97 years --which sounds a lot longer than 1820 marbles. So--surf's up! Let's catch a wave.
Mary Kay
Sherry Says:
Dear Dean Dobson...wow, what memories. How many hundreds of sermons have we heard. I was unaware of the manifest trials he now encounters, but am so grateful to have seen this little video. My prayers are with him and Lorna and the family and I anxiously await October for the release of his book. Thanks Angie for posting this for us.
Sherry
Says:
Oh, that's a wonderful story! I was blessed in California to have the hummingbirds flitter around my balcony garden. I never ceased to marvel at their ability to stay in one spot, their little wings beating so fast you couldn't see them! In the local Natural History Museum were nests of "hummers" - a favorite one was built on an orange! Clyde
Kay Day Says:
I sometimes see them roosting in my trees. I have to have seen them fly there or I would never spot them.
I haven't seen a nest, though.
Those pictures are amazing.
Susan R Says:
Hummingbirds are amazing to watch, but they're also quarrelsome little critters. We've had feeders for years, and you can often hear the high-pitched twittering that accompanies their fights over possession. One afternoon I watched a particularly aggressive pair fight to the ground over feeder possession. Probably a good thing that they're not bigger!
Says:
God never ceases to amaze me. So glad He blessed you with the live hummers. They abound in our area. One morning hubby and I watched as one (we've nicknamed Kamikaze) hid in a bush and attacked each "invader" as the new hummer approached the feeder. Kamikaze was fearless and tireless. A true paragon of a military strategist.
Thanks for the photos--and the Glen Eyrie experience.
Blessings,
Mary Kay
JMcQ Says:
I live in an area where hummingbirds are prolific. Reading you post made me realize how much we take for granted, just thinking everyone's experience in life is similar to our own. I enjoyed the photos for the close-up. We have loads of little hummers, but I have yet to scour out a nest and take a peek inside.
karenp Says:
A friend of mine in southern California has quite a bird sanctuary going on in her beautiful backyard garden. There will be 12+ hummingbids flying through at one time -- eating, dive bombing, chasing, and chattering at each other. Quite a sight to behold! I just love hummingbirds and watching them interact. If you would like to attrac them easily...try getting bottlebrush and/or butterfly bushes for your yard, along with a hummingbird feeder.
Says:
3M must be proud of him. Am sharing with my buddy who works there. I know she will love it! Clyde
Mocha with Linda Says:
Goodness. I was thinking while I was watching it that it had to be computer-generated animation, but when I saw the credits, I wasn't so sure. Pretty neat.
Kay Day Says:
I love crop circles.
I really don't think all of them are made by people, but I don't have a theory as to what does make them.
I love believing there are still things we don't know. Things only God sees.
Maybe I'm wrong about these, but I like thinking that way.
I haven't seen signs. I'll have to do that.
Suzanne Says:
SIGNS is a great movie! I also enjoyed THE VILLAGE. Most of M Night Shyamalan's movies are thought provoking.
Mocha with Linda Says:
I'm so sorry you have such a dull and boring life with nothing to do....
Mercy! Can't wait to watch all this unfold!
Have a safe trip!
Kay Day Says:
I love the picture but I'm wondering where you legs are...
Congrats on the new publishing home!
And I'll see you tomorrow!
Says:
i am so excited about the three new novels! i just finished The Fairlawn Series and was getting worried i would suffer from withdrawal symptoms from angela hunt books! your books are the best!
Says:
This one is for Kay ... I had arrived rather late at the castle. Everyone was already seated at their respective dinner tables. If you look really, REALLY closely, you will see Angie's legs tucked under her table. If you don't see them, I would suggest either going to your opthamologist or having another glass of wine. Both excellent remedies!!! =) E-gad, I am going to miss you all this time around. I am praying you have another wonderful session!!! Clyde
P.S. Just back from a short vacation. Thx for showing the Klavan clip. He's an interesting guy. Knew him at my church in California. Has gone from being a bar mitzvahed Jew to a conservative Christian in a series of steps. His original books were intense, guy-type thrillers (couple made into top movies) but has taken a new step into thrillers for teens that is extremely promising! Sorry to be plugging another writer on your blog, Angie, but he's such a worthy human being ... cot again
Angela Says:
We miss you, Clyde! And no worries--I love promoting worthy authors on my blog. Happy that you mentioned Klavan. :-)
Angie
Says:
Very interesting. Thanks, Clyde and Angie.
I read a fascinating book last summer that showed extremely well the progression from some well-meaning and benevolent intentions to extremely cruel ends. (If it weren't so late, I might even be able to remember the name of it! Perhaps find it. Maybe tomorrow.)
Night.
Mary Kay
Says:
Back again. The book I referred to last night is HOW NOW SHALL WE LIVE? by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcy. Section 3 of the book focuses on consequences of the fall being denied. They build the case that shows the "utopian myth...leads not to beneficial social experiments but to tyranny. The confidence that humans are perfectible provides a justification for trying to make them perfect...NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES. ... William F. Buckley trenchantly observes: Utopianism 'inevitably...brings on the death of liberty.' "
A powerful book with, I think, excellent points and clear logic. (Sorry about the caps/shouting. I don't know how to do ital. here.)
And Angie--a Th.D. You're amazing!
Mary Kay
Says:
Thanks for the video! I'm duly warned... and will give up on keeping squirrels away from my bird feeder!
Says:
That was great! I love squirrels.
Did you know that having squirrels in your neighborhood reduces the number of oppossum? I much prefer the squirrels.
Says:
As another musician, I concur with your comments. It appears that when the note is struck on the keyboard, the light goes on in the individual candles. That's probably why the slight hesitation before you hear the actual note. The choir did not know what tune the "pianist" would play. I expect though with practise, you could get a unified and harmonious effect. (BTW, when I saw the title, I tried to imagine a whole bunch of pianos on stage, uprights in one section, baby grands over here and concert grands over there. Didn't really work for me.) Clyde
Mocha with Linda Says:
I'm skeptical enough to wonder if it was all planned out ahead of time. It's like a handbell choir only with voices. Everyone sings a different note. They could have just memorized their parts. And there were a lot of people that didn't sing at all. Interesting concept, though!
I did laugh when he told him not to play Flight of the Bumblebee!!
Ruth W Says:
This sounds like a great organization.I hope young people choose to go with them instead of another route.
I am curious about Heavenly Bedding, I will have to check it out. I love comfy bedding.
Kristin Says:
This is a great idea. Modeling is one of those paths you need to be well-grounded for. When you watch those modeling shows, you see what hot messes those girls are. So kudos for this!
Mocha with Linda Says:
I guess they're pointing down because the angels are blowing the trumpets toward earth?!
Beautiful lilies!!
Have a safe and productive trip to the Windy City!
Suzanne Says:
I've never seen or heard of Angels Trumpet before, what an amazing tree/flower.
Okay, so that and the funky midnight bloomer....what other cool plants do you own?
I've got a Begonia that I've kept alive for a year. LOL. It was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter in 2008.
Last call for the writer's workshop at Glen Eyrie! 
Photo: some of last year's attendees lounging around in one of the castle bedrooms. And the castle. Kathy C. Says:
I really want to do this. I have a children's adventure series idea that is not getting off the ground. But it all comes down to money....
Says:
Angela,
I hope to attend this year. The PDF does not print out correctly for me and the www.gleneyrie.org/writers link doesn't work. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Kevin Feldotto
kevin@coloradowriter.net
Angela Says:
Apparently the link was changed. It is working now--and the brochure is found at the link.
Here it is again: http://www.gleneyrie.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/retreats/cornerstone/writers
Angie
Accidental Poet Says:
I cannot begin to tell you how much this conference has changed my life. Do you know when you sign up for a conference at Glen Eyrie, the staff start to pray for you BY NAME?
Thank you.
Angela Says:
Thank YOU, Susan! You added a lot of sparkle to our conference! (And I'm not talking about sequins . . .)
Angie
Holly Says:
Praying already for a way to come!
PS I posted some pretty cloud pictures yesterday over Pike's Peak, if you'd like to see them. It surely is a beautiful place God made!
Kay Day Says:
I'm registered and ready to go! Can't wait. This conference is the highlight of my year!
Says:
I will be with you all in spirit this time. Really would love to come, but family comes first this year, and we will be out of town celebrating my daughter's and her cousin's joint birthday. Love the photo you took of all of us on my bed last year. What fun the conference was, but there was so much to learn at the same time. I know that this year's attendees will be thrilled as I was. Clyde
Angela Says:
We'll miss you, Clyde. And we're looking forward to meeting a new crew of people at the castle.
Angie
Says:
I'm standing on tippy-toes, excited I'm able to attend this year. So glad you four offer this. Feel better, Angie.
Mary Kay
Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend Says:
I enjoyed reading your blog today.
I am still finding my way around blogland....
I always love making new friends..
I am posting about Disney so hope you will stop by.
Each comment enters you for the June giveaway.
Jennifer Hudson Taylor Says:
Sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I'll be at a writer's retreat with my publisher that weekend, but maybe it would be something I could do another year. I love the idea of staying in a castle. I think it would jump start my creative juices--especially since I write historicals--some with castles!
Says:
Angela....I am just reading the "O'Connor" series for the first time.....almost finished with "THE GOLDEN CROSS"....my heart broke when Orabel died!
Love your books!!!! This summer is my "Angela Hunt" reading summer! lol
Blessings,
Denise ( a "seasoned" pastor's wife in NC)
Dana Says:
I'd love to win a copy of this book! I've never read any of your older books. Do you wish to write more historical fiction in the future? Do you prefer writing modern or historical fiction (i.e. which is more fun)?
Thanks!
Dana
Says:
Always happy to try to win a book. I own many of them, but love to give them to a potential new reader. Some of those I have loaned have not made their way back to my library. A quote from Shakespeare comes to mind ...
=( Clyde
Says:
Angie, please enter me for the book giveaway! Historical fiction is my favorite and you're my favorite author - so this is a "must have" for me! Thanks for sharing the background of this book - I always enjoy reading about the creative process that goes into such a work.
Says:
I'd love to win - I actually don't have this one.
Says:
I loved the "O'Connor" series! I actually only read it recently because I found a library that had the whole series together.I hate reading books and not being able to finish the series!
Which do you tend to develop first? Characters or plot (or do they sort of emerge together?)
annie_roo@hotmail.com
Melody Says:
Hey Angela, I would love to be entered into your drawing! "The Elevator" was recommended to me by several people a few months ago. I had just started reading again (hadn't read any novels since I was a child) and I wanted to find some good christian authors/books. Your book Elevator was top on the list so I picked up a copy. I really enjoyed it! I was told all of your books are equally good & I can't wait to read more from you! Thank you for writing GOOD christian books for all of us who like to read!
Melody
Says:
Hi Angie,
I would love to win a copy of this book,(or any other one you'd like to give away). I read this series a long time ago when I found it at the library.
After reading your comments about church history I think I would really like to go back and reread it.
Lara Moore Says:
Angela, I would LOVE to be in your list for the give-a-way. I met you last year at the Southern Christian Writers' Conference in Tuscaloosa, AL. I've enjoyed reading the books I bought from you there & have been scouring bookstores for your others. Also, thanks for the daily blog posting! I'm a compulsive 'blog-hound' :D
The Marklund's Says:
Please count me in on your drawing for the book! I love historical fiction and I haven't gotten to this series yet!
Elaine Says:
Dear Angela,
I enjoyed the Heavenly Daze and Fairlawn series. I would love to win and start in a new genre. Thank you for the opportunity.
Elaine
Says:
Angela,
I'd love to win this book. I think my daughter would like this series...
Says:
Please count me in on the drawing, too, Angie. Your writing always satisfies, and the only historical of yours I've read is MAGDALENE. (I've been late to discover you.) MAGDALENE was stunning; I'd love to read this series.
Sorry you're ill. Will be praying for you, and hope you're "finer than frog hair" (as my hubby says) very soon.
Blessings,
Mary Kay
Angela Says:
I asked my hubby to pick a winner and he said #12, which was Andrea at 9:58 p.m. So Andrea, if you will contact me through my web page with your address and full name, I'll get a copy of THE SILVER SWORD right out to you.
Thanks, everyone!
Angie
Mocha with Linda Says:
Maybe it's because of my nursing background, but I also wondered about managing those "personal feminine needs"! That's one thing about many historical novels that just blows my mind, whether the woman is disguised as a man or not, but here it's just magnified. It was a whole 'nother world!
And an ominous-looking castle guarded by huge mastiffs? I would definitely keep my distance!
This has nothing to do with the book, but did you have the dogs when your kids were little? If so, did the dogs and kids always do well with each other? Did it ever make you nervous, especially at the beginning?
Mocha with Linda Says:
Amen to what you said about the tares. Sometimes the church has been its own worst enemy.
From a practical sense, I'm so glad I didn't live in this time period. Of course, I realize it's not like they knew any different - they hadn't been in the 21st century - but daily life was such a struggle.
My book club met last night to discuss Sandra Dallas's PRAYERS FOR SALE. (If you like Jan Karon's Mitford books, you'd love this one, I think. ) We had a great time, but I've caught some kind of cold, so I kept struggling to speak, my eyes ran, my nose ran . . . and it wasn't even a sad story! :-) Dana Says:
Did you "have" to travel to Prague to research this series? Hmmm... tough author's life...
:)
Says:
This was my favorite book of the series; was fascinated by your in-depth recounting of the Jan Hus story. When I had the opportunity to go to Prague in 2005, I spent a lot of time in contemplation in front of a monumental statue of him in one of the squares. Clyde
Charlotte Says:
I love this book series! If it had not been this book I would never have gotten in to Christian Fiction. To this day they are amoung my favorite books!
A Soldier’s Reunion by Cheryl Wyatt-Wings of Refuge Series
Steeple Hill Love Inspired
Despite a decade apart, this isn't the reunion Mandy Manchester expected! She thought she'd put high school sweetheart Nolan Briggs behind her. Now he's back…and the pararescue jumper literally sweeps her off her feet. He's ready and willing to rekindle what they once shared. Mandy, though, isn't prepared to put her heart at risk. He left her before—she won't trust him again. Can Nolan teach this grounded girl to take a leap of faith.
Author Bio:
Born Valentine’s Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-
Cheryl’s Blog:
http://www.scrollsq
Mocha with Linda Says:
I've resisted this book twice the last times I've been to Wal-Mart, but after reading about it on several blogs, I'm beginning to see that Resistance Is Futile!
Cheryl Wyatt Says:
Thanks, Angie!
Linda...I know the feeling! LOL. If you pick up the book, I hope you enjoy it.
Have a great day! And a great mocha. Grin.
Cheryl
June's book of the month is an oldie but goodie. WaterBrook Press is repackaging some older titles, among them the Heirs of Cahira O'Connor Series. The first book, THE SILVER SWORD, has just been released . . . and the price is a bargain (only $6.99!)
Here's a review from the Amazon.com page:
And a sneak peek at the prologue:
Even from across the library I could feel the stranger’s eyes upon me. “Just ignore him and he’ll go away,” I muttered to myself, clicking furiously at the computer keyboard. From the corner of my eye, I could still see him—a soft little man of late middle age, with features delicately carved with lines of concern and a small round paunch bulging over the waistband of his trousers.
The screen before me flickered a moment, then brightened as the slow modem received its transmission. When in the world had the college installed this computer, anyway? Nineteen ninety-three?
Despite the modem’s glacial slowness, the good old World Wide Web had not disappointed. The search engine pulled up twenty-eight references to “piebaldism,” the topic I’d chosen for my research project. I only had to investigate the most promising leads, and maybe I’d have enough information to keep my writing prof happy. I hoped these links contained something useful, because twenty-eight references were not exactly a lot of material. Just for fun, a few minutes earlier I had typed in my name, “Kathleen O’Connor,” and the Internet search engine had pulled up over sixty-six thousand references to “O’Connor” and/or “Kathleen.”
“Excuse me, Miss O’Connor?” I looked up. The strange man stood beside me now, his shoulders hunched in a touching sort of dignity, his wool hat in his hand. A thin, carefully clipped mustache rode his upper lip, and his face seemed firmly set in deep thought.
“Yes?” I gave him a polite smile. No use in letting him know I was ready to scream for security if he turned out to be some kind of kook.
“I pray you will pardon what must certainly be an untimely intrusion,” the man said, a note of apology in his voice. “Let me introduce myself. I am Henry Howard, a professor of European History here at the college. And though you must pardon my inquisitiveness, I asked the librarian for your name. She said you come here often.”
Didn’t all English majors live in the library? Not knowing quite how to respond, I nodded. “Nice to meet you, Professor Howard,” I said, glancing back toward the computer screen. “But I’m in the middle of researching my semester project and there are others waiting to use the computer.”
“I don’t mean to intrude.” He tightened his hold on his hat. “But I couldn’t help noticing your hair. It is quite lovely. And quite. . .unusual.”
Was that some sort of pickup line? Murmuring a quiet “thank you,” I turned back toward the computer and typed my name, hoping to convince him I had things to do. I’ve heard comments about my hair for most of my life, and if this man had some sort of hair fetish, I didn’t want to encourage him. Most people either love my hair or hate it, depending upon whether they consider redheads temperamental or spirited.
Professor Howard had not taken the hint. “That streak near your temple—“
I cut my gaze back to him, ready to blast him with a withering stare.
With one hand he pointed toward my head in a tentative gesture. “I know this may be a bold question, but is that discoloration natural? It appears to be, and it is quite distinctive, but you never can tell with young girls these days. One of my nieces has painted a black stripe down the center of her head.” He shrugged helplessly as his voice drifted away, but his gaze remained locked with mine. Didn’t he have enough sense to be embarrassed by his bad manners?
“The streak is natural,” I answered quickly, determined to be done with him. “I’ve had it since childhood.”
“Did your mother—“ The professor hesitated and gripped his hat again. Maybe he did realize he was being nosy. “Did either of your parents have such a discoloration? Or one of your grandparents?”
“I don’t think so,” I answered. In spite of my annoyance, my confounded curiosity—the character flaw my mother always predicted would get me into trouble—rose up like a kite. Did he want to interview me for some kind of genetics study? No, he had said he taught in the history department, not the college of sciences.
“I wondered.” A smile found its way through the mask of uncertainty on his face. “You must think me terribly rude, badgering you with questions of such a personal nature, but I couldn’t stop myself when the librarian told me your name. The O’Connor clan of Ireland has a bit of lore attached to it—mythological lore, really—but when I saw you and heard your name—well, I thought it would be lovely if the story were true.”
I leaned back and crossed my arms, still studying his face. I hated to admit it, but this rambling professor had really intrigued me. I have always been interested in genealogy, but since returning to college I stayed so busy trying to juggle my part-time job with writing assignments that I scarcely had time to read a newspaper, much less research my family tree.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to indulge the professor for a moment or two. “What lore?” I rested my elbow on the table, then propped my chin on my hand. “I know very little about my family.”
“Ah. If you’ll permit me--” The professor pulled a chair from the empty carrel next to mine, then sat down, resting his hat on his knees. “The O’Connors ruled over medieval Ireland as warrior kings of Connacht. From the day the Normans first entered Ireland the O’Connors served as faithful allies of the English sovereigns, but in 1235, treacherous Norman foot-soldiers and archers crossed the Shannon River and killed the ruling O’Connors in their ancestral home. That much we know as fact. But it’s what we don’t know for certain that fascinates me.”
He lowered his voice and leaned forward as if he were divulging a great secret. “It is said that Cahira, daughter of the great king Rory O’Connor, lay in childbirth as the attack began. She was delivered of a son on that fateful day, and as the murdering Normans entered the castle a serving maid spirited the baby away. The men had been dispatched to the towers and defensive positions; most were dead or dying. Cahira, still weak from childbirth, chose to defend her home rather than flee with her child.”
Slowly and deliberately, the professor removed his glasses, then began to wipe them with a handkerchief from his jacket pocket. “According to legend, Cahira picked up a sword to defend the chamber in which she and her ladies had taken refuge,” he said, critically examining the lenses of his glasses before returning them to the bridge of his nose. “They resisted in a valiant display of courage, but the women were no match for the professional knights. And as Cahira lay dying of a wound from a Norman blade, she lifted her hand toward heaven and beseeched God that others would follow after her, ‘bright stars who would break forth from the courses to which they are bound and restore right in this murderous world of men.’”
The professor told the story in a smooth, almost soothing voice, but I felt my heart rate increasing with every word. Why did the story move me? And why was I sitting here listening to this fanciful and melodramatic professor when I had a project to begin? This warrior princess and I had the same last name, but surely we had about as much in common as an apple and an oyster.
“That’s an interesting story.” I smiled at Professor Howard and picked up my pencil. “But I really need to get back to work.”
Apparently not one to be easily dissuaded, Professor Howard straightened himself in his chair. “There is more to the tale, Miss O’Connor. Cahira had red hair, too. In fact, seeing you made me think of her.” He gave me a slightly reproachful look. “I had hoped you might be acquainted with her story.”
Did he think all redheads pledged themselves to some kind of secret club? “No, I don’t know much about Irish history,” I answered, waving my pencil and hoping he’d take the hint. “I’m an English major. And I have this project to do—“
“Cahira also had a streak of white hair near her left temple.” His eyes gleamed with a curious intensity. “I have seen an artist’s rendering of the princess. If I believed in such possibilities, I would think you could be her sister.”
That remark left me speechless. All my life I have been teased about the sprout of white hair that grows from my left temple. As a kid my friends called me names ranging from “skunk head” to “Cruella DeVil.” As a teenager I tried everything from dye to lightening the rest of my hair to match the streak, but that area of my scalp had a will of its own. Lately I’d learned to leave my hair alone. I had finally reached a place where I could just roll my eyes at what the world thought of my looks; too many other things demanded my attention. Sometimes I almost forgot I had a freakish white sprout growing from the side of my head.
But people like Professor Howard were always reminding me. And he wanted me to believe I might be related to some Irish princess who apparently cursed her descendants to roam in the stars or some such silly thing.
I shook my head and protectively tucked my strand of white hair behind my ear. “Thanks for sharing that story, professor, but this streak is a result of piebaldism. That area of my scalp doesn’t produce pigment. My situation isn’t as pronounced as someone with albinism, but the condition is similar.”
“I know,” Professor Howard answered, a small, fixed smile on his face. “Piebaldism is inherited. And yet you say neither your parents nor your grandparents share this condition. Is there, perhaps, an aunt or an uncle, probably on your father’s side—“
I held up my hand, cutting him off. “No one. But the gene could have come from some great aunt, for all I know. O’Connors are everywhere.”
“As scattered as the Irish.” He stared at me in silence for a moment, his eyes gleaming with interest, then pulled a card from his coat pocket. “I believe, my dear, that you may be directly descended from Cahira O’Connor. I know it sounds unlikely, but what’s the harm in a little investigation? If you’d like some guidance, here’s my office number. If I’m not in the office, one of my student aides will take a message.” He leaned forward and clapped his hands to his knees. “Call me if you have any interest in learning more, Miss O’Connor. I have several books which should interest you.”
Not knowing what else to do, I took the card. Professor Howard stood, nodded regally, then threaded his way through the carrels until he disappeared from sight.
The card he had placed in my hand was simple and direct:
| Henry Howard, Ph.D. Professor of Medieval European History New York City College 212 555-2947 |
I stared at it for a moment, then felt a blush burn my cheeks. If this was Professor Howard’s technique for introducing himself to young women, I had to admit his approach was unique. Of course I had no intention of contacting him again, but in the space of a few moments he had spun a story that brought me from complete disinterest to fascination.
“Excuse me, but are you about finished here? I need to use the computer.”
A grungy-looking guy in a tee shirt and jeans spoke up behind me, and his question caught me off guard. “Um, I’m just starting,” I said, glancing at my watch. “And I’m signed on for another fifteen minutes. Check the reservation sheet at the reference desk.”
The guy snorted and moved away, but I knew he’d be back, circling like a hungry trout. I had to get to work.
I was about to crumple the professor’s card and toss it toward the nearest trash can when a sudden thought struck me. Since I was researching piebaldism, why not focus my topic a little? What could it hurt? Almost without thinking, I entered the command for a new search. “Find piebaldism and O’Connor,” I murmured as I typed. If the gene really did run in the O’Connor family, there might be some record of other O’Connors with piebaldism.
Searching. . .
I drummed my fingers on the desk, waiting for the ancient modem to search and report. The professor had made Cahira’s story sound romantic and dashing, but her curse or prophecy or whatever-you-want-to-call it hadn’t made a bit of sense. What was that bit about bright stars in their courses? Total drivel. Poetic, yes, but drivel nonetheless. Maybe the professor had overdosed on his morning coffee and caffeine had kicked his imagination into high gear.
Search results. . . four.
I took a quick, sharp breath as the computer screen flashed again:
Piebaldism and O’Connor:
Rory O’Connor, the last king of Ireland, killed in the Norman Invasion in 1235. . . Survivors in that bloody attack included a grandson, who was spirited away from his mother’s arms as the Normans attacked. According to legend, the child’s mother, Cahira O’Connor, rose up from her bed of travail to wield a sword against the enemy, but scholars believe this may be an anecdotal myth fabricated to ennoble the sufferings of a murdered Irish princess. Cahira was noted for her exceptional beauty and a bold white streak through her red hair, one of the earliest recorded instances of piebaldism. . .
The Hussite Crusades: holy wars launched by Pope Martin V against the followers of Jan Hus, a Bohemian reformer. Among Hus’s more influential followers was Anika of Prague, a fifteenth century woman who fought as a knight prior to the Hussite Crusades. Annals of that time record an unusual white streak through the hair situated over her left ear, probably the result of piebaldism. Several chroniclers report that she claimed to spring from the ancestral throne of the O’Connors, ancient kings of Ireland.
Pirates and Seafaring, women at sea: Aidan O’Connor, a seventeenth century woman described by her contemporaries as a “spirited lass with flaming hair marked by spout of gold,” undoubtedly a case of piebaldism. The daughter of a cartographer, she disguised herself as a common sailor to go exploring, fought pirates, and eventually commanded the vessel.
Civil War, women in battle: Flanna O’Connor, a nineteenth century Georgia woman who disguised herself as a soldier and fought in the Civil War at her brother’s side. Commonly known as the Pale Ghost, she was as well known for her ability to rescue captured comrades from behind enemy lines as for the singular pale streak which ran through her red hair. See piebaldism.
All my previous plans faded like a bad radio signal. Could Professor Howard’s story be true? Could there really be a link between these O’Connor women and the unusual physical characteristic we all shared? What were the odds that three women—four, counting Cahira herself—would share the same physical characteristic and risk their lives in war?
The idea was extremely far fetched, and yet there was a certain symmetry to it. What had the professor told me? A dying woman had begged God to allow bright stars to break forth from the courses to which they were bound and restore right in the murderous world of men--
My thoughts halted as abruptly as if they’d hit a brick wall. Of course! The bright stars were women! Cahira had barricaded herself in that chamber with the women of the castle. And, knowing that the men had gone to defend the fortress, she had stepped out of her roles as mother and daughter and princess in order to pick up a sword and fight. In that hour of weakness and fear, she may have regretted her feebleness and femininity.
My imagination caught the image. I could almost see this woman, drenched in sweat, her limbs still trembling from the exertions of labor and childbirth, her husband’s heavy sword in her hand. Her maidservants were doubtless around her, some crying, some cowering, a few helping the nurse and infant escape through a tunnel or window. And Cahira, knowing that her situation was hopeless, begging God to allow her descendants to live and grow strong in order to restore right in a savage world.
And they had! Or had they?
The back of my neck burned with excitement while a curious, tingling shock numbed both my brain and my fingertips on the keyboard. Professor Howard had slipped his little story into my fevered imagination, and now I was delirious with discovery, having validated his so-called myth.
But it was too easy, far too simple. Had I really stumbled onto something the professor did not know—or had I been set up?
I cleared the computer screen and reran the search through a different search engine, this time reversing the order. “Search for O’Connor and piebaldism,” I muttered, typing. I hit the enter key and clicked my nails on the desk in a flood of anticipatory adrenaline.
There was no way Professor Howard could know that I’d actually run a computer search to test his little story. And if I had searched only for O’Connors, I would have pulled up thousands of references, too many to fully investigate. Maybe the link of piebaldism had never occurred to anyone else. I did have a special interest in the subject, after all.
Searching. . .
The computer beeped as the screen filled with the exact four references I had seen earlier. Cahira of the thirteenth century, Anika of the fifteenth, Aidan of the seventeenth, Flanna of the nineteenth. All warrior women descended from the O’Connors, and all similar in appearance.
The possibility of a link between them seemed crazy, absolutely fantastic, but what if my hypothesis were true? These four women had each lived two hundred years apart, in different countries, under vastly different conditions. None of them would have known the others existed. And yet they were all O’Connors, they had all fought as men for at least a brief span of time, and all of them had red hair marked by a streak of white--
Just like me. My mouth flew open in numb astonishment. I am about to enter the twenty-first century, two hundred years after Cahira’s last warrior descendant. Could I be. . . the next one?
The thought was too incredible to comprehend. My fingers began to tremble as fearful images built in my fevered imagination. Were the histories of these women somehow tied into my future? I was a student, not a soldier, but did some global tragedy or struggle lie beyond tomorrow’s sunset? The idea seemed ridiculous, totally implausible, but I’d still be in my twenties at the turn of the century, young enough to bear the blessing—or curse—of Cahira O’Connor, if such a thing really existed.
Whoa, Kathleen! You’ve read too many books, seen too many far out movies. You asked the computer for entries with two terms in common. Out of thousands, no, millions of web pages on the Internet, you shouldn’t be surprised that something surfaced. Professor Howard’s odd devotion to that myth spooked you, that’s all. And it’s late. You’re tired. And you’re facing a deadline.
I put my hand on the mouse and cleared the screen, but thoughts of Cahira and her descendants persisted. How could the strange timing—every two hundred years—be explained by mere chance? And how could four women have the piebald patch in exactly the same place? And I hadn’t searched for links about women who lived as men, that fact had simply come out of nowhere.
I whipped open my spiral notebook and turned to a clean page. If I couldn’t let it go, I could investigate. I’d change my topic for my semester project, and instead of researching piebaldism, I’d explore the histories of Anika of Prague, Aidan of Avonmore, and Flanna the Pale Ghost. And maybe, if I had time and my professor approved, I’d do a background check on Cahira herself.
And if by chance I discovered that Professor Howard was a lonely man pulling some sort of academic scam, I’d publish my findings in the college newspaper and expose the creep. But if he had told the truth, he might have just changed my life.
The first red-headed wonder was Anika of Prague, the woman who fought as a knight—in an actual suit of armor?—in Bohemia.
Bohemia? In my adolescent days, my mother had often accused me of being bohemian, but I don’t think she intended it to be a compliment.
I entered the name “Bohemia” into the computer’s reference book program and pressed the enter key. Thirty seconds later, there it was:
Bohemia, (bo-hê¹mê-e) an historic region of 20,368 square miles bordered by Austria (SE), Germany (W, NW), Poland (N, NE), and Moravia (E). The traditional capital is Prague. With the dissolution of Czechoslovakia (1993), the region became part of the Czech Republic. In the 15th cent. Bohemia was the scene of the Hussite religious movement . . .
Bingo. According to the other search, my girl Anika followed a man called Hus. As excited as a cat at a mouse show, I hit the “print” button and skimmed the entry again. I could look up “Hus” and do a bit of checking on this Hussite movement. And maybe there’d be something under “Czechoslovakia” about this Anika of Prague.
And that’s how it began—a quirk of fate, if you believe in such things, I tend to think it was a divine appointment. But in that minute I just knew I had to find all I could about Anika . . . because in learning about her past, I just might learn something about my own future.
I typed her name into another search program and snapped the enter key.
Searching. . .
Tomorrow: how the idea germinated.
~~Angie
Mocha with Linda Says:
I loved this series. And it was fun that the entire series was out when I discovered it and I could just read straight through without waiting months between each book!
In no particular order, Angela Hunt is a novelist, teacher, nana, mother, wife, mastiff owner, reader, musician, student, aspiring theologian, and bubble gum connoisseur. The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence "a life in pages."
Wow. That made my legs tired just watching! Impressive!
WOW is right! That was great fun to watch. Clyde
And yet another WOW! What a fun way to get exercise and enjoy it!
Liberace once said that playing Bach felt more like finger exercises. Wonder what he'd think of this? Hee
I wonder how long it took to learn that routine? If you scroll down
the page, click on the Sound of Music video. It will put a smile on your face!
That is so cool! I was totally intimidated looking at that piano at FAO Schwartz... no way I was going to get on after seeing and hearing of people do that kind of thing!
I keep wondering how many calories they burn doing that . . .
angie
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