MY VISIT WITH THE DAR LADIES

I was invited to speak at a DAR luncheon--Daughters of the American Revolution--several months ago, but scheduling issues delayed my visit until this week. I knew little about the group other than that lineage to a Revolutionary-era ancestor was a requirement for membership.

My visit was to the ladies of the Pleasant Plains Chapter here in Maryland. Never heard of Pleasant Plains? Neither had I. It's because the chapter's charters are based on the original land deeds for their area. There's a lot of history interwoven in these clubs, and lots of refreshing patriotism.

I was told that the women's ages averaged near 70 in this chapter. Many had been members for decades, and their oldest chapter member was celebrating her 97th birthday. One was a veteran of the Korean War, one was worried about a grandchild doing mission work in Haiti when the devastating earthquake hit. These were ladies whose reach was broad and deep, and they drew tender support from one another. I soon learned how far-reaching their goodness was spread in service to veterans, to children, to America's good causes.

They opened with a reading from a book, then prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the reading of The American's Creed, by William Tyler Page:

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

(Written 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918.)

I wish we all had occasion to say that from time to time. . .

Copies of the Preamble to the Constitution were on the tables, reminding us of the purpose behind that unparalleled document:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

"In order to form. . . " It serves as a reminder that the work is not finished, nor will it ever be. Rather, like a baton, it's passed from generation to generation, with a prayer that each will nobly carry out the mission to continue to strive to "form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

My arms prickled and my heart warmed at this gathering of patriotic women who recognized God's hand in the formation and preservation of America, and I felt blessed to be in their company.

They conducted a little business, reading thank you letters from recipients of their service over the holidays--hand-written cards to patients at the Veterans Hospital, donations to a few causes, afghans to legless soldiers--I was awed.

I told them what a pleasure and privilege it was to be with them, and I thanked them for all they are doing to uphold the Constitution and teach a new generation about the Founding Fathers and their ideals. As I spoke about some of my research, they took notes, copied the titles of books I mentioned, and asked for references--these are patriotic scholars and historians in their own right. I was, again, impressed.

The DAR is a wonderful group. They also sponsor a national essay scholarship contest in the spring. My son won our local contest his senior year, and how grateful we were for the gift and for posing questions that inspire our youth to ponder the blessings of being an American.

A big thank you to the DAR everywhere. Whether or not our lineage allows us to join such a group, their example is one that we can all follow. We can learn and honor our own heritage as well as America's, we can study and sustain the Constitution, and serve our fellowman.

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION

I was delighted, (thrilled), to hear that I was being asked to be the "Featured Artist" on YourLDSneighborhood. Here's the article that will soon be appearing. I'll post the link when it hits the cyber-waves. In the meantime, check out the mp3 ad files in the upper box of the sidebar. The first ad was released during the debut of "Dawn's Early Light." Ad two hit the LDSradio airwaves yesterday, timed to coincide with my Utah book signing trip.

Thanks for grinning and bearing my indulgence. I hope you'll enjoy the insight into my reasons for writing for "Free Men and Dreamers."

MY BOOKSIGNING SCHEDULE

I'm speaking at a DAR meeting here in Maryland tomorrow, then I pack my bags and hit the road for Utah!

My Utah book signing schedule is up. It's short, and sweet, and perfect for a hobbling author with a broken foot. There are lots of great things about this trip--

1. I'll be travelling light since I only need right shoes!

2. I get to zoom through the airport lines in a wheelchair . . . also pretty handy!

3. I'm visiting my favorite book club, and

4. I'll also be popping in to a Relief Society Enrichment Meeting!

So all things aside, this trip is looking great, and I'm excited to meet as many of you as I possibly can. (There's nothing more sorry-looking than a chair-bound author and no one to talk to. . .) So I hope you'll come by!

Bring all your Free Men and Dreamers copies to be signed, or buy some from these fine stores I'll be visiting:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22:

West Jordan Seagull Book 1-3pm
1625 W. 9000 S.
801-568-0444

South Jordan Seagull Book 4-6pm
11531 S. District Main Dr.
801-878-8941

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23:

Layton Deseret Book 1-3pm
1096 LAYTON HILLS MALL
801-546-3391

Centerville Seagull Book 5-7pm
316 N. Marketplace Dr C100
801-296-6632

Thanks for all the wonderful support!

Laurie

THE BOOK THAT IMPACTED ME THE MOST

A friend posed a really great question to me today--"Of all the books you've read, which has had the greatest impact on you?"

Great question, right?

Without question, no book or books equal the the scriptures for the power they've had in my life to educate, uplift, forewarn, provide hope, illuminate the power and love of God as well as the best and worse of man. But what of the works of men?

The book that leapt to my mind, and then remained my first choice, was a biography of George Washington, written by Mary Higgins Clark, and titled "Mount Vernon Love Story." It was her first novel, I believe, and it came into my hands when I was reworking "Dawn's Early Light," the first volume in my Free Men and Dreamers series. I had just moved the story back a generation, to the War of 1812, and I was feeling overwhelmed and unsure about where to begin, and what I wanted to say from this new perspective of the first American generation. That's when I received this book.

It wasn't a complex, controversial dissection of this Founding Father. Neither was it a scholarly political treatise. It was what it was meant to be--a tender glimpse into George Washington, the man--a subdued son; an admiring younger brother; a young surveyor mapping the wilderness as he learned to track; a love-struck youth; a loyal soldier who beheld the horrors of war early on which helped him become a wise leader, beloved by his men.

As the title would suggest, this book also portrayed the family elements of George Washington— the devoted husband, the farmer who longed to return his attentions to working the earth; the veteran who long suffered the deleterious effects of warring; the saddened father, unable to produce a child of his own; the doting step-father who dedicated himself to the needs of his stepchildren, his grandchildren and his friend’s children when political danger threatened Lafayette’s own son.

The child George Washington loved most was, perhaps, America. I appreciated this sweetly-written reminder of the conflicts that ensued within the physically-ailing Washington who longed for a quiet life, ultimately rising to accept unrelenting calls to serve as captain of an infant nation.

I loved this book for helping me learn to love this great man. . .

For providing a launch point for further study and a basis from which to measure other accounts of Washington’s life and service. . .

For reminding me that he and his contemporaries were, after all, just men, though their foresight about our nation’s future possibilities and dangers, ascribed to the help of the divine, was nearly prophetic. . .

For also reminding me that people must be judged within the context of their own times. To do otherwise—to measure their decisions against the wisdom, ethics and morays of our day is as unfair as measuring the contributions of the geniuses behind the Industrial Revolution solely by the effects of Global Warming. . .

For illustrating the modest, steadfast character of a political giant who could have made himself a king, but who instead placed the good of the people ahead of his own self-interest. . .

For launching my study of the Founders, which ultimately influenced by writing, my career, my patriotism, and my life.

For illuminating how we have minimized Washington and his contemporaries. . .

For reminding me that we still need giants and heroes. . .

A great book can change lives. What book has impacted you in a profound way? I hope you’re reading something wonderful, something inspiring, something life-changing today.

GETTING BACK TO THE GRINDSTONE

The broken foot has slowed me down, and I hope I'll never again take the blessing of walking normally for granted again. But "broke or not," it's time to get back to work because there are lots of big doings on the quarterly horizon.

With a few medical precautions, I'm cleared to fly, so the Utah signings are on again. The exact locations and times are still being set, but we should have those soon, and then I'll post everything. Please come out if you can. There's nothing lonelier than a one-footed author at a book signing, so please stop by and say "hi," get your copies signed, and eat some chocolate with me!

I'll also be stopping by to visit my favorite book club. You ladies know who you are!

If you are in a book club, and if you select to read any books from my Free Men and Dreamers series, let me know. If our schedules match I'd love to visit, and if not, we could arrange a conference call where I can answer questions about the series.

Meanwhile, tune in to LDSradio and listen for the ads for "Free Men and Dreamers." When you hear the ad, email me with the time and date, and I'll enter you in a drawing to win free copies of my books.

Signing in Utah also provides opportunities for grandma time with three cute grand kids, and some serious table game competition with my Utah kids. Settlers of Catan, Scrabble and Cranium are still our favorites, but we might be breaking out a few new gaming battlegrounds.

Lastly, a small gaggle of authors are involved in a unique Twitter history project to bring the pioneer trek into real time. More details to come soon.

So you see, it's a very busy time, and that's not the half of it!

TENDER MERCIES

Humility generally comes when you least expect it, frequently in the most unexpected ways, but the humiliating experiences that teach this vital principle are often tempered by the sweet accompaniment of the Tender Mercies of the Lord.

My most recent plunge into humility came on Saturday while helping some neighbors move. My inner circle is small--primarily composed of family, and friends from attending the same church for twenty-five years.

I've also been blessed with very good neighbors, some I know better than others, including a generous pair who've opened their home to Tom, and me, and countless other friends many times for barbeques and other gatherings. So when they decided to move, I was pleased to have an opportunity to give something back.

I rode to their new house in someone else's car, and an hour after we arrived I missed a small step down, rolled my foot, and fell face-first on the floor. I was alone at the time of the incident. Stunned, I needed a few seconds to collect myself before performing an elemental triage--Brain clear? As good as it probably was before the fall. Neck in tact? It turned, so that was encouraging . . .) Arms? hands? Back? Check.

Feet? . . . . Feet? . . . . Uh oh. . .

I pulled my dignity together and eventually rose to my knees. The right foot was feeling pretty spiffy, but the left one . . . ? Not so good. As soon as I stood on it I knew it was hurt. Klutzy people like me who fall often have a sixth sense about these things. We can identify a simple, ouchy sprain from a break in seconds, and this pain felt like trouble.

Aside from the great blessings already noted, more of the Lord's tender mercies began to kick in. After my fall, the first face in the room was one of only two people helping out that I actually knew--another neighbor. In such an embarrassing moment, it's great to have someone by your side who has spent time with you when you were vertical, stable, and coherent . . . someone who knows that most of the time you're a normal, responsible person. This sweet neighbor smiled encouragingly and helped me hobble down the steps.

Tender mercy two? Among the other 30 or so moving helpers were six EMTs. What are the chances of that happening in any random crowd? Two of these previous strangers immediately set me in a chair, elevated my leg, filled a bag with ice and did a more professional triage on my foot, while others provided support in innumerable ways.

Tender mercy number three? Many offers of rides were presented, but the thought of going to the ER with anyone but Tom was daunting. My busy husband was in town, and though I couldn't reach him at first, he hurried and took me to the ER as soon as he heard the news. There we found out that the break was the best of all foot breaks, the fifth metatarsal, with a great record of healing without surgery. It was also the type of break that allows the injured to walk with support in a few days. Perfect considering that I'm planning to be in Utah at the end of the month for book signings!

So let me add that my Christmas laptop is now loaded with all my files and ready for me to spend a few days in bed working. Hopefully I'll be incredibly productive and accomplish tons of writing, reviewing and twittering on a great Pioneer History project several authors are invested in.

More later!

HELP FOR DRY HANDS

I have a terrible time with dry hands. Between the drying effect of normal household chores to the added dryness from rifling through papers, book pages, etc., sometimes my hands hurt so much it's difficult to type freely.

I've tried a ton of remedies, lotions, and creams with little lasting effect, even slathering the lotion on at night and wrapping my hands in plastic to hold the moisture in. That does seem to help but it requires several nights of treatment to mend the cracked skin. Santa even brought me a paraffin bath, which also helped, but I'm concerned about the bacteria that builds up in there. Also, replacing the wax is expensive and tedious.

Bath and Body Works sells some amazing gloves and socks that are specially made with a moisturizing content that feels like heaven and works overnight. You coat your hands and feet with cream, slide these heavenly little gloves or socks on, and sleep. When you wake up, your skin is remarkably softer. They are pricey, and after several washings, their effectiveness is reduced.

Bath and Body Works also sells some delicious disposable gloves that are activated with water to provide heat. Slather up with lotion, and pour in the water, and it's an instant spa treatment. Wonderful, but pricey. Still, it would make a heavenly treat and a wonderful gift.

I mentioned my ongoing battle with dry hands and feet to my hair stylist the other day, and she recommended a simple treatment that was supported by a clerk at Bed, Bath and Beyond. You'll need to buy some special cotton gloves and socks which are available for about five dollars at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Here it is. I hope it works for you!

Mix equal parts of Neosporin and Vaseline together. (I used the generic version of each.) Slather your hands and/or feet with the mixture and then cover them in the cotton gloves/socks. The Vaseline provides deep moisture while the Neosporin aids healing, and these special cotton socks/gloves are made to hold the mixture in against your skin. This one-two punch is evidently widely-known in the beauty community, and it's relatively inexpensive.

If you've got any other ideas, please share.