Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to all my wonderful readers! I hope you are having a fun and safe Fourth of July with your families.

Almost all of you know the significance of this day in American history. Yet, since this is supposed to be a blog about history, I wanted to share some facts about the history behind the Declaration of Independence that you might not have known.

The Continental Congress actually voted for independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. The actual Declaration of Independence was adapted on the date we know as July 4, 1776, but only two of the fifty six of the Declaration's signers actually signed it on that day. The other fifty-four men signed it almost one month later, on August 2, 1776

After the British surrendered, the people of the new country of America celebrated July 4 as Independence Day mostly because that was the date written on the Declaration itself. John Adams, however, was of the opinion that Independence Day should be celebrated on the 2nd of July since that was the day the formal vote took place to declare independence form Britain.

Since I learned about how John Adams wanted Independence day on the 2nd instead of the 4th, I got to winding how he would have reacted since he did not get his way on when the day should be celebrated. The following story is the result of my musings ;).

"This is an outrage!" John Adams cried, storming into the parlor where his wife, Abigail, was thoroughly engrossed in her embroidery.

"What is, dearest?" she asked, not bothering to look up from her work.

"The people of this new country!" he yelled as he started to pace to and fro in front of her. "They don't understand when the day of liberty should be celebrated! They insist that is is the fourth of July!"

Abigail now lifted her eyes from her work to study her husband. "But dearest, the fourth of July was the date that was written on the Declaration of Independence, was it not?" she stated.

John snorted with disgust. "Yes, but the actual vote to declare independence from the tyranny of Britain took place on the second!"

"Yet the people are not aware of it. They are only aware on the Declaration that was published on July fourth," Abigail calmly pointed out.

John gave her a withering look. Abigail tried to hide her smile by intently studying the rose she was working on embroidering. Most of the time, he was the most doting and devoted of husbands. Yet, when times like these arose and he was being pig-headed about an issue, she liked to get him wound up even more. Besides, he looked more handsome when he was wound up.

"My dear," he said, as he stopped pacing by the mahogany mantle of the fireplace. "Must you always be the logical one out of the two of us?'

"When it comes to making you see reason, yes. If you wanted the people to celebrate our independence from Britain on the second of July instead of the fourth, you should have sent notice of the vote for independence in the papers," she said, sticking her needle in the cloth to finish the rose as if to make her point.

John harrumphed, snatching his pipe and tobacco off the mantle. "I think I will someday run for president. Then I will make sure the day of liberty is celebrated on the second!"

"You do that, dearest," Abigail called after him as he stomped out to the balcony with his pipe.

Once he was gone, a smile graced the cheeks of Abigail. She never once tired of her husband's antics. Knowing him, he was very likely to become second president of this new country. Yet, whatever he decided to do, she thought as she trimmed the thread on the rose she had just completed, she would be by his side every single step of the way.

There you have it. I hope you like it. Please be sure to comment and subscribe to my blog!

Back in the Saddle Part One

It was a beautiful sunny summer morning. The heat had yet to become oppressive, and a slight breeze caressed over the still-green blanket of wheat, causing it to wave back and forth like a flag.

Two young women by the names of Renee and Amelia were getting set to make the most of the morning by going on an adventure. This particular adventure would be one that consisted of two horses, saddle bags packed full of picnic sandwiches, and endless, pine-scented trails ahead.

Pablo, my favorite horse. I love him to pieces!

"It's been forever since we have done this," Amelia remarked as she heaved the brown western saddle onto her trusty chocolate brown and white paint horse's back. 

The horse, who went by the name of Pablo, blew out a long breath through his nostrils and attempted to sneak a bite of the lush, green grass underneath his feet. Pablo snorted in almost human-like frustration as he was hindered with a sharp jerk of the lead rope by Mel.

"Now, old man," she scolded gently. "You know you are not supposed to graze until after you work."

Next to her, bridling a big red Thoroughbred named Riley, Renee grinned. "That silly paint of yours can never seem to stop eating. But you're right. We have both just been so busy. There is just never been time for us to go on a ride." 

Renee gave Riley a pat as he accepted the bit nonchalantly. Next to her, Pablo was not wanting to have anything to do with his bridle. He kept throwing his head up as high as he could beyond Amelia's reach, preventing her form getting anywhere near him with the headstall.

"Having problems?" Renee asked.

"Nope," Mel answered assuredly. "I have bridled him once, I can do it again." With that remark, along with a bit of coaxing, Pablo eventually took his bit, chomping at it as it settled between his teeth. It almost seemed like he was glaring at Mel as she slid the headstall over his ears.

"There, all ready!" Mel declared, turning back to Renee. 

"Good," Renee responded, feigning a yawn. "I was about to fall asleep here watching you."

The two young women made sure that all their gear was secure before they mounted up. Both were exited and prepared for what they anticipated to be a joyful morning ride through the forest.

As they made their way down the trail, Amelia and Renee chatted gaily to each other. They were both writers, and each of them were taking turns telling the other about all the exciting tales they were composing.

They both eventually grew silent, content to enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful green nature around them for a time. After a while, Renee, who was riding in the lead, turned to face Mel.

"Just think, if you had given up on horses back when you were thrown, chances are we would not have become such good friends, or have been able to go on trail rides together.

"Yea," Mel remarked. "Even I can't believe how close I came to giving up on on one of my passions." She said as she gave Pablo an affectionate pat.

Her thoughts then wandered back to the summer of 2008. It was the fateful summer when she was thrown. Oh how that experience had changed her life...

Part two comes next week! Please leave a comment and follow if you enjoyed this post.

Investigative Discoveries through Storywriting

It is that time again.

You sit down at your desk, a blank notebook and your favorite writing pen. The two objects seem to stare back at you, echoing the anticipation you feel.

It can only be the anticipation that comes with starting a new story. The act of writing a new story can be an investigation and discovery in its own right.

How can this be? You ponder in your mind. Well, whenever you write a story, you go on a quest to discover new worlds and characters. It is within these worlds and through these characters that the desire within a character is discovered.

The characters you create in your written adventure will stop at nothing to reach this desire that has been awakened within them, no matter what odds they may face along the way. Through all of this, you as a writer go on an investigation of sorts to see to it that your characters meet their desire in the end.

In this investigation, you and your characters are bound to cross road blocks. These roadblocks and obstacles will require some creative innovation to get through. Sometimes, there will just be no possible way to get through these obstacles. When this occurs, further detective work is required to find some other way to reach a goal in a story.

My hope is that you will come along with me as I take you on an investigation through the art of story writing. I want to use my love and knowledge of history to take you through adventures of characters from all eras of our Nation's history. There will of course be stories of a more modern time, and maybe a futuristic tale or two.

Finally, there will be some tips and challenges offered to help you improve your own writing. The writing tips and tricks will be for both aspiring and seasoned authors alike. I hope to provide you with useful material to help you along as you either launch or continue your writing journey.

Please be sure to comment and subscribe to my blog. Thank you for taking time to read this post!