Journal

As we approach the New Year, discussions are now shifting from Christmas celebrations to new beginnings. The "new beginnings" we choose for ourselves we call resolutions this time of year.  But then, some new beginnings we simply call change. And change is hard. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1107", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright size-medium wp-image-2546", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"206", "height":"300", "alt":"foundart"}}]]One of my favorite memoirs is Found Art: Discovering Beauty in Foreign Places (Zondervan) by Leeana Tankersley. She wrote this book based on her first year of marriage to a Navy SEAL. They married in San Diego and eight days later forged a new beginning together in Bahrain. Talk about change! I love how she describes it: “Change is horribly uncomfortable. Like the wrong pair of jeans, change pinches and squeezes in the most inconvenient places. A lot of wriggling and writhing is involved. Maybe even some sucking in and prone posturing. Just when you think you’ve fit in, you realize you’re spilling over the top and sides in the worst way. Very, very little ease.” (Found Art, p. 19) Strangely enough, even when the change will be good for us, it can still be hard. Remember the story about Moses calling down all sorts of awful plagues on Pharaoh in order to convince him to release the Jewish people from slavery? The second plague was frogs. Exodus 8 tells us that they came up out of the water and covered the land. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1108", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2545", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"367", "alt":"frog"}}]] Pharaoh pleaded with Moses to ask God to make them go away. “Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.’ And he said, ‘Tomorrow.’” (Exodus 8:9,10) Tomorrow? Really? If it were me, I’m pretty sure I would have said, “Right now!” Wouldn’t you? The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly why Pharaoh wanted to keep the swarming, slimy frogs around that night. Did he think they were cute?  The decision is shocking to me. But perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from the frogs and how they relate to the changes we need to make in our own lives. How many times have you thought about a bad habit you’d like to break or a new discipline you’d like to develop in yourself, but decided to put it off? I know I’ve done this more often than I’d care to admit. For some reason, even if we know our habits (frogs) are bad for us, it’s easier to keep them around than to make a change. Maybe, just maybe, those little frogs start to seem like pets after a while. Could it be that after we’ve had our habits for some time, we don’t mind them anymore? The new beginnings that happen to us, we can’t do much about. The new beginnings which happen within us, however—those are completely up to us. If there’s something you need to change in your own life, don’t wait until next January rolls around to make a New Year’s resolution. Don’t spend one more night with the frogs, like Pharaoh did. Ask God to help you (claim Philippians 4:13!). Make that change and watch as a new beginning –a very positive one—emerges for you.

A few weeks ago, I had 75 minutes to myself and asked my Facebook page friends what I should do with that time. Should I clean? Do laundry? Wash dishes? Bake something? Read? Overwhelmingly, the answer was that I should READ. (I knew we were all kindred spirits!) And so, because I know you and I share this unbridled love for books, I thought I'd share the following with you. Up front: No, I do not get a commission from Bas Bleu. But I stumbled upon their catalog and could not help but circle something on almost every page. With a tag line of "Champion of the odd little book. . .and a wellspring of inspired gifts for readers"--is it any wonder? So allow me to share my favorite 20 gifts for book lovers here. Treat yourself. Treat someone you love. Literary gifts are always in season. (Click the images to visit the corresponding online catalog pages at Bas Bleu.) 1. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language ($9.99) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1052", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2293", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic1"}}]] This looks hysterical. Example: Stock up and save. Limit: one. I think I need to have this for writers workshop material. 2. Shelves Runneth Over Sleep Shirt ($27.00) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1053", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2294", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic2"}}]]   3. From the Library of. . . Stamp ($13.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1054", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2295", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic3"}}]]   4. Music for Book Lovers Boxed 2-CD Set ($24.99)   [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1055", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2296", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic4"}}]] 5. Shakespearean Insults Mug ($13.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1056", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2271", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic5"}}]]   6. Reading Woman Note Cards ($15.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1057", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2272", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"300", "height":"300", "alt":"pic6"}}]]   7. Literary Mug- Mark Twain ($13.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1058", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2280", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic7a"}}]]   8. Literary Mug - Jane Austen ($13.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1059", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2276", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic8"}}]] 9. Literary Mug - Edgar Allen Poe ($13.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1060", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2277", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic9"}}]] 10. Library Card Tote Bag ($24.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1061", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2281", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic10"}}]]   11. Novel Teas ($12.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1062", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2282", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic11"}}]]   12. The Reading Woman Wall Calendar ($14.99) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1063", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2283", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic12"}}]]   13. 2015 Reading Woman Engagement Calendar ($15.99) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1064", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2284", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic13"}}]]   14. Book Nut Women's Sleep Shirt ($27.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1065", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2285", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic14"}}]]   15. Tea & Books Tea Towels ($19.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1066", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2286", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic15"}}]]   16. Tea & Books Spiced Mug Mats ($19.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1067", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2287", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic16"}}]]   17. Hardcover Book: Libraries ($70) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1068", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2288", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic17"}}]] 18. Stack of Books Ornament ($9.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1069", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2289", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic18"}}]] 19. The Greatest First Lines of Literature Ever Mug ($13.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1070", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2290", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic19"}}]] 20. Pocket Lighted Magnifier ($9.95) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1071", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2291", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"460", "height":"460", "alt":"pic20"}}]] Which one(s) is (are) your favorite?

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1103", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2526 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"600", "height":"400", "alt":"waveyandmatt"}}]] Photo courtesy of Megan Rund Photography   A very special little girl named Waverly is going to celebrate her eleventh birthday on Saturday, November 15, and her parents have invited you to help celebrate. They aren't asking for cards, or money, or balloons or gifts or cupcakes. All they're asking for is a little kindness--and not even toward them. Before I explain, allow me to introduce you to Matt and Shannon McNeil. I went to college with them, but since graduation, their lives took a turn no one could have imagined: For more about their story, listen to this piece on the McNeil family which aired on NPR: Northern Virginia Father Writes His Way to Hope. Last year, for Waverly's tenth birthday, she received more than one thousand cards! This year, the McNeils have decided to skip the cards and ask for kindness instead. From the Wavey Inspires Facebook page: [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1104", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2528 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"300", "height":"300", "alt":"waveynotsmiling"}}]] Photo courtesy of Megan Rund Photography   For most parents, celebrating a child's birthday is a day of joy and laughter. The McNeils strive to make every day one of celebration for Waverly, as she has a genetic condition that has a lifespan of 12-18 years. As Waverly gets closer to that milestone, her friends and family lift her up in celebration. In an effort to honor her on her special day, we are asking our friends to help us. We would like each of you to reach out to a family in your neighborhood, school, church, community who has a child with special needs. **Introduce yourself. Have your child make them a card. Buy a cup of coffee or a gift card.** Having a child with special needs can feel very isolating for some families. A smile and a friendly gesture can mean the world to them. We would love to see "Waves of Inclusion" across the world. Shannon adds: "If you have a good idea, please share it on the Wavey Inspires FB page. We'd love to hear stories of your kindness to others; remember, it's not bragging, it's inspiring!!!" [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1105", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-2529 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"300", "height":"300", "alt":"waveysmiles"}}]] Friends, let's do this. The McNeils aren't asking us to donate money to find a cure for San Filippo Syndrome. They aren't even asking us to buy copies of Matt's children's book, proceeds of which go toward research for a cure. (But I will. Buy Matt's book, The Strange Tale of Ben Beesley. It's part memoir, part allegory, all adventure. But in this tale, Waverly and Oliver get cured.) Let's be part of the Wave of Inclusion. There are families struggling with special needs in our communities. Let's be kind. Let's make sure they know they aren't as alone as they feel. Let's bring smiles to their faces, and then tell Wavey and her family about it so they can smile, too. Either post on their Facebook page, or if you don't do Facebook, leave a comment here on this blog post and I'll make sure they get the message! Shannon and Matt are looking for pieces of beauty and grace on this journey with their children. Let's serve it up. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1106", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2527", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"524", "height":"350", "alt":"waveyandsoldier"}}]] #WaveyInspires! If you do nothing else, please share this blog post using the buttons below. If you are the parent of a child with special needs, please share in the comments below what a sort of gesture of kindness would be welcome to your family. Visit the McNeil Family blog here.

Did you know that November is officially Military Family Appreciation Month? As a former military wife myself, I'm happy about this opportunity to recognize our brave men and women and their families. But what does it really mean? From Military.com: Each year the President signs a proclamation declaring November Military Family Month. This annual proclamation marks the beginning of a month-long celebration of the Military Family in which the Department of Defense and the nation will honor the commitment and sacrifices made by the families of the nation's servicemembers. (Read more here.) I certainly appreciate the Department of Defense's (and "the nation's") recognition of military families. But do you know what's even more powerful than video tributes and PSAs, resolutions and proclomations? You and me, showing appreciation in personal ways to the military families we know. Please, let's not leave honoring the military up to the Department of Defense this month, or any other month of the year. It can never replace what neighbors, churches, and fellow citizens can do for one another.  My friend, Army wife Benita Koeman says, “I adopted a genuine ‘I can do this’ attitude about the second deployment. But I couldn’t do it alone, and most good intentions to help from the people we love fell by the wayside. As I struggled to take care of our young children (ages two, four and six years old), I felt alone and abandoned. At one point I bordered depression. I tried my best to smile, to fake like all was okay and to convince myself it was. But it wasn’t.” The evidence for military families in need isn’t just anecdotal. A large-scale study published in January 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at electronic medical data for more than 250,000 of the nearly 300,000 women whose active-duty husbands were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan from 2003 to 2006. The study found that 36.6 percent of women whose husbands had deployed had at least one mental-health diagnosis, such as depression, or an anxiety or sleep disorder And let’s remember- these are just the results of those with official diagnoses. Many women resist seeking help for the same reason their husbands in uniform do—they fear a negative stigma. “Besides fear for the safety of their loved ones, spouses of deployed personnel often face challenges of maintaining a household, coping as a single parent and experiencing marital strain due to a deployment-induced separation of an uncertain duration,” the study says. But you don’t need a mental illness diagnosis to need a helping hand. “I really needed signs to know that as I struggled, that people cared, cared enough to do something,” says Koeman. “But I did not get that.” As a result of her experience, she founded the Web site www.OperationWeAreHere.com, to serve as a clearinghouse of resources and ideas for how to support military families. So what can you do for the home front in honor of National Military Family Month? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Here are some ideas to consider year-round.   Get Your Church Involved With record numbers of troops deployed or returned from the current war, most churches are in a perfect position to minister to families of either Active Duty, Reserves, or National Guard service members. Here are just a few ways to provide reinforcements: Send reverse care packages. Send care packages to the deployed members, and “reverse” care packages to the families on the home front. If possible, find out through email from the deployed spouse what he’d like his/her spouse and children to have for special holidays such as Valentine’s Day, birthdays, Christmas, etc. These are all days when a husband and father’s absence is felt the most keenly. Then make sure his family gets these items on the special days. Or simply put together a package for the home front members yourself to express your appreciation and support—whether it’s a gift card to Starbucks or a local spa, movie tickets or something else. Consider including one of these inspirational books for military. Offer a Military Night Out. Once a month, offer a Military Night Out where the church provides dinner and child care for children of the military member. The parents can go have a date night together, or if the spouse is deployed, the spouse at home can get a break from the kids and do errands, get together  with friends or just have some time to herself. Organize a returning veterans fellowship. Those coming home from combat need to be in fellowship with others who understand the special adjustment issues they will be facing. Often the military member doesn’t want to share all the details of combat with the spouse to protect the spouse from those images. Organize a simple gathering for veterans to benefit from being with others who understand exactly what they’re going through. Honor the troops. Watch the calendar and honor the troops around Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day with special breakfasts for them or at least a mention from the pulpit. Show military members and their families (veterans included) that they are special. Take Personal Initiative No time to get a group together for an organized military ministry? No problem. Choose from this arsenal of ideas to personally support the military spouse at home. Create some coupons. Instead of simply telling a military spouse you’re willing to help, give her some specific ideas of what you can offer. Either give him/her a list of your services or create a coupon booklet for free babysitting, a coffee date, financial counseling, running errands, an hour or two of housework, etc. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1081", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright size-full wp-image-2337", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"425", "height":"282", "alt":"cookie-care-package"}}]] Surprise the home front spouse. Make an ordinary day special by dropping off a basket of favorite foods, a great book, or new magazine and/or a movie rental you know the military spouse or kids have been wanting to see. Fix what’s broken. Find out what’s broken and fix it—or help tide the spouse at home over until a professional can make the repair. If her computer is down, let her use yours to email her spouse. If the washing machine is on the fritz, let her do a few loads at your house this week. If the car stopped running, offer to give (or arrange) rides. Get your hands dirty. For every season, there are jobs to be done outside. Pitch in when you can to mow the lawn, pull weeds, clean out gutters, shovel snow, or wash windows. Bring a meal. Providing a ready-to-eat (or ready-to-cook) dinner means one less thing an already stressed military spouse would have to think about. If you don’t have time for a full dinner, a homemade loaf of bread, muffins, or cookies would still be great. If you make freezer meals like I do, donating one (or more) to a military family is simple and effective. Make a call. Every so often, make a quick phone call to see how the family is getting along. Keep it brief, and leave a message if there’s no answer. Let her know you are there to support her, but be sensitive to the fact she may not want to talk long. Be there. Visiting is a great mood lifter, but ask first before showing up unannounced. Be consistent. Mark your calendars to send a small note or email or phone call on a regular basis—not just right after the spouse deploys. And don’t expect a response each time. Support that wife regardless of if she thanks you for every thoughtful gesture of yours. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1082", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-2338 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"200", "height":"300", "alt":"closeupwoman-praying"}}]] Pray. Pray for the one serving our country overseas, but also pray for those serving at home—the spouse and children. Pray for the entire family even after the spouse returns home, too! That re-entry adjustment period is often just as stressful as deployment. Find specific ways to pray for the service member here. Ideas for how to pray for the home front spouse are here. Supporting the military spouse allows him/her to support her active duty spouse and children in a way that only a spouse can. And knowing that the family is supported back home will allow the deployed spouse to better focus on his/her mission. When you minister to the military spouses and children, you are supporting the troops as well. Happy Military Family Appreciation Month! [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1083", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-2335 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"454", "alt":""}}]]

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"771", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-891", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"Widow cover 3 125"}}]]UPDATE: This give-away is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered, the winner is Anissa Meyer! Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I'd let my snapshots from my recent trip to Gettysburg do most the talking in this blog post. Though we took hundreds of photos, I'm mostly just sharing scenes that relate to my latest release, Widow of Gettysburg, with a few "just for fun" shots thrown in. Please enjoy these glimpses, and be sure to scroll to the end for the Gettysburg Grand Give-away! We start with the building that is shown on the novel's cover. (Captions are included with each photo. You may click on the images to see them larger.) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"959", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1580", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"482", "height":"614", "alt":"SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"960", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1601", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Christ Lutheran Church2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"961", "attributes":{"class":"media-image", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"337", "alt":"tent talk"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"962", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1577", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"232", "alt":"Just for fun2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"963", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1591", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"482", "alt":"SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"964", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1576", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"In town2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"965", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1578", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Pages of the Past2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"966", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1571", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Candlelight service2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"967", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1592", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"museum preview2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"968", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1570", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Auto tour2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"969", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1575", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Holloway site2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"970", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1594", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"482", "alt":"SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"971", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1573", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Elizabeth Thorn2"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"972", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1579", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"482", "alt":"SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES"}}]] The Gettysburg Grand Give-away! I've teamed up a couple of very talented ladies to bring you a remarkable give-away! Here's what we have for one lucky winner: A handmade baby quilt in patriotic colors, reminiscent of Liberty Holloway's baby quilt in Widow of Gettysburg. Only this one is color-coordinated and pinwheel-patterned. This is courtesy of my author friend Ann-Margret Hovsepian! (Connect with her on Facebook here.) A handmade doll modeled after Liberty Holloway, courtesy of another author friend, Pat Iacuzzi, who creates historical dolls like this one for museums. (Psst- Pat is running a concurrent give-away of a 15-inch Charlotte Waverly doll, plus Godiva chocolate, a silk fan, and a Currier & Ives print, so hop on over to her Hope Inspired Stories blog here! Charlotte is the heroine of Wedded to War, book 1 in the Heroines Behind the Lines series.) I'm throwing in two books: Farms at Gettysburg (self-explanatory) and The Civil War Sewing Circle, which not only has Civil War quilt patterns in it, but also photos and letters from Civil War couples that are sure to touch your heart regardless of whether you quilt. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"973", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-1574", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"614", "height":"614", "alt":"Gettysburg give-away final"}}]] To enter, please leave a comment sharing either 1) which photos you enjoyed the most from this blog post, or 2) something from your own trip to Gettysburg. For extra entries, you may: Share this blog post via Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. Here's a short link: http://wp.me/p1bLl3-pi "Like" my FB page Visit my Gettysburg Trip Scrapbook album on my Facebook page here and "share" one or more photos. (One point for each photo you share, so let me know how many you've done!) Sign up for my newsletter in the footer of this Web site The drawing will close at 11:59pm on Monday July 29. A winner will be selected using random.org. Good luck!