Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A Review Of "The Bluegrass Dream" by Ruth Thompson
This is a book about aspiration, determination, adventure, and yes, dreams. The central character, Jess, is actually exercising a dream inspired by her father who had traveled to Kentucky on a trapping expedition. At time of the story Kentucky was a wilderness. His plan was to move the family to Kentucky permanently. The story begins with a heartbreaking event, the death of Jess’s aunt during childbirth, a too frequent occurrence in the early years of America.
Jess is determined to follow her father to Kentucky, a place that has been his dream for several years and transferred to Jess. Jess sets off for Kentucky on her own disguised as a boy. During her travel she exhibits the spirit needed to survive in the wilderness. Her experiences demonstrate what the earlier settlers had to overcome. She was not disappointed by the Bluegrass and fell in love with the country as her father did.
The book describes the hardship the earlier settlers endured and the simple pleasures they enjoyed. It gives a glimpse of the complex relations with the various Native Indians that frequented the Bluegrass; some friendly and some hostile. The book presents an interesting concept for that time, an independent, determined and spirited female in a land usually dominated by adventurous men. Being from Kentucky I would be proud to trace my roots back to a woman such as Jess.
Billy J. Sexton
Louisville, Kentucky
Jess is determined to follow her father to Kentucky, a place that has been his dream for several years and transferred to Jess. Jess sets off for Kentucky on her own disguised as a boy. During her travel she exhibits the spirit needed to survive in the wilderness. Her experiences demonstrate what the earlier settlers had to overcome. She was not disappointed by the Bluegrass and fell in love with the country as her father did.
The book describes the hardship the earlier settlers endured and the simple pleasures they enjoyed. It gives a glimpse of the complex relations with the various Native Indians that frequented the Bluegrass; some friendly and some hostile. The book presents an interesting concept for that time, an independent, determined and spirited female in a land usually dominated by adventurous men. Being from Kentucky I would be proud to trace my roots back to a woman such as Jess.
Billy J. Sexton
Louisville, Kentucky
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Thursday, March 5, 2009
WILDERNESS
WILDERNESS
Have you ever closed your eyes and let your mind empty of what is around you? Then focused your mind on what it was like when the woodlands of North American were all virgin trees. The woodlands were teaming with all kinds of large and small wildlife. Can you see the rivers and streams jumping with the fish they hold in their pristine waters? The huge oaks, maples, walnuts, hickories, and the conifers trees were filled with birds singing their songs loud and clear. This is how it would have been when the first people came across the Alleghenies.
There were trails that the Indians used when hunting. The various Indian tribes liked the Kentucky/Kaintuck area to hunt. This was called the dark and bloody ground. It was rich in waterways with seven major rivers. Mountains peaked in the east and the land rolled flat in the west. The Bluegrass Region is in the center of Kentucky. That blue-green grass was thick and lush. In the morning the sun glistened on the Bluegrass with its dewdrops and it was blue.
People moved over the mountains to hunt, to start a new life, adventure was wanted by some, they didn’t want to be crowded and others just wanted to escape from their past. They faced the dangers of the Indians. The terrain and elements also took their toll. Accidents happen regardless of how skilled of a woodsmen they were. After the hunters came the settlers followed and our country had a frontier on the west side of the Alleghenies.
Let me take you back to the time of Daniel Boone. It is like a different world all together. There are no paved roads. Their transportation was to ride a horse or walk the rugged terrain. There were only a few log cabins and they were near a few forts in the vast wilderness. I hope you will enjoy the excerpts I have chosen to share with you from “The Bluegrass Dream” by Ruth Thompson.
#1
These voices were not Indians. They were speaking English. I listened carefully but couldn’t understand what they said. I asked myself, “Do I make myself known or do I try to stay hidden in the shadows? I do not hide! I am not afraid of someone who speaks English."
The men were going to the stream. They were familiar with this area. They were talking about a bear that got away. I listened to their bragging and slipped down to the stream. I tried to keep my handgun hidden behind my lower back. “Hello fellows! You sure know how to keep a man from sleeping.”
The tall man who had been squatting beside the stream stood to his full height. “Now Sonny, you sure know how to get our attention. I guess we made it easy for you to know we were here,” he said.
#2
There in the moonlight I saw that Outlaw and Bandit had managed to open their cage.
Fawn said, “They are out of their cage!”
Hutch said, “I see one on top of the roof. Hand me something to throw. I’ll get him down.”
I pulled up some grass by the roots and gave it to him. Hutch threw it at him and said, “You better get down here you varmint!”
The response was a lot of chattering from the varmint. Bill said
“There is another one on the water barrel.”
David started over to the barrel to pick it up and Outlaw or Bandit ran for one of the haystacks. I could just see him scattering my hay all over the place that I worked so hard to stack. I made a run for him and he ran between my feet and tripped me. I landed in the middle of the haystack. There was hay from my head to my foot. It was sticking out of my hair. There was a layer on my shoulders. It was caught in my pockets. All I heard were the uproarious laughter of everyone. Not one person kept a straight face.
#3
We had been on the Elkhorn since the middle of the night. The sun was beginning to rise. The horizon was filled with pink, yellow, and golden rays. My concern for Hutch kept me from enjoying the moon light ride down the Elkhorn and the magnificent sunrise. This was certainly a new experience for me. Bill and Digger had discussed the things they learned about the waterway on their recent trip. Fawn and Katherine had made the boat very comfortable for us with our bedrolls. I couldn’t sleep, so I was taking Digger’s turn. Bill was not planning to take his until after we passed South Elkhorn. The shoals should be covered with water, but not deep like it was in the spring.
You can find my book on Amazon
“The Bluegrass Dream” by Ruth Thompson
ISBN #1-59800-770-X
Have you ever closed your eyes and let your mind empty of what is around you? Then focused your mind on what it was like when the woodlands of North American were all virgin trees. The woodlands were teaming with all kinds of large and small wildlife. Can you see the rivers and streams jumping with the fish they hold in their pristine waters? The huge oaks, maples, walnuts, hickories, and the conifers trees were filled with birds singing their songs loud and clear. This is how it would have been when the first people came across the Alleghenies.
There were trails that the Indians used when hunting. The various Indian tribes liked the Kentucky/Kaintuck area to hunt. This was called the dark and bloody ground. It was rich in waterways with seven major rivers. Mountains peaked in the east and the land rolled flat in the west. The Bluegrass Region is in the center of Kentucky. That blue-green grass was thick and lush. In the morning the sun glistened on the Bluegrass with its dewdrops and it was blue.
People moved over the mountains to hunt, to start a new life, adventure was wanted by some, they didn’t want to be crowded and others just wanted to escape from their past. They faced the dangers of the Indians. The terrain and elements also took their toll. Accidents happen regardless of how skilled of a woodsmen they were. After the hunters came the settlers followed and our country had a frontier on the west side of the Alleghenies.
Let me take you back to the time of Daniel Boone. It is like a different world all together. There are no paved roads. Their transportation was to ride a horse or walk the rugged terrain. There were only a few log cabins and they were near a few forts in the vast wilderness. I hope you will enjoy the excerpts I have chosen to share with you from “The Bluegrass Dream” by Ruth Thompson.
#1
These voices were not Indians. They were speaking English. I listened carefully but couldn’t understand what they said. I asked myself, “Do I make myself known or do I try to stay hidden in the shadows? I do not hide! I am not afraid of someone who speaks English."
The men were going to the stream. They were familiar with this area. They were talking about a bear that got away. I listened to their bragging and slipped down to the stream. I tried to keep my handgun hidden behind my lower back. “Hello fellows! You sure know how to keep a man from sleeping.”
The tall man who had been squatting beside the stream stood to his full height. “Now Sonny, you sure know how to get our attention. I guess we made it easy for you to know we were here,” he said.
#2
There in the moonlight I saw that Outlaw and Bandit had managed to open their cage.
Fawn said, “They are out of their cage!”
Hutch said, “I see one on top of the roof. Hand me something to throw. I’ll get him down.”
I pulled up some grass by the roots and gave it to him. Hutch threw it at him and said, “You better get down here you varmint!”
The response was a lot of chattering from the varmint. Bill said
“There is another one on the water barrel.”
David started over to the barrel to pick it up and Outlaw or Bandit ran for one of the haystacks. I could just see him scattering my hay all over the place that I worked so hard to stack. I made a run for him and he ran between my feet and tripped me. I landed in the middle of the haystack. There was hay from my head to my foot. It was sticking out of my hair. There was a layer on my shoulders. It was caught in my pockets. All I heard were the uproarious laughter of everyone. Not one person kept a straight face.
#3
We had been on the Elkhorn since the middle of the night. The sun was beginning to rise. The horizon was filled with pink, yellow, and golden rays. My concern for Hutch kept me from enjoying the moon light ride down the Elkhorn and the magnificent sunrise. This was certainly a new experience for me. Bill and Digger had discussed the things they learned about the waterway on their recent trip. Fawn and Katherine had made the boat very comfortable for us with our bedrolls. I couldn’t sleep, so I was taking Digger’s turn. Bill was not planning to take his until after we passed South Elkhorn. The shoals should be covered with water, but not deep like it was in the spring.
You can find my book on Amazon
“The Bluegrass Dream” by Ruth Thompson
ISBN #1-59800-770-X
Friday, February 27, 2009
Baskets of Dreams
Hello, Deep within our minds we have formed ideas. These ideas take shape and grow like a seed into the mighty oak tree. Many of these ideas are what we would like to do in our lifetime. These are our DREAMS or goals. To live a full life we must nurture and enjoy each of the steps that we take to fulfill these dreams. There will be stumbling blocks that help you build your character and appreciate you accomplishments. Along this path you will add more dreams to pursue the broading of your horizons.
Most of my life I spent in central Kentucky. Georgetown is where I grew up and learned my values. There on a grassy hill above Boiling Springs is a monument where the first fort was built in Kentucky, Fort McClellan. (It was abandoned because of the Indian raids it suffered.) One of my father’s hobbies was genealogy and in his research there is an interesting name, John Mitchell. This name is on that monument and is a relative of mine.
My husband and I had always dreamed of moving to Florida when we retired and we realized that dream. In realizing this dream I began writing. JESS my protagonist in my novel “THE BLUEGRASS DREAM” also had a dream. Her father had promised her that when he returned from his hunting trip to Kentucky that he would take Jess and her twin brother James back to Kentucky to live. This did not happen. Her father was killed by an Indian’s arrow. Upon hearing the news Jess was devastated but determined to full fill his dream and her’s. Uncle David would not take her with him when he decided to go the land of the hunter’s dream. She dressed in James’ clothes and tried to follow David. Jess found herself alone in the wild wilderness full of hardships. In this vast forest Digger and Hutch, two long hunters stumbled upon her camp. Jess traveled with them until she realized Digger guessed her true identity. In the middle of the night she slipped away from them and continued her journey to the Bluegrass. There in the Bluegrass with its gentle rolling hills and lust bluegrass she made a new life but not without its problems, loves, hardships, and dangers. You will find my book “The Bluegrass Dream” by Ruth Thompson on Amazon. The ISBN number is 1-59800-770-X.
Most of my life I spent in central Kentucky. Georgetown is where I grew up and learned my values. There on a grassy hill above Boiling Springs is a monument where the first fort was built in Kentucky, Fort McClellan. (It was abandoned because of the Indian raids it suffered.) One of my father’s hobbies was genealogy and in his research there is an interesting name, John Mitchell. This name is on that monument and is a relative of mine.
My husband and I had always dreamed of moving to Florida when we retired and we realized that dream. In realizing this dream I began writing. JESS my protagonist in my novel “THE BLUEGRASS DREAM” also had a dream. Her father had promised her that when he returned from his hunting trip to Kentucky that he would take Jess and her twin brother James back to Kentucky to live. This did not happen. Her father was killed by an Indian’s arrow. Upon hearing the news Jess was devastated but determined to full fill his dream and her’s. Uncle David would not take her with him when he decided to go the land of the hunter’s dream. She dressed in James’ clothes and tried to follow David. Jess found herself alone in the wild wilderness full of hardships. In this vast forest Digger and Hutch, two long hunters stumbled upon her camp. Jess traveled with them until she realized Digger guessed her true identity. In the middle of the night she slipped away from them and continued her journey to the Bluegrass. There in the Bluegrass with its gentle rolling hills and lust bluegrass she made a new life but not without its problems, loves, hardships, and dangers. You will find my book “The Bluegrass Dream” by Ruth Thompson on Amazon. The ISBN number is 1-59800-770-X.
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