We're Supposed To Sing About Piratey Things

 

Well, I've never licked a spark plug or sniffed a stinkbug, or painted daisies on a big red rubber ball, and I've also never been to Boston in the fall. More importantly, I never hoist the mainstay and I never swab the poop deck and I never veer to starboard 'cause I never sail at all. Which is a bit of a problem when you're writing a pirate book.

Which is as much to say, I got to chapter three of my pirate book and realized just how rusty I am on ships and sailing terms and general piratey things. So I took about a week or so off from writing to read as many ship and pirate books as I could find in my library system's juvenile nonfiction section. Those usually have more pictures (not that I found a great cross section of a sloop, but I have a little more direction) and tend to be more concise. I'm not writing a historical fiction, so I was mostly looking for inspiration and little things to jog my memory.

Because what's great about fantasy is that I can pick and choose what I want from real history, and make up the rest. I'm not stuck to reality, I can do whatever I want.

I did learn some interesting things in my research though. So I thought I'd share.

• Cutlasses could chop through bone and muscle. Also, they were shorter than rapiers which made them less likely to get caught in the rigging during a fight.
• Pirates were not generally well-trained fighters, they’d just hack away at their victims.
• They would create stink bombs of clay jars filled with burning sulfur and rotten fish guts to make victims sick in an attack.
• Pirates would often remove raised decks so the main deck was all one level, which made for a better fighting platform.
• Pirates typically only attacked when they had a good chance of winning.
• Pirates voted for captain and were run like democracies...and if the crew didn't like what the captain was doing, they'd throw him overboard or maroon him on an island.
• Walking the plank wasn't really a thing, but they did throw people overboard, whip them with the cat o' nine tails, and keelhaul them.
• Pirates rarely buried treasure. Usually they spent it as soon as they got it.
• Gambling on board ship was typically banned to reduce fighting among the crew. That didn't stop them from gambling when they went ashore, though.
• They actually stole a lot of everyday goods. They could be sold for money, and they often needed supplies and medicines themselves.
• Also, Edward England's crew marooned him for treating a prisoner too well.
• And Pirates of the Caribbean is not an accurate representation of piracy. Who knew, right? 😂

My pirate book is proooooobably going to be more along the lines of PotC than realistic piracy, but that's fine because it's fantasy. And who doesn't like PotC? I even just watched 4 and 5, even though they're really not that good. Because let's face it, we all know "they get more watered down after each one" but if they actually go through with making a sixth one, we'll all still watch it. Because

The Declaration of Independence

"When, in the course of human events..."

This Independence Day, let's remember what we're really celebrating. Not BBQ and fireworks, but freedom. The life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness we enjoy, for which so many people gave their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. I'm proud to be an American.

(Also, please forgive the random neighbor who, through his ignorance, ruined the authenticity of the video by starting to mow his lawn part way through. 😉 )

The Holiday Season is Here!

It's time for Thanksgiving, The Last Jedi release day, Christmas, New Year's...I'm just so excited for the holidays! I've been feeling ready for Christmas (minus the fact I haven't bought any Christmas presents yet) for months. I'm totally with Thanksgiving on the Black Friday restraining order thing (watch this if you're not sure what I'm talking about), but I'm going to go ahead and tell you about Black Friday sales because it's the perfect time to get great discounts on Christmas presents for the book lovers in your life.

The annual Indie Christian Books Black Friday sale is enormous this year. (Site will go live on Nov. 24.) It will be running from Friday, Nov. 24 through Thursday, Nov. 30. We've got nearly 50 authors signed up, and some really fabulous deals going on. For my paperback prices, Twisted Dreams will be $5.99 and all the rest will be $7.50. For ebooks, Twisted Dreams will be free for the first 5 days of the sale and all the rest will be $0.99 the whole time. You'll also be able to get great deals from Jaye L. Knight, J. Grace Pennington, Kendra E. Ardnek, Leah E. Good, and many, many more. Plus, we have a really awesome giveaway going on. You won't want to miss it!

Now, because this season isn't about shopping, and I really hate the worst of the bad isms, I want to share with you an article about the history of Thanksgiving I found on Wallbuilders when looking for Thanksgiving information to share with my little girls' Bible study. Enjoy!

Celebrating Thanksgiving in America  

The tradition introduced by European Americans of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back well over four centuries in America. For example, such thanksgivings occurred in 1541 at Palo Duro Canyon, Texas with Coronado and 1,500 of his men; in 1564 at St. Augustine, Florida with French Huguenot (Protestant) colonists; in 1598 at El Paso, Texas with Juan de Oñate and his expedition; in 1607 at Cape Henry, Virginia with the landing of the Jamestown settlers; in 1619 at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia; (and many other such celebrations). But it is primarily from the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving Day.

The Pilgrims set sail for America on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. Upon disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they held a prayer service and then hastily began building shelters; however, unprepared for such a harsh New England winter, nearly half of them died before spring. Emerging from that grueling winter, the Pilgrims were surprised when an Indian named Samoset approached them and greeted them in their own language, explaining to them that he had learned English from fishermen and traders. A week later, Samoset returned with a friend named Squanto, who lived with the Pilgrims and accepted their Christian faith. Squanto taught the Pilgrims much about how to live in the New World, and he and Samoset helped forge a long-lasting peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford described Squanto as “a special instrument sent of God for [our] good . . . and never left [us] till he died.”

That summer, the Pilgrims, still persevering in prayer and assisted by helpful Indians, reaped a bountiful harvest. As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (later to become the Governor) affirmed, “God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn”; “by the goodness of God, we are…far from want.” The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends – America’s first Thanksgiving Festival. Ninety Wampanoag Indians joined the fifty Pilgrims for three days of feasting (which included shellfish, lobsters, turkey, corn bread, berries, deer, and other foods), of play (the young Pilgrim and Wampanoag men engaged in races, wrestling matches, and athletic events), and of prayer. This celebration and its accompanying activities were the origin of the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.

However, while the Pilgrims enjoyed times of prosperity for which they thanked God, they also suffered extreme hardships. In fact, in 1623 they experienced an extended and prolonged drought. Knowing that without a change in the weather there would be no harvest and the winter would be filled with death and starvation, Governor Bradford called the Pilgrims to a time of prayer and fasting to seek God’s direct intervention. Significantly, shortly after that time of prayer – and to the great amazement of the Indian who witnessed the scene – clouds appeared in the sky and a gentle and steady rain began to fall. As Governor Bradford explained:

It came without either wind or thunder or any violence, and by degrees in abundance, as that ye earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith, which did so apparently revive and quicken ye decayed corn and other fruits as was wonderful to see, and made ye Indians astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing.(1,300 more words)

The Robe Review

A Roman soldier, Marcellus, wins Christ's robe as a gambling prize. He then sets forth on a quest to find the truth about the Nazarene's robe-a quest that reaches to the very roots and heart of Christianity and is set against the vividly limned background of ancient Rome. Here is a timeless story of adventure, faith, and romance, a tale of spiritual longing and ultimate redemption.

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Read. This. Book.

Whatever happened to the Roman soldier who won Christ's Robe? Lloyd C. Douglas imagines what impact such an event could have had on that soldier's life, how he couldn't just pass off the event as an ordinary execution, how he was determined to learn more about Jesus, how he struggled to accept the things he heard, but eventually couldn't turn back. How he gambled for Christ's Robe and won new life.

Marcellus Gallio is the son of a senator and a tribune sent to Minoa to command the fort. He and his men go to Jerusalem during the Passover and are ordered to crucify Jesus. The job is distasteful to Marcellus because he knows Jesus is innocent, but he has no choice. He wins Jesus' Robe, but touching it causes him to go crazy. And when his mind is restored, he is filled with an insatiable hunger to know more of Jesus.

The story is basically Marcellus encountering events from the end of the Gospels and Acts, which was really cool. It puts it all in a different perspective, which makes familiar events new and powerful again. You get to hear about Jesus' miracles through the ears of a Roman who disbelieves in the supernatural, but yet can't discount it. And you see what it really costs to be a Christian.

Everyone I know who had read this book said it was really good, so I had high expectations going in. I was not disappointed. I like it even better than Ben-Hur, which I love (The book, neither movie did it justice. And honestly, having a middle aged white guy play a late teens/early twenties Jewish kid just doesn't work. Sorry, Charlton Heston). While The Robe isn't a perfect book and doesn't get everything right, I have to say it is more Biblically/historically accurate than Ben-Hur. It doesn't just go with the clichés of European tradition. The Robe felt very authentic—it didn't feel like a caricature of Roman times the way the movie version did (which also didn't even come close to doing the story justice). It treats the whole story of Jesus with respect, and chronicles a very realistic journey from Roman skeptic to Christian. My only complaint about the faith aspect is that it wasn't as explicit as I would have liked about forgiveness of sins. Marcellus's focus when telling people about Jesus seemed to have more to do with kindness toward others, which is great and all, but it really should be more about repentance and forgiveness.

The characters were all very well developed. They felt like real people. Something the movie got totally wrong was Marcellus's relationship with his slave Demetrius. Demetrius is a really awesome guy, not a sullen slave, and he and Marcellus are quite devoted to one another. Time and again Demetrius turned down his freedom because Marcellus still needed him. They were close friends. And the more they learned about Jesus, the less their relationship was master/slave and the more it was just best friends. I liked Diana, and while I wish she'd come around sooner, I can't say I was displeased with her actions at the end. She was just as heroic as Marcellus.

The ending is sad, but triumphant. If you believe in Jesus, you will not die, but have everlasting life.

Read The Robe. You won't regret it.

Why I Like History

I'm sure if you've been around here for any length of time, you know that I'm rather a history nerd. Rather a major history nerd. So how did I get here?

My sister and me at Plum Creek
2001

• My parents read me the entire Little House series when I was really little and I absolutely fell in love with everything pioneer.
• When I was five we took a road trip--tent camping--to visit all the Little House historic sites. I only remember the now-collapsed dugout, but I have a huge smile on my face in all the pictures.
• We took numerous trips to Conner Prairie, the most amazing living history museum ever. It really feels like stepping back in time!

"Doing laundry" at Conner Prairie
2002

• Oregon Trail. Yes, the computer game. My sisters and I were obsessed. Wasn't everybody?
• My honorary uncle told me and my family stories of American history all the time, in such a way that I was immersed in history and couldn't help but love it. He's a fabulous storyteller, and so is his daughter. You can read some of his stories in his book.
• American Girl. I especially loved Samantha and Felicity. It's sad to me how the popularity of American Girl has shrunk...I blame the de-emphasis on history. That's what made it cool! History Mysteries and Dear America fit here too.



Yearly pictures in
pioneer dresses
2006

• About a million amazing historical fiction/classic books I read and my mom read to me. Patricia Beatty, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Elsie Dinsmore, Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson, Five Little Peppers, All-of-a-Kind Family, Betsy-Tacy, Elizabeth George Speare, Johnny Tremain, William O. Steele, The Tree of Freedom, Nelly in the Wilderness, Calico Bush, Henry Ryder Haggard, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc. So many amazing books about or from bygone eras.
• My family has visited many historical sites over the course of my life, local and along the east coast. We've been to tons of battlefields, and even went to Williamsburg and Jamestown. Going to Mount Vernon was the best. I can totally understand why George Washington was always wanting to go home. It's beautiful. And we learned some fun things that really made him human. Like when his dogs stole Martha's ham. George was amused. Martha wasn't. And I really want to go to Plymouth.
• Plus, history is just plain cool.

And what effect has history had on me?

My Civil War era ball gown
2012

• I like wearing dresses--always have--because pioneers wore dresses.
• I wore sunbonnets with modern dresses a lot as a kid.
• Reading the Declaration of Independence is fun. I did it once instead of school. I love that thing.
• I want to churn butter.
• My sisters and I once played Oregon Trail with our Barbies.
• We never just played "house," we were always pioneers or living during the Revolution or something.

The lady at the Indiana State Fair
invited me over the ropes to try
her spinning wheel
2010

• I have a life-long obsession with spinning and weaving.
• I want chickens. (because Caroline Quiner aka Ma Ingalls took care of their chickens)
• I want to try doing laundry in a washtub. But just once. For the pioneer experience.
• I have made numerous historical costumes for myself and for others.
• I helped to teach a class on America's founding documents.
• If I ever found a time machine, I would have a long list of historical events to visit before I ever tried to go to the future.
• I like throwing bits of history into my books.

My Barbies' covered wagon...Bekah
was the one who had actual horses
2007

•  I really want to write a historical fiction book. I'm just scared of getting it wrong and of the mountain of research I'd have to do to make sure I got every last little historical detail exactly right. From the timeline of historical events to the way people talked to the atmosphere and layout of the town to the people around to the details of fashion...
• My dream house is a log cabin in the woods...as long as it has electricity, running water, and wifi.
• I'm reading a book of original documents from the Constitutional Convention as a part of self-inflicted school. And it's amazing. I must read more source documents.
• My family would love to open a living history museum.
• I tried really hard to convince my dad to build me a floor loom. I did research and everything. It didn't work.

How do you feel about history?

The Jefferson Lies Review

America, in so many ways, has forgotten. Its roots, its purpose, its identity―all have become shrouded behind a veil of political correctness bent on twisting the nation's founding, and its founders, to fit within a misshapen modern world.

The time has come to remember again.

In "The Jefferson Lies," prominent historian David Barton sets out to correct the distorted image of a once-beloved founding father, Thomas Jefferson. To do so, Barton tackles seven myths head-on, including:

Did Thomas Jefferson really have a child by his young slave girl, Sally Hemings? Did he write his own Bible, excluding the parts of Christianity with which he disagreed? Was he a racist who opposed civil rights and equality for black Americans? Did he, in his pursuit of separation of church and state, advocate the secularizing public life?

Through Jefferson's own words and the eyewitness testimony of contemporaries, Barton repaints a portrait of the man from Monticello as a visionary, an innovator, a man who revered Jesus, a classical Renaissance man―and a man whose pioneering stand for liberty and God-given inalienable rights fostered a better world for this nation and its posterity. For America, the time to remember these truths again is now.

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Every American should read this book. Carefully researched and loaded with notes and citations so you can seek out the source documents for yourself, this is an excellent book debunking the lies so many people believe about Thomas Jefferson.

Did you know that most of what we believe about Jefferson these days comes from blatant lies fabricated by his enemies in the unbelievably nasty presidential campaign of 1800?

Did you know that the initial report "proving" that Sally Hemmings had children by Jefferson (a story with its roots in the aforementioned nasty campaign) was retracted just weeks later because it was false? Or that the line most strongly believed by oral tradition to be fathered by Jefferson has no Jefferson DNA whatsoever?

Did you know that there is no such thing as a "Jefferson Bible" and that the closest you can come to such a thing is essentially a Bible tract Jefferson wrote for the Indians and a topical compilation of Jesus' teachings for his own personal study?

Did you know that the phrase "a wall of separation between church and state," which does not come from the Constitution but from Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, was a commonly used phrase that meant the government could not interfere in the church, not that religious activity was to be excluded from the government? And that Jefferson had no say in the writing of the Constitution because he was in Europe at the time?

Did you know that Jefferson fought mightily for emancipation and only held slaves himself because he inherited them and Virginia law made it increasingly more impossible to free them?

Did you know that the university Jefferson founded was not secular, but, in fact, trans-denominational?

Did you know that the only clergy Jefferson despised were the ones who defamed his character from the pulpit and he had many friends who were clergymen?

Did you know that though later in life Jefferson subscribed to the teachings of the Primitivists that swept Charlottesville (a sect that, in trying to return to the fundamentals of Christianity, deemphasized anything other than the Gospels and rejected some orthodox Christian beliefs because the term used to describe such doctrines was not used in the Bible or because they hated John Calvin so much that any belief to which he subscribed was automatically false), he never once stopped considering himself a Christian who believed in a personal God?

Read this book. Destroy the revisionist history with the truth.

For Freedom

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Independence. Liberty. What so, so many people gave their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for.

The reason Caesar Rodney rode all night, through the rain, sick, to vote for independence, knowing now he could never go to England to see the only doctor with any success curing his particular kind of cancer.

The reason Nathan Hale, a young, honorable schoolteacher with his life ahead of him, volunteered to be a spy--the job of the lowest men--and willingly gave his life in the process.

The reason John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg concluded his sermon on Ecclesiastes 3 by saying "There is also a time to fight, and that time has now come," removed his clerical robe to reveal his Continental Army uniform, and led over 300 men to enlist, establishing the Eighth Virginia Regiment.

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States."

These words, chosen so carefully and meticulously revised for just the right meaning, inspire me so. All men are created equal. God has given us permanent rights that cannot be taken away or transferred, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Government is instituted to protect our rights, not to oppress us, or dictate our lives. Government is there to ensure our freedom.

That is what our Founders and the soldiers of the American Revolution fought for. That is what we fight for today.

"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

I love the United States of America. I'm proud to be an American. And I'm proud to be a part of the fight for freedom.

Read the full text of the Declaration of Independence

 

Give Thanks

I'm going to tell you about some Black Friday sales I'm participating in at the bottom of this post, but I don't want to make this post all about sales. "There's a lot of bad isms, but one of the worst is commercialism. Make a buck, make a buck." Bonus points if you can tell me what movie that's from. :)

Thanksgiving is this week. I'm sure everybody knows that. How do we view Thanksgiving these days? I'd say to most people it's a time to get together with family for a big feast. Is it wrong to have a good time with your family? Absolutely not. But that's not what Thanksgiving is really about.

A lot of people say it started because the pilgrims were thanking the Indians for helping them. It is traditionally linked to the pilgrims, but that's not really what it's about.

The first Thanksgiving at Plymouth wasn't to thank the Indians. It was to thank God. The pilgrims understood that God was responsible for their bounty. God was responsible for delivering them from religious persecution. God was responsible for the survival of those who did survive to see that first harvest.

Throughout American history, presidents declared national days of prayer and thanksgiving. The two were inseparable. To whom else could we possibly truly owe our blessings than to God? He is our Creator, our Sustainer, our Savior, the Author and Finisher of our faith. God is the One who provides us with air to breathe, food to eat, clothes to wear, houses to live in. He gave us our family and friends, our jobs, our hobbies, our...everything. I can't possibly even list all the blessings God gives to every one of us.

So when you're hanging out with family and/or friends this Thanksgiving, loading up on turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, watching football, doing whatever traditions you might have, don't forget who really provided this all for you. When you say "I'm thankful for _______," remember to give thanks to the One responsible for it all.

Give thanks to God.

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Christmas will be here before we know it! So Christmas shopping will be upon us, and if you have any bookworms in your life, I've got the perfect solution for you.

Fourteen other authors and I are holding a Black Friday sale on our books again, both for paperbacks and kindle books! It's going to be awesome.

All of my books will be $0.99 on kindle and $7.50 each for paperbacks, plus some set discounts. Yes, I suppose this is me saying "wait till the weekend to buy my books." Oh well. I like to save money just as much as the rest of you. ;)

Curious about who the other authors are? I know most of them and have read a lot of their books, so I can personally say this sale is one you won't want to miss. Here's the list.

Sarah Holman

Jessica Grayson

Kendra E. Ardnek

Leah E. Good

Faith Blum

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke

Jenelle Schmidt

Jaye L. Knight/Molly Evangeline

J. Grace Pennington

Claire Banschbach

Rachael Ritchey

Tricia Mingerink

Sarah Allerding

Kate Willis

Amanda Tero

And if you're a blogger, you can sign up here to help us spread the word and get free ebooks out of it! How cool is that? Deadline to sign up is tomorrow.

A Trip to Charleston

So last week, my family and I went to Charleston! All things told, it was a great trip. Charleston, though, would be the perfect place for the insect invasion of the world to begin. Swarms of mosquitoes (I got somewhere around a hundred mosquito bites), the camper invasion of the ants, the gnats on the beach, the roaches that came home with us...yeah, it was an adventure.

The first day we spent on the beach. Nice and relaxing, and I was able to read Sense and Sensibility to the sound of waves. It was glorious. Also, no mosquitoes. ;) It was quite windy, though. It was great. I took a timelapse video of the waves, which was neat, but I don't know if it'll work properly. At least I know the pictures will.

It's a Gilligan's Island tradition now. ;)

Bad Squishy!

The claw!

A live sand dollar...yes, Addy picked it up.

Day number two was cover reveal day. Yes, the trip was already planned when I scheduled the cover reveal. Yes, I forgot. Yes, I announced it online, realized what I did, and went "oooooops...I can't do anything about it now." I'm just brilliant at timing, aren't I?

We went into Charleston that day. We went on a carriage tour and learned about the history of the city. It was pretty cool.

A 20,000 sq. ft. historic home built by a man with "one wife and 11 children." I had to laugh at the tour guide's impressed tone--when you have friends from families with 10 and 14 children, 11 sounds pretty normal. ;)

Most of the historic homes face sideways. The door is a "privacy door" onto the front porch. It supposedly catches the breeze better.

The metal circles are the endcaps of earthquake rods they stuck through the walls. I don't remember when Charleston's earthquake was or all the damage it caused, but every resident does.

We also went to the provost dungeon...

And Fort Sumter! I've been where the Civil War started! It was pretty awesome.

The ugly black structure they added after the Spanish American War. It now houses a museum.

But then the storm came in and produced a downpour.

And because the parade ground flooded, we had to leave early...quite soaked.

And then I left my tennis shoes outside the camper and it rained again overnight soaking them even more. Brilliant. So I had to wear my flip flops the next day, get a blister, strain something in my ankle trying to not make the blister worse, and get ocean water very painfully in said blister. Aren't I the perfect picture of gracefulness? 

Despite blister issues, day number three was pretty glorious. We went to Middleton Place, an old plantation, which was AMAZING. I seriously want a plantation. And I came away with a shiny new story idea--start with Middleton Place, add a dash of Sense and Sensibility and Elsie Dinsmore, throw it in my brain, and mix well.

The view!

The entrance to the original house. It was burned during the Civil War, and the earthquake finished it off.

This was one of their side houses, the gentlemen's quarters, where they lived after the main house was destroyed.

We spent a lot of time talking to the seamstress. It's become a tradition. Also, I'm a bit obsessed with that sort of thing.

I really want some sheep.

I wish I was that good at pottery.

 

The alligators are real, the sign said...

The next morning, we watched the sun rise on the beach. Beautiful...except for the swarms of gnats. I wanted to sing "Sunrise on the Iceberg," but I'm not Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, or Perfect, and it wasn't an iceberg. They felt very much in charge.

And then we went to a tea plantation! It was amazing. I learned all about how they grow and make tea, and drank altogether too much of it. But it tasted so good!

Tea plants! Because it's not native to the area, it has no natural predator. No need for pesticides! Tea is also apparently a very hardy plant.

The machine they use to cut the tea.

I learned that all tea comes from the same plant--it's how they process it that makes it green, black, etc. Black tea dries the longest.

We went back into Charleston after that and walked around the market and through the streets and along the water. And through an old church graveyard.

On our last day, we took a walk down the beach to look for shells one last time, packed up the camper, and drove home. The trip was fun while it lasted, but I'm always glad to get home--especially when I have a proof copy waiting in the mail!

Speaking of Crannig Castle, I still have space in my blog tour, so if you want to volunteer as tribute and get a free sneak peek, you are most welcome. :)

Have you ever been to Charleston? What's your favorite place to visit?