Thanksgiving.

Home and Family

Two of my favorite things for Thanksgiving. We’ll all gather at my oldest son’s house for the turkey eating this year, and it promises to be a very fun day. There will be no black Friday shopping for us, besides the fact most of it is already done (online), I am not a fan of all the hype and stores opening early, etc. etc., dear hubby is the best man in a wedding of a wonderful friend on Saturday, so we’ll head south on Friday for the rehearsal dinner. 

A bit of history: Thanksgiving has been celebrated with family and friends since 1621 when the Pilgrims and a tribe of the Wampanoag hosted a three day feast after a plentiful harvest in the new world.  A hundred and fifty or so years later, in 1777, George Washington declared all thirteen colonies should take place in a national day of public thanksgiving and prayer on the last Thursday in November. Then in 1863 Abraham Lincoln gave the Thanksgiving Proclamation that declared the last Thursday of November (based on Washington’s earlier declaration) a National holiday.  Franklin Roosevelt changed it to the second to the last Thursday, however, after much confusion, two years later, in 1941, congress passed a law making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. 

We all know the count-down to Christmas hits full force once Thanksgiving is over. I’ve already started watching the Hallmark channel’s holiday specials. I love, love, love those shows! We’ll also spend a few evenings watching the classics including It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34^th Street. I met Karolyn Grimes a few years ago, she stared as Zuzu as a child. She's a wonderful lady! (You can read more about how she touched my family's life on my blog www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com)

I will also read Christmas stories, lots of them! I look forward to December all year for that purpose. Once in awhile, I’ll cheat and read one in July or so, but for the most part I save them to read now. I’m also very excited to share two of my stories that were written for this year. 

Christmas Cowboy Kisses. My story, Christmas with Her Cowboy, is part of this Harlequin Anthology that was released in October. 

Christmas with Her Cowboy by Lauri Robinson—Ranch hand Tanner Maxwell is not pleased that Anna Hagan has returned to the Double Bar for Christmas. But the little girl he once knew is now all grown up….

The other wonderful stories in this anthology include: 

 A Family for Christmas by Carolyn Davidson—When a handsome widower and his young boy are stranded at Joy Watson's Missouri homestead just before Christmas, the true meaning of love and family is revealed.

A Christmas Miracle by Carol Arens—Laira Lynne is striving to save her beloved town. New arrival Rayne Lantree is the only man with the power to make her dream come true…if he'll just believe in a little Christmas magic! 

My second one is in Harlequin’s Undone line, Snowbound with Sheriff will be released December 1st.

Southern Montana, 1886

When Chayston Williams agreed to act as sheriff of Spring Valley, Montana, he never dreamed his duties would include delivering his father's pretty young mail-order bride to the family ranch in time for a Christmas wedding!

Violet Ritter promised her late stepfather that she would marry the man of his choosing. But she's shocked to discover her husband-to-be is old enough to have a grown son of his own! And she's even more surprised by her attraction to the ornery young man….

When a blizzard strands them in the sheriff's office for two days—and two nights—how will Chayston and Violet stop the fire between them from blazing out of control?

Happy Holidays!

Lauri

Just for fun--The Jackalope

www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com

Since day one, people have told stories of adventures, hard times, frightening experiences, joyous events, and everyday life. Some are true, others, slightly exaggerated, and some complete tall tales. The most interesting ones were remembered and repeated, over and over, until, even if they had been true at one time, alterations may have turned them into unbelievable accounts that then became legends, folklore, or myths. 

Such one is the jackalope. This is a statue of one at Wall Drug in South Dakota. 

Hubby and I are planning a trip to Montana and Wyoming, and while researching interesting places we’ll want to stop, he’s come across numerous advertisements for jackalopes. The Jackalope Capital of the World. Jackalope Country. Jackalope Hunting Season—which requires a license. The hunter cannot have an IQ higher than 72 and can only hunt on June 31^st between the hours of midnight and 2:00 AM. 

LEGEND has it, John Colter, one of the first white men to enter Wyoming Territory, claimed to have spotted a jackalope. The animal was said to be vicious, and could mimic any sound it heard. Later, as cowboys gathered around campfires at night singing songs, they swore to have heard jackalopes repeating the words to the songs. They also claimed the easiest way to catch a jackalope was to set out a flask of whiskey. The jackalope would drink its fill, and then slow, because of its intoxication, the critters could be caught.

The legend of jackalopes continued into the 20^th century. Around 1930 two brothers, having studied taxidermy, went hunting one day. Upon returning home, one brother tossed a jack rabbit on the floor. The carcass came to rest next to a set of deer horns. A short time later, the brothers sold the first stuffed jackalope for $10 to the owner of a Douglas, Wyoming hotel. The jackalope proudly hung there until 1977 when it was stolen. 

The jackalope isn’t unique to America. There are similar critters (rabbits with horns) in Germany—a wolperdinger, and in Sweden—a skvader. (Just a side note, jackalopes have been spotted in many states besides Wyoming.)

Actual illustrations of rabbits with horns go back to the 16^th century. Papillomatosis, also known as jackalopism, is a disease which causes parasitic growths, sometimes resembling horns, on the heads of rabbits.

Legend, folklore, or truth, that’s the jackalope tale.

Although there are no jackalopes in my story, my next release (October) is set in Wyoming and part of Harlequin's Christmas Cowboy Kisses anthology. 

Christmas with Her Cowboy blurb: Ranch hand Tanner Maxwell is not pleased that Anna Hagan has returned to the Double Bar for Christmas. But the little girl he once knew is now all grown up…

Snippet: Tanner Maxwell tugged his hat down and flipped the collar of his coat up to protect his ears from the biting wind whipping around the corner of the depot. Planting the sole of one boot against the wooden building behind him, he crossed his arms and leaned back.

The judge must have drawn straws. No one would have volunteered for this job. Tanner sure hadn’t and assuming he was the short straw didn’t help his temperament. Neither did the gray sky or the bits of snow swirling about. Hauling Anna Hagen back to the ranch was going to be unpleasant enough; he sure didn’t need a storm to fight along the way.

Never seeing the judge’s granddaughter again would suit him just fine. Guilt had nothing to do with it either. He hadn’t done anything to be guilty about. She on the other hand—