Yearly Archives: 2009

Raising Rain by Debbie Fuller Thomas


Raising Rain by Debbie Fuller Thomas
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802487343
ISBN-13: 978-0802487346

From Amazon.com:
Product Description

Raised to be a ‘new woman’ by her mother and three college roommates in the 70’s amid anti-war protests, feminist rallies, and finals, Rain Rasmussen discovers that putting her career first has left her overdrawn at the egg-bank, and her baby fever has now driven off her significant other.

When her terminally ill mother demands a Celebration of Life before she dies; they all confront ghosts from the past on a ‘stormy’ weekend in Monterey. Bebe, the roommate closest to Rain’s heart, revisits choices that have impacted Rain the most, raising doubts about God’s—and her own—willingness to forgive and to be forgiven.

This novel touched upon an edgy subject for Christian fiction, abortion. However, the subject was dealt with in a realistic manner, and I could imagine someone who is saved, who’s been through an abortion in the past, to use this book as a ministerial tool.

Rainbow Star has been raised by her single mother, Jude, as well as Jude’s three roommates. The four roommates, from back in the late sixties/early seventies, share a fragile bond and they have many issues brimming beneath the surface of their friendship.

Rain doesn’t even know who her father is, and her headstrong mother, Jude, is vocal about not needing a man in her life. Unbeknownst to Rain, Jude’s headstrong manner has rubbed off onto Rain’s personality, causing a huge breakup with her live-in boyfriend.

Rain is now single and determined to have a baby, no matter what it takes. Should she get pregnant and raise a baby alone, following in her mother’s footsteps?

When Rain finds out the real reason why her boyfriend has left her, she’s stunned, and she’s forced to step back and take a look at her own life.

The four roommates and Rain share a celebration weekend during the last days of Jude’s life. During this time, they discover long-held secrets about one another.

This novel will show you how we can seek the Lord’s forgiveness for past mistakes.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Guest Blogger Stephen Bly




You know how I occasionally talk about food and recipes on this blog? Well, I thought it’d be fun to post Stephen Bly’s article about Menus On The Old West Trail! Interesting information, and some of this new knowledge makes me cringe a little bit! Don’t forget to access the links at the bottom of the article for Stephen’s Chili Recipe and to check out his new release, Creede Of Old Montana!

Pour The Coffee & Pass The Pooch
By Stephen Bly
Copyright©2008

While some big towns like Denver, San Francisco and Virginia City had fancy restaurants, most frontier cafes were of the simple sort. They were often called chophouses, because of the hunk of meat that hung in the backroom. They chopped off a slab and fried it up for you. Not too fancy. Nor sanitary. Most times it was only “slightly spoiled.”
Cowboys on the trail filled up with biscuits, bacon, and beans. There wasn’t much beef because no boss wanted to slaughter his own cattle. If a cow wandered in from some other herd, it could be butchered and fried, but for the most part bacon and salt pork dominated the menu.
Ah, good old boiled coffee. You can almost feel the coffee grounds strain between your teeth. The brand was probably Arbuckles, that tastes something like a Starbucks tall Americano with a quadruple shot…and mixed with a bit of mud.
There was plenty of sourdough bread on long trail drives. The cook’s prized possession was a 5-gallon, wooden sourdough keg. When getting ready for the trail drive or roundup, the cook put 3 or 4 quarts of flour and a dash of salt in the keg. He poured in enough water to make a medium thick batter. Sometimes a little vinegar or molasses was added to hasten fermentation.
When the dough got ripe, this whole batch was thrown away. The keg is seasoned. A new batch is mixed in the same way. Everyday new batter is mixed to fill the keg. Placed in sunlight during the day and wrapped in blankets at night kept it warm. Some cooks slept with their kegs on cold nights. An outfit that allowed harm to come to its sourdough keg suffered the consequence. Most cooks defended their kegs with their lives.
By the late 1880s air-tights (canned food) were available, such as peaches and tomatoes. That provided more ways for the camp cooks to make dessert.
One trail favorite was Hounds Ears & Whirlups. Thin sourdough batter was dropped onto hot grease and fried brown. The dough usually spread out in the shape of a dog’s ear Whirlup sauce was made with water, sugar, flavoring and spices. If available, dried fruit was chopped or mashed into the mixture and bring it to a boil. It thickened a tad as it cooled, then poured over the Hounds Ears. A big hit with hungry cowboys.
That sounds better to me than Pooch…a dessert made with tomatoes, sugar, and leftover bread or biscuits, cooked over the campfire.
Ah, life on the trail. Pour the coffee and pass the pooch.

Download Stephen Bly’s own Spicy Elk Chili recipe here. Other recipes are also listed on that file. There are some other things you can check out on the Free Stuff Page at Bly Books.

New Release October 1, 2009:
Creede of Old Montana (hardback)
Center Point Publishing/Thorndike
Order through any local quality bookstore, online bookstore, public library, or
Bly Books.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Check out Stephen’s book and if you try his chili recipe, let me know if you liked it!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

October Book Giveaway



Before I post the books for the October Book Giveaway, I just wanted to announce that the winner of the September Book Giveaway is:

Renee Chaw – Perryopolis, PA

Renee, I’ll be snail mailing your books out to you soon.

Here are the novels that I’m giving away for the month of October. Some of these books are brand new and some are slightly used! Also, remember to leave your email address when commenting for the giveaway so that I’ll have a way of contacting you if you win. Also, by entering, I’ll automatically add your name to my newsletter email list. Don’t worry about that, though…I only send out mass emails for newsletters a few times a year, so you won’t be hearing from me very often! If I choose you as the winner, I’ll be posting your first and last name and city and state on my blog, announcing you as the winner. This box of books will be given to ONE person. Here are the books:

1. What The Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy

2. Sins Of The Father by Angela Benson

3. A Cousin’s Prayer by Wanda E. Brunstetter

4. The Lumberjack’s Lady by Susan Page Davis

5. Becoming More Than A Bible Study Girl by Terkeurst
From the Back Cover
Is Something Missing in Your Life?
Lysa TerKeurst knows what it’s like to consider God just another thing on her to-do list. For years she went through the motions of a Christian life: Go to church. Pray. Be nice.
Longing for a deeper connection between what she knew in her head and her everyday reality, she wanted to personally experience God’s presence.
Drawing from her own remarkable story of step-by-step faith, Lysa invites you to uncover the spiritually exciting life we all yearn for. With her trademark wit and spiritual wisdom, Lysa will help you :
* Learn how to make a Bible passage come alive in your own devotion time.
* Replace doubt, regret, and envy with truth, confidence, and praise.
* Stop the unhealthy cycles of striving and truly learn to love who you are and what you’ve been given.
* Discover how to have inner peace and security in any situation
* Sense God responding to your prayers
The adventure God has in store for your life just might blow you away.

6. A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart
When contacted by her long-lost grandmother, Lauren McKaslin wanted to reconnect—with all the warmhearted Montana McKaslins. For too long, she’d relied solely on herself and her faith. But mistrustful lawman Caleb Stone stood in the way, and his questions about her were intimidating. Was his attention more than a protective instinct? Now that she believed in family again, perhaps this was also the time to believe in true love….

7. Val’s Prayer by Terry Fowler
From Heartsong Presents website:
Val Truelove dreams of owning the Kentucky horse farm she grew up on and running a wedding venue business. And she prays big prayers. When an answer comes in an unlikely package, her life is never the same again. But she must overcome obstacles – an opionionated architect, sabotaged plans, and a revengeful former coworker – to see her dreams become reality.

8. Heath’s Choice by Terry Fowler
From Heartsong Presents website:
For years, Heath’s one goal was to get his education and help his younger sibilings obtain theirs. Now God’s provision has freed him to pursue other interests. He finds himself trying to reconcile his choice to be a landscaper against finding a job worthy of his expensive education. As a teenager, Heath was attracted to Jane, but when it came down to choices, she made decisions that changed her life – and not for the better. She’s back in his life, but can Heath get past his fears and trust God to give him the woman he loves?

9. All That Glitters by Lynnette Sowell
From Heartsong Presents website:
When Francesca Wallingford first meets Count Philippe de la Croix, he turns her head. But then an old friend, Alfred Finley, returns to the society that scorned him years ago. A summer in Newport, Rhode Island, with its sequence of balls and cotillions, pits both men in a quest for Francesca’s hand. But what role does love and honor play when Francesca’s mother has her own agenda for her daughter to become a countess?

And, if you feel inclined, go over to Amazon and check out my April 2010 release! If you feel led, you can pre-order it! I think Barbour did a beautiful job with the cover!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Lumberjack’s Lady by Susan Page Davis


The Lumberjack’s Lady by Susan Page Davis

From Heartsong Presents website:
Letitia Hunter works as a clerk at her father’s lumber company, but her place in society is well established. When an intriguing French lumberjack comes to work in the office alongside her, Letitia knows she cannot allow the feelings he stirs within her. Her father would never consider him an eligible suitor. From the moment Etienne rescued the boss’s lovely young daughter from drowning in a frozen lake, he has not been able to put her out of his mind. Working with her only complicates things. Yet his feelings for her are so strong. Can he overcome prejudice and prove his worth both as an employee and as a man? God works in mysterious ways, His children to bless. Will He make this relationship work?

===
This was a sweet story that held my interest. It had a different twist from usual Heartsongs, I suppose, because the hero is a French Canadian lumberjack. When my sister saw the cover, she said, “What’s Paul Bunyon doing on the cover of that book you’re reading?”

Letitia has always lived by her father’s rules, quietly working beside him in the office of his lumber company. However, while visiting one of her father’s lumber camps, she falls into a frozen lake while ice skating. She’s rescued by handsome Etienne, a French Canadian lumberjack. Etienne is smitten with the boss’s daughter, but knows she’s way out of his league. He came from an under-priviledged background and has little money. Letitia has a lot of wealth, and he knows her father would never agree to having him as a son-in-law.

Letitia’s father, Mr. Hunter, calls Etienne Steve (Etienne is French for Steven). Although Mr. Hunter admires the office talents of his new employee, he knows the man is not a suitable mate for his daughter. Leticia shuns the advances of one of her father’s wealthy clients, much to her father’s dissatisfaction.

Leticia and Etienne have a lot of obstacles to overcome before their romance can blossom into a beautiful relationship.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

What The Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy


What The Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825429374
ISBN-13: 978-0825429378

From Amazon.com:
Product Description
The past can’t stay buried forever Rising author Patti Lacy’s second novel exposes the life of Sally, set amid the shadows of prejudice in Louisiana. Since leaving her home in the South, Sally Stevens has held the secrets of her past at bay, smothering them in a sunny disposition and sugar-coated lies. No one, not even her husband, has heard the truth about her childhood. But when one of her students is violently raped, Sally’s memories quickly bubble to the surface unbidden, like a dead body in a bayou. As Sally’s story comes to light, the lies she’s told begin to catch up with her. And as her web of deceit unravels, she resolves to face the truth at last, whatever the consequences.

==
This book was deep and moving! I could see a bunch of women reading this novel and then getting together for coffee and cookies while discussing it. Patti hits on some tough issues that we face here in America, which include bigotry and rape.

Sally suffered a traumatic childhood experience when she was twelve – which resulted in someone’s death. Her secret African-American friend, Ella, has also carried this secret. Both women have suffered greatly because of this incident, and Sally started lying as a youngster to cover up her forbidden friendship, and to hid the tragedy. Amidst the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the rape of one of Sally’s community college students, her memories are set free from her mind, making her stop and think about how her years of actions are affecting her life and the lives of others, including her husband’s! I think Sally lies so much that she no longer realizes that she’s doing it!

I don’t want to tell too much of the story by giving away too many details, but, I think you should run out and buy this book today if you haven’t already done so! You won’t be disappointed!
The book also made me pause and think about my own childhood. Sally moves into a new area when she’s around eleven or twelve, and I was ten when my family moved to a new area. It was strange, being the new Black kid in the neighborhood. People acted like I was a martian from outer space or something! When I graduated from high school, I was the only Black female in the class! Racism is something that I’ve experienced in my life and Patti touched upon this issue in a realistic way.

Great story! You should read it!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Brady Bunch!


TV Land is hosting a Brady Bunch Marathon this weekend for the 40th anniversary of the show! I’ve been having a blast of a time looking at those episodes. Although I do recall seeing them weekly in the early seventies when I was like, five or six, (I recall it coming on either on Friday or Saturday night), I really grew to love the show watching re-runs over the years. I’ve seen them so many times that I can even recite the lines on a lot of the episodes. The show is corny, but I love watching it!

Pure nostalgia!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Lancaster County Visit Part II

I woke up at the Bed and Breakfast to the sound of horses clomping on the road. A buggy was passing by and I heard several of them rolling by before I finally got out of bed. Hubby and I went downstairs for breakfast around 8:30. There was only one other couple there and they’d only stayed one night, like we did. They were passing through on their way home. The other couple we’d seen the previous night at dinner had left early in the morning to head back to Massachusetts.

Ron made breakfast. I can’t recall, exactly, the name of the dish, but it was some sort of grain bread, soaked in maple syrup, baked, and then had a hard-cooked egg on top. We had link sausage on the side and orange juice and coffee. Ron’s wife prayed before we started our meal. The food was good and there was pie for dessert. Yes, they served dessert after breakfast.

Ron and his wife Pat talked about different Amish traditions while we ate: including Rumspringa and the fact that the Amish in their community don’t ride bikes – they ride scooters instead. Pat also said that there were some orders of Amish who don’t even run. I didn’t understand what she meant but she explained that there were some who don’t participate in Rumspringa.

After breakfast, hubby and I packed our stuff and loaded the car. Ron said goodbye and invited us to come back and visit them again. He also encouraged us to go next door to take a few pics of the mill and here they are:




He also told us that business has not been booming for them over the last couple of months. I told him it was probably because of the bad economy. He said that the breakfast they’d just served to four people…well, last year he would have been serving breakfast to a full-house of 18 people – they’re usually booked solid this time of the year, but that hasn’t been happening lately. If you decide to visit Lancaster County, be sure to check out Ron’s Bed and Breakfast and think about staying there. My hubby and I enjoyed staying in his house, even if it was only for one night. Ron proved to be a wealth of information about Amish history.

Afterwards, hubby and I made the journey to The Plain And Fancy Farm. On the way, I saw a bunch of Amish buggies outside of someone’s home. Here’s the pic:

I’m assuming this was where they were having church. From talking to Sally, I gathered that they have church every other week and they’ll have the service in someone’s home.

Got milk???

I also saw a place that was selling goat’s milk! Not sure why anybody would want to purchase goat’s milk? Anybody reading this blog know the answer? Here’s the pics for the signs for goat’s milk:


When we got to The Plain And Fancy Farm, we paid our money to see the movie called Jacob’s Choice.

The theater was fashioned in the way of an Amish meeting place. The wooden benches had no backs, so they were not very comfortable. Since they weren’t crowded, hubby and I sat in the back in the handicapped seats…reason being, these were fashioned like regular comfortable chairs and I didn’t feel like sitting on a hard wooden, backless bench during the course of the movie.

The movie was about a boy named Jacob, who is going through his Rumspringa. He’s on a baseball team and he’s been staying out all night with his friends. His father and grandfather are not pleased with his actions since he’s been faltering about joining the Amish church. During the course of the movie, the grandfather talks to Jacob about Amish history, and you are reminded about how the Amish started. I’ll sprinkle in the history as I recall hearing it…but don’t quote me on these “facts”. I don’t know a whole lot about the Amish so if you want to know the history, it’d be best to research it outside of this blog entry!

The Amish is a subgroup that broke away from the Mennonites. They lived in Germany, but met lots of persecution. William Penn (or maybe it was William’s dad? Can’t recall) provided a place (Pennsylvania) where all could come and practice their religion freely. The Amish emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania. The Amish and Mennonites are part of the Anabaptist movement. They don’t believe in infant baptism…baptism should be a choice, and that’s why they encourage adult baptism. Currently, there are Amish in a number of states, including Canada.

Jacob struggles with making the choice of joining the Amish church. He’s falling for an Amish girl, but she doesn’t know if Jacob would be the right mate for her since he still hasn’t joined the church. A tragic event causes Jacob to finally make the decision that’s right for him.

The movie was different because they’ll show different things on different screens. It’s kind of hard to describe, but one way to let you know what I’m talking about is, when Jacob’s dad and grandfather are discussing his recent actions on one screen, you’ll see Jacob trying to sneak into the barn on another screen.

After the movie, we stopped at the pen housing the small horses. Here’s a few pics of one of the horses:


You could place 25 cents into the dispenser to get food to feed the animals. They encourage you to leave the cracked corn feed in the bucket – they don’t want the horses eating out of you hand!

We then went for a buggy ride! Quite a smelly experience since the horses relieved themselves shortly before we took off! The driver told us about Amish history while she took us on our 25-minute ride. Here’s a pic of hubby in front of the buggy:


Then we had lunch at an Amish-themed restaurant. I had fried chicken, chicken pot pie, and mashed potatoes and gravy, chow chow, and corn, I think? It was a lot of food and I couldn’t finish it! Hubby had barbequed sandwich and fries. After eating we browsed in the store attached to the restaurant. Amish fiction was clearly represented! Here’s the pics of the books that I saw:



That’s about it! We had a great time and I’ll probably visit again and plan to do more research on the Amish!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Cousin’s Prayer


Since I’m off from work this week, I went ahead and finished A Cousin’s Prayer. The book was somewhat entertaining, but, I felt the story lacked believability. Reason being, there were so many accidents, calamities, maladies and such that it took away from the storyline. Everything from paper cuts needing stitches, people miscarrying, dying, getting hit in the head, passing out, etc. occurred in the story. It seemed like every few chapters there was an accident or illness of some sort happpening in the novel. It got a bit tiresome reading about those incidents after awhile.

HOWEVER, the author did do a great job with showing we need to accept God’s gift of salvation in order to overcome all of our problems. Katie’s salvation scene was very moving, and that’s the most important lesson in a Christian book. I did get more involved with the story during the second half than the first.

If you want to read something that doesn’t require much thought, effort, or analysis, then you should read this story. Also, I could see this story appealing to young adults because I think most of the main characters are in their twenties.

One unusual aspect of the story was the businesses owned by the main characters. Freeman owns a bike repair shop and Katie helps her mom in a stamp shop? I’d never heard of a stamp shop until I read this book. It appears similiar to a stationary store? It seemed like a bulk of the shop’s income came from the sell of rubber stamps, which I found highly unusual. Why? Not sure. I know about rubber stamps but didn’t realize that people made a living selling rubber stamps in various forms in a place called a stamp shop. When I hear the term stamp shop, I think of a place that sells postage stamps – a place where stamp collectors would go to add new and unusual postage stamps to their collection.

The bicycle repair shop seemed a bit odd to me, too. I haven’t seen a full-blown bicycle repair shop since the seventies. Since I’m not much of a rider, it’s possible they still exist, though. I have seen bike sales shops, and they offer repairs, too. But I’m assuming since this is an Amish community, a bike repair shop would be used more since the Amish might have a use for bikes more than Englishers?

I still need to blog about part II of my Lancaster County trip, and I plan on doing that shortly.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Cousin’s Prayer by Wanda Brunstetter



I haven’t had a chance to read this book yet, but, I can tell you that I saw a lot of Wanda B’s novels during my Amish weekend – two days ago in Lancaster County.

I’ll be posting a full review once I’m finished with the novel.

~Cecelia Dowdy~
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

and the book:

A Cousin’s Prayer

Barbour Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wanda E. Brunstetter is nationally recognized as an expert on the Amish community, and her book sales have topped the three million mark. Her books White Christmas Pie, A Sister’s Hope, and Allison’s Journey topped Publishers Weekly Paperback Religion Bestsellers lists in 2008. Her books have also received other honors, including the 2006 Reader’s Choice Award and the CBD Book of the Week. Brunstetter enjoys an uncommon kinship with the Amish and loves to visit their communities throughout the country.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $10.97
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602600619
ISBN-13: 978-1602600614

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Prologue

Katie Miller’s stomach churned as she read the letter she’d just received from her cousin Loraine:

Dear Katie,

Wayne and I will be getting married the last Thursday of April. I’d like you to be one of my attendants.

Katie’s heart pounded. There was no way she could go to her cousin’s wedding, much less be one of her attendants.

“Who’s the letter from?” Katie’s grandmother asked, taking a seat on the porch swing beside Katie.

“Loraine. She’s getting married in April, and she wants me to be one of her attendants.” Katie almost choked on the words.

“That’s wunderbaar. I’m sure you’re looking forward to going.”

Katie shook her head. “I don’t want to go.”

“Think how disappointed Loraine would be if you weren’t at her wedding.”

Katie’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I can’t go back to Indiana, Grammy.”

“Loraine and Wayne have been through so much. Don’t you want to be there to share in their joy?”

Katie shivered despite the warm Florida breeze. If Timothy hadn’t been killed on their way to Hershey Park last fall, she’d be planning her own wedding right now.

“Katie, did you hear what I said?”

Katie nodded, hoping she wouldn’t give in to the tears pushing against her eyelids. “If I hadn’t freaked out about a bee in the van, Timothy, Paul, and Raymond would still be alive.” Katie drew in a shaky breath. “Jolene wouldn’t have lost her hearing, either, and Wayne would still have both of his legs.”

“You’re not to blame, Katie. It was an accident. It might have happened even if you hadn’t been afraid of the bee.” Grammy touched Katie’s arm. “You need to accept it and go on with your life.”

“I–I don’t know if I can.”

“Timothy wouldn’t want you to continue grieving for him. He wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for the accident.”

“You’ve said that before.”

“Then you ought to listen.” Grammy took hold of Katie’s hand. “Let’s go inside so you can write Loraine and let her know you’ll be at the wedding.”

“I–I’m afraid to go. The thought of traveling alone scares me. I don’t think I can deal with all the painful memories that are there.”

“Will you go to Loraine’s wedding if I go with you?”

“What about Grandpa? Would he go, too?”

Grammy shook her head. “He has things to do here.”

Katie couldn’t imagine what things Grandpa would have to do. He was retired and spent a good deal of his time at the beach.

“What about it, Katie?” Grammy asked. “Will you go to the wedding if I go along?”

Katie sat for several seconds, thinking things through. Finally, she gave a slow nod. It would be easier going back to Indiana with Grammy along, and as soon as the wedding was over, they’d come back here.

Chapter 1

“It sure is good to have you home,” Katie’s father said as they headed down the road in his buggy toward Uncle Amos and Aunt Priscilla’s house. He glanced over at Katie and smiled. “Your mamm said Loraine was real pleased when she got your letter saying you’d be one of her attendants.”

Katie clutched the folds in her dress as she stared out the window. She didn’t know why she felt so edgy. She hadn’t felt like this when she was in Florida. She’d been depressed after Timothy died, but not quivery inside the way she’d been since she’d climbed into Dad’s buggy. She was grateful they didn’t have far to go.

Dad motioned to what was left of the barn they were passing. “Take a look at the devastation from the tornado that hit this past winter. That terrible storm affected nearly everyone around these parts in some way or another.”

“No one was killed, though, right?”

“No, but some were injured, and the damage was great. Many, like Wayne’s folks, lost their homes, barns, and shops. It’s a good thing the house Wayne started building before he lost his leg didn’t sustain any damage from the tornado,” Dad said. “Several of the men in our community finished it for him, and Wayne’s folks have been livin’ in it ever since.”

“Will they continue living there after Loraine and Wayne get married?” Katie asked.

Dad nodded. “At least until their own house is done.”

Katie knew from some of the things Loraine had said in her letters that she and Ada hadn’t always gotten along so well. She wondered how things would be having them both living under the same roof.

“Look at the Chupps’ place.” Dad pointed to the left. “They lost their barn, his buggy shop, and the house. Only those who’ve actually seen the destruction of a tornado like we had here can even imagine such a sight.”

Katie gripped the edge of the seat. “I don’t understand why God allows such horrible things to happen.”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s not our place to question God. His ways are not our ways.”

Katie clamped her teeth together in an effort to keep from saying what was on her mind. Dad wouldn’t understand if she told him how angry she was with God for taking Timothy. He’d probably give her a lecture and say it was Timothy’s time to die, like he’d said to her on the day of Timothy’s funeral.

“Do you know how long you’ll be helping at Loraine’s?” Dad asked.

“Probably most of the day, since I’m sure there’s a lot to be done before the wedding. You can come by sometime before supper and pick me up, or I can ask someone to give me a ride home.”

“I don’t mind coming back for you. I’ll be here around four, okay?”

“That’s fine, but if we get done sooner, I’ll just ask for a ride home.”

“Sounds good.” Dad guided the horse up Uncle Amos’s driveway and directed him toward the barn. When they stopped at the hitching rail, Dad turned to Katie and said, “Have a good day, and don’t work too hard. You’re lookin’ kind of peaked today.”

“I’ll be fine, Dad.” Katie climbed out of the buggy and headed to the house. She wasn’t fine at all. It seemed strange being back here again. She’d only been gone from home a little over six months, but it seemed a lot longer.

She noticed several people in the yard, pulling weeds and planting flowers, but didn’t see any sign of Loraine or her folks. She figured they must be in the house.

When she stepped onto the back porch, she drew in a shaky breath. She wished Grammy or Mom would have come with her today, instead of going shopping in Shipshewana. Katie figured since Mom and Grammy hadn’t seen each other for several months, they probably wanted to spend some time alone.

Just as Katie lifted her hand to knock on the back door, it swung open. Loraine stepped onto the porch and gave Katie a hug. “It’s so good to have you home! Danki for coming. It means a lot for me to have you and Ella as my attendants.”

“Danki for asking me.” Katie forced a smile. In some ways, it was good to be here, but she felt as out of place as a chicken in a duck pond.

“I just wish Jolene could be here, too.”

“She’s not coming?”

“Huh-uh. Her aunt’s been dealing with carpal tunnel on both of her wrists, and she recently had surgery to correct the problem. Jolene thought it’d be best if she stayed in Pennsylvania to help out.”

“That makes sense. But do you think Jolene will ever come back to Indiana?” Katie asked.

“I hope so.” Loraine opened the door and motioned Katie inside. “Ella and her sister Charlene are in the kitchen. We decided to have a snack before we head out to the barn to help decorate the tables for the wedding meal.”

When Katie entered the kitchen behind Loraine, she saw Ella and Charlene sitting at the table.

Ella jumped up, raced over Katie, and gave her a hug that nearly took Katie’s breath away. “It’s so good to see you! We’ve all missed you so much!”

Katie smiled. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“Would you like a glass of iced tea?” Loraine asked.

Katie nodded and took a seat at the table.

“How about a piece of my sister’s appeditlich friendship bread?” Charlene motioned to the plate of bread on the table.

“I’m sure the bread’s delicious, but I’m not really hungry right now.”

“As skinny as you are, you oughta eat the whole loaf.” Charlene’s eyebrows lifted high. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

Katie shook her head.

Ella shot her sister a look of disapproval, but Charlene didn’t seem to notice. She was busy cutting herself another hunk of bread.

“Didn’t you have a birthday last month?” Charlene asked, her mouth full.

Katie nodded. “I turned twenty.”

Charlene grabbed her glass and took a drink. “You’d sure never know it. Why, you don’t look like you’re more than sixteen.” She pointed to herself. “I look older than you.”

Katie groaned inwardly. She didn’t need the reminder that she looked young for her age. She couldn’t help it if she was short, petite, and had the face of a teenager. At least I act more mature than my sixteen-year-old cousin, she thought.

“I got a letter from Jolene last week,” Ella said. “She won’t be coming to Loraine’s wedding because—”

“She already knows,” Loraine interrupted. “I told her about Jolene’s aunt when we were out on the porch.”

“I wonder if Jolene’s using her aunt’s surgery as an excuse not to come home. She might be afraid that she won’t fit in with the rest of us now that she can’t hear,” Charlene put in.

Ella shot her sister another look. “I’m sure that’s not the reason. Jolene would never make up an excuse not to come to the wedding.”

Katie’s shoulders tensed as she shifted her gaze to the window. What would her cousins think if they knew she hadn’t wanted to come home for the wedding? Did they have any idea how hard it had been for her to make the trip? Even with Grammy along, Katie had felt anxious on the bus ride. Every horn honk and sudden stop had sent shivers up her spine. She knew she couldn’t have made the trip home alone. Even though she wasn’t looking forward to riding the bus again, she looked forward to going back to Florida where there were no painful reminders of the past.

Loraine stood. “Would anyone like to see my wedding dress?”

Charlene’s hand shot up. “I would!”

“Me, too,” Ella said.

Katie nodded as well.

“I’ll be right back.” Loraine scurried out of the room.

Charlene nudged Katie’s arm. “What’s it like in Pinecraft? That’s where your grossmudder lives, isn’t it?”

Katie nodded as she fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth. “As you know, Pinecraft is the section of Sarasota where many Plain People have homes or come to rent. It’s a nice community.”

“Is it true that there are no horses and buggies?” Charlene asked.

Katie nodded. “Unless they’re going out of the area and need to hire a driver, everyone either walks or rides a bike.”

“Do you go to the beach very often?” Ella questioned.

“Jah. Grandpa and I go there a lot. We enjoy looking for shells, and Grandpa likes to fish.”

Charlene sighed. “I wish I could visit Florida sometime. I’m sure I’d enjoy being on the beach.”

“Maybe you can visit me there sometime.”

Ella’s eyes widened. “You’re going back?”

“Of course. My home’s in Pinecraft now.”

The room got deathly quiet. Ella and Charlene stared at each other as though in disbelief.

Katie figured it was time for a change of subject. “Who did Wayne choose to be his attendants?” she asked.

“Jolene’s bruder, Andrew, and Freeman Bontrager,” Ella replied. “Wayne and Freeman have become good friends since Freeman and his sister, Fern, moved back to Indiana a few months ago.”

“Freeman opened a bicycle shop,” Charlene added. “Mom and Dad bought me a new bike for my birthday in February.”

“Oh, I see.” Katie stifled a yawn. She’d had trouble falling asleep last night.

“Freeman won’t be helping here today because he has lots of work at the shop.” Charlene sipped her iced tea. “You should see all the bikes he has. I’ll bet he’d do real well if he had a shop in Sarasota, since so many people ride bikes there.”

“Here it is,” Loraine said, sweeping into the room with a khaki green dress draped over her arm. “I’ll wear a full white apron over the front of the dress, of course.” She held it out to Katie. “What do you think?”

With trembling fingers and a wave of envy, Katie touched the smooth piece of fabric. “It–it’s very nice.”

“Are you okay?” Loraine asked with a look of concern. “Your hand’s shaking.”

Katie dropped both hands into her lap and clutched the folds in her dress. “I’m fine. Just a bit shaky because I didn’t have much breakfast.”

“Then you oughta have a piece of this.” Charlene pushed the plate of friendship bread toward Katie. “You’ll blow away in a strong wind if you don’t put some meat on your bones.”

Katie ground her teeth until her jaw began to ache. One of the first things Mom had said to her when she’d arrived home was that she needed to gain some weight. Of course, Dad had mentioned it, too.

“Charlene’s right.” Ella spoke up. “If you’re feeling shaky, then you should eat something.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Katie grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite. Then she washed it down with a sip of iced tea.

Bam! The screen door swung open, causing Katie to nearly jump out of her seat. Walking with a slow, stiff gait, Wayne entered the room. His face broke into a wide smile when he saw Katie. “Wie geht’s?”

“I’m fine.” The lie rolled off Katie’s tongue much too easily. She was getting used to telling people what she thought they wanted to hear.

Wayne moved across the room and stood beside Loraine’s chair. “We’re sure glad you could come for the wedding.”

Katie forced a smile and nodded.

“Would you like to see my new leg?” Before she could respond, Wayne pulled up his pant leg, exposing his prosthesis.

Katie bit back a gasp. “D-does it hurt?” She could hardly get the words out.

“It did at first, but I’ve pretty well adjusted to it now.” Wayne took a seat beside Loraine. “It could have been worse, and I’m grateful to be alive.”

Uneasiness tightened Katie’s chest, and she blew out a slow, shaky breath. Seeing him like this was a reminder of what she’d caused—and what she’d lost.

Wayne reached around Ella and grabbed a piece of bread. “Looks like you’ve been baking again, huh, Ella?”

She nodded. “It keeps me busy when I’m not helping my daed in his business.”

“Those wind chimes he makes are so nice,” Loraine said. “I might buy one soon, to hang on our porch.”

“You won’t have to do that,” Charlene said. “Dad and Mom are planning to give you one of his nicest sets of wind chimes for a wedding present.”

Ella poked her sister’s arm. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Charlene covered her mouth. “Oops.”

Loraine poured another glass of iced tea and handed it to Wayne. “How are things going outside?”

“Pretty good. By the end of the day, I think your folks’ yard will look like a park.” He grinned and lifted his glass to take a drink. “This sure hits the spot. It’s getting mighty warm out there. Much warmer than normal for April, I think.”

“That’s fine with me,” Loraine said. “A warm spring day is exactly what I wished we’d have on our wedding day. I hope the weather stays just like it is—at least until Thursday.”

Katie stared out the kitchen window, blinking back tears of envy and frustration. I’d give anything if it were me and Timothy getting married in two days. Oh, Lord, please give me the strength to get through Loraine’s wedding.