My new home away from home
Not literally. But for my latest manuscript, I’ve spent hours pouring over every picture and bit of information I can find about Janow Podlaski Stud in eastern Poland. Isn’t it beautiful?
I’m pretty sure I’ve dreamed about it every night for a month.
In 1817, Tsar Alexander commissioned Janow Stud to supply the cavalry and stock for the nation. Years later, it would become the most famous producer of purebred Arabian and half-Arabians in the country.
But the history of Janow is full of turmoil and invasion. In World War I, the horses were evacuated to Russia and never seen again. In 1939, the invading Russians took with them some of the finest “spoils of war” and Janow lost some of its most valuable Arabian blood.
But Janow’s history is one of survival and resilience. Today, they still produce some of the best Arabian horses in the world. They host the Pride of Poland auction each year and the horses fetch astounding prices.
As far as novel settings, this is by far my favorite. Wouldn’t you want to spend a day of your imagination lost in these images?
Janow is now at the top of my list for places I want to visit before I die. Has a location or place ever intrigued you so strongly?
Read MoreRemember the 7th of December
Image from http://www.winstonchurchill.org
There are events throughout history that we must stop and remember. These are the days we need to take a few moments and put things into perspective.
Seventy years ago, thousands died at a relatively unknown harbor. Seventy years ago, a nation looked at horror of another country’s actions. Seventy years ago, a nation united.
I’m currently reading December 1941 by Craig Shirley – a 500-page book that looks at all thirty-one days of December 1941 and how those days changed America forever. On December 1st, 1941, America was still in the remnants of the Great Depression but things were starting to look up. Newspaper headlines were flooded with war news from across the world, but the Americans firmly stood in isolation aside from the Lend-Lease program and FDR’s other subtle programs that diverted resources to the British, who now stood nearly alone against the Nazi force.
Americans called the war across the seas as “the emergency.”
In 1941, Americans flocked to theatres to escape the trying times. Families dressed in their Sunday best to attend a movie. Movie tickets cost 10 cents. Sergeant York, The Maltese Falcon, A Yank in the RAF, Dive Bomber and Dumbo were released in 1941, along with the first tastes of film noir, Citizen Kane. On the radio, Bob Hope made millions laugh and Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller entertained with their big bands. Everyone smoked cigarettes everywhere. Football and baseball were the sports of choice and on their way to becoming national pastimes.
German U-boats had sunk an unarmed American freighter and Hitler even ordered U-boats to fire directly on American ships. But no one at the time really believed America would be going to war.
Isn’t history interesting in all its neat context? It is so easy to look back after seventy years and believe war was obvious. It is easy to scoff at an action or a moment in history and wonder how anyone could have thought such things.
Everything is clear through the lens of history. But it isn’t. We all look back with our own experiences, history and biases.
Let’s just take this day and remember all those who have sacrificed for what we have today. Let’s admit that we don’t know everything. We don’t know how history will look back on us now and with what context we’ll be looked upon.
Material Disclosure: I was given a copy of December 1941 by publisher Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review. This is not a review on that book. I’ll post a review soon, but as I’m a quarter into the book, I can already honestly say that I recommend it highly to anyone interested in WWII history or American history. Author Craig Shirley is in short, a brilliant writer and dedicated researcher. The amount of detail in this book is astounding. Get it. Really.
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What I learned while scanning 50 years of photographs
This past weekend, the family and friends gathered to celebrate my grandparent’s 50-year wedding anniversary.
I took the entire album of my grandparent’s photos and scanned them all for a slideshow video that told the story of their life. Through this long process, I learned a little about love, life and a whole lot about family.
1. Preserve your pictures – preserve your memories.
I love photos and am used to the digital age that we live in. My grandparent’s photos were in old albums in that magnetic sheeting that turns photos brown and eats them away. I promptly found new albums to better preserve these photos. There were some images from 1910 of my great-great-great-great-great grandparents (I’m not exactly sure that is the correct amount of “greats”).
2. It is the candid moments that resonate the most.
Those photographs where you get a glimpse into real emotions – not just a smile plastered on for the camera. In the photos that document my grandparent’s early years and courtship, I didn’t see younger versions of my grandma and grandpa. I saw two young kids in love and looking forward to a lifetime of possibilities. What a joy to see and remember about life – we have to live in each moment.
3. 50 years is a lot of life.
Appearances change, residences change, children grow, grandchildren come along. There is an awful lot you can say about a 50-year marriage and it wasn’t easy to boil it down to an 11-minute presentation. Through it all, my grandparents had loyal friends and family that appear and reappear in every photograph. That is the kind of life I want to lead.
4. History repeats itself.
In good ways, in bad ways. For my family, we’ve been blessed to have these shining examples of what marriage and family should look like. It has affected all of us, right down to the grandchildren. We look to the pillars of our family – especially my great-grandpa and great-grandma – and see the caliber and fortitude of their character. This is what we strive to become. I only hope that when someone looks back on my 50-year marriage (47 years to go!), they see the same love, life and character.
5. Always keep blackmail in mind.
Ah the seventies and early eighties. What beautiful clothing, hair styles and attitudes. I cannot wait to resurface the photos I found of my aunt and uncle – and especially my father. Beware, daddy. Beware.
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Recycling Week – My favorite WWII interview and story
Originally posted: March 18, 2011
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From Battlefields to Olympic heights
I stumbled upon this story through a simple email to the United States Equestrian Foundation for some background about horse jumping in the 1940s. One woman mentioned they had a member from the last Army team who competed in the 1948 Olympics who might be willing to share some of his experiences.
How could I turn down that opportunity? What I found was more than I’d ever imagined.
Major General Jack Burton was indeed one of several riders who represented the United States at the first Olympics since Berlin in 1936. He’d served in the Pacific during World War II and trained horses for the army during and after the war years as well. But his story didn’t end there.
There was so much more to Jack Burton than could fit into one email between the USEF and myself.
Click here to read the rest of the story!
Read MoreRecycling Week – My favorite horse story (ever)
Originally posted Aug. 20, 2009
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The Arabian stallion legend: Witez II
If I could credit a single book for my current work-in-progress, the Dreams of Yesterday series, it would be the Western Horseman Book called “Arabian Legends.” Published in 1999, the paperback book features 24 of the most successful and legendary Arabian mares and stallions.
I have worn down my copy to the bare threads of the binding. I have spent hours pouring over this book and the photos of horses from in the 30s to the 90s. There are pen marks, pencil marks, highlighter marks, bent pages, sticky notes and everything in between. A hybrid of my two loves: horses and history, this book has followed me everywhere – even to college and back!
Every few weeks, I will post an “Arabian Legend,” from this book and additional sources, to share my love for the breed and its rich history.
One of my favorite stories is one that not even Hollywood could have dreamt up.
April 1st, 1938, in Poland, a striking bay foal was born and named “Witez” (VEE-tez), which means “knight, hero, prince.” He had a small snip on his nose, a star and a white pastern on each foot. Aside from his notable pedigree, the colt was striking in his own right and grew up in the pastures of Janow Podlaski Stud.
Then, September 1, 1939 brought a new dawn. Hitler’s invasion would change the face of Poland within weeks. The managers at Janow feared seizure of their horses by the German Calvary or by the Russians to the east. Most of the horses were scattered through the countryside and eventually returned once Germany took control of Poland.
To hide his distinctive features and fine breeding, *Witez II was smeared with mud and hidden with a local woodcutter and even put to work. The strain of journey and lack of proper feed rendered the stallion in dire health and he was eventually apprehended by the Germans and returned to Janow, now under Nazi rule.
He lived a good life under Germany’s care, bred and raised with the goal of creating an elite race of “super” horses for Germany’s “super” humans. By the end of Hitler’s campaign in 1945, the U.S. Army closed in on the area and captures a German Intelligence unit next to the stud farm. The officers of the farm pleaded with the Americans to release the horses. General Patton, a calvary officer and horseman himself, ordered their rescue.
While the continent lay in chaos and ruins, a handful of Europe’s finest horses had survived. *Witez II survived the ocean voyage to the states and went on to leave a long lasting legacy of championships and champion offspring. Ever the celebrity, the Polish government later put his face on a stamp, and he modeled for countless photos and book covers.
The great stallion died at age 27 in 1965, the survivor of a war that redefined a generation. *Witez defied the odds and influenced Arabian breeding in the United States. His story touched me and opened up a new realization to the damage and everlasting reach of war.
More information:
- http://www.equinepost.com/resources/eps/epsViewArchive.asp?Archive=103
- “Arabian Legends” Marian K Carpenter
- Fictionalized story: “And Miles to Go” by Linell Smith
An Interview with Myself Part 4
Here is the final part of my in-depth interview with myself. I tried to dig deep and all of my answers are the bare truth. Feel free to share something about yourself in the comments! Also check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3…
31. What do you dislike most in others? Saying one thing and doing another. And making selfish, stupid decisions with no regard for how you might affect another’s life (silly things like speeding through parking lots, tailgating, etc.)
32. Do you talk about religion or politics? I have strong opinions on each, but I believe in finding middle grounds and being the peacemaker. I find extremes usually turn others off and accomplish nothing.
33. If they made a movie of your life story… would it sell? The ex-rodeo queen turned historical fiction writer? Eh, probably not enough real action, though there has been plenty of drama.
34. What do you like most about your job? What do you like least? I love connecting others through social networks and being on the cutting-edge of the industry. I love seeing how these new tools change and adapt. And how we adapt and change to it. I don’t like the burnout that sometimes follows staring at a screen all day.
35. Would you want your children to be like you when they grow up? (my hypothetical children?) I want them to be true to themselves and find whatever passion stirs them and won’t let go.
36. What has been the happiest day of your life? Cliche, but my wedding. After dating the guy for five years, I was ready to finally call him my own.
37. What has been the saddest? Losing my grandfather – I never really got to ask him everything I’d wanted to ask.
38. When did you find out life is not fair? I think I’ve always really known. But I never saw it until very recently. Certain people got things they didn’t deserve and I saw the true evil in people.
39. Do you believe in life after death? Good and evil? God? In the words of Switchfoot: I believe we’re meant for something so much more. So much beyond ourselves. It is never about us. It is always about God.
40. Why are we here? See above answer.
41. Ann Frank once said that in spite of everything, she believed people were basically good. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? I believe people have the capacity to be good. But I don’t know if I believe they are basically good. I’ve felt betrayal. I’ve seen selfish acts. I’ve seen people do things I never expected. But I do believe people can change. Most don’t. Most resist all change, or make only surface-level changes that mean nothing. I want people to be basically good. God loves each one of his children, and I should do the same. I just struggle with it. And that’s the truth.
Read MoreConnect with me
