Fairy Tales and Such

I'm sharing two poems that I wrote for my daughters when they were quite young. One I've shared here before, written with my youngest in mind when she encountered falling snow for the first time. Both have copyright dates decades ago, but copyright still applies. 

What's up next regarding writing is simply deciding which route to pursue. I have three books outlined; maybe I should take a poll with the most popular choice being the manuscript I start writing next. Decisions. 

Thank you to all for "the reads" and don't forget my websites, www.veronicabatterson.com, and www.veronica-batterson.pixels.com for more updates, photographs and artwork.

Fairy Tales

 

By Veronica Randolph Batterson

©Veronica Randolph Batterson 

 

Once upon a time, the story began,

We have heard it over and again.

It happened in a far away place, a very long time ago,

Where kings loved queens, and knights braved places where no one else would go.

 

The dragons breathed fire and villains were mean,

Wizards knew their magic, or so it seemed.

Damsels in distress were trapped high in a tower,

Witches and warlocks fought each other for power.

 

Unicorns were horse fairies that flew through the sky,

Granting wishes to good children they often passed by.

Stardust and glitter mixed together on the pages,

To stay with each reader forever through the ages.

 

This fairy tale kingdom we all seem to know,

Has pixies and purple castles and seven dwarfs who never grow.

What is the moral and what message does the story send?

Just that everyone lived happily ever after.

The end.

Playtime

 

By Veronica Randolph Batterson

 ©Veronica Randolph Batterson

 

A child of three moved far away

Where heavy coats and mittens were needed to play.

For outside it was blustery, cold and wet

“Whoever heard of playing in weather like this?” her mommy would fret.

 

Where they were from the weather was warm and sunny

Here all the children looked kind of funny.

For they were bundled and covered, not a visible face

Resembling martians, UFOs or something from outer space.

They wobbled and they hobbled, barely able to walk

Don’t expect words from them for they’re too cold to talk!

 

So this young child stepped outdoors one day

And looked up at the falling snow to say,

“What are these things dropping from the skies?”

“It’s snow, honey,” her mommy said.

“Well, it’s getting in my eyes!”

 

The Little Boltons

 

Twenty years ago, while visiting London with my family, we stayed in a flat on a street called The Little Boltons. Located in the Brompton District of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, I remember the location being convenient to the Earl’s Court Tube Station (which we utilized a number of times), Kensington Palace, and the Victoria and Albert Museum; it was also a nice change from hotels in commercial areas. It’s a neighborhood, and a wonderful place to stay if traveling with children as we were at the time. 

 The Little Boltons form part of the Boltons Conservation Area built between 1850 and 1870, with The Boltons (mansions at a much greater price) to the east. The word ‘little’ is deceptive. A Maisonette (main floor and ground level residence) on this road is currently listed for sale at £6,950,000. This neighborhood is described as being premiere property in the city of London, and I assume most aren’t leased as short-term rentals.

Our stay was in a beautiful semi-detached house, with four flats occupying the structure. Entrance was through the front door for all residents, then each flat had its own private entrance once inside. There was one flat per floor.  A lovely garden was shared via the back courtyard. 

Early in our visit, the resident of the main floor flat greeted us as we returned from a day of sightseeing. I remember her kindness, and the welcome manner she exuded to a couple of American tourists with young children in tow. She invited us inside her home, chatting about the city, and inquiring of our interests and what we had planned for our visit. The traditional furnishings gracing her reception room, the elegant fireplace directly opposite the door, and the beautiful bay window overlooking the front of the residence remain clear in my mind. Imagine inviting complete strangers into your home; an invitation not extended very often two decades ago, but certainly a rare event in today’s world. 

Her name was Shelley Vaughan Williams. I recall mentioning my interest in writing and someday hoping to publish a book. She was very interested, encouraging, and eventually disclosed that she penned one, as well. Entitled When Gazelles Leap, and published in 1997, the book is an anthology of poetry and prose, written after she sustained a critical brain aneurysm. She graciously gave us a copy, inscribing it with a personal message. 

I wish there had been enough time to get to know her; if instant access to information around the world had been available then, it would have been easier to do. She was an accomplished woman, and according to her bio in the book, “Profoundly Pro-American”. This might explain her interest in us. Shelley Vaughan Williams passed in 2016 at the age of 87. 

As for the neighborhood, a search on Google (as I did for researching this post) will reveal the number of prominent people who have at one time owned one of the mansions in The Boltons. However, my husband and I were surprised at discovering someone who called The Little Boltons home at one time. 

At the corner of Old Brompton Road and The Little Boltons, Lady Diana Spencer lived for two years in 60 Coleherne Court while engaged to Prince Charles. Her parents bought the flat for her, which she shared with three roommates. All of the paparazzi photographs of her at the time outside of her apartment were less than a two-minute walk from where we stayed. As my husband asked once I told him of the discovery, “How many times did we walk past it?” We didn’t know at the time, as there were no markers indicating it. Her death occurred in 1997, four years before we stayed there. I read that a marker is in the works to commemorate what would’ve been her 60^th birthday. 

To end, a poem from When Gazelles Leap by Shelley Vaughan Williams.

 

The Inbetween

How do we live and how do we die?

What happens in between?

A child or two who grows away

A marriage or not,

Forget-me-not,

And rue and rosemary.

 

But sometimes inbetween

The monotony proceeding

A star shoots up in the vast night sky

Brave force of love and being

And moonlight, moon-bright,

The inbetween

Is suddenly a rosary.

That Quote from Daniel's Esperanza

 “When you turn around, you’ll see something I bet you’ve never seen before. If it takes your breath away, then you’ll fit in nicely. If you don’t feel anything, then maybe you don’t belong here.” - Daniel's Esperanza, Veronica Randolph Batterson 

 

 

In 2014 my novel, Daniel’s Esperanza, was published and I never imagined a quote from the book would mean so much to so many people.  Someone somewhere used it, applied it to something inspirational, often in reference to the state of New Mexico, attached hashtags and it took off into the virtual world like wildfire. Thank you to all who give me credit for it, and for referencing the book.  I’ve posted about this previously, but I continue to be amazed at its relevance to so many people and that it came from this little book, which means so much to me. I’m grateful.

The setting for Daniel’s Esperanza is New Mexico, and I wrote it to draw attention to the plight of wild mustangs. After researching and visiting a wild horse sanctuary in northern New Mexico, the story evolved to include characters living in the west. The quote comes from dialogue between two characters, Frank and Daniel. Frank is referencing the band of wild horses that Daniel will see for the first time when he turns around.  The book continues to sell, is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle, and can be ordered from any bookstore or big box store that sells books (Target, Walmart, Costco, Meijer, grocery store chains). 

Below are snapshots of some of the places this quote resides. Again, thanks to all who give me the appropriate credit for it.  It’s appreciated.  

Almost Thirteen...My Best Girl

Last week, I had to take my sweet dog to the emergency veterinary clinic. Ongoing issues mostly attributed to the fact she is in her senior years were the reasons, but as I was driving her there I worried it might be the end for her. Antibiotics, an anti-nausea injection, plus an IV helped her recover and 24 hours later she was resting comfortably at home by my side, as if nothing had happened. But it has been a little difficult to focus on much of anything else, as I worry about when the next episode will happen.

Lily will be thirteen on July 3. This sweet golden retriever has been my beautiful dog since she was about six or seven weeks old.  She has been such a relevant part of my life, being there while I completed and published all four of my books, and readily obliging me in being the canine subject model in many of my photographs. She cares very little about being photographed these days, but she used to be this pose-for-anything-supermodel. I've written about her here more than once in this nine year old blog; she's earned many nicknames as I've shared, but the one now is Best Girl, the companion. That's what we become in our older years, and that title is earned. 

Almost thirteen. My patriotic dog. 

Inspiration and Influences

I

 

Shortly after the tragic supermarket events that occurred in Boulder, Colorado, I found it necessary to release some frustration, sadness and anger.  Sitting down in front of an easel, I painted.  It wasn’t the usual session, meaning that I lost track of time, painted without thinking about it, and blasted music from the speakers which were nearby.  Afterward, I felt better, and I suppose it’s the same feeling for others who would approach something difficult by choosing to work out or jog.  In that sense, it’s actually a release of pent-up energy which allows one to cope with things beyond her/his control.  For myself, being able to handle a situation while creating is a cathartic and healing experience.  It hasn’t changed the horrible events that unfolded, or what the families of the victims continue to face, but it was helpful to me.  Each person handles things differently. It was the events of that day that also influenced me to paint as I did.

As I’ve written many times during the nine years and counting that this blog has been going, I find the art of creating begins with inspiration and/or influence.  For myself, it’s a spark, a drop in my lap from the sky moment, or something I’ve planned for a while; it’s always initiated with something…music, reading, history, observing, nature, memories, travel, research, etc. I daydream.  It happens with something as simple as making dinner reservations, or going grocery shopping.  My imagination is easily stirred, and often takes off faster than I can keep up with it.  I always view it as therapeutic, too.  If a person has a story floating around in one’s head, the need to release 90,000+ words is pretty great.  Once those words escape, the intense feeling of accomplishment is unexplainable. However, authors, songwriters, and visual artists (all artists) understand the feeling.  Also, those who create are always influenced or inspired by something and/or someone, whether they admit it or not.

Reading posts that I’ve shared here over the years (and there is a lot of material), reflects the eclectic person that I am.  I shared several times how my book, Williamsburg Hill (published in 2018), came to be written with folklore playing the greatest role in its telling, even though historical fiction was the goal. I’ve written about visiting wild horse sanctuaries, among other research, to complete my novel, Daniel’s Esperanza (published in 2014).  Short stories were written about/around, and included lost love in Italy, and tossing coins in Trevi Fountain for wishes to come true (O Mio Babbino Caro, 7/29/2013); cowboys (multiple times, including Cowboy Ridge and Honor, 1/27/2016); witches  and a woman who was exiled (The Witch of County Down, 5/19/2016), ghosts (multiple times) and a woman trapped in time at a diner (The House at the End of the Road, 12/17/2020); a precipice (Precipice, 7/17/2019) which included a song by Taylor Swift (credit given) and was also not completely fiction; stardust (Stardust, 4/6/2017) and the backstory to a book that’s in the works about finding a lost love in Scotland; the history in short story form of Madame X (Madame X, 6/11/2015); a young man with disabilities being infatuated with a strange and selfish woman (Hang the Moon, Molly Byrd, 11/17/2014); ghosts and history regarding the Trail of Tears (Old Wauhatchie, 7/17/2014); a woman reflecting on her past and her grandmother (She Heard Her Heart, 3/17/2014); a dream sequence (Dance of the Blessed Spirits, 11/19/2013); a madwoman who was a former dancer (La Folie, 9/25/2013); a character encountering an historical figure through a time portal in London (Charing Cross, 4/9/2013); a new take on Jack the Ripper (Jack, 7/19/2012); a woman recovering from divorce (Boxed Life, 5/22/2012); a woman who was nothing but invisible her entire life (Invisible, 1/27/2014); and a man battling a storm and memories of his grandfather (Old Norse Gale, 3/1/2015), plus much more.

I’ve written about living in a haunted house, a wonderful amusement park of my childhood, fairytales, nostalgia, and dreams, soldiers going to war, Boxing Day, the weddings of my daughters, my dogs, my grandmother, music and a radio station of my youth, and poetry. Whimsy and the imagery of antique perfume bottles bearing the scent of past users, a man called to serve in WWII leaving a beautiful note and piece of jewelry for his wife - all words mentioned in Just in Case Uncle Sam Should Take Me (11/26/2012).  A couple of posts that were very personal for me include Overcoming Obstacles (4/20/2018), and Gratitude (2/13/2020). 

Words, places, and characters' names throughout this blog and/or my books: Dorothy, Barbara, Evelyn and Frederic, sweet tea, vintage, St. Louis, Grace, Daniel, antiques, historical fiction, fiction, short stories, New Mexico, Chicago, Jack, Cherokee Nation, Chief Wauhatchie, Native Americans, folk stories, folklore, history, suffragists, 19^th Amendment, photography, art, books, writing, pen pals, painting, cemeteries, travels, Ava, Gitta, Fiona, Ireland, Italy, John Singer Sargent, Paris, Molly Byrd, Harold Brown, angels, memories, Sophia, Penelope, collectibles, Billy and Junie, Sally, Rose and Robert, Edinburgh, snow, winter, Erastus, imagination, hockey, Dan Fogelberg, Eagles (band and birds), Gordon Lightfoot, bandits, Caledonia, William, sorceress, river, Wales, nomadic, horses, gypsies, Vikings, the Edmund Fitzgerald, old Irish cottage, Flanders Fields, Alaska, Nat King Cole…etc., on and on and on.  Coming up for air now. 

Nine years plus is a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of material. In no way have I summed up the total in this post either; it’s simply what I’ve noticed as I skimmed through everything. In doing so, I’ve discovered that some of my characters share the same name.  It wasn’t intentional, but just as in real life people do share the same names so I’ll give myself a pass for it.  

One last thing. If a person has been influenced or inspired by something and/or someone in creating his/her art, it’s kindness in acknowledging it and rewarding it.  Especially so if that person has found great success.  Just think of all the struggling artists who would benefit from that shout-out.  As always, many thanks to the loyal readers, and to the ones who drop in every now and then. 

 

February...the Month of the Bald Eagle

 "I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly."  ~  Rocky Mountain High (John Denver) 

Over the years, I've attempted taking photographs of bald eagles in the wild at various locations from Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, Credit Island in Iowa, along the Mississippi River in LeClaire, Iowa and in the mountains of Colorado. With little more at the end of the day than a need to thaw out, warm up and drink something hot to curb the chill, I'd determined that the only good photographs I would ever get were the ones I took in zoos and nature parks that housed rescued birds of prey. I should add that an exception is made for Sitka, Alaska. Viewing bald eagles in Sitka is comparable to seeing a robin anywhere else. They're prevalent and everywhere; yet the photos I took of them there weren't as good as I'd hoped. They ended up being part of Alaska's beautiful landscapes in all of the images.

This year proved different with better timing and a new camera lens. My second visit to Barr Lake State Park in Colorado was a day well spent and one that I'll always remember fondly. It was also my birthday. Seeing over a dozen eagles in the trees, flying and perched on lake ice was a beautiful gift of a day. Also a plus is that I got so many great photos, I've yet to go through all of them. With patience, we're rewarded in the smallest of ways. 

Below are screen shots of these images on my website www.veronica-batterson.pixels.com with the high resolution images viewable there. With the exception of a pair of juvenile eagles near our house in Westminster, all recently uploaded images are from my day at Barr Lake State Park. I continue to add more, so please visit often. As always, thanks for reading (and viewing) what I share here.

Happy January

Work in Progress

We made it.  The year that started the pandemic in this country is behind us, in the rearview mirror and over our shoulder.  We don't have to look back or around, just forward we go with hope for better things and some kind of normalcy.  The new year doesn't mean, however, that we get careless. There are record numbers with the virus and it's important we still wear our masks, practice social distancing and stay at home as much as possible.  I look forward to getting the vaccine.

This month marks the 9th anniversary of this blog. Thank you to the readers who keep it going, who regularly visit the site and read what I share.  I'm amazed there's so much interest, and it's very encouraging for me to continue with it. If you read something here that you like, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.  Just reach out via the email address at the right on the home page.

I've updated a few links, too, deleted some old ones, and provided a list of the short stories and poetry links that are found here within the last nine years. Just scroll down on the home page until you see the list on the right. I think there are just under twenty short stories that I've published on this blog. 

Finally, book research and outlining continues, and I think I'm about ready to start the next one. I've also been painting a bit (acrylics on canvas). I'm sharing a photo of my latest work in progress.  I call her Emerging Face, but I think her official name will change once I'm finished.  Once again, I'll share my website if you're interested in looking at my work a little bit more:  www.veronicabatterson.com.

Thanks, again, and best wishes for a happy, and better new year!