Love Letters

The Wedding of Lili Marlene

 
    The song, The Wedding of Lili Marlene, is based on a poem written by a 22 year old German soldier, Hans Leip, in the First World War, telling of love and separation. The English translation of the lyrics, a collaboration between Jimmy Phillips and Tommy Connor were the words my uncle chose to send to his new bride when they became separated by illness.

    She was hospitalised with tuberculosis within the first year of their marriage and the young lovers eventually lived apart for over two years. The location of the sanatorium and a poor public transport network meant that it wasn't possible for him to visit her more than twice a week. Being the 1950's writing a letter was the popular way to keep in touch and even when he did see her, he still wrote a note to her when he returned home.

    Although somewhat a poet himself, his feelings for her were often difficult to express in his own words. By enclosing a transcribe of their favourite love songs with his letter, he felt he could communicate them to her more clearly.

    I've included photographs of two of his original inclusions which she kept for over 50 years, along with his letters until she died. However, these love letters not only were a declaration of his love for her, but they played a significant part in her recovery from this killer disease. They gave her the will and determination to be reunited with the man she loved and live the life together they had planned.

When You're in Love (Skinner/Rocco/Wallace)

 

      Their love never waned, their story is one that has to be told and which I am working on.  

Note: Melody to Leip's lyrics were by Norbert Schultze.

New Horizons

 

    Aspiring and newbie authors alike read every piece of advice they can, I know I did and still do. However, I think it's a real mine field. There are many articles, forums, blogs and books telling us the do's and don'ts of writing and ultimately publication. I was totally confused as much of it is conflicting.

    So, who's guidance do we follow? Should we take on the recommendations of trusty individuals whose opinion is that a writer must be true to themselves. Or should we chase stardom, notoriety and have the views of others manipulate us into trying to write something that's on trend? 

    I initially seriously thought about ditching my male protagonist because a female is more popular in YA but I chose to be true to myself and stayed with my male. I had my story, I had my voice, therefore I took a risk and followed my heart. My second book will be published soon by Featherweight Publishing, that means the risk was worth taking.

    This quote from Pulitzer Prize winner, William Faulkner, for me says everything about being a writer, "You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore."

    Happy writing.

    

    

  #writing  

A Few Dollars More

    I know across the pond August 8th is National Dollar Day and I wanted to tell you about a 'Dollar' that is shared by the U.S, Canada and the town of Falkirk in Scotland. It's not a mutual currency I'm talking about, but a gentleman called Captain Robert Dollar.

    Born in 1844, Robert Dollar left school at the age of 12 years and by his early teens he was working in a lumber camp in Canada, where he and his parents had emigrated to. At the age of 22 years having learnt French, as well as being skilled in numeracy and literacy he was in charge of a camp.

     
    He went on to develop his own lumber business in Canada, Michigan and Northern California and moved into the steamship business, transporting lumber and passengers worldwide. He had an acute business acumen, which lead to him accruing a $40,000,000 fortune and his name appeared in, America's Top 100 Rich List.

    But not only was he a lumber baron, shipping magnate, he was a philanthropist. He donated land for schools and orphanages, throughout the world. He didn't forget his routes and gave the people of Falkirk many gifts, including bells for Falkirk Old and St Modan's Parish Church, books for the first library in the town and the parkland where I took these photographs the other day, which is rightly called Dollar Park.

    San Rafael, California is the place where Robert Dollar lived until he died and his old home there, named Falkirk, is now an art and cultural centre. The Presbyterian Church in San Rafael received bells as a gift too from him and like those in Falkirk still ring out to this day. Both towns are officially twinned and have a lot to thank this man for and without the, $ he wouldn't have changed so many peoples lives.


#dollar #RobertDollar #Falkirk #SanRafael

http://www.falkirkculturalcenter.org/history-new/
www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/parks

The Library

The silence is broken,

Only one word has been spoken.

Ssshhh!

The cough, the sneeze, thud and laughter titter,

Is treated here like dropping litter,

The smell of polished wood, leather top tables and dusty air make me sneeze,

If I dare.

Do I dislike being here?

On the contrary, I'm surrounded by my friends, the books,

I'm in my world, in the library.

L.O.L

    We all have different things that switch on our amusement button and I know for one, I can have a fit of uncontrollable giggles at the least little thing. Thankfully my partner shares my sense of humour, otherwise I could look a complete idiot, regularly.

 
    So, here are a few photographs of things that amused me recently. If you don't get my sense of humour I bear no hard feelings, or ill will against you. Hey, and I hope you feel the same and continue to visit my blog.

Britannia Rules The Waves

    A couple of weeks ago on the 8th of July to be exact, I had stopped off at a vantage point to take a couple of photographs and I took these two of an awesome ship anchored off the shore of Edinburgh.

 
    The pictures aren't the greatest quality as it was a rather murky day, but they are of something worth sharing and that is of the new P&O ship, Britannia setting off on its maiden voyage around the UK.

    Weighing 141,000 tonne and the capacity to carry 3600 passengers, it's a real beauty and I'm so glad I came across it by accident. Britannia rules the waves!!

Roll the Dice by Robbie Cox

    I'm delighted today to promote the new book of my great social media friend and dedicated fellow author, Robbie Cox. Over the last couple of years I've enjoyed his blog posts from across the pond http://www.robbiecox.net and his twitter online presence https://twitter.com/CoxRobbie .

    Roll the Dice is out now and he's invited us all to the release party over on facebook. Come join the party and fun on www.facebook.com/events/480121188819627/

Copies of Robbie's, Roll the Dice are on sale now via:
Amazon US ~ http://amzn.to/1CEqHRC
Amazon UK ~ http://amzn.to/1fK1laH
Barnes & Noble ~ http://bit.ly/1ObK8Se
Createspace ~ http://bit.ly/1SzD3Mo
iTunes ~ http://apple.co/1CLv8d3
Kobo Books ~ http://bit.ly/1O76Wme
Smashwords ~ http://bit.ly/1GmCX3Y

SLANGEVAR ROBBIE! Wishing you every success friend.

#booklovers #bookpromo