Memorial Day Weekend is About More Than Parades

"Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans and must be that of every free state." --Thomas Jefferson

When the United States of America celebrates its armed forces who have died in service to their country, certain people consider the weekend at the end of May as time off from work. They obviously have never lost anyone during war. My family has been unlucky in that regard. 

On Memorial Day, we remember those who served, but are no longer with us and they include my uncle, Lt. David Lee Johnson who died in WW2; my husband's great-uncles Sgt. Richard Ayers and Pvt. Gerald Ayers who both died in WW2, and my great-great-great-great uncle Pvt. Enoch Lee who died at Petersburg, near the end of the Civil War. The last person lost was Bruce Lyle Badger who died during the Vietnam Conflict. 

We also remember two special family members who served in the Civil War.

Joseph Abner Bean is my husband's great-great-great grandfather. He died in Libby Prison in Richmond, VA before the end of the war. He hailed from Vermont.

My great-great-great grandfather was Brownell W. Lee, who joined from upstate New York. He was wounded at the battle of Malvern Hill by a bullet to his chest. He was captured and also imprisoned at Libby Prison, but he was released. He then returned to fight again and survived though he lost his brother, Enock.

My dad, Robert F. Beegle, joined the navy during WW2 and was lucky not to see combat, but he was always proud of his service. Dad passed away in February 2019 at the ripe old age of 94. We miss him daily. All we and his grandsons can do is raise a glass while we celebrate the holiday with family.

 

The last person to serve and return home safe was our son Sgt. Eric Badger. We thank him for his service often.

p.s. check out my steamy contemporary

 military novella 

UNWRAPPING CHRIS 

Find buy links for all my books

 HERE

Enjoy your weekend and remember what Memorial Day is all about. Fly the American Flag, place flowers on a soldier's grave, watch a parade, or read a book, but NEVER FORGET!

Sugar-Free Lemon Blueberry Cake

A recent gathering of family members called for a quick and easy dessert. Now, I usually shy away from using box cake mixes, but when I saw this box of Sugar-Free Yellow Cake Mix by Pillsbury, I had to try it. My sister said I had made a lemony cake with blueberries one year and asked if could make that again.

Seeing this box in the store gave me an idea for a simple sheet cake, where only a few calories came from sugar. It contains non-nutritive sweeteners and does have calories, but I had to try it.

After baking the cake mix with parchment paper lining the 13 inch by 9 inch metal pan, (including 3 eggs, water, and canola oi)l I baked it for 34 minutes. After cooling, I turned it upside down on a glass cutting board. I mixed about 1/2 cup of substitute confectioners sugar then added the juice of a lemon. The mixture was not quite sweet and tasty, so I added some real confectioners sugar (sugar!) The lemon juice was the best part! 

Whisking the glaze thoroughly, I poured it over the cake and spread the thin coating gently with a rubber spatula. I then decorated the top with fresh blueberries. I placed it in the refrigerator until the next day. The glaze hardened and kept the berries intact.

The family enjoyed it and I will try experimenting with the box mix again. They also make sugar-fee chocolate cake. Hmmm...add cherries? How about their many flavors of sugar-free Brownie Mix, but I enjoy my homemade brownies using Hershey Cocoa. (Sorry, Pillsbury!) Enjoying a few calories and real sugar as infrequently as I do is okay.

I might make brownies this week since the cake is long gone. Then I can sit outside in the sunshine and read a book. If you are in need of book ideas, here are a few:

Find all Buy Links HERE

Low Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I tweaked a favorite recipe to keep the sugar content lower than normal while keeping the flavor and juiciness. Strawberries were on sale, so I grabbed two boxes and a handful of Rhubarb stalks. Yum!

Nancy's Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

9" Double Crust pie (I used 2 frozen shells, defrosting 1 for the top)

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup sugar substitute (I used Splenda)

1/2 Cup flour

Approx. 1 pound Rhubarb stalks

2 Pints fresh strawberries

2 Tablespoons butter          Cooks @400 35 to 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pie shell on cookie sheet to catch drips. Mix flour and sugar then add sliced fruit (thinner the better). Toss and set aside about 30 minutes. Pour fruit mixture into unbaked shell. Dot with butter slices. Cover with top crust and seal edges. Cut about 8 slits in the crust for steam. Cover top loosely with foil for the first 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking about 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.

Best served cold (to solidify) but can be gently reheated. Vanilla ice cream is a great addition.

Enjoy a slice while reading a book or two, all of which you can find HERE.

Why I Do Not Fear FRIDAY THE 13th

by Nancy Lee Badger

The 13th of a month rarely falls on a Friday. In fact, last year during the widespread Covid-19 Pandemic, it only appeared once, in August 2021. This year, May is the only month, although January 2023 will return with another special Friday for me to celebrate.

I have heard the stories that warned of "Black cats crossing your path" while others said "Don't walk under a ladder." Who can forget to be careful and to not break a mirror? These and other superstitions have swirled around the number 13 for centuries.

Many have made money off the fear of Friday the 13th (sound like any movies you may have watched?) I never watched those movies, and I have owned two black cats. I own ladders as well, but why would I walk under one? I will admit to being extremely careful when carrying a looking glass.

The Author at Age 5

The truth is, my parents had something miraculous happen on a Friday long, long ago. I was born. Yep, they welcomed their first child. Was it unlucky that the calendar said I was born on the 13th? Is it true when I hear that "Friday's child is loving and giving." That's me!

The Author enjoying the sea, decades later

I play the lottery weekly and the Powerball number I play on my tickets is always 13. It comes up quite often. So, when you think of superstitions and curses, especially on the 13th of anything (my lucky number) think of me and my books, which you can find HERE

My latest book was released last Friday. 

Yep, I like Fridays, too!

Mother's Day and a New Book by Nancy Lee Badger

Years go, I came  up with a series set on Scotland's Isle of Skye and set in the past. The paranormal stories about shape-shifting dragons was fun to make and share. After reading through the four books in my Clan of Dragons series, I found there were a few loose ends to tie up concerning three characters. So, I created SANDY, a novella.

Book Blurb

Sandy is a lonely dragon and flies from an island off the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Skye to find a mate. Shifting into a naked male, a chance meeting on a sandy beach with an interesting woman is interrupted by pirates. To escape, she leads him into the sea, a place he detests since he can barely tread water. What about sharks? They survive and together find a hiding place in the forest. Feelings surface, but she is different. Could this human learn to love a dragon? 

Isobel lost her seal skin to a pirate. She has been following the thief for months and now has only two weeks to live. Bent on her mission, saving a naked human male slows her down. A visit from Brownies and her friend, Orin, complicate things when pirates kidnap her. Sandy comes to her aid, but can her growing feelings for the handsome human be denied? Why does she yearn to find her seal skin if success means never seeing him again?

Consider the four other books in the series, too.

Interested? Find all ebook US

 & International Buy Links

HERE