Grow Your Own Jewelry? by Jodi Lea Stewart

My childhood as the only girl on an Arizona ranch could get downright lonesome.

Television and radio reception were nonexistent, and all the wonderful gadgets of today weren’t yet invented.

Friends were far away, so play dates and overnighters were as scarce as green grass, which is plenty scarce in the high deserts of the Southwest.

One day, probably as a result of my mournful expressions and heavy sighs, my mother – shrouded in mystery – beckoned me to follow her to the garden. There, between a peach tree and the rock house that supported our water tank filled with well water, she poured several tear-shaped seeds about the size of corn kernels into her hand from a packet.

What were they?

Job’s Tears, she said, and I was immediately beguiled. What a name! I could barely breathe as I asked her what we were going to do with them.

Plant them, was her reply.

And we did.

What exactly are Job’s Tears?

For starters, Job’s tears are nature’s jewelry.

The plants grow a pre-drilled, polished bead that can be used to make an endless assortment of necklaces, bracelets, and other baubles. The male flower grows up through the center of the bead. When removed, it leaves a hollow core just right for stringing.

People have grown Job’s Tears for thousands of years. In western India, a bead-making shop circa 2000 B.C. was uncovered. They found beads made from soapstone (man-made beads) and Job’s Tears (nature’s beads).

Different cultures have used these beads in creative ways. In Africa, shaker gourds enclosed with a loose net and covered with hundreds of Job’s tears are said to produce a lovely musical sound.

Why are they called 'Tears?'

The tear-shaped beads sometimes refer to job of the Old Testament, a man who endured great suffering. They are also called David’s Tears, St. Mary’s Tears, Christ’s Tears, and Tear Drops.

So, why are they called tears? Who knows? But it's dramatic and fun to do so.

More than a pretty bead

• Coix lacryma-jobi – Job’s Tears’ scientific name – is a close relative to corn. The plants strongly resemble corn but are skinnier. It is considered one of the earliest domesticated plants.

• The beads have been used all over the world as a source of food and medicine.

• They can be ground into meal, or used as a coffee substitute.

• They are common in products sold in Asia. When supplies of rice were low during the Vietnam War, Job’s Tears became a staple substitute.

• In Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, Job’s Tears are available as flakes or powder. They are often added to other grains, liquors, candy, bath products, vinegar, and tea.

• Hatomugi, the Japanese word for Job’s Tears, is used in traditional Japanese Kampo herbal medicine. The grain is valued as a nutritious food and has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to support hair, skin, nails, and as a digestive aide.

• Here’s what Amazon says about them: This plant’s seeds are used in soups and broths, and can be used in any way that rice is used. They can also be ground into flour for making bread. The seeds are popular for making decorations and have herbal and medicinal uses. 

Growing Job’s Tears

Job's Tears are easy to grow. The plants don’t need a lot of water and are quite hardy. Here’s a link telling you exactly how to do it, but I promise, it’s easy!

Growing Job’s Tears and stringing the beads into necklaces remains one of my fondest childhood memories. My mother learned about Job’s Tears from her mother. Why not make some passed down memories for your special girls and guys?

They’ll never forget it. 

Amazon has the seeds right now. And don’t forget to come back and tell us about it, okay?

 I always love to hear from you.

 The Accidental Road, Fire Star Press, debuts September 2019.

A teen and her mom escaping an abusive husband tumble into the epicenter of crime peddlers invading Arizona and Nevada in the 1950s. Stranded hundreds of miles from their planned destination of Las Vegas, they land in a dusty town full of ghosts and tales, treachery and corruption. Avoiding disaster is tricky, especially as it leads Kat into a fevered quest for things as simple as home and trust. Danger lurks everywhere, leading her to wonder if she and her mother really did take The Accidental Road of life, or if it’s the exact right road to all they ever hoped for.

Blackberry Road is published by Sundown Press and is available on Amazon.

Trouble sneaks in one hot Oklahoma afternoon in 1934 like an oily twister. A beloved neighbor is murdered, and a single piece of evidence sends the sheriff to arrest a Black man that Biddy *a sharecropper’s daughter* knows is innocent. Hauntingly terrifying sounds seeping from the woods lead Biddy into even deeper mysteries and despair, and finally into the shocking truths of that fateful summer.

Jodi Lea Stewart was born in Texas to an "Okie" mom and a Texan dad. Her younger years were spent in Texas and Oklahoma; hence, she knows all about biscuits and gravy, blackberry picking, chiggers, and snipe hunting. At the age of eight, she moved to a vast cattle ranch in the White Mountains of Arizona. As a teen, she left her studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson to move to San Francisco, where she learned about peace, love, and exactly what she DIDN'T want to do with her life. Since then, Jodi graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Business Management, raised three children, worked as an electro-mechanical drafter, penned humor columns for a college periodical, wrote regional western articles, and served as managing editor of a Fortune 500 corporate newsletter. 

She is the author of a contemporary trilogy set in the Navajo Nation and featuring a Navajo protagonist, as well as two historical novels. Her current novel, Blackberry Road, is available on Amazon. Her next historical novel, The Accidental Road, debuts in September 2019. She is hard at work on her sixth novel set in New Orleans and St. Louis. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, her delightful 90+-year-old mother, a crazy Standard poodle named Jazz, two rescue cats, and numerous gigantic, bossy houseplants.

Book review: Trading Horse by Darrel Sparkman

Blurb:
Range detective Jim Murphy digs in his heels to keep from falling in love with beautiful Connie Pinder, a rancher's daughter who's involved in the case Jim is investigating, right up to her pretty little neck. Following the trail of a stolen horse, Jim discovers it's actually a trail of murder, as well as a ruse by a ruthless gunfighter with his sights set on kidnapping Connie. Jim knows he can't let that happen, so that's when the bullets fly! TRADING HORSE by Darrel Sparkman is an action packed adventure full of gun smoke, and unforgettable characters.

My review: 
Trading Horse is a fun story that made me feel like I had my grandpa sitting here regaling the story of how he met and fell in love with my grandma.

You kinda get a feeling there's more to Jim than what needs the eye, but as the story goes on, you become more convinced that appearances are truly deceiving and there's definitely more to the man - even a fancy suit can't hide. Connie is a great match for Jim. Her attitude, charm, and fight keeps him on his toes and keeps her from being boring to him.

It's cute watching them figure the other out and how the meddling of folks around them help to push them along. When you realize just what trading horse means and how it comes into  play, you'll find yourself chuckling and shaking your head.

This is a easy-to-read winsome little story to be lost in for an hour or so.

Purchase links:

New Release — Trading Horse by Darrel Sparkman

Range detective Jim Murphy digs in his heels to keep from falling in love with beautiful Connie Pinder, a rancher's daughter who's involved in the case Jim is investigating, right up to her pretty little neck. Following the trail of a stolen horse, Jim discovers it's actually a trail of murder, as well as a ruse by a ruthless gunfighter with his sights set on kidnapping Connie. Jim knows he can't let that happen, so that's when the bullets fly! TRADING HORSE by Darrel Sparkman is an action packed adventure full of gun smoke, and unforgettable characters.

EXCERPT

     The gambler’s first mistake was trying a bottom deal. It was slick and when that card popped up, he looked at me. There were no words spoken. He knew I’d caught him and then he decided to shoot me before I could name him a card cheat. It was close. For a skilled man there is no faster draw than a sleeve gun.

     His last mistake was in thinking I hadn’t already drawn my pistol. Hidden under the table, it pointed right at him. When he raised his hand like pointing at the ceiling, I knew what was coming. The hand dropped, pointing right at me. When his derringer came into sight I shot him. Fair? Depends on your viewpoint.

     He wasn’t good at his chosen vocation. Normally, the town marshal would run men like that out of town with a stern warning accompanied with a few bruises and a dimple in his hat.

     I didn’t want to shoot him. Given a little time, and us being close together, I’d have tried for a shoulder wound. But he was quick with that derringer and gave me no time at all. The gambler was left with a belly wound. If he was lucky, he might be dead by now. A wound like that was a sure ticket to hell, and it takes days to make the passage. I’ve heard laudanum does no good against the pain.

Book review: Harper's Rescue by Sean K. Gabhann

Harper's Rescue is book 2 in the Shiloh Trilogy. Click here to see my review on book 1, Harper's Donelson. 

Blurb:

Disgraced Federal officer James Harper must redeem his honor and face down his enemies if he intends to stay in the Union Army and avoid his scheduled court martial. Recruited by General Grant’s spymaster, Harper must prove that whore monger Franklin Bosley is a Confederate conspirator—a man who has no scruples, and will do anything it takes to see to his own “cause” above all else.

Harper realizes that Bosley and his men are a threat to the Union Army—but that’s not all. Maggie, the woman who has broken through Harper’s emotional walls, is also in immediate danger. Harper has to act fast or there will be more deaths on his conscience—and Maggie’s is one he couldn’t bear.

Meanwhile, indentured saloon girl Katie Malloy must find her own way to escape Bosley—or die. Finding solace in the arms of one of Harper’s men whom she has come to love, she realizes in one terrible moment that she cannot depend on him to rescue her—she must do that herself, even if it means murder.

Once at odds with Lieutenant Harper, Corporal Gustav Magnusson begins to understand that Harper will see this mission through or die trying. He’s going to need Magnusson’s help—but who can they trust? There may be just one way out alive—if they can both survive long enough to put their daring plan into action for HARPER’S RESCUE…

My review:

Picking up right where Harper's Donelson, book 1, left off, we find Harper and his men figuring out how to fill their time being stuck in Paducah KY while they wait to be able to get back to active duty. Gus starts to realize the burden of leading men, making decisions, and learning who he is to become. Katie, the saloon girl, is still trying to find her place while she struggles with protecting herself.

While there are still some rough and tough moments, and some spy-games at play, I think this 2nd part of the trilogy is my favorite (well, so far, seeing there's only book 1 and 2 out). Seeing how everyone's stories intertwine and everyone acts and reacts to events... you find yourself mixed up between cheering the characters on, and on edge wondering what's going to happen next and who might find a little reprieve from their trials.... and just how twisted evil can be.

This is a great continuation of Harper's Donelson and I'm looking forward to an amazing (I have faith!!) conclusion with the last part of the trilogy.

Purchase links:

     

New Release — Leaving the Lariat Trail by John D. Nesbitt

A young cowhand, Charles Landon, wants to go straight and break free from a crooked gang, but it won’t be easy. When his former associates hatch a plan to rustle cattle, Charles decides to move on—and the old gang members don’t believe he can be trusted. 

As they begin to come after him one by one, he realizes he’s going to need to carry a gun—it’s the only way he can get out of LEAVING THE LARIAT TRAIL alive!

EXCERPT

“I’ve shot cows and left ‘em lay.”

Burke said, “What for?”

“Part of the job.”

• ● •

     Fred and Burke were quiet and heavy-lidded as they sat in the two chairs by the stove. The whiskey bottle was empty, and a cloud of tobacco smoke hung in the air. I found that the sewing went just as well at the table as it did in my lap, so I didn’t mind sitting by myself. Furthermore, I had things to mull over.

     Of the dozens of comments that had been tossed off during the visit, Ace Martin’s statement, not even a boast, that he had shot cows and left them was a remark that I kept coming back to. I had heard of killing a mama cow in order to make off with her unbranded calf, but I had never heard a man say he had done it, much less in such a matter-of-fact tone. I had already decided I didn’t want to take part in this new plan, and now I was even more certain. I did not want to work with Ace Martin.