Fall in Love with MARISSA

 Good morning and welcome to Cowboy Kisses! 

I hope you are having a great start for the Fall season. I’m enjoying all the colors red, yellow, brown and green during the change of seasons, but I’m also sad to see Summer end. Yes, I’m a sun worshipper.

There’s something about the cooler weather in Fall that gets me in a cooking mood and it lasts through January. Then of course, I’m mad at myself for gaining a few extra inches around my waist. Sound familiar? 

Speaking of cooking goodies my favorite memories as a child is coming home from school and smelling before I ever went in the house the sweet aroma of cookies baking in Grandma Moore’s oven. I remember it like it was yesterday. There was a nice warm chinook wind blowing the leaves all around. And with that wind I smelled the cookies. Grandma Moore loved to bake. She was the best cook I’ve ever known. So this morning I got in a cooking mood and went back out to my apple tree with my big bowl and picked a bunch more apples. I made homemade apple cider for the first time in my life. It turned out great! And when the apples were boiling I made 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies with walnuts for my honey, son and grandkids to eat with their lunches this week. Last night I picked apples from my apple tree and made apple sauce. The grandkids loved it! 

My recipe is simple. 6 apples, fresh lemon and some lime juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Boil on low for about twenty five minutes then smash like mashed taters. I put mine in the blinder for a few seconds. My grandkids wanted theirs on toast, but there’s many more options. Over ice cream is yummy. A side dish for dinner especially for pork chops is good as well. 

                                                                      

                                                                             *****   

Don’t you just love a sweet small country wedding? I sure do. I guess that’s why in my Chasing Time series there’s always a small wedding. Did any of you have a small, simple, but elegant in its own way ceremony? If so, was it in a little chapel like in the pictures below?

My daughter Hollie’s best friend Brittany (since middle school) was married yesterday. Congratulations Britt!! She had a small wedding and it reminded me of this small Wildwood Chapel.

This is my youngest son Jon Kyle and my fearless dog Jasper.

I had him stand just inside the door so you could tell how small the chapel is.

I’ve always been intrigued by this little road side chapel and I searched my camera roll so I could share these pictures with you. I snapped them a few weeks ago when my family and I took a drive up HWY 20. It’s the gateway to the majestic Cascade Mountains. If you’ve never taken the drive through the Cascade mountains you’re really missing out for it is absolutely breathtaking. 

The small building is nestled between trees across from the old Clark’s Resort, now the Glacier Peak Resort and Winery. After a little research I learned the chapel was brought here after a fire and vandalism almost destroyed it in the 1970’s at its original home in Monroe, Washington. 

Tootsie and Ruddy Clark (I wrote another blog about Tootsie a few months ago that you might of read) decided to salvage what was left of the structure where it was first built in the early 1900’s and had it brought to their property a couple of miles from Marble Mount, Washington where it has been the delight of many travelers and I’m sure it raised their curiosity like it did me as well.

The Wildwood Chapel is still maintained. as you can see by the first photo, and used today. Many small weddings occur on it’s humble premises. The building sits anywhere from nine to twelve people depending on their size, of course. So, if you want a small wedding and you want it to be in a church, the Wildwood Chapel might be perfect for you. There’s cabins you can rent, nice places to hike, swim, canoe or whatever you like to do. And the restaurant serves delicious food. Did I mention they have a small wine tasting area and make their own fudge. Perfect if you ask me. 

I can imagine the outside covered with wild daisies, and a a roped off area winding down from the Wildwood Chapel to the trail that leads to the Skagit river. There would be a table full of delicious food, and another with only the cake, napkins and plates. And one more for refreshments. The music would be a couple of men strumming on their guitars and singing old bluegrass songs. 

Oops, sorry. Once I get started my mind just opens up and goes wild. Lol. 

*****

New Release!

I’m excited to announce MARISSA (3rd in my Chasing Time series) is now available on Amazon! 

I love the Clark’s and I’m sure you will as well. This series was previously named “Tombstone Ghost Cowboy” but my new editor Gerald L Guy advised  me that we should rewrite the stories in another point of view instead of the first, and give them a more fitting name with new book covers that fit the time travel theme.  I can’t tell you how pleased I am with how they turned out. New chapters added and others taken away. 

So, if you’ve read the first version I urge you to take a look at the new version. through different eyes.

Here’s the link https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Time-Marissa-Classic-Western-ebook/dp/B09DWW3M3D