Part 1: “Bread, Olives, and Posca — Everyday Meals of the Common Roman

 By Liisa Eyerly

[[File:Egyptian Olives.jpg|Egyptian_Olives]]

In past blogs, described the dining habits of the Roman poor and the rich, from lavish, multi-course banquets with guests lounging on silken couches to the majority and less fortunate, who were limited to eating cold meals of cheese, salted fish, and bread in apartments without kitchens or stoves, and the grab-and-go streetside “cafes” that served hot stews, porridges, breads, and pastries to a bustling society in Roman cities.

Join me now, as we dive into the rhythm of ancient Roman meals, where most citizens had little time for leisure, and their meals reflected the demands of daily labor.

Breakfast or ientaculum (sunrise to 8am, later for elites)
Poor - quick start, eaten on the go

· Day-old coarse barley or wheat bread similar to today’s rusks, (see recipe below)
· Softened by dipping in water, olive oil, or watered-down wine.
· Various types of pancakes- made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk.
· Leftover dates, figs, or olives. 

Spikes (ears) of cultivated emmer (wheat) Wikipedia

File:Ouma Rusks bowl.jpg|Ouma_Rusks_bowl

Lunch or Prandium (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) The Romans did not enjoy eating a large meal in the heat of the day. A lite lunch was customary.
Poor – often eaten standing -cold meal to keep up energy

· leftovers from the previous day’s “cena”
· bread with olives, olive paste, or cheese spread
· eggs, vegetables (cabbage, carrots, turnips, squash, onions, lettuce)

Stacy Spensley - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=96293297

Supper or Cena — late afternoon to evening (4–5 p.m., later for the wealthy)
Poor -The family meal at the end of the workday.  

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=lentil+stew&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&type=image Emna Mizouni

· Bread and cheese
· Simple stews and porridge (puls), lentils, beans, millet, barley, wheat, flavored with fish, vegetables, and spices
· Occasional meat: fish, pigeons, thrush, small rodents, rabbits
· Fruit: dried and in season figs, dates, apples, plums, pears
· Drinks: watered-down wine, Posca, a drink made from watered-down vinegar and herbs. Its acidity killed germs. Mustum freshly pressed grape juice—unfermented wine

Most meals were accompanied by Garum, a fermented fish sauce — made by layering small fish (like anchovies, sardines, or mackerel) with salt and herbs, then allowing it to ferment in the sun for weeks. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cetaria,_watercolour_painting_of_the_fish_processing_tanks,_Ru%C3%ADnas_romanas_do_Cerro_da_Vila._20_October_2016.jpgMost meals were accompanied by Garum, a fermented fish sauce — made by layering small fish (like anchovies, sardines, or mackerel) with salt and herbs, then allowing it to ferment in the sun for weeks.

The poor used cheaper, coarser versions of garum, often called allec, a thick paste or sludge left after straining out the clear liquid (reserved for the elites) — it still had flavor but was gritty and less refined.

While most Romans ended their day with a bowl of lentils and a crust of bread, the wealthy reclined in marble triclinia surrounded by peacocks and poets. In Part 2, we’ll step into their dining rooms…”

Modern-day Recipe for Rusks -- Traced to the ancient Greeks, the biscuit means twice-baked. Tasty sourdough recipe: Paximadia, BreadRusks | Diane Kochilas

Secrets of Ephesus Series: 

Winner of the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award, Obedient Unto Death launches a gripping historical mystery series set in the perilous world of first-century Rome. In Fortunes of Death, fearless Christian sleuth Sabina returns—risking everything to expose murder, magic, and corruption beneath the empire’s glittering surface. With rich historical detail and powerful spiritual themes, author Liisa Eyerly delivers intrigue, danger, and hope in equal measure. Reviewer Deborah Anne raves: “Murder mystery—Intrigue—Love—Fellowship through Christ. This series has it all! Eyerly is wonderful! If you’re tired of boring—read this series! I love a good mystery!” Prepare to be hooked!

Liisa’s books have been called a cross between Agatha Christie and Francine Rivers. Her mystery novel, Obedient Unto Death, won the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award for a debut novel and first place in the Spiritual Fiction category. The sequel, Fortunes of Death, continues the Secrets of Ephesus series, weaving fascinating Christian twists into the historical mystery genre of the first-century Roman Empire. Liisa’s travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy have enriched her stories with vivid depictions of New Testament culture, history, and people.
Liisa’s journey into writing proves it’s never too late to follow your dreams and share your passion with the world

Purchase her books at:

Crossriver Media https://www.crossrivermedia.com/product/fortunes-of-death/

Amazon book page https://amzn.to/3Di2gyQ

Visit Liisa at:

Her website www.LiisaEyerly.com

Author Facebook page at Liisa Eyerly Author page

The Vigilantes of Montana: When Justice Rode Ahead of the Law

 

When you write stories set in the Wild West—as I did for my Montana Gold series—you quickly discover that history can be every bit as dramatic as fiction. One of the most fascinating (and sobering) chapters in Montana’s early story centers on a not-so-typical force for law and order: the vigilantes. Their rise wasn’t rooted in hot tempers or hasty rope work, as the dime novels of the era suggested, but in the very real struggle to survive in a place where danger traveled faster than the mail.

Let me take you back to the early 1860s, when the gold strikes in Bannack (July 28, 1862) and nearby Alder Gulch (May 26, 1863) drew thousands of miners to the remote mountain territory, in search of quick riches,

A Land Rich in Gold—and Outlaws

Gold rushes have a way of attracting not only dreamers but also opportunists. Highwaymen haunted the trails leading from the gold camps. Travelers reported ambushes, and sometimes stagecoaches simply disappeared. Merchants were robbed, and miners carrying gold dust walked in fear of the next bend in the road. People whispered of an organized gang called the “Innocents,” responsible for dozens of murders and robberies. The exact number of their victims remains in debate, but contemporary journals agree with early Montana histories that the threat was real enough to paralyze local trade.

To make matters worse, the newly elected sheriff of Bannack, Henry Plummer, was suspected of leading the very criminals he was sworn to stop. Whether the accusations against him were justified remains a point of discussion among historians, but the settlers at the time believed he was the mastermind behind the band of road agents plaguing the area. And when people believe their lives depend on action, they act.

Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Measures

Out of this fear and frustration grew the Montana Vigilance Committee, formed in December 1863. Its members weren’t wild-eyed renegades, but merchants, miners, and community leaders desperate to assure the safety of local communities. Because there were no functioning law courts, they created their own system of justice.

Bannack, Montana Jail; Image courtesy of MikeGoad on Pixabay

The vigilantes set about gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and identifying suspected members of the outlaw gang. Their methods weren’t perfect, and some believed they sometimes hanged innocent men. The vigilantes viewed their mission as the only means of restoring peace. Between January and February of 1864, they executed more than twenty suspected outlaws, including Sheriff Plummer.

The results were immediate. Robberies declined sharply, and residents could travel again without constant fear. The vigilantes didn’t disband right away. They resurfaced several times over the next two decades, including during the 1880s cattle-ranching conflicts, although with less impact. Their earliest efforts became the stuff of legend.

The Human Side of Western Justice

What strikes me most about the vigilantes’ story isn’t the action—and there is plenty of that—but the humanity behind it. These were people living far from home, away from their families, and out of touch with societal structures. With winter snows cutting them off from the outside world and the nearest formal court hundreds of miles away, they pulled together to demand law and order.

This tension—between survival and morality, isolation and community, justice and mercy—echoes through many western stories. It resonates with readers of Christian historical romance, who understand that the toughest questions of life often arise without comfortable answers.

How Montana’s Vigilantes Inspired My Writing

As a novelist, I don’t write to glorify violence or vengeance. My stories explore the courage, conviction, and resilience that shaped the Wild West. The vigilante era, with all its complexities, captures those qualities.

If you’ve read Hills of Nevermore (Montana Gold book 1), you noticed the rise of the Vigilantes of Montana. During this turbulent time, the characters must learn to survive in an era where the line between right and wrong isn’t always clear. I love exploring how faith anchors us in such moments.

A Legacy Worth Remembering

Today, Montana’s vigilantes are remembered through monuments, museum exhibits, and even the famous “3-7-77” symbol painted on Highway Patrol vehicles—a nod to vigilante lore whose exact meaning remains a mystery. Some believe the numbers represent grave dimensions (3 feet wide, 7 feet long, and 77 inches deep). Others suggest that it gave outlaws 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 77 seconds to escape. Whatever the code’s meaning, the Montana Vigilantes used it to warn lawbreakers to leave town or face justice.

Whether you see the vigilantes as heroes or simply products of a harsh time, their story is an undeniable part of the rugged, resilient spirit that defines Montana.

And for me, that spirit sparked the Montana Gold series—six novels where danger meets courage, sin finds redemption, and love grows in the wildest places.

About Me, Janalyn Voigt

I fell in love with literature at an early age when my father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When I grew older, I put myself to sleep with tales "written" in my head. Today I'm a storyteller writing in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all my novels.

Learn more at http://janalynvoigt.com.

If you haven't discovered the Montana Gold series yet, saddle up. The Wild West is waiting — just a page turn away. Start Reading.

The History of the Advent

By Susan G Mathis


As the days grow shorter and winter’s chill settles in, a small circle of evergreens glows in churches and homes around the world. Its candles—some purple, one pink, and sometimes a single white—are lit week by week, marking a sacred countdown to Christmas. This is the Advent wreath, a beloved symbol of anticipation, reflection, and hope. But behind its quiet beauty lies a rich history that spans centuries and cultures, reminding us that even in the darkest seasons, light always returns.

Historically, Advent was more than a festive countdown; it was a season of repentance, reflection, and renewal. Much like Lent, early Christians used Advent as a time to fast, pray, and prepare their hearts. By the Middle Ages, the Church had formalized the four weeks of Advent, each emphasizing a different theme of preparation: hope, peace, joy, and love.

The Advent wreath as we know it today began in 19th-century Germany, credited to a Lutheran pastor named Johann Hinrich Wichern. He worked with poor children in Hamburg and wanted to teach them about the meaning of Christmas. To help them visualize the waiting period, he created a large wooden wheel adorned with candles—four for the Sundays of Advent and smaller ones for each weekday.

Over time, the idea spread through Protestant and Catholic traditions alike, evolving into the familiar wreath of evergreen branches and four candles—symbols rich with meaning.

The circle of the wreath represents God’s eternal nature—without beginning or end.

In my newest novel, Irish Rose Orphans’ Christmas, seven young women are about to experience a Christmas that will change everything. As they experience Advent and prepare their hearts for a deeper calling, each young woman must face the truth of her past and the hope of her future.

Do you use an Advent Wreath in your home or church? Leave your answer or comments on the post below and join me on the 19th for my next post.


ABOUT IRISH ROSE ORPHANS’ CHRISTMAS:

Seven young women experience their last Christmas together before stepping into lives of service. United by trials and an unbreakable bond, they’ve pledged to remain “forever sisters.” But as the season of parting approaches, buried wounds rise to the surface. When Sister Rose invites the girls to prepare their hearts during Advent for a deeper calling, each young woman must face the truth of her past and the hope of her future. This Christmas, seven orphans will discover that no matter where life leads them, love and faith will go with them.

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has sixteen in her fiction line. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

The Indian Marker Trees of Texas

 by Tom Goodman

Have you ever come across a tree that runs parallel to the ground and then bends at a right angle to rise skyward?

It could be an Indian “marker tree.”

Researchers claim that Native Americans modified certain trees for navigation. They would find a flexible sapling and tie it down. As the trunk grew, it would point in the direction of significant sites. 

Low-water crossings. 

Fresh springs. 

Sacred grounds. 

Some dismiss the claim entirely, since natural processes can bend a tree in this way. But advocates have been researching certain trees since the late 1800s.

A tree must meet certain standards to be considered a marker tree.

First, it must be at least 150 years old to have existed at the time Indians lived and hunted in the area. Evidence of their presence, such as arrowheads, increases the validity of a claim. Also, the tree has to point in the direction of something significant, like a water feature or a burial site. 

In my state, the Texas Historic Tree Coalition validates the claims of marker trees. At last count, they’ve received over two hundred requests to investigate a tree. Half of the claims have been ruled out. So far, nine Texas trees have been officially identified as marker trees.

The novel I’m writing now is set in East Texas in the early 1900s. One of the characters discovers an old marker tree. 

Did the Caddo of East Texas use marker trees? They were an agricultural people who tended to stay in one place, so it’s unlikely they needed much guidance for travel. So far, all the trees validated by the Texas Historic Tree Coalition are Comanche marker trees north and west of the county where my story takes place. 

Still, since tribes throughout North America practiced this, it’s likely the Caddo shaped trees for their purposes, too.

Click here and here to find out more about the Texas Historic Tree Coalition. If you live in another state, you’re sure to find a historical society that has information on Indian marker trees in your area. The Mountain Stewards website might get you started.

Owney:Honorary Mascot of the Railway Mail Service

 

Owney guarding a mail sack Wikimedia photo

Originally, I had a different idea for this blog. My latest contemporary romance released this month, so I was looking for a historical dog-related theme for this month. And in the process, I found a rabbit hole to research. Over the centuries, only the wealthy had dogs as pets. Everyone else kept dogs to perform useful services such as watchdog, ratter, or cattle dog. While researching the origin of dog tags, I found a brief mention of a mixed-breed terrier who was a postal service mascot, and I had to know the story. And now I'm sharing it with you.

Vest full of medals  Wikepedia photo

During the 1890s, Owney was the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service. Owney was owned by a postal clerk in Albany, New York, who took the dog to work with him. When he left that job, he left Owney behind. The dog loved traveling in the mail cars. Postal employees adopted him as their mascot. For nine years he was a mail-riding dog.

Riding the rails

He rode resting on the mailbags, protecting that mail from anyone who wasn't a mail clerk. He would growl at anyone coming near those bags unless they were mail clerks. 

Sometimes he'd leave Albany and not return for months, moving from train to train. The Albany clerks became concerned he might get lost. They purchased a collar and added a dog tag with his name and Albany post office. As he arrived at other post offices, they added tags.

Medals and Tags

Soon at every stop he made, a new tag was added. It is believed he visited all forty-eight states, Alaska, Canada and Mexico. Everywhere he went, he received a tag, some brass or silver, others made from leather or aluminum. 

John Wannamaker

There were also commemorative medals from organizations that wanted to honor him. Tokens with the date and place he visited were also added. Eventually, the Postmaster General John Wannamaker had a special vest made for him to display his tags. Wannamaker was concerned Owney would injure his neck from their weight. Overtime, as new medals were added, older ones were removed and mailed to Albany or Washington, D.C. for safekeeping. It is said he accumulated over 1,000 medals and tags. Currently, the National Postal Museum has only 372. Some of the more fragile medals didn't survive.

Tidbits from Owney's travels

While he visited Montreal, Ontario, Canada, the city postmaster kept him in a kennel. He sent a request for reimbursement of the $2.50 fee for care and feeding. Once it was paid, the dog was returned to Albany.

In 1895, Tacoma, Washington, businessmen, concocted a publicity stunt to honor George Francis Train, the inspiration for Phineas Fogg in Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 days. Train had once ended one of his world travels in Tacoma. In honor of Train, they wanted to send America's most famous K9, around the world on a mail ship.

Owney set sail on August 19,1895 on the steamship Victoria. According to an article published in The Roanoke Daily on July 24, 1896, his trip was quite fanciful. He carried a travel bag containing a comb, brush, his blanket and his vest full of medals for formal meetings, along with letters of introduction. Reportedly, the port authority in Japan, on seeing all his medals, thought he must be someone very important and treated him with respect. While in Japan, he was given a passport by the emperor. The emperor of China also gave him a passport and then arranged for Owney to tour a silk and tea factory. Chinese coins and commemorative ribbons were added to the dog's vest as well.

  Captain Panton of the Victoria took Owney on tours of the American ships in the Hong Kong harbor where he acquired more medals and letters of introduction. After touring Asia, he boarded the steamship, Port Philip, and was placed in the care of Captain Grant and his crew for his return trip to Tacoma, Washington. He returned August 19,1985 after 132 days. He broke no speed records and, according to ship's records, never visited Europe. Even so, his fame grew.

At the end of his life

Owney traveled over 144,000 miles, more than any wealthy individual in that era. He was beloved by all the postal employees along his train routes. As he aged, Post Office management felt his traveling days were over. Mail clerk J. M. Elben, of St. Louis, agreed to take him in. The Chicago manager of Railway Mail Service insisted in colorful language that the "mongrel cur" no longer be allowed to travel on the trains. Management was looking for ways to improve service. The postal employees felt their mascot represented the working class and didn't appreciate the new management's attitude toward Owney. The remarks seemed to mirror their attitude toward them as postal employees.

Smithsonian display

Owney's passing was reported in every newspaper in the country. Some gave a soft report that Owney had become ill and died. While others called it murder. Owney had become aggressive in his old age and supposedly bit a clerk and then a US Marshal, at which point a sheriff put him down.

But according to some modern research into the details of his death, they discovered a clerk had chained Owney in a basement. His freedom to roam was taken away, probably adding to his aggression. My question, if a clerk in St. Louis took him in, how did he end up in a basement in Ohio. Whether he was in a basement or outside attacking people, it was confirmed he was put down in Toledo, Ohio on June 11, 1897.

Postal Employees insist he is honored

The postal employees refused to bury him. Instead, they ask that he be preserved and presented to the Post Office Department's headquarters. Their request was granted. The postal department placed him displayed at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Cleveland, Ohio, postal workers commissioned a silver spoon in honor of their mascot. Owney is on exhibit at the Smithsonian. He was sent there in 1911 and has been called one of the museum's most interesting artifacts.

He was the subject of two poems by postal clerks.

      And the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in 2012 published a digital edition Owney: Tails for the Rails, written by Jerry Rees, with songs by Stephen Michael Schwartz and illustrated by Fred Cline, and narrated by Trace Adkins who also voiced the songs. Here is a link to the free book.

I had never heard of Owney before. When I visited the Smithsonian years ago, I never made it to their postal museum. As I've spent few years writing contemporary romances with hero dogs in them, I couldn't pass up a chance to tell a real hero dog story.

Have you ever heard of Owney?

Cindy Ervin Huff is a multi-Award-winning, hybrid author of historical and contemporary romance. She loves researching odd historical tidbits and visiting museums with her husband of 50-plus years. Although they don't currently have a dog, Cindy takes pictures of all the ones she meets at vending events. She's addicted to chocolate and reading and loves encouraging future authors. You can visit her at www.cindyervinhuff.com or on social media. 

https://www.facebook.com/author.huff11

https://www.instagram.com/cindyervinhuff/

https://twitter.com/Cindyhuff11Huff

Here is a link to my contemporary romance series featuring adorable dogs.

 

COST 0F PERSERVERANCE

 By Catherine Ulrich Brakefield

        In the early hours of dawn, oftentimes a mist appears circling the tall, majestic mountainous peaks of Mount Rushmore; like soft downy-white angel wings stroking the imposing sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln’s image is on our five-dollar bill, and his imposing stance is always on display, and can be seen in Washington D.C. The light of the Lincoln Memorial shines across the Tidal Basin as you paddle by.

Upon visiting the memorial, Lincoln’s bigger-than- life statue looks down at each bystander with that paternal, thoughtful gaze seen in many photos. Every element of Lincoln was carefully created. For instance, one hand is clenched as it rests upon the chair arm. This displays his determination to see the war through. The other hand is open as it rests upon the arm of his chair. For me, it depicted Lincoln ready to jump out of that chair, to protect his beloved country, may need arise.

       

Lincoln, of all people, would be shocked that his popularity mushroomed throughout the portals of history and into the twenty-first century. During most of his lifetime, he was considered a country bumpkin, a business and social failure.

There are often mixed interpretations pertaining to the word perseverance. Webster’s definition is: In pursuing a dream despite difficulty of delay in achieving success.

If there was any one person in history whom this word could be relatable to, that would be Abraham Lincoln. He began with nothing. Only through faith and perseverance did he achieve success.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, near Holdenville, Kentucky, in a one room log cabin. He was taught to read by the loving hands of his gentle and godly mother.

        In 1816, at seven years old, Abe went to work to help his family. Two years later, in 1818, his mother, Nancy, died from poisoned milk.

        Thomas, Abe’s father, left the children for seven months. Their cabin had a dirt floor with no door to shut against the noises of the panther’s screams and the bears’ roars. Their one room cabin was a crude dwelling, somewhat resembling what Rachael and Jonathan had to live in my novel Wilted Dandelions in the 1830s living in the wilds of western Oregon.

When their new stepmother, Sarah, came back with their father, Sarah described the children as wild, ragged, and dirty.

In 1828, just ten years after their mother died, Abe’s sister passed away.

        Raised in the backwoods, going to school was thought of as a convenience. Education was afforded by the children of middle to upper-class families. The Lincolns were dirt poor, and Abe was privileged to a year of schooling.

His illiterate father saw no need for an education for his children. Hard work was his task maker. Oftentimes, he would catch young Abe wasting time thinking or reading a book. If Thomas was in a bad mood, he would rip up the pages of that book and on occasion whip him. But this did not dampen Lincoln’s thirst for learning. He became a self-taught lawyer, and he enjoyed the thought-provoking words of Thomas Paine’s book The Age of Reason.

        Abe had a love and respect for God that his mother bequeathed him. He had a foreboding fear of God, his father’s lashing tongue and hard, relentless hands implanted into Abe’s young and impressionable mind. This left an indelible mark upon his heart which took years to eradicate.

Abe often said, “…I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular.”

 Lincoln stood six feet four inches tall. He towered over other men. The average man in the 1800s measured around five feet seven inches in height. Yet, Abraham Lincoln always appeared to come up short, whether in his business pursuits or his political ventures.

        He opened his first business, a General Store in 1831, which went bankrupt due to his partner’s dealings. He spent seventeen years paying the debt and acquired the nickname of “Honest Abe.”

        Then Abe decided to run for the legislation, and he lost miserably in 1832.

In 1833 he borrowed money to begin another business, and this too went bankrupt. Honest Abe paid back the money. People began noticing him. They could not help respecting this backwoodsman who sported a self-deprecating humor, who had a knack for storytelling.

His love for music, poetry, and books seemed to bring him the right attention with the opposite sex, when in 1835 he met a godly woman named Ann Rutiedge, they fell in love and became engaged. Then she suddenly died of typhoid fever.

       

In 1842 he met Mary Todd. They fell in love and married. Mary saw potential in her husband, knowing Abe would be an honest and trustworthy politician, so she encouraged Abe to run for Congress. But in 1843, he lost. Lincoln tried again and in 1845, ran for the Senate and lost again.

Discouraged, Lincoln went back to circuit riding as a lawyer in Illinois. While Mary tended to the house and took care of their romping and fun-loving sons, who would eventually consist of four. But tragedy would again poke its ugly head into Lincoln’s life when three of those sons would die.

See next month’s December issue for the conclusion.

Wilted Dandelions: Rachael is ready to leave her luxurious life in Buffalo, New York, to share the gospel with the Native Americans in the Oregon Territory. But the Missionary Alliance requires their missionaries to be married. Rachael agrees to a marriage of convenience with a man she hardly knows and learns God does not create coincidences—He designs possibilities.

“I loved this quote… ‘I’m still such a babe in Christ. Will I ever stop seeking my desires and reasoning it is God’s will that I satisfy my own whims?’ Can you relate?” Grandaddy A.

Catherine is the award-winning author of Wilted Dandelions, Swept into Destiny, Destiny’s Whirlwind, Destiny of Heart, Waltz with Destiny and Love's Final Sunrise. She has written two pictorial history books, The Lapeer Area and Eastern Lapeer, and short stories for Guideposts Books, CrossRiver Media Group, Revell Books, Bethany House Publishers. Catherine and her husband of fifty-two years live on a ranch in Michigan and have two adult children, five grandchildren, four Arabian horses, three dogs, four cats, six chickens, and three bunnies. See CatherineUlrichBrakefield.com for more information.

https://lightmagazine.ca/abraham-lincolns-freeing-encounter-with-christ/

https://nps.gov/linc/learn/historyculture/memorial-features.htm

https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm