Monday, February 8, 2010

Bremond Library Fund Raiser

The Bremond Public Library Fund Raiser was a great success. The theme was The Orphan Train as the train stopped in Bremond and several members of the community are direct descendants of those who found a home in the small town. Before the play, we enjoyed a delicious mean of cowboy stew, cornbread, and dessert.


School Students performed in a silent play depicting what it was like for children as they traveled from city to city until they were chosen by a family. Many were selected for their ability to work on the farm and were little more than servants. Others were treated as well-loved children. Regardless, their fate was, in most cases, was better than starving on the streets of New York or living out their lives in an over-crowded orphanage.


Ciara Gold, in period dress on the right, narrated the play. Her book, Once Jilted, is one in a series of books about the orphan train available from Champagne Books. With Ciara are several library patrons and members of Bremond's community.


Here are pictures of the cowboy cooks demonstrating their skills. They prepared peach cobbler, cherry cobbler and biscuits baked in Dutch ovens over an open fire. Ciara sampled the peach and I tasted the cherry and a biscuit. They were delicious!

In my book When the Ocotillo Bloom, Lynn Devry learns to cook outside over an open flame when she accompanies the children on a trail drive.


Here is a picture of me and Ciara with big smiles. I sold 12 books and I think Ciara sold more than I did. The most rewarding aspect of the library event was meeting many wonderful people and enjoying their small town enthusiasm.

Thank you for stopping by. If you have any orphan train experiences or have enjoyed a meal cooked out on an open fire (other than hamburgers or hotdogs), please share with us. Or leave a comment on whatever comes into your mind about the post. All comments will be entered into my monthly ebook drawing.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda

11 comments:

  1. Oh what fun! Your pictures came out great! Do send me copies when you have time. And thank you so much for joining me.

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  2. Hi Linda,
    I am an Aussie, but what a fascinating tale - an orphan train. I wonder if any of the poor little mites were still left on the train by the end of the journey.
    Loved your pictures too, sounds like you had a fun time.
    Regards
    Margaret

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  3. What a fundraiser. Sounds like lots of fun. I would've loved to hear Ciara's narration and watch the silent play. Oh, and the food. That would've been a fun treat.

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  4. What a interesting story, Linda. It looked like a fun gathering.

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  5. Ciara, don't forget to send the pictures back to me after you've lightened them up. We did have a good time, didn't we? Thanks for inviting me.

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  6. Margaret, yes there were children who weren't adopted and returned to New York to live out their childhood in an orphanage. What was terrible was brothers and sisters being seperated. Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Hi Linda, It was a moving presentation. The food was a treat! There wasn't any chocolate though. Grin!

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  8. Hello Ilona, Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. The Orphan Train is an interesting aspect of our history yet so many people know nothing about it.

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  9. Hey Linda, I posted new pics, ones I got from the Bremond Library website. Check out my blog!

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  10. Wow! This looks like it was a great event. I serve on my library board, and love it! My latest Quinter Bride book (#5 that I'm about halfway done writing) has a snippet about the orphan trains in it.

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