Writing Children's Lit: An interview with Patricia L.H. Black

 

Writing Children's Lit: An interview with Patricia L.H. Black

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Patricia L.H. Black during a poetry workshop led by Wendy McVicker at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio. Patricia is an active member of a poetry group that gathers weekly at the Athens Public Library. Her poetry stands out for its whimsical nature and prolific output, weaving her extensive knowledge of literary arts into every line she writes.

Patricia had an idea for a children’s book Twillaby Pond. We collaborated and, with the help of Ohio artist Deborah Hayhurst, Twillaby Pond became an award-winning, Readers’ Favorite 5-Star title. With the release of Lilyfield Bog in 2025, Patricia continues to show her flexible writing skills, creating new creatures who live in extraordinary places.

Welcome, Patricia!

GM: What inspired the magical setting of Lilyfield Bog, was it a real place, a dream, or something else altogether?

PLHB: I wanted to loosely tie the story to Twillaby Pond. There is a boggy area of Lake Hope in Southeast Ohio that is absolutely stuffed with water lilies every summer. It looks like a field because it’s almost impossible to see the water. I’m sure that was much in my mind when I was searching for a place name.

GM: Can you tell us about the very first spark that led to this story? Was it a character, a moment, a mood?  

PLHB: It was the booloop. He had been much in my mind – swooning at the thought of lopaloo pie and berrybud jelly, falling out of trees he was unwise enough to climb. He needed a story to rein him in.

GM: Lilyfield has such a cozy, mysterious vibe. Did you imagine it more as a place to explore or a place to get lost in?

PLHB: I drew somewhat on Twillaby Pond though those characters were definitely exploring and the booloop knew where he was going (if he could get there).

GM: Which character surprised you the most while writing – someone who changed or grew in unexpected ways?

PLHB: The bodacious frog. He has been around in my mind for longer than the booloop and I assumed he’d just push his way into the center of the story. But he wisely sat quietly on his log and let the booloop and the fox tear right on past him.

GM: What kinds of readers do you hope will find Lilyfield Bog? Is there a particular age you had in mind?

PLHB: I hope for a child (or the adult reading the book to a child) who can build mental images of the characters and actions in the book. Or maybe I hope the book might spark such thoughts in a child.

GM: Did you read any favorite children’s books while writing this one, for inspiration, comfort, or nostalgia?

PLHB: Not really. I was aware of Twillaby Pond, of course, but with this one I just went along as the story unfolded. I read many, many books as a child. I read every book Albert Payson Terhune wrote in the Lad of Sunnybank series; I read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, I read the Sugar Creek Gang books. I looked into adult books (being the child of reading parents). Our parents really didn’t put any restrictions on what we read. And their response if we ran up against a word we didn’t know was, “Look it up in the dictionary and then you’ll remember it for the rest of your life.”

GM: What one scene in the book makes you smile every time you think about it? 

PLHB: That silly booloop falling out of trees he didn’t have enough sense to stay out of.

GM: If Lilyfield Bog had a soundtrack what kind of music would play in the background?

PLHB: I have no idea, other than a “Ta DAH!” sound as the sun comes up at the beginning of the book. One or other of my nieces or nephews might have an answer but my forte is with words, not notes.

GM: Are you working on anything new right now, maybe something that shares a thread with Lilyfield Bog?

PLHB: No much at the moment. The mental door is open to the loquacious old frog though it seems more likely to be his grandchild, “a polliwog – that’s a tadpole, a wee baby frog” but that’s as far as it has gotten. I’ve been working more seriously on a memoire/episodes of my life/collection of poems/observations/short fiction/the occasional recipe – a concatenation.

GM: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to young readers who dream of writing their own stories someday?

PLHB: Read, read, read! Read anything and everything that can’t outrun you – books, magazines, poetry, sports articles, owner’s manuals, whatever. And listen to the words, to what they mean and how they sound. They sing and growl and crackle and pop. Look up the word onomatopoeia and have fun with it!

 
 

 

 

 

This Week @ Monday Creek: A visit with Jack R. Cox, Historian, Author, Clown, Puppet Master, and More

Local Author & Historian, Jack R. Cox and son, Bret
Nelsonville Public Library Ohio USA

 

A visit to the Nelsonville Public Library is always a top-drawer experience. I miss the old, wooden tables and chairs. They removed the wooden tables and chairs, and replaced them with a Formica/plastic (whatever it is). It’s cold, gray, and blue. I liked the wood. I asked a librarian why they removed the old tables that were the library. The librarian explained that lice lives in wood and they had a lice infestation. With that said, I was happy to see the cold, gray, and blue.

I was at the library yesterday afternoon to meet for the first time southeastern Ohio author Jack R. Cox and his son Bret. Jack is the author of many books, a former magazine editor, professional clown, and much more. He has a title out of print Whiteface & White Wardrobe: Life, Love, Tragedy & Triumph in a Big Top Clown Alley, and a new title in the works, The Two Billys. The meeting was to provide insight on publishing and book markets/promotion.

Jack has a fascinating background. He writes historical fiction based on life experiences and stories. Whiteface and White Wardrobe begins “on a sweltering July morning in 1917…”. Since the book is out-of-print, it is being revamped with a 2026 release date (TBD).

Jacks’ Bio: Former magazine editor, Jack R. Cox, has always had a passion for writing. That enthusiasm, coupled with abiding interests in puppetry, clowning, and circus history, were just the right ingredients for the creation of this story [Whiteface & White Wardrobe].

          For years, the author, his wife Shirley, and children, Erin and Bret, presented marionette (string puppet) shows in the Redlands, California area. It was only natural that this involvement in the entertainment world would lead them to the clown troupe of the Great Y Circus, a community show, also in Redlands. Eventually, Jack and Shirley would become Producing Clowns (directors) for this organization, putting together the acts and training young mirth makers.

          Years later, with children grown and on their own, and careers concluded, the senior Coxes returned to their native Ohio, settling in the hill country of the southeastern part of the state. There a whole new interest - local history - was discovered. When it was learned that there were circus stories in the Nelsonville area, the final storyline was arrived at for Whiteface and White Wardrobe.

          Cox is a graduate of Sandusky (Ohio) High School and holds a BA Degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. Retired now, he lives contentedly in a wooded hollow near Nelsonville.

 

Throughout the afternoon, Jack told stories of his days as a clown and puppet master. He was friends with Ringling Bros & Barnum Bailey Circus, Master Clown “Frosty.”  Founded in 1929, the Great Y Circus is still a highlight for the Redland, California community. Look for more from Jack R. Cox in the near future.

Thank you, Jack and Bret, for the opportunity to propel your success.

Milliron Monday: Jody's Journals June 1986

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

Jody's Journals: 1986

June

• Pete early Church, I went to Sunday School, Church, visited Carl Lorubbio > Pete work in woods
• to clinic/barn > housework > Pam Collier > watched documentary, Paxton's, brought out HBC cat > walked up in woods with Pete
• to clinic all day, horse surgeries, tired
• Ann Howland, clinic/barn; rode Speed down by road, Keith Newman car stalled, Speed caught bridle in fence wire, broke it
• to clinic > watched Belmont at Windy Hills, picnic
• Pete went to early Church; went down after paper with dogs, cows out, put 3 in pasture, fixed Pete's lunch > went to Church > to clinic, Jill Baringer [?], trotted out on Speed, shied at hay bales, etc., Pete rode Apple > picked up pizza, watched Burt Reynold's movie at Pam's > called Mom
• to clinic/barn > phone man here > called Mom
• to clinic, paid bills, all day > to barn, put sheep down by sign bottom, took dogs up to white gate and back > read, sorted papers
• to clinic/barn > to Charleston on calls with Pete, drove home 2 am
• Ann Howland, clinic/barn, walked Sissy, Pete walked Bullet
• to clinic/barn > ran errands > Pam Collier got hot dogs, watched 3 day eventing, Gordon came in and watched > Pete, Pat's Bachelor Party, home 1:30 am
• to Church > caught horses, Pete rode Apple, I went to clinic, fed at barn, wrapped Pete's birthday present
• to clinic/barn > Ann Howland, drove Junie over to Dottie Rutter's Tupperware Party
• washed car, picked up Mom, CJs lunch/family, rehearsal dinner Carsey's
• washed Junie, drove him up to Pat's wedding reception, drove Junie back, Joleen came along, Pete took us back
• "Haley's" meet at Ponderosa for breakfast, went back to Mom's motel room, to Church, OU Inn, clinic > Gordon, Pete put up hay 
• to clinic, picked up Mom, ran errands > picked up clinic surgery wraps at Mrs. Kisor's, > Pete haying > Pam brought movie over
• housework > picked up Mom, Pam, went to concert Under the Elms
• picked up Mom, took Puff, Humane Society Meeting with Pete
• met Brent, put CB in, drove Mom to Mansfield, dinner at Aggie, Gary's house
• went to Mid-Ohio with Donny H., cabin/family reunion, Pete arrived around 4 or so, slept in house
• to Grace Church/family > back home

For Exclusive Photos Follow on Facebook @ Milliron Clinic

Connect with Gina:

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

Hocking Hills Book Fair   

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian. 

Meet Ohio Author Sarah Lindsay Peterson

An Interview with Author Sarah Lindsay Peterson

Meet Ohio writer Sarah Lindsay Peterson. Her debut novel, A War Through Destiny, released in 2025, is romantic fiction based on the life of Stacy Matthews, an American-raised exile who begins dreaming that she must protect the lost heir of Dukhovia.

From Sarah's website, “Crafting and perfecting this novel and other related titles since childhood, Sarah writes from a place of passion. Her unique ability to see her characters not just as pieces of a story, but as her friends, allows her to create deep, meaningful, and intricate stories that will keep you begging for the next page!” 

Welcome, Sarah!

GM: What’s the first thing people should know about you as a writer?

SLP: My writing is seen as an expression of multiple things. One, I use it to teach the lessons I have learned both as a mental health therapist and as a human being. Lessons on life, on love, on purpose, on humanity—all to bring us towards a more peaceful, accepting existence. Two, I first created my characters, and this story, when I was eight years old. I knew them as people before they ever had their name written on a page. I know their favorite colors. I know their middle names. I know their biggest fears. They are not just characters to me, but friends.

 
GM: How did growing up or living in Ohio shape your writing style or the stories you tell?
SLP: I based the cities and small towns that are present in my story on where I grew up. Therefore, the weather patterns, the wooded areas, etc. are all consistent with what I have witnessed. The story originally took place in Ohio and had the characters move to Kansas in the second book, however, this was a change made to fill some plot holes the older I became.
 
GM: Was there a specific moment when you realized, “Okay, I’m definitely meant to be an author”?
SLP: I said from the moment I was five years old that I was going to be a “nurse and a writer”. The nursing dream was quickly silenced when I found my passion for the mental health and social work field, however, the dream of being a writer only solidified and never died. I was certain this was meant to be when I became an adult and started teaching my clients that we aren’t all good at everything, we’re good at our purpose. I grew up not being good at anything others seemed to be: sports, hair, make-up. But I could sit down and pump out a book like it was nothing. Though I struggled to recognize my strength as a writer due to lack of support until very recently when I began to win awards for A War Through Destiny. Prior to publishing, no one had ever read it through! I worried I was published nonsense that only made sense to me as someone who, at the point of publication, knew this story for over 19 years.
 
GM: Congratulations on your awards! What part of the writing process feels the most fun for you, and what part makes you want to hide under a blanket?
SLP: FORMATTING MADE ME WANT TO CRY. I’m not a tech savvy person at all. But the feel of sitting down and having words pour from you without so much as a thought—that’s the beauty.
 
GM: Do you have any quirky writing habits or rituals that help you get into the creative zone?
SLP: I like to play white noise to aid in focus. I can’t do music with words or it’s a distraction. It’s sort of full-circle moment because I remember in elementary school, the teacher would ask if we wanted music on when we worked. I would get frustrated because everyone else would yell yes and I struggled so hard to focus with it on. So, I never considered it as a tool to help me. It’s funny all I needed were the lyrics removed.
 
GM: Which of your characters do you feel the strongest connection to, and why?
SLP: Grace! She was the first one I ever created. I remember I was playing “school” and my “person” was leaving to head to the locker room. I was trying to think what this girl’s name would be when the name “Grace” entered my mind. The rest of her story just started to pour after that. It’s so cool I can remember that one moment that started it all. The moment God told me: this is it. This is what you were born to do.
 
GM: What’s something readers might be surprised to learn about your newest book?
SLP: It took me nearly 20 years to publish! Despite the first edition taking me less than a month, I rewrote A War Through Destiny multiple times. This was due to age as well as losing the book and having to start over for various reasons: computer crashes, computer stolen, etc. Luckily, I hand wrote all my books first and had the bones to work with to start again! AWTD is the first in a series and all of it felt like I was born to write it! The first three books were done within two months of each other. The entire series (ten books) were completed within the first year.
 
GM: When you’re not writing, where are you most likely to be, at a coffee shop, bookstore, hiking trail, or somewhere totally unexpected?
SLP: Doing something with my daughter’s is the most likely answer—mom life. We enjoy movie and game nights, shopping, going out to eat, etc. If I get a moment on my own outside of writing—I honestly wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Write more?
 
GM: What’s a book you’ve read recently that made you think, “Wow, I wish I’d written that”?
SLP: The Demon King by Cinda Chima! I love her writing style and the depth to her tales. Also the amount she wrote shows a passion for the world she created.
 
GM: What’s next on your creative horizon, anything you’re excited to tease for readers?
SLP: Book two is in the works! Mom life certainly makes the quickness of pumping that out a challenge, but I do plan to complete the series. Though, I’ll look a bit different than it originally did.
 
Connect with Sarah…
Website: https://www.authorsarahlindsaypeterson.com/
Facebook: Sarah Lindsay Peterson Author

Twin Flame Souls: Soulmate Poetry - An Interview with World Poetess NR Hart

 

Twin Flame Souls: Soulmate Poetry - An Interview with World Poetess NR Hart

If you know what stardust sounds like when it turns into poetry, you’re a fan of best-selling, world poetess NR Hart. Known around the world for her romantic, luminous style, Hart has a way of writing that feels like she’s whispering secrets directly to your soul. And as if her muse wasn’t generous enough already, she just released her brand‑new book, Twin Flame Souls: Soulmate Poetry, a fresh collection that’s already sending readers into a swoon.

Today, we’re sitting down with the poetess herself to talk inspiration, love, creativity, and the magic behind her newest work, just in time for Valentine's Day!

Welcome, N.R.!

GM: What inspired you to write Twin Flame Souls, and how is this book a little different from your past poetry collections?
NRH: The best way for me to answer this question is from a quote from my new book "I wanted to write a book about love, because love will save us all in the end."  This is what keeps me inspired. "Maybe poetry cannot save the world but maybe it is here to make us feel a little more and to save our souls instead." 

The idea of a book solely on Twin Flames came directly from the request of my fans! Oftentimes, they would ask which of my books feature Twin Flame Poetry.  And, I would always answer, “All of my books have Twin Flame poems; Poetry and Pearls I and II, Love Poems to No One, Beauty and Her Beast, and The Last of the Romantics. My fans requested that I release a book with all of my Twin Flame poems. 

"You don't pick the Twin Flame journey, It picks you." Because you have a voice that needs to be heard. You have a message that needs to be sent. Twin Flame Love was born from this concept…and my second companion book Twin Flame Souls. I wrote this book for my fans, I wrote this book for you. 
 
GM: You’ve written so much about love and soul connections — what keeps you coming back to those themes in your books? 
NRH: I think the themes on soul connections, soulmates and twin flames has always been somewhat mysterious, mesmerizing, and mystical for me. In many ways, just like Love! To experience a deep and profound soul connection, whereas, it becomes in a sense, very spiritual in nature. A powerful bond between two souls that  transforms beyond humanness and our bodies. I once wrote "Twin flames are connected on every level, mentally, spiritually, soulfully and physically." 

I want to try to describe, in my poems, that look between lovers, soulmates, twin flames. The unspoken words. The secret language between souls. The unsaid feelings that only the eyes can portray. I struggle to find those words and keep struggling to find the right words. Seven books later, I am still trying! 

A soulmate or twin flame experience can be an unexplainable force of nature, just like the Universe. To believe in something that is bigger than us. Deeper than us. Allowing us to feel more alive. To fully experience the human condition in all its glory. To allow us to believe in something more. We want to feel less alone in our feelings. There is comfort in knowing we are not alone.
 
GM: When did the idea for this new collection first spark for you — was it a moment, a place, or a person? 
NRH: The answer would be all three of course. A person, a place, a moment in time. A love story that needs to be told. I am a storyteller by nature and it all starts with a person, a feeling, a passion. I explore that feeling and try to capture it before the feeling disappears. Feelings are "fleeting things" we must capture them while they are upon us! My fans understand the concept that the Twin Flame Journey picks you, and sometimes they are looking for answers to their complicated feelings and emotions. The feelings we have trouble putting into words. Readers are hungry for answers. They want validation for their feelings. They want to know they are not crazy in love but feel understood.

We don't always understand it as it is happening, or we can't put a name to it at the time, but the reasons become apparent later on in our lives. My poetry reveals that there are no clear-cut answers to love. Love can be complicated and confusing. We need to understand that and accept it. Don't try to explain things there is no explanation for. I once wrote "The real challenge in life is not in searching for the answer but how to live without one." This guides me through life and how we need to live in the moment.
 
GM: You recently spent time in Italy. How did the beauty and history influence your writing?
NRH: I have enormous respect, admiration and appreciation for my history, my culture, my traditions. This is how you honor the story of your life. Growing up in a large Italian family has greatly influenced me in many ways. The romance of Italy captivates me! In Italy, my entire life as a romantic poet finally made sense! The beauty, the history, the art, left me at a complete loss for words. That is really a writer’s dream! I think being a poet, you tend to notice and appreciate the little things in life and everything around you! The things others may not even look twice at. It’s a curse of being a poet. You feel things ever so deeply, it goes beyond explanation. You are moved to tears standing in front of a painting, a statue, a piece of art, a historical building in ruins. The history of Italy surrounds you, as if you are living in another century. It was like walking on sacred ground. To say it changed my life is an understatement. Visiting Italy was like coming home for me! I will be going back as often as I can. I have so much left to see and experience. I love Italy.

 
GM: You’ve been known to leave your books around Italy’s fountains like little poetic surprises. What made you start that tradition?  
NRH: I have always been close to nature, since all my books are divided into four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn. Romantic poets are deeply in-tune with nature and the seasons. The way nature and the human heart "mirror" each other. I was captivated by the statues, fountains, and art of Italy and the history behind them. I was simply in awe. I wanted to leave my poetry books beside the beautiful fountains because they are special gathering places for reading, for coffee, for eating, for love, for friends; the romance of it all! I wanted to leave a gift of myself, my poetry, so that I could somehow say thank you. I  am very excited and proud that the Winter Olympics will be held in Milan, Italy this year. What a wonderous landscape to see and experience! 
 
GM: Do you remember the very first fountain where you left a book, and what that moment felt like?  
NRH: Since I visited Rome first, my first stop was my favorite fountain of all time - The Trevi Fountain. This fountain is enchanting and breathtaking and rich in the history of Greek Mythology. The main figure is the Greek god Oceanus, the god of water, pulled by two seahorses. The sheer majesty and glory of this fountain leaves you breathless... I could stand in front of it for hours just staring in amazement. I always throw a coin in the Trevi fountain as the myth states, to ensure a return trip back to Rome! It is fun for me to think about who may have found my books by each fountain. I wrote secret messages inside my books for whoever found them. I sincerely hoped they loved them, shared them with their friends and lovers, and maybe my poetry has become a part of their love story. 
 
GM: If Twin Flame Souls had a “perfect reading spot”, where would it be?
NRH: I would say somewhere outside surrounded by nature, a place that feels romantic - a  garden surrounded by flowers, a park with trees, outside seating at a café or coffeehouse, or a fountain in Italy! Somewhere where you can connect with nature that allows you to "feel your soul."
 
GM: What’s one poem in the new book that feels especially close to your heart right now? 
NRH: "My soul is my truth." This is a favorite of mine because you have to find yourself in your writing. It is the only way to be authentic and genuine. I own my romanticism. I own my story. In order to be your true self you must first accept your truth. Only then will you become the truest, most authentic version of yourself. 
 
GM: You have a very romantic, dreamy writing style. How do you tap into that voice when you sit down to write? 
NRH: I will always write about life and love with that vulnerable part of me that I expose to my audience. I write poems that are love stories. I want to be the reader’s voice when they cannot find their own. I want to give a name to their feelings. I want my poetry to be an escape from the mundane in life, so my readers can forget about their pain, if only for a moment. I want to create something beautiful so they can feel beautiful about themselves, too. I try to be still, very still, and listen to that inner voice. You know, the one you are afraid of? The very heart and soul of you. Yes, that one. 
 
GM: If readers take away one feeling from Twin Flame Souls, what do you hope it is?
NRH: I want them to take away that love is unexplainable at times. Love is not perfect, in fact, it is very imperfect! The stronger the love, the more complicated it may be. Not everything has to be explained or analyzed. It kind of ruins the beautiful magic and mystery of it. You just have to  live it! 
 
Connect with NRHart…
www.nrhart.com
N.R.Hart Amazon Author Page
N.R.Hart  Twitter + Facebook + Tumblr + Instagram + Pinterest
N.R.Hart Pearls Slipping Off A String Facebook  
N.R. Hart Etsy

This Week @ Monday Creek: Song Sung Blue

 

"When this you see, remember me." A gift from my mother @ Monday Creek 

    A wintery morning settles over southeastern Ohio, the kind we know well by February. One to three inches of snow are expected today, and already the first flakes have begun their slow descent, falling to gather on my back porch, drifting across rooftops, softening every edge in my line of sight. It’s a familiar scene, yet it still carries its own quiet beauty. We’re under a winter weather advisory, which in our corner of the world often means another chance to watch the season do what it does best: remind us to pause and reflect.

Condolences

    Our sincere condolences to Mark M. Dean and his family for the loss of their mother, Deborah Dean. We are thinking of you today and lifting you in prayer.

Only One Mother

by George Cooper © 

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.

Song Sung Blue

    Last night we grew weary of  watching the evening news and the repeated stories that raise eyebrows, create more questions than answers, and challenge common sense.

    Instead of the news, we watched a movie, Song Sung Blue. I am a fan of Hugh Jackman and enjoy his films. Here’s my take on Song Sung Blue…

    The chemistry between Kate Hudson (Claire) and Jackman (Mike) worked. I have heard Jackman sing (Les Misérables, The Greatest Show). The movie begins with Jackman playing guitar and singing at his AA meeting; a humble scene where Jackman, an expert portrayer, makes a good hook.

    I had no idea Hudson could sing (but, I don’t know much about Hudson), and I first thought she was lip-singing. After a bit of online digging, I learned her father is Bill Hudson, who was once in a band, The Hudson Brothers. Her voice is a toss between Bette Midler and Patsy Cline.

    Jackman’s hair was questionable and a bit of a distraction (I don’t know why). Something about the texture of it made me wince, but I suppose it’s true to Neil Diamond’s, an era-aesthetic style. 

    Based upon a true story, Song Sung Blue entertained. The acting was good and the storyline instilled integrity and ethics; Maddie became pregnant and found parents to adopt her baby, family relationships require intentional conversation, struggles can be overcome through resilient decisions and professional help.

    It was a good movie, showcasing good morals. I liked what Jackman’s character said at the end of the movie, a profound statement to all of us…

    “And you know what, before I sing, I just want to tell you. We're all here doing the best we can, right? Our very, very best. And if we can just look out for each other and be strong and above all, be grateful, maybe we could turn things around. We can make the world a better place. What do you say?” Mike played by Hugh Jackman, Sung Song Blue, (2025 Universal Entertainment) (paraphrased).

Milliron Monday: Jody's Journals May 1986

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: 

April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate 

the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, 

Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.

Jody's Journals: 1986

May

• Pete to Charleston, met Jessica, to film festival/Amish movie > found puppy, left note on possible owners door, took puppy to dog pound > stopped to visit with Ken Light > to clinic/barn, wagged Colonel, Puff > wrote letters
• John Branner here for breakfast > ran errands for Pete, green dye > to barn > read > Pete swam, checked on timbers - Daily's? 
• Pete gave lamb selenium > wagged, chores > to clinic > watched Kentucky Derby at Windy Hills > to clinic, got two items for clients > Pete back from calls, tired
• Pete, early Church > I paid bills at clinic, regular Church > mailed bills, read, walked up where Pete was logging, walked hay meadow, checked water, took salt up > read
• up at 5 am, fed foal at barn > to clinic/barn
• Pete put lamb to sleep > to clinic > ate in Amesville/voted > Joy MillerUpton videotaping, calls to Nancy Bonnett's, Maranatha, Doris quit, tow truck, battery jumped, drove home slowly, little power, lights dim, etc., home 4:30 am
• Joy up for breakfast (stayed in apartment) > Marshall here > wagged > to clinic > met Jessica at O'Hooley's > ran errands > fed at barn > let horses in yard, dead lamb in horse barn
• put horses back in hay meadow; Ann Howland > to barn > ate at Lam's Garden, fell asleep, Dixieland music, ice cream
• to clinic, fed at barn (Colonel had chased sheep), took Bullet, Sissy, Streak, Puff, Colonel for walk
• to Church, ate at CJs > to clinic > rode Speed, Pete rode Apple, beautiful ride up McDougal Creek
• to clinic, met Jessica at O'Hooley's for lunch, took Pat back to his house to put cattle in, ran errands > to barn
• AVMA meeting > to Mansfield, Gary/dentist, lunch at Aggies > picked up Pete LA Vet Clinic, saw Teresa Klinko, stopped at Pet Store, ate at Apple Barrell > to clinic, gar dead [clinic reception area fish tank] (chlorine) > took Pat's BD present from Gary/Aggie to Pat > to barn, Pete on calls, had to get car jumped
• Ann Howland at clinic; dewormed sheep; docked, castrated lambs, 1 got away, finally got it back to mother > fed at barn, very tired, Pete surgery, Linscott horse
• to clinic, paid more bills, Christy back, walked Percherons with Ann, worked at clinic again > to barn > Pete back from calls 11 pm
• walked dogs after paper > Church, late > to clinic > nap, storm > rode Speed, Pete rode Apple around back thru stream > went to see "Sweet Liberty"
• O'Bleness, outpatient, Pete took me, Pat picked me up > Pete on calls, got milk, missed meeting > dogs barked, checked sheep
• got breakfast, napped, Jessica brought me flowers > fed at barn, put sheep in garden paddock, 4th try
• fed at barn > SEOVMA Zanesville, took Olds 
• picked up Pete, got Olds >to clinic/barn > truck stuck on stump in woods > took Persimmon, Lolly, down to clinic for blood transfusions > watched "Blazing Saddles" at Pat's
• to barn > took dogs down after paper; Church, OU Inn, Pat fixed flat on Subaru (at rear tire) > to clinic, groomed dogs > Pete rode Apple, watched vultures > watched "The Horseman" video, ch. 20 Pet Grieving
• Memorial Day > Pat, Pete here for lunch, loaded log truck > to clinic > napped, read, rain finally
• ram in yard > got ladder out of garage, cleaned out eaves, washed windows, tied up fence, put ram back in garden paddock, picked some mint, closed white gate, Pete/Pat brought bench > picked strawberries, went out to watch fireflies, listened to frogs
• to clinic/barn, Pete on calls > OU choral performance

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Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

Hocking Hills Book Fair   

Hocking Hills Book Fair Author Podcast

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.