Peace : The Smart Global Choice

Peace: The Smart Choice for a Small Planet

As the world embraces another decade in the 21st Century, we must face the fact that there will soon be over 7 Billion Earth Citizens on our relatively small and fragile planet. Ecosystems, economies, oceans, and continents are decidedly in need of solutions involving restoration, preservation, and growth. Limited natural resources, particularly the availability of fresh water and rich top soil, are of global concern. National Geographic Magazine has done a very good job over the past few years in documenting the difficulties we face. The time for contention based on political or cultural differences is long past. Peace emerges as not only a conscientious choice, but also as a pathway of smart progression. All nations need to reconsider their foreign policies in order to include green energy economics and human rights for both men and women of every race, creed, and cultural background. Why? Why is peaceful co-existence so important at this precise interval in planetary history? The answer is simple: Peace implies cooperation. Cooperation equals survival, not only for our human species, but also for all the members of the bio diverse fabric of life.

 Ideas Change Ideas.

Many prominent figures from around the globe have spent their lives teaching humanity that ideas change ideas. When we think differently, we act differently. Some of my favorite heroes are Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Peace Pilgrim, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Nelson Mandela. Perhaps one of the most inspirational heroines during the American Civil War, was Harriet Tubman, with whom I share the same birthday. We were both born on March 10th. Her involvement with the Underground Railroad was extremely courageous. She struggled to free others, in spite of terrible dangers and conflicting social opinions. At present, not everyone is in agreement that the Earth is under tremendous strain to sustain life, nor does everyone see peace as a necessary component for planetary survival; however, the time for the evolution of human behavior is at hand. We must create peace by transforming how we solve international problems and handle cultural differences.

Nations Bring About Peace by Honoring Each Other's Right to Exist

Peace has never come from dropping bombs. Real peace comes from enlightenment and educating people to behave more in a divine manner.

Carlos Santana

September 1, 2004   Associated Press interview

Peace is not an easy choice, because humans tend to violently defend their freedom and their supplies. We also tend to aggressively snatch goods and opportunities from others. Finally, we are inclined to use our intelligence and our technologies to falsify evidence and obscure truths. Powerful individuals have always known that humans blindly follow leadership, if reward and punishment are ruthlessly distributed. The human race must progress and act with a greater amount of self-control. It is not enough to question authority. We must examine what we are doing and what impact our compliance is having on the society. May 2011, be a year of progress towards peace, compassion, and integrity for all nations!

The Time is at Hand for the Evolution of Human Behavior!

Magical Meals from Ghost Horse Hollow!

Garlic is the King of the Kitchen!

During the Holiday Season in the magical world of Ghost Horse Hollow, Lady Hannah MacKennon is busy in the homestead kitchen creating magical meals. The fairies drift and flutter in and out the pantry helping the busy MacKennon family prepare for the Winter Solstice Celebration. Each cake & cookie, pastry & pie, fritter & festive treat is made with love and joy. Magical meals are connected to the intentions and reflections of the cooks. Just as in the movie Chocolat with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche, the Ghost Horse Hollow chefs add a touch of enchantment to their kitchen offerings. Cooking is a process through which healing and grace are transmitted to those who are sitting down to enjoy the feast.

Pumpkin Bread with Pecans and Baked Apples makes a wonderful Holiday Dessert!

Another amazing motion picture that links food and human emotions is Like Water for Chocolate, in which the lovely young cook pours her heart out in her delicious creations. A Walk in the Clouds is also an excellent romantic film intermingling the making of wine with a young couple's awakening passions. Keanu Reeves is the star. Interestingly, both of these richly entertaining stories were brought to life by director Alfonso Arau, who demonstrated his appreciation of the link between reality and both conscious and sub-conscious thought.



Fairies Love to Guard their Magical Brews!

 The Ghost Horse Hollow adventures are full of homestead delights such as butter biscuits, cornbread, bean soup, and dragon coffee. Visit the website www.ghosthorsehollow.com for some of the special recipes from Lady Hannah's Fairy Cookery, including Three Toe the Bear's hot cocoa topped with wild flowers. Magical meals are beautiful to behold! Next time the Holiday dinner seems a bit overwhelming, try dedicating each dish to a unique and uplifting quality like Hope, Gentleness, Kindness, and Courage. The meal will be magic indeed with surprising results for you and your guests! For a happy beginning try the recipes from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest by premiere chef Mollie Katzen. Enjoy the season with cooking from the heart!

A Tribute to Lewis & Clark

This past September, I had the good fortune to visit Lewis & Clark Middle School in Billings, Montana. Librarian Elizabeth Waddington hosted my presentation for a special group of 7th and 8th Grade students. What a wonderful time I had sharing the Ghost Horse Hollow adventure series at this terrific school! The library was beautiful and inviting with a bank of windows overlooking a peaceful courtyard. The Holly King made a grand splash as the opening event for the library's Lunch and Learn program. Visiting schools is one of my favorite things to do as a writer for Middle Grade fiction.

The students and I talked about some of our favorite books like Julie of the Wolves, Eragon, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and The Hobbit. We also discussed the changing world of reading due to the fast-paced Internet. I am finding that people today prefer shorter sentences, simpler phrases, and crisper dialogue. I believe this is due to the trend of reading small computer screens very quickly. Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson would surely have to edit their manuscripts these days. Classic children's literature is very wordy compared to contemporary children's literature. Still, I think young readers in the 21st Century appreciate thoughtful, powerful writing. Readers tend to quest for ideas and insights. Not every reflection can be conveyed in a few words. Computer screens compel the viewer to think is short bursts. Opinions and reactions crystalize almost spontaneously, in order to filter the wide field of bombarding Internet information. As technology changes, reading and thinking transform to match the pace of communication.

As we watched the book trailer for the Ghost Horse Hollow adventure series on the overhead projector, I thought about how important it was in today's book market to provide visual stimulation. Our modern world conveniently showers the average reader with pictures, video clips, and tantalizing commercials. The students at Lewis and Clark Middle School reminded me, however, that good readers will always enjoy creating their own pictures inside their minds. The infinite world of the imagination is yet alive and well. These curious, bright 7th and 8th Graders, and their marvelous librarian Elizabeth Waddington, are still devoted to good books and thoughtful writing. I am blessed to have visited with them. May the Ghost Horses continue to gallop for the Earth and bring great entertainment as well as good ideas to young readers around the globe!

Creating a Character

What makes characters come to life in a fantasy series? Is it their physical descriptions or their patterns of speech that spark the imaginations of curious readers? Perhaps we are enchanted by a character’s resourcefulness or bravery in the face of terrible odds. Our favorite personalities engage us in a single paragraph. The character of Miss Genevieve MacKennon caught my attention as a writer from the very first chapter. I fashioned many of her features and qualities after the actress Ellyon Elestial, who served as a young teen sounding board for the Ghost Horse Hollow series, as well as the model for our popular book trailer.

Panther MacKennon on Elestial's Opal Moon
Illustrated by Steven E. Lillegard

Many contemporary musicians also inspired me to create a character with grit, independence, graciousness, and intelligence. I listened to Avril Lavigne’s Let Go album, Green Day’s popular hit song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, the Jonas Brothers, and Jewel, while searching for a Middle Grade/YA romantic element to add to Miss Genevieve’s scenes. I always imagined the action in the book saga unfolding as if I were seeing a major motion picture, complete with a background score, unfolding before my eyes. Spending much of my life choreographing dances helped me with this process. The book trailer on Youtube features a terrific score by Nashville composer Jason Morant, whose work evokes the strength and courage of the twelve- year- old apprentice to Lady Titrimia, the Starlight Fairy Queen. One of my favorite movies that encompasses awesome musical themes, as well as startling characters, is The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson.

Filming the book trailer for The Holly King on location at Ghost Horse Prairie Ranch
Enjoy the video on our Youtube Channel!

Genevieve’s original name was Pheonyx. Shortly after I had typed four or more chapters of The Holly King, a friend casually informed me that J.K. Rowling had written another book in the Harry Potter series that was entitled The Order of the Pheonix. I thought the name of my heroine would then be considered too common, yet I felt inspired to keep the first letter “P” for my character. After much contemplation, the name Panther was born. Panther is a fresh and distinct young leader, with hope and a wild strength that blesses all she embraces. It is a delight to write her dialogue and to witness the exciting scenes in which Panther’s character triumphs! I greatly appreciated the support of the Kentucky Foundation for Women for assiting me with a grant to develop Panther's role-model personality.

Actress Ellyon Elestial as Miss Genevieve (Panther) MacKennon
Photo by Monica Bedsole

Creating a character is like meeting someone extremely special in your imagination and then introducing him or her to your favorite friends. Enjoy the adventures in The Fairy Lore of Ghost Horse Hollow!

Riches in the Grass

                   A Grasshopper & a Mosquito Share a Piece of Crested Wheat  Grass

                                                    by Monica Bedsole

 

There are so many tiny things of great value in the world of Nature that we tend to overlook! Their importance to our sustainment, nourishment, and healing is undervalued by civilization. From wild flowers to wild grasses, from herbs to seeds, from raindrops to top soil, the small pieces of the Web of Life gives us our food, our water, and our future. Each person on our planet should be taught to respect Nature and to cherish our planet. This wondrous globe is our home and the more we all know about Earth science and green economics the better. 

 

                   Landscape View of the Montana Prairie by Monica Bedsole

 

Some people respect only money. Some people respect only power. Some businesses and governments focus on their survival through destruction and consumption, rather than through conservation and preservation. These limited perspectives are crippling the planet. The little things in Nature remind us all that everyone is responsible for solving garbage, energy, and pollution issues. A shift is happening across each continent, in which human beings are becoming increasingly aware that they must embrace our dependence on the health and diversity of our ecosytems. It is necessary for all nations to look beyond money and power into a horizon of peace and cooperation in order to preserve life on Earth. 

 

                        Sage and Crested Wheat Grass by Monica Bedsole

 

The grasses of the windswept prairie provide rich graze for the gentle Ghost Horses and protective cover for many wildlife species. Rain from the north and west enable these grasses to grow. The overall health and temperature of Earth's atmosphere affect the yearly rainfall for this region. The energy policies of all nations influence the weather conditions across the globe. It is evident in this very simple chain of sustainment that the seeds of tomorrow's harvest are connected to international decisions. Our collective consciousness is facing the reality that humans are far too wasteful and far too greedy. For our species to flourish on Earth, we must take a closer look at environmental links that connect all creation. Small matters are leading to BIG changes!

 

                                   Montana Sunset by Monica Bedsole

 

I Stand

"I Stand"  was written last night after watching Avatar once again and reflecting on the Gulf oil crisis. This poem is a tribute to those citizens in the region that are doing all they can to protect and clean the beaches and wildlife areas which are being contaminated by tar balls and drifting sludge. I admire these Americans for their courage and their love for the shores and magnificent marine life of their homeland. A green and blue Earth is a healthy world, with diverse, well-managed ecosystems and massive territories for wilderness. We must set aside more Nature conservatories for posterity, allowing for educational excursions, quiet tours, and non-disruptive recreation.

The oceans, in particular, should include additional pristine park lands and preserves. We also must work together for the benefit of all nations in the development of clean, green energy and the non-invasive management of natural resources. The term "non-invasive" suggests that human beings should not disturb the soil, air, and water of a region in order to extract minerals or fossil fuels.

Bristol Bay in Alaska, is in particular peril at this time, and I urge my blog followers to learn more about this important Native salmon watershed. The Natural Resources Defense Council offers many informative articles : www.nrdc.org/naturesvoice. The  Ghost Horse Hollow adventure series continues to stand for family entertainment, environmental awareness, and the resurgence of old traditions that fostered humankind's sense of honor with regard to our planet. Please feel free to share this poem with others. I am delighted to stand with you. 
Anne Severn Williamson.

The first photograph was taken by our Intern Monica Bedsole. The other photographs on this blog are from iStock. They are a part of our Book Trailer "The Song of the Earth."

       “I Stand”  © 2010



I stand across a wavy line with soldiers in the blood,

With fools and tools and techno – pools before an oily flood.

A blackened wake from sea - charred smoke

And tides of tar and foam,

From distant smells that wrench and drench

The seaweed and the loam.



I search for kindness and for peace, for cleanliness and sweet release,

For never have the oceans cried nor wept red tears of grease.

Who would have thought the next great war

Would be a battle place

For leverages from black to green

To save the human race?



Look not for pressure valves to blow, nor crevices to seep,

Without the heart of Earth’s deep crust boiling havoc in the deep.

I stand … I STAND … and stand again,

But not alone stand I,

The tide of change is coming NOW,

Do not stand idly by!

A Presidential Letter

Our Ghost Horse Hollow summer intern Monica Bedsole from Pensacola Beach, Florida, wrote a marvelous letter to President Obama before coming to Ghost Horse Prairie Ranch in Montana. I am very please to share with our followers on Blogspot the White House's response to her plea for conservation and wise management of the Gulf Coast oil crisis. It is heartwarming to know that President Obama responded so quickly to a citizen's concern for this tragic event. Please enjoy Monica's photography of Pensacola Beach, Florida and Gulf Shores, Alabama. The pictures were taken shortly before the arrival of the oil and tar upon the snow white sands. We invite you to read The Holly King with the spirit of global preservation in mind. The adventure series celebrates life one hundred years in the future during the aftermath of climate transformations.


  
           Live sand dollar

 

Monica's Initial Letter

Dear President Obama:

         First of all, I want to let you know that I voted for YOU. I want to express my concern for what is going on in the Gulf of Mexico. It really seems that you and your administration are mainly making BP take full responsibility in the cleanup of the oil, as well as the prevention of more oil being dispersed into the waters. I am currently a third key manager at a children's store. I have noticed the dramatic drop in sales and customers because fewer people are visiting the Gulf Shores/ Foley area due to the threat of oil on our beaches. That in itself is a big concern of mine and many families I know. We depend on tourism, seafood, and recreational water usage. Although the oil has not reached us, it is already causing a negative impact on our economy. Also, I have lived in this area my whole life. I plan on raising a family here. I do not want them to miss out on days at the beach because no one would stop the oil from coming to our beaches. Please save our economy, ecosystem, and family days, all of which depend on how quickly this issue is resolved.

Sincerely,

Monica A. Bedsole



            Pensacola Beach Sunset

President Obama's Response

Dear Friend:


     Thank you for writing to me about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  I am going to stand with the people of the Gulf Coast until they are made whole, and I appreciate your perspective as we continue to do everything we can to address this crisis.

     The Gulf is one of the richest and most beautiful ecosystems on the planet.  For centuries, its residents have enjoyed and made a living off the fish that swim in its waters and the wildlife that inhabit its shores.  The Gulf is also the heartbeat of the region's economic life, and this oil spill has upended whole communities.


     My Administration will continue to leverage every resource at our disposal to protect coastlines, to clean up the oil, to hold British Petroleum and other companies accountable for damages, to begin to restore the bounty and beauty of this region, and to aid the hardworking people of the Gulf as they rebuild their businesses and communities.  For information about response efforts, how to help, or available assistance, I encourage you to visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill, www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon, or www.epa.gov/bpspill/. Small businesses may also find resources by visiting www.sba.gov or calling 1-(800)-659-2955.


   Thank you again for contacting me.  I encourage you to visit WhiteHouse.gov to learn more about my Administration or to contact me in the future.


Sincerely,

Barack Obama


To be a part of our agenda for change, join us at www.WhiteHouse.gov

 

Tribute to the Sands

Why is conservation so important? Humankind is faced with the growing need to answer this question in order to survive on our irreplaceable, fragile, and splendid planet. We have long struggled to overtake and tame the forces of Nature, only to belatedly realize that we are unltimately linked to the Earth's diverse ecosystems and to their preservation. We cannot survive without fresh air, clean water, rich topsoil, protective atmosphere, and freedom to relax, rest, and grow. As people leave their footprints in the sands of the future, let them be steps towards a peaceful globe where Nature is cherished and honored. Our humanity is defined by our capacity to uphold the beautiful, and not by our abiltiy to destroy the inconvenient.

The Gulf Coast oil spill catastrophe is a worldwide wake-up call to turn our needs and our greed into a conscientious channel of positive, organized action. Green energy, green economy, and green life-styles make sense. It is only logical to care for our planet and not to abuse Her resources and our theater of existence. Clearly, the use of fossil fuels must go the way of the dinosaurs. We can make adjustments and improvements through innovations and new energy technologies. Recycling and the re-use of human waste and garbage have not been fully explored. Our practical steps towards clean environments will be an honorable legacy for the next seven global generations.

 Why read The Holly King: Part 1 of the First Triad: The Fairy Lore of Ghost Horse Hollow? The family novel launches a series of magical adventures that are set one hundred years in the future. The locations inside the book are none other than the endangered ecostystems of the Appalachian Mountains, whose breathtaking scenery and medicinal plants are part of humankind's planetary heritage. The foothills of the wilderness provide wondrous landscapes for daring deeds and marvelous exploits involving the MacKennon homesteaders and their equine companions, the legendary blue-eyed Ghost Horses. Each chapter in the series is filled with insights into humankind's relationship to the plants, animals, rocks, water, and soil of our globe. The wisdom pours out, drawing each reader into a deeper and deeper journey of thrills and revelations.

  

 

If you enjoyed reading Harry Potter,  The Lord of the Rings, Fablehaven, or The Chronicles of Narnia, then The Holly King is the READ for you. If the movie Avatar stirred your soul to conserve and protect our world, so that it remains green and blue, then please join us in spreading the news throughout the Internet that the Ghost Horses are galloping for the Earth! We invite you to share our video, our blogs, and our Web site with your friends and family. The Ghost Horse Hollow series is for all citizens of our remarkable world. As the Seven Laws of the Fairy Lore unfold in the coming years, may the wisdom enrich your life personally, and may the characters set an example of harmony within the People... A ho. All My Relatives.

Anne Severn Williamson

In Tribute to the once pure white sands of Pensacola Beach

Ghost Horses Gallop for the Earth: Enchanting New Book Series Captures Worldwide Attention

Ghost Horses Gallop for the Earth: Enchanting New Book Series Captures Worldwide Attention

A few months ago, Anne Severn Williamson published an article about Ghost Horse Hollow and its book series. If you would like to read this article, please click on the link above.

The Holly King Book Trailer : "The Song of the Earth"

Our First Post

Hello all,
We are very excited to begin the journey of blogging. Anne Williamson (author) or Monica Bedsole (author's niece) will be the primary authors of these posts. I first want to invite everyone to visit our other hoof prints or websites that are helping us promote this enchanting book saga, including twitter, you tube, face book, and our own website. We encourage comments with questions, concerns, advice, and congratulations.

Here at the Hollow, we have had many guests stop by. Currently, we have a young ranch hand and the author's niece visiting for the summer. We may even have a Japanese exchange student visit for almost one month towards the end of the summer. Everyone has been extra helpful with taking care of the critters, tidying up the home and grounds, and promoting the Holly King.

Anne is currently working on a radio show that will broadcast around the world. When more information becomes available, that information will be posted on here as well. We just tallied up how many hits we have attained on the website (www.ghosthorsehollow.com) since its start one year ago: a total of 122,162!

I hope everyone has a blessed day! Thank you for reading our blog and being a part of the extended Ghost Horse Hollow friends and family.

With Best Regards,
Monica Bedsole