Bastille Day 2026 Chapter 79, THE DAWN It was now almost two thirty on that Wednesday afternoon, 11 November. On that day, it was Pierre’s turn to walk Gabrielle to and from St. Martin’s School. Camille appreciated this break from her routine. It permitted her time to perform her emotional journeys back in time. She felt calm and relaxed as she stepped outside of her bedroom to kiss her father before he left the house. Pierre slicked back his hair and smiled as he slippe

Independence Day 2026 Stout-Hearted Men Music by Sigmund Romberg, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Give me some men Who are stout-hearted men Who will fight For the rights They adore Start me with ten Who are stout-hearted men And I'll soon give you ten Thousand more Shoulder to shoulder And bolder and bolder They grow as they go to the fore Then there's nothing in the world Can halt or mar a plan When stout-hearted men Can stick together man to man You Who have dreams

26 June 2026 I do not want to be a Johnny Come Lately with the 250th anniversary of the Birth of America, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Greatest Show On Earth (in the States). I’d initially thought: “I want to have a nice, quiet 4th of July. Now that I’m a Westerner, my eyes really won’t be on D.C. I left there long ago. I’m grateful and glad that city is finally getting cleaned up, fumigated, re-introduced to Law and Order.” The 4th of July

Easter Monday 2026 Those points of no return just keep piling up for France, and for those other former Allies from World War II. It’s gotten to the point where these National Cowards ought to wear Brownshirts, just to remind the world of their true selves. When I first began my journey to write THE DAWN, during the scary days and nights after 9/11, I paid particularly close attention to the European Allies from World War II. Yes, I said to Self, they’ve always been stin

Maundy Thursday 2026 A Lesson in Humility for The Big Cheeses - (One They Refuse to Learn) I keep reading about the Big Cheeses — the power/control freaks who populate The EU Fonctionnaire Blob. They’re clutching their pearls, presently, at the mere spectre of the disasters they so pompously and stupidly created in that Eurozone. A simple law in physics would work to teach those putrid potentates that the more you crimp a hose — with running water — to stop the flow — for

8 March 2026 Yesterday, I took a break from translating into French this section on the Warrior Class in the America of the 1930s and 1940s, as viewed by U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Arthur Boucher Carmichael, recast as Artur Boucher, Free French agent (spy): Artur considered George S. Patton a cut above many other generals. Patton was a soldier who represented a warrior class best known to the ancient Scots; Artur believed that this stalwart American general would serve as an ex

St. Patrick’s Day 2026 I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen by Thomas Paine Westendorf I’ll take you home again, Kathleen Across the ocean wild and wide To where your heart has ever been Since first you were his bonnie bride. The roses all have left your cheek I have watched them fade away and die. Your voice is sad when e’er you speak And tears bedim your loving eyes. Oh, I will take you back, Kathleen, to where your heart will feel no pain And when those fie

March 2026 Only Once by Clive Weslake When I was very young and life was new My world was always full of dreams Growing old was far away No tomorrow, just today Nothing is the way it seems. I knew that one day I would fall in love The way young people always do How could I know what lay ahead? Life played games with me instead. I didn’t count on meeting you. Only once I always thought that love came only once That when you fell, You fell in love to sta

March 2026 I Know by Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz I know what it means to be lost in the dark. I know what it means to be tossed in the storm. I have walked alone with a heart of stone and despair too heavy for tears. But you caught my heart and you taught my heart to forget the doubts and the fears. And now that I know the joy of your love, My head is high, I can face the sky And know there is a heaven here below I know For you I could die For yo

March 2026 Love Me With All Your Heart by Carlos Rigual, Mario Rigual and Michael Vaughn; French translation by Debra Milligan Love me with all of your heart, That’s all I want, love Love me with all of your heart Or not at all. Just promise me this, that you’ll give me all your kisses Every winter Every summer Every fall. When we are far apart or when you’re near me Love me with all your heart As I love you. Don’t give me your love for a moment or an hour

Late February 2026 If I Loved You Music by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II If I loved you Time and again I would try to say All I want you to know. If I loved you, Words wouldn’t come in an easy way Round in circles I’d go Longing to tell you, but afraid and shy, I’d let my foolish chances pass me by. Soon You’d leave me, Off you would go in the mist of day Never, never to know How I loved you If I loved you. If I loved you, Time and

Friday the 13th, February 2026 I could be superstitious about Friday the 13th this year, but since there will be two of them, two months in a row, I’m not a bit concerned about the bad luck. The bad luck isn’t something I necessarily believe in, although I certainly have a sense of bad karma coming to those who have earned it. It’s the Calvinist (Dutch) in me, but my Scots-Irish ancestry also gains a palpable sense of comeuppance for those snooty miserable sinners. The p

28 January 2026 There was a time, long ago, when I was in my teens and twenties, that I intentionally permitted myself to be misunderstood. I’d like to say it was for the greater good, as I’ve watched this situation transpire with our heroic President; but it was for the sake of survival, which, one could say, is a greater good. Once a person has submitted herself, and subjected herself, to that unkind treatment of her self, there’s not much that she can do to undo it. I

28 January 2026 This morning, I put out the Spring Florals in my house, Larkhaven. Dear Hubby came home from his post-sunrise constitutional with Jolene, and I informed him of my clean-sweep through the first floor of the house, complete with wet-rag and drying towel. “I hope you didn’t dust too much,” he avowed. “Oh, no. I’m leaving the heavy stuff for you.” Especially since you’ve found and purchased all kinds of gizmos to more efficiently perform the tasks that I’d

February 2026 Dream a Little Dream of Me Music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn; French translation by Debra Milligan Stars shining bright above you Night breezes seem to whisper, “I love you,” Bird singing in the sycamore tree Dream a little dream of me. Say “nightie night” and kiss me Just hold me tight and tell me You’ll miss me. While I’m alone and blue as can be Dream a little dream of me. Stars fading, but I linger on, dear, S

23 January 2026 I can say with complete certainty that I would not have written these paragraphs that begin Chapter 62 of THE DAWN, had I not been living in the Peach House in Newcastle, and searching to find a way to move out of it — permanently — from 2008-2018. The translation of these words from English into French is more cumbersome, and, too often, frustrating because the French language, and the French culture, do not have any terms that are equivalent for: pioneer

22 January 2026 Among my New Year’s projects has been the reclaiming of my Mud Room/Laundry Room from Jolene, Jolene Du Pré, to be specific. This room became the Pup Room when she entered my life (my world) in early September 2023, and she’s immensely enjoyed having full run of the space. She doesn’t spend as much time in there, now that she has full run of the entire house and the acreage surrounding it. I therefore thought that I could set up this interior real-estate

Late January 2026 Blue Bayou by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson I feel so bad, I got a worried mind I’m so lonesome all the time Since I left my baby behind on Blue Bayou. Saving nickels, saving dimes Working till the sun don’t shine Looking forward to happier times on Blue Bayou. I’m going back Someday, Come what may to Blue Bayou Where the folks are fine and the world is mine on Blue Bayou Where those fishing boats with their sails afloat If I could onl

Mid-January 2026 June in January Music by Ralph Rainger, with lyrics by Leo Robin It's June in January Because I'm in love It always is spring in my heart With you in my arms. The snow is just white blossoms That fall from above And here is the reason, my dear: Your magical charms. The night is cold The trees are bare But I can feel the scent of roses in the air. It's June in January, But only because I'm in love with you. The night is cold The trees are b

January 2026 Mornings Music and Lyrics by Debra Tanis I have mornings, more than mornings I have dawnings now Without you. And if you can’t recall How it was at all Then why should I feel blue? I get longings But they’re warnings that I’m better off without you And if you didn’t know How I loved you so Then why should I feel blue? For all the times I came, I knew I couldn’t stay Yet all the nights we knew How could you go away? There’s tomorrow I can’t borro