On Juno Beach

On Juno Beach

        The old man stood on the beach tears in his eyes, as he thought of the past it rolled back in his mind like he was there again.

“I don’t want to do this,” he cried as a young soldier.

 “Look around you what do you see? Bodies of good men who gave their lives; so we could continue the fight. We need to take this beach, the whole world counts on it. Besides they’d never think we’d come across in this weather.”

“Those paratroopers missed their targets, as did our R-boats. This is a disaster.”

“It’s not for you to say. We’re the 9th Canadian infantry brigade, we can take them. Join me, jump into the water and start swimming to the shore. Let’s do this,” Sarge answered.

     The boy soldier jumped into the choppy cold sea, swimming past dead soldiers, cannon fire and explosions exploding around him in the water.  He marched on past more bodies, past exploding shells, until late in the afternoon when they advanced on Carpiquet Airport. Low on ammunition they dug in for a night, that lasted a month, while bodies still fell around him.   

    The old man pulled himself back from the memories wiping his eyes, he looked towards the memorial. Seventy years ago passed since that fifteen year old boy fought and Sarge had died. Those dying boys, men and survivors were owed a duty. He would be there for the memorial every year to honour them, until he couldn’t  do anymore.

©Sheilagh Lee  June 5, 2014

Astronaut

"Let's get this over with."

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You have to. The Majority decided it must be done. It’s the only way to go to their world with no suspicion.”

“The creature is so ugly and to make me look like them...”

“You volunteered for the astronaut program Sheera.”

“I know. I just never thought I would have to change myself into an alien.”

“It’s only temporary.’

“Don’t lie to me. There is no cure right now. I know the risks doctor.”

“Sheera you told the Majority you’d do this. Are we going ahead with this, or should I find a more willing astronaut perhaps Aidru ?”

“Aidru are you kidding me? He barely passed the training.”

“So you agree?”

“Yes okay I’ll do it. You had better be working on a way to make me better.”

The doctor injected the serum into Sheera and she quickly transformed.

Sheera looked in a mirror and cried “I’m so ugly”.

“I’ll do everything in my power to find a cure so you can be beautiful again.” the doctor responded

“I’m holding you to that.  I’m off these aliens better be worth all the trouble.”

“I’m told we need them to continue our existence but they fear of us.”

“They are so primitive why would we need them?”

“They have something ingrained in them that makes them achieve, despite all odds.”

“And this planet is called?”

“Earth.”

© Sheilagh Lee   February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Day

Pictures of places I love

 Elora Gorge in Elora, Ontario

Bayfield Ontario

Amherstburg, Ontario 

 Castle Loma in Toronto, Ontario

Lepreau New Brunswick

Utica  Area New York State


Beautiful places in London, Ontario

Old Courthouse 

London Downtown ahead 





Forks of the Thames 





Convent Garden Market



St.Peter's Basilica 





Downtown where all the lights are bright.

                                      Westminster Ponds

© Sheilagh Lee   February 20, 2012

Short Story- Love’s Thanksgivings Bounties (Thanksgiving with the Blackstone's)

 my book Love's Labours Won- The Stone Chronicles - Book 1

Please enjoy my short story below based on the characters in my book,

Love’s Thanksgivings Bounties

        It was Thanksgiving and Sarah was grateful, after a couple of years of no one to share Thanksgiving with she had much to be thankful. The table looked magically, a turkey fresh out of the oven now sat in the middle of the table Darius’s contribution. Darius had insisted on not making the dressing inside the turkey. He said health regulations advised against that so he had made cornbread dressing in the oven along side the turkey. 
The dressing was something Sarah had never tasted before and Sarah wondered if she would like the unique flavours of it. She liked cornbread it was delicious so maybe as a dressing it too would be scrumptious. Dressing in the Dexler’s turkeys had been the standard dressing of bread with celery poultry seasoning onion and celery. The Dexler’s dressing for their turkeys was always delicious and Sarah had enjoyed every bite of those turkeys prepared by the Dexler’s housekeeper. Darius was an expert in cooking so surely Sarah would like this dressing as well?  It had something in common with that dressing she remembered having onions in it but there were also green onions in it and laden with turkey broth. The pies on the counter looked delicious too as they were hand made by Aunt Iva and Sarah herself. Sarah prided herself on her homemade crust which was flaky and delicious. No store bought frozen crust for this girl. Aunt Iva had even complimented Sarah on her crust. Then she had offered her preserves of strawberries, rhubarb, cherries and peaches for the pies. When Sarah had commented she had hoped to make apple pie Aunt Iva had supplied a bushel of apples from the root cellar.

        Sarah had wondered if she had overdone the pies as she looked at the side table laden with ten pies. There were after all only six people for dinner but Aunt Iva had said they would be lucky to have pie left over for tomorrow with three boys at the table. Sarah laughed at this Aunt Iva still called Darius and Demetrious’ boys. The table was beautifully decorated by Janelle, with the leaf lined table cloth and the beautiful horn of plenty in the middle of the table. Janelle had the eye of decorator when it came to details like these and made it look like something out of a magazine. Everything looked wonderful and Sarah felt a tear come to her eye when she recalled what she had gone through in the last year. She now had family, a home and a job. As she looked around and saw all the people she had become friends with and she now considered family sitting and laughing; she thought what more could a girl ask for? Sarah was truly thankful.

©Sheilagh Lee  November 14 ,2011

Southern Style Cornbread Turkey

In a large pot take cooked two turkey wings and giblets and season with salt pepper and boil until tender. Set aside broth

Take cornbread you have baked in oven in large skillet and crumble into bowl.

Bake cornbread in large black skillet breaking cornbread into large bowl. Add cut up green onions, round onions, celery, 2 to 3 beaten eggs, and 3 chopped boiled eggs. Add 1/2 loaf of cut up bread mixed with cooked onions and celery with poultry seasoning. Toss together then add as much broth (you may take some juices from baked turkey which you have set aside before making gravy.) Be careful not to make dry by adding juices (broth to keep wet ) Make sure it doesn’t get dry. Place in shallow baking dish (glass is good because it preserves heat.) serve warm to table with turkey.

Cornbread recipe baked in oven in skillet

1cup of cornmeal

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of white sugar or 1/4 cup of molasses

Enough butter or and milk to moisten

Cook until slightly brown and cooked throughout (think cake like).

Thank you for visiting. Leave any comments below.

Hello and Welcome to Dead Write

This is my blog to promote my murder mysteries. I will post mystery short stories here and excerpts from my book(s)