Small Cowboys
and Reflections
of the Heart
Kindle edition, $.99 on Amazon.
MOST OF US have had our share of "special days"—days that begin like any other ordinary day but end up being one that later seems quite remarkable when we look back on it. This is the story of one of the author's special days, a day that sparked the memory of another special day in her youth when she did something on the spur of the moment that was so adventurous and so against her calm and practical nature that she was astonished to find she'd actually survived the experience unscathed.
Later, on the special day around which this story revolves, the author has occasion to look back nostalgically on that adventurous time in her youth and see the significance of it. "Most of the special days of our life turn out to be once-in-a-lifetime experiences that gave us something we'll never get again," she says. "And for that reason, those special days need to be remembered and perhaps shared with others as a reminder that life is short, and we need to remember and savor every precious moment of every special day we've been given."
Reader Reviews
“I identified with the major characters in your story, as I too, have had a 'wild horse ride' as well as been the little boy, too shy to hug his relatives ... thank you for warming my heart with your words, allowing me to feel again that forgotten love and remembering one more time, how shy I was as a kid and how patient my loved ones were with me." – Joe H. Bell, author Of Shadows and Footprints
"Once I began to read, I couldn't stop. It was like an ice cream cone that melts if you don't finish it, and equally delicious. Thanks for the break, the sweet story, and the image of you flying through the air on the back side of a horse." – Dodie Eisenhauer, Village Designs
“What a delightful short story ... a beautiful memory recalled.” – Lady of the Lake
"What a charming story of a connection made with a little boy whose Auntie generously gave her cowgirl hat new life. Kids instinctively KNOW who cares. That ride and jump should have been captured on film!" – Sylvia Hourihane
“This story brings to mind those days so long ago when you would visit Grandmother's house or go stay with that Special Aunt on Friday night and then it floods you with nostalgia. Thank you, Barbara for bringing these feelings long hidden inside my heart to the surface, making me want to call those near and dear and hold on just a little longer to that warmth inside me." – Arllys Brooks
"Your story is WONDERFUL!!! I was THERE with you in that attic, hurting when your hugs were rebuffed, and finally, tears welled in my eyes at that precious impromptu hug and 3 little words. BEAUTIFUL! Words—and making them flow so the reader is instantly transported along with you—is in your blood, literally, with both your parents being such readers." – Rita Werner
"You did it! You made me cry. Thank you for sharing your memories of a 'special day.” – Sarah Sowa
"I enjoyed so much reading about your experiences as memories. Thanks for prompting me to remember a sweet memory of my own. One day when my granddaughter was just three, we were walking down the road and she bent over to pick a dandelion, exclaiming, 'This is a wunnaful day!' That memory only took seconds to create and years to think about. Now isn't that 'wunnaful'?" – Norma Rudoff
“I love this feel-good story ... This author writes with the authority of many years and awesome experiences.” Mommasad
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A Few Choice Words
The Fine Art of Talking to People Who Don't Speak Your Language— Amusing Anecdotes and Stories
Kindle edition, $1.99 on Amazon.
THIS COLLECTION of humorous anecdotes and short stories is adapted from journals I kept in the late seventies while traveling abroad with my husband, Harry, then an out-of-work professional musician who had come up with a unique idea for how we could not only be well paid to travel First Class to several foreign countries and capital cities of the World, but also get all our expenses reimbursed by the corporate client who bought his idea—a story in itself told at the end of this book.
Briefly, this travel was in regard to Harry's work as producer of the International Crafts Exposition presented for two years at Busch Gardens Theme Park in Williamsburg, Virginia, a topic discussed in The Drummer Drives!
All the stories in this book add to those in my memoir about my unusual life with Harry, a man known not only for his extraordinary talents as a musician, but or his keen sense of humor and gutsy approach to life. Some language-related excerpts from The Drummer Drives! are included at the end of this book.
Table of Contents
Introduction
"We go by feet"
Zip Your Lip!
Move Your Arse!
The French Connection
Abbondanza!
The Only English He Knew
You're Goethe? I Thought He Was Dead
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Unemployment
A Love Affair with Books
(a Drummer Drives! excerpt)
Word Play
(a Drummer Drives! excerpt)
What Readers Have Said
"... full of comical incidents told in a way that only Barbara Brabec can tell. Wait till you read about the trip to Paris ... Barbara puts you right there in the room with her and Harry, waiting (not so patiently) ... You'll go to several countries with Barbara and Harry and laugh every step of the way." – Terrie
"I love hearing about customs in other countries, but the personal touch of the observations of a wife traveling with her resourceful husband made it more interesting. We have future plans to visit Italy and I might actually make use of their hints on how to communicate when not speaking the language." – Barb Francis
"I enjoyed reading this little book. The incidents were humorous and the pacing moved right along." – Bev M.
“When I first started reading, I felt this story was a little slow but I kept reading. Then there was light and funny anecdotes and humorous stories. I began to laugh out loud, remember my meandering trips abroad. Even though I was in English speaking countries, in one city there were 14 different dialects. My 7-yr-old picked up the Scottish brogue in 2 days and I really felt like a stranger in a foreign country. I came to love your Harry, Barbara, and I have so enjoyed with sweet love story that takes the two of you from county to county. This is a short that lots of people would enjoy.” – Arllys Brooks