Sam and Eli: Chess Masters (Blog 461)

Monday evening after school, I played chess with Sam and Eli for the first time. The two boys, ages seven and five, respectively, are learning the rudiments of the game. And, understandably, Sam has a better grasp so far.

No matter, Eli and I were able to defeat Sam in a classic match that surely will be talked about for years among chess aficionados. Sam seemed to take his defeat graciously, though Eli immediately wanted to high five with me, perhaps to let his older brother know that he had game in some sort of activity, too.

I eagerly await the rematch.

Eleventh Grade Stress Due Out Soon (Blog 460)

My ninth book and third Young Adult Fiction novel, Eleventh Grade Stress, is due out in a couple of weeks. I still find that hard to believe. I knew by the time I was an eleventh grader what my major goals were and they were as follows: a great wife, children, a house out in the country, rural land, a teaching career, and a writing career.

And, amazingly enough, I have been more than fortunate to gain all those things over the years. Everything all started with a great wife, Elaine, who has been my side for over 41 years of marriage. Sarah and Mark are awesome adults now, Elaine and I live out in the country on 38 acres of wooded land with a stream flowing through it, and I am nearing 2,500 magazine articles sold. At 67 years of age, I am still teaching high school English and still loving to go to school every day and work with young people.

One of the writing genres I was never interested in ever, and that includes my time as a high school student, was Young Adult Fiction. And now thanks to Secant Publishing and my editor Ron Sauder, I have a four-book series in the works for that genre. Again, I am amazed at that. I am also teaching the first two books, Ninth Grade Blues and Tenth Grade Angst, to my high school students. And from what I understand a half dozen or more teachers are using them in their classrooms.

If you should like to reserve a copy, e-mail me at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com.

Making Wild Grape Jelly ((Blog 459)

Yesterday after I arrived home from school, Elaine and I went to pick summer grapes on the rural Botetourt County, Virginia road where we live. Earlier, I had spotted summer grapes, the most common species of wild grape in Southwest Virginia, growing on a neighbor's land. I asked him if we could pick the grapes, and the gentleman said yes.

Today, our grandsons Sam and Eli will help us remove the grapes from the stems, then Elaine will begin the process of turning the fruit into jelly. We think summer grape jelly has a pleasant tartness, making it superior to store jelly. Sam and Eli's reward for their labor will be a jar of jelly to take home.