Chapter 7: No Air Zone: I had no idea who this chapter was about. I had to finish the questions and answers first. No Air Zone – those are the players who break up passes or make interceptions – the defensive backs.  When I found the picture below, I wasn’t sure who was trying to catch the ball, and who was trying to intercept or break it up. 

I figured I’d do worse this time . . . no one remembers the defense, but I lucked out with a few good guesses. Eight, WOOHOO!

I did about the same on name recognition. I knew 10 but failed on the other 16.

Here are this week’s Pick 3. Sorry, they turned into a Pick 8. The first 3 questions are about one defensive back, and the other 5 are about another.

                                 8.  Which Ohio State defensive back is one of the namesakes for the
                                         Big Ten’s award for the best defensive back of the season?
                                    A. Shawn Springs    B. Mike Doss   3. Dick LeBeau   4.  Jack Tatum

And the answer . . . Jack Tatum. I got it right! YAY! Good guess! I knew it wasn’t Shawn Springs. He came to OSU much later.
 
                            11. Who was Ohio State’s first first-team All-American as a defensive back?
                                   A. Jack Tatum   B. Ted Provost   C. Arnie Chonko   D. Mike Sensibaugh  

I missed it! I guessed Jack, but it was Arnie. I would have NEVER guessed him . . .  I didn’t know his name.
 
                                13. In which season was Jack Tatum named the national defensive player
                             of the year and unanimous All-American?   A. 1971   B. 1970   C. 1969   D. 1968
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                                                           Yay! I got it right! I picked the middle answer, 1970.

And Jack Tatum . . . he came to Columbus as a running back, at least that’s what Woody Hayes had planned. Then Lou Holtz took a peek. He talked Woody into turning Jack into a defensive back. Jack was fearsome. Lou put him in to challenge the other team’s top receiver. To do linebacker duty too. It worked!
​
Jack was first team All-Big Ten for 3 straight years. Then an All-American in 1969 and 1970. He was the national defensive player in 1970. In fact the Big Ten’s defensive back of the year award is named after Jack. What a pity – he has to share it with Charles Woodson, from that Team Up North. Blech!

​

                                     Now that other player . . . and his 5 questions . . . He was that good!

                                 2. Who holds the Ohio State record for most interceptions in a career?
                             A. Shawn Springs   B. Bradley Roby   C. Mike Sensibaugh   D. Craig Cassady

                             I missed it! I guessed Shawn Springs, but it was Mike Sensibaugh. Shucks!
 
                               5.  Who sits atop the Ohio State record book for career pass breakups?
                         A. Bradley Roby   B. Ahmed Plummer   C. Antoine Winfield   D.  Shawn Springs

              Another miss! All because Shawn was the only one I knew. The answer – Bradley Roby!
 
                               7. Who was Ohio State’s second winner of the Jim Thorpe Award?
                      A.   Antoine Winfield   B. Shawn Springs   C. Mike Doss   D.  Malcolm Jenkins 

                  Again?! At least I guessed someone new, Mike Doss. The answer, Malcolm Jenkins.
 
                             8. Which Ohio State defensive back is one of the namesakes for the
                                      Big Ten’s award for the best defensive back of the season?

I already put in this question/answer – Jack Tatum, but I repeated it because Shawn was one of the choices. Wow! He’s in 5 questions/answers.
 
                             10. Shawn Springs was the first defensive back to be named the Big Ten
                                                    Defensive Player of the Year.          A. True   B. False
The only one I got right! I picked False because I figured someone else had already made Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. Now I know who – Jack Tatum!


​Shawn was born to be a Buckeye. His dad – Ron Springs, was once a running back, but Shawn almost went the wrong way. He was scheduled for a visit to that Team Up North, but he cancelled. He signed with the Buckeyes a few days later. He made a HUGE impact during his 3 years on the team, especially in 1996. That’s when he was a consensus All-American, even though he never had an interception, and he only made 39 tackles. Why? How? He broke up 15 passes – they never happened. The result – he gave the Buckeyes an edge!
​

The End of the Season:  December 31st was the last game for my Buckeyes. They lost in the run-up to the National Championships. They played #1 Georgia, and I dreaded this evening after the Michigan game, but they showed up, BIG TIME! They led twice during the game, and if they’d scored a field goal in those last 8 seconds, they would have won. AND, they deserved it! WOW! What a game, for Georgia, and for my Buckeyes!
​
I’ll see you next year for the last five chapters of OSU Football Trivia. BAM! Here’s to those Buckeyes!

10-16-202  I bought this book back in early September. I shop whenever I’m watching an OSU football game. It’s a superstition, but it makes me feel like I’m doing my part to help the Buckeyes win.

September 3rd was their opening game against Notre Dame. I probably started shopping early in the 1st quarter, when Notre Dame scored first. At half-time they led, by 3 points.

OSU came back in the second half, scoring 2 touchdowns. It worked! I shopped, bought this book, and Notre Dame stopped scoring. I didn’t buy anything else, but I kept screen-shopping, just in case.

I read the 1st chapter later in September, and I discovered this is an unusual book . . . Each chapter has a set of trivia questions, followed by multiple-choice answers, and the explanation for those answers.

        Next Game Day Saturday, October 22nd, I’ll share how I did on chapter 1, and what I learned. 

Amazon’s Description:
Do you think you’re the ultimate superfan of the Ohio State Buckeyes? Do you have a friend who bleeds scarlet and gray? Do you want to learn about the history of your favorite Big Ten school’s football program?

Even if those questions don’t apply to you, The Ultimate Ohio State Buckeyes Trivia Book is the best book for learning about the Buckeyes and their history. This trivia book is packed with interesting facts about Ohio State football from cover to cover, taking you from the playing fields of Columbus to the being drafted into the National Football League.

In this book, you’ll discover the answers to such questions as:

• When did Ohio State win its first national title?
• Who holds the Ohio State record for career rushing touchdowns?
• Who was the first coach to lead the Buckeyes to an unbeaten season?
• Who was the first Ohio State player to be chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft?
• What was Les Horvath studying before he went on to win the Heisman Trophy?
  
  

Whether you are an Ohio State fanatic hungry for more information about the team, a Big Ten superfan craving knowledge about the teams in the league, or just someone who enjoys learning new, interesting facts, this book is right up your alley. You will not be disappointed in discovering the world of the Ohio State University Buckeyes, so just crack open the book, sit back, relax, and enjoy the wave of knowledge.

                             Game Day Saturday, October 22nd - Chapter 1 - How I did, and what I learned. 

Chapter 1: Origins & History Time: Welcome to University Hall! It was the first building to be built on campus in 1873, It was reconstructed in 1976, a year before I became a Buckeye. I started at the Lima Branch in 1977, and I went to the Main Campus in 1979.
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I thought I bled scarlet and grey, but I guess, not as much as I thought . . . On the first quiz I got 5 right, out of 20. JUST FIVE! I couldn’t believe it, but, the questions were really hard. I picked three to share with you.

                         #2 Ohio State’s first football game was played in May.  True or False?
True, and I got it right. It was a lucky guess! I looked up the reason behind the answer – the book didn’t explain why. The reason – They started trying to form a team in 1886, but it took until 1890. The very first OSU game was played on May 3, 1890 on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. There’s even a historical marker there to celebrate that very first game!
                                            Source: Ohio State Buckeyes football - Wikipedia

                 #17 Michigan is the only team to beat Ohio State more than 20 times.  True or False?
False. I got it right, but I misunderstood the question. I thought Michigan won LESS than 20 times. I was SO wrong! The teams met the first time October 16, 1897. The team up north (Michigan) won 34 to 0.

OSU and Michigan played 117 times so far. Michigan won 59 times. OSU 51, and there have been 7 ties. My favorite fact – OSU dominated this century. Michigan won in 2003, 2011, and last year, 2021. THREE TIMES! Woohoo! This year . . . yet to be played.
                                                Source: Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry - Wikipedia

                               #18 What charm do Ohio State players receive for a win over Michigan?
                                    A. Gold “W”        B. Silver jersey        C. Gold buckeye        D. Gold pants       
                                             The answer – D! I missed it because C sounded better.

Here’s how the tradition started . . . from Michigan’s early domination, from 1897 to 1933. They won 22 times. OSU 6 times, and 2 ties.      

In 1934 OSU hired Francis Schmidt as head coach. When the local media got a chance to ask about that team up north, Schmidt said, “They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.”
That’s when two Columbus businessmen formed the ‘Gold Pants Club.’ They created gold lapel pins, shaped like football pants. Each player and coach on that winning team gets a gold pin, engraved with their initials, game date, and the score.

The first year, 1934, Schmidt’s team won 34 – 0. OSU kept winning! They beat Michigan for the next four years. Talk about motivation! Here’s to gold pants in 2022!
                                             Source: Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry - Wikipedia

                                 Game Day Saturday, October 22nd - Chapter 2 - How I did, and what I learned. 

Chapter 2: The Numbers Game:  I knew I was going down when I realized they were jersey numbers. I never paid attention to those. I was shocked! I got 7 right out of 20, TWO more than last week, but it was only lucky guessing.

This chapter was all about name dropping, and I thought I knew a bunch. Just 14, HALF! Like Archie Griffin, the Bosa Brothers, and Eddie George. But there were 14 I didn’t know, at all, like Kirk Herbstreet, you know the football commentator. YIKES!

Here’s this week’s Pick 3 – Three questions with three great answers . . . 
​​

                           #6 Which number did the Bosa brothers wear while terrorizing opposing
                                                       backfields for Ohio State?     94     96     97     98   
The answer – C! I picked B, a pure guess. Their dad John wore #97 when he played for the Miami Dolphins. Joey picked up his dad’s number from 2013 – 2015. Then Nick took over the family tradition from 2016 – 2018. For six years #97 led the way. It attacked and sacked quarterbacks across the Big Ten, and beyond.

      #19 Ohio State’s school colors of scarlet and gray predate the football program. True False?
True. One right! I can’t imagine OSU without scarlet and gray. They’ve been Buckeye colors since 1878. A team of three students picked them out. They thought it was a “pleasing combination,” and no one else used them. That first game – May 3, 1890!

                                          #20 What color are the buckeye decals given out to players during
                                 the season for big plays and consistency?     Black     Green     White     Scarlet
The answer – B! I guessed C. I thought the decals were mostly white, with black outlines. No other colors, but I was wrong again, but maybe I’m remembering the old ones. Today they’re the size of a quarter, with GREEN leaves.

I also thought they were a part of OSU tradition. Not! They first appeared on helmets in 1968 because the athletic trainer suggested it. Why? Ernie Biggs never explained, but everyone agreed they were the perfect motivator for college football players. After all, who wouldn’t want a helmet loaded with stickers?!

I didn’t know OSU coaches used them differently. For example – Woody Hayes, the first to get the decals, handed them out for big plays, or for consistency on the field. Later Jim Tressel used them to award groups of players. Everyone got a Buckeye for a win. A pair, if it was a Big Ten win. His units on the field would get one for an explosive play. The defense got them for three-and-outs . . . That’s when the other team tried three times for a first down, failed to get it, so they had to give the ball back to the Buckeye offense.

PS – #10 is one of those special numbers. It wasn’t in the book, but it belonged to Troy Smith. He won the 2006 Heisman Trophy. In 2014 OSU changed procedures. It didn’t retire his number, but it enshrined his jersey at the stadium to honor Troy’s Heisman, and good old #10 is still in circulation. Someday, someone else will wear it.
 
​Sources: 
Photo – By Fernando Martello, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91173769
​
Information – Ohio State Buckeyes football - Wikipedia
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 – The Ultimate Ohio State Buckeyes Trivia Book: A Collection of Amazing Trivia Quizzes and Fun Facts for Die-Hard Buckeye Fans

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                              Game Day Saturday, November 3 - Chapter 3 - How I did, and what I learned. 

Chapter 3: Calling the Signals: I thought I might do a little better this time – today was all about quarterbacks. They’re the commanding officer on the offensive line. I did! I jumped into double digits . . . barely . . . 11 out of 20. Still failing, but it beats a 5 or a 7 😊

I recognize all of these quarterbacks from my days as a student, until now. Except for Les Horvath. He played QB for one year. It figures . . . in 1944. I wasn’t even born yet. I recognized 11 names in today’s quiz, but there were 9 I didn’t know. The big one I forgot – Joe Germaine – the QB from 1996-1998. Go figure!

Here’s my Pick 3 for this week – Three questions with three great answers . . . 

                               #1.  Cardale Jones easily holds the record for most wins without a loss
                 as an Ohio State starting quarterback, with how many victories?     9     11     13     14

The answer – B, 11 wins. I guessed 14, too high. I remember Cardale. He’s one of the most unusual quarterbacks in OSU history. He was the 3rd string QB who won the national championship. HOW?

Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett were both injured. Cardale led the Buckeyes to the Big 10 Championship, the national semifinals, AND The National Championship! It was the first year for the REAL one, with three games between the top 4 teams. Alabama, who lost, said OSU didn’t belong in the semifinals. Guess who was wrong?!

Dr. Pepper even made a commercial based on the 3rd string quarterback who won the national championship. It was an incredible year for OSU, and Cardale!

                #22. Which of these quarterbacks did NOT win 30 games as the Buckeyes’ starter?
                       A. J.T. Barrett       B. Cornelius Greene       C. Braxton Miller       D. Bobby Hoying

The answer – C, Braxton Miller. I got it right – I guessed! I thought the others hit 30 games. I was SO glad it wasn’t Cornelius Greene. He’s one of the first quarterbacks I remember. I’d never heard his story, until today. Maybe I was too young, too protected to hear about it.

I didn’t realize he was OSU’s first black starting quarterback, and that a lot of people in 1973 didn’t like it. Cornelius got 50 letters a week from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other similar groups. People even called his dorm room with death threats. It all stopped when Cornelius led the Buckeyes to a 56-7 win in the first game of the season, against Minnesota. Cornelius finished his OSU career with 2000 passing and rushing yards. He won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big 10 MVP (most valuable player).
​
BTW – he didn’t have a chance at the Heisman. His roommate, Archie Griffin won it, in 1974 and 75. He’s still the only college player to win it, TWICE. Bam! He was a Buckeye! And so was Cornelius!

          #9.  Dwayne Haskins is responsible for all but one of the 400-yard passing performances
                                            in Ohio State history. Who is responsible for the other one?
                                       A. Troy Smith   B. J.T. Barrett   C. Art Schlichter   D. Cardale Jones

The answer – C, Art Schlichter. I got it right – It was a good guess, but Art was a very talented player, with a back story that’s better than I thought.

George Chaump was the first Buckeye coach to spot Art in high school. He showed Woody Hayes a couple reels of film, then got him to go to a game. Woody was sold, but Art was ready to sign up with Michigan. OOPS! I mean that team up North. But Woody got Art. HOW?

Woody promised that he’d start as a freshman, and that the Buckeyes would open up the offense for him. That they’d even let him pass the ball. Timing is everything! Woody made that promise the day before Bo Schembechler was scheduled for a visit. When Art’s dad told him about the promise, Bo stormed out shouting that Woody would never keep it.

He did. Art started as a freshman, and I was a sophomore. I couldn’t believe Woody actually started a freshman. OSU is so deep in talent. How could a freshman become the starting QB? I don’t think anyone has started another one since, until last year, with C.J. Stroud in 2021. 

BTW – I’d never heard of Kirk Herbstreit. Here’s his story . . . Kirk only started one year as QB, in 1992. It was nothing to write home about so he decided to take a corporate sales job with a nice salary, and matching perks. Then a Columbus radio station offered him much, much less, with no benefits. The job – to do an afternoon talk show and sideline gameday reports for the Buckeyes.

Kirk took it! Two years later ESPN2 hired him to make sideline reports. The rest – is history. In 1996 he made it all the way to College Gameday. Not bad! And it beats a sales job!


                                Game Day Saturday, November12 - Chapter 4 - How I did, and what I learned. 

​​Chapter 4: Between the Tackles: I got 11 right last week, but I slipped back to 5 again. It figures . . . this week was about running backs, records and awards. I never paid attention to those things. I watched the plays, the touchdowns, and wins. The important things!

​When I was looking for running backs, I found this screenshot. I recognized everyone, except Jim Otis. He started in 1967 – when I was 8. I recognized 9 players on the quiz, but I was clueless with 13.  
Here’s my Pick 3 for this week – Three questions, and three great answers . . .


                                 #5. Eddie George and Ezekiel Elliott are tied in the record books with
                            the most 200-yard games for the Buckeyes, with how many?     5     4     3     2

The answer – A . . . 5 games. I guessed 4, too low. Both Eddie and Ezekiel had five games with over 200 yards, but no one dreamed Eddie could do that when he arrived. He was a BIG guy!

OSU was the only school that gave Eddie a chance to run. The others thought he should be a linebacker. Everything looked good until the first game with Illinois. That’s when he fumbled, TWICE, on the 5-yard line. Fans were furious! They said he should transfer! That Eddie wasn’t running back material.

Eddie persevered. Three years later he set a record against Illinois. He ended the season with 1927 yards rushing (a school record). He missed the single-season touchdown record by one. He also brought home every award a running back could win, including the Heisman Trophy. Way to go, Eddie George!


                     #13. What was Les Horvath’s career high for rushing yards in a game, set during
               his Heisman-winning 1944 season?      114 yards       128 yards       141 yards     157 yards

                 And the answer – C . . . 141 yards. I guessed too high – 157. Close doesn’t count in trivia.
​
​

The funny thing about that 1944 season . . . Les wasn’t supposed to play. He retired from football in 1942 after winning the national title. He started dental school in 1943. But in 1944 the coach asked Les to come back for one last season. Why? There weren’t enough players. They were off fighting in World War II.
​
The NCAA made players like Les eligible to play. And coach promised Les could skip practice AND fly to games, so he didn’t miss out on his dental work. Thanks to the war and the NCAA, Les rushed for 924 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He was also OSU’s first Heisman winner, thanks to one last, unexpected season. 
​

      17. Which of these Ohio State running backs was NOT a three-time first-team All-American?  
                             A. Lew Hinchman    B. Howard Cassidy     C. Chic Harley    D. Archie Griffin
​
And the answer – B . . . Howard Cassidy. I guessed wrong. I was torn between Lew Hinchman and Chic Harley because I didn’t know them. I picked Lew, wrong.  He was a first team All-American from 1930-1932, but he’s not well known. Everyone knows Archie Griffin. He’s the only player to win the Heisman twice, in college football history.
​
​

​
Meet Chic Harley, the first OSU superstar. He played during the 1916 and 17 seasons, but skipped out in 1918. He enlisted as a soldier in World War 1. It ended so Chic came back in 1919 and won first team All-American again, for the third time.
​
I didn’t know Chic was so popular that he put OSU football on the map. He was also the driving force behind building the Shoe. It used to be called the ‘House that Harley Built,’ but the important thing . . . it’s where the Buckeyes play!
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​

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Sources: The Ultimate Ohio State Buckeyes Trivia Book

-  QB/HB Lew Hinchman (3-time All-American) | BuckeyePlanet
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-   Ohio Stadium - Wikipedia

​-  Howard Cassady - Wikipedia

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​                              Game Day Saturday, November 12 - Chapter 5 - How I did, and what I learned. 
​
Chapter 5: Catching the Ball: I caught 5 answers, the same as last week. It figures – I’ve never been good at catching anything. And the answers I did manage to catch – the true and false kind. YIKES!

As for name recognition, I knew 7 . . . but not the other 14. AND worst of all, none of the book’s answers resonated with me.  
​
      So for this week’s Pick 3 – Three True & False Questions – And my research into their answers. 
​

                                           #2. Only five Ohio State receivers have gone over 1,000
                                                 receiving yards in a season.      A. True     B. False

The answer – A . . . True. I said false. I was sure there had to be more than 5. So here are the FIVE best receivers in OSU history . . .
                                                                In 1998 David Boston made 85 catches for 1435 yards.
                                                                In 1995 Terry Glenn only made 64 catches. He gained 1411 yards.
                                                                In 1986 Cris Carter caught 69 passes for 1127 yards.
                                                                In 2002 Michael Jenkins caught 61 passes for 1076 yards
                                      And finally in 2018 Parris Campbell joined the group with 82 catches for 1006 yards. 

Source: Parris Campbell Becomes Fifth Ohio State Receiver With 1,000 Yards Receiving in a Single Season | Eleven Warriors

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                                      #13. No Ohio State receiver has ever won the Biletnikoff Award ​for the
                                                        best wide receiver in the country.     A. True     B. False

                          And the answer – B . . . False. I knew it! At least one Buckeye had to win. REALLY!

But it turns out only ONE Buckeye did, Terry Glenn. He won in 1995, the 2nd year the award was given out, and he’s THE only finalist from OSU, ever. You have to be one of the top-three vote-getters to be a finalist. No one else broke through – not David Boston. Not Michael Jenkins. Not even Parris Campbell. It’s hard to believe with all the talented wide receivers that no other Buckeye ever got a nod. Unbelievable!

Source: After Ohio State football’s Biletnikoff Award snub, can Jaxon Smith-Njigba break the drought in 2022? - cleveland.com
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​                                               #19. Ohio State has NOT had a receiver with 200 receiving yards
                                                     in a game in the twenty-first century.      A. True     B. False
​
And the answer – B . . . False. It had to be false. Surely SOME Buckeye had to have over 200 yards receiving in a game, since the year 2000. Surely!

In OSU history there have only been four 200-yard receiving games, ever. SOME Buckeye did, since the year 2000 – and it was Jaxon Smith Njigba – twice, last year.

That means OSU is up to six games with 200 receiving yards, but I couldn’t find the other receivers. I looked for almost an hour, sorry. My guess is that Terry Glenn had one of those games, maybe two, but I have no idea on the others. Maybe a super-fan will comment and share those answers with all of us.
 
Source: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Breaks Rose Bowl Receiving Record as OSU Tops Utah in Thriller | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report
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​                              Game Day Saturday, November 26 - Chapter 6 - How I did, and what I learned. 

​Chapter 6: Trench Warfare:  I pictured the trenches of World War I when I read the title, but these are on the football field. The kind that the offensive and defensive linemen fight over. Today was the first game the OSU linemen failed, especially in the 2nd half, and it was against that Team Up North, but Coach Day and his assistants will analyze and tighten those lines. Come Bowl time, they’ll be ready. I have a feeling, Michigan won’t. They won, and they feel confident. They’re in for a brawl in the National Championships, and I’m not sure that they can handle it.
​

I thought lineman. Then uh-oh, but I got the same score as I did last week . . . not worse! I got 5 answers right again – 3 weeks in a row. I didn’t do as well on True/False, but I actually got some multiple-choice answers right. Sometimes good guesses pay off.

As for name recognition, I knew 12 linemen, more than last week, but there were way more names I didn’t know . . . 26. Ouch!
​
Here are this week’s Pick 3, but think of them as a Pick 5. The first three questions are all about the same person, and I got 2 right. Woohoo!
​

Game Day Saturday, December 31st  - Chapter 7 - How I did, and what I learned. 
​​

Chapter 7: No Air Zone: I had no idea who this chapter was about. I had to finish the questions and answers first. No Air Zone – those are the players who break up passes or make interceptions – the defensive backs.  When I found the picture below, I wasn’t sure who was trying to catch the ball, and who was trying to intercept or break it up. 

I figured I’d do worse this time . . . no one remembers the defense, but I lucked out with a few good guesses. Eight, WOOHOO!

I did about the same on name recognition. I knew 10 but failed on the other 16.

Here are this week’s Pick 3. Sorry, they turned into a Pick 8. The first 3 questions are about one defensive back, and the other 5 are about another.

                                 8.  Which Ohio State defensive back is one of the namesakes for the
                                         Big Ten’s award for the best defensive back of the season?
                                    A. Shawn Springs    B. Mike Doss   3. Dick LeBeau   4.  Jack Tatum

And the answer . . . Jack Tatum. I got it right! YAY! Good guess! I knew it wasn’t Shawn Springs. He came to OSU much later.
 
                            11. Who was Ohio State’s first first-team All-American as a defensive back?
                                   A. Jack Tatum   B. Ted Provost   C. Arnie Chonko   D. Mike Sensibaugh  

I missed it! I guessed Jack, but it was Arnie. I would have NEVER guessed him . . .  I didn’t know his name.
 
                                13. In which season was Jack Tatum named the national defensive player
                             of the year and unanimous All-American?   A. 1971   B. 1970   C. 1969   D. 1968

                                                  Yay! I got it right! I picked the middle answer, 1970.

And Jack Tatum . . . he came to Columbus as a running back, at least that’s what Woody Hayes had planned. Then Lou Holtz took a peek. He talked Woody into turning Jack into a defensive back. Jack was fearsome. Lou put him in to challenge the other team’s top receiver. To do linebacker duty too. It worked!

Jack was first team All-Big Ten for 3 straight years. Then an All-American in 1969 and 1970. He was the national defensive player in 1970. In fact the Big Ten’s defensive back of the year award is named after Jack. What a pity – he has to share it with Charles Woodson, from that Team Up North. Blech!

The End of the Season:  December 31st was the last game for my Buckeyes. They lost in the run-up to the National Championships. They played #1 Georgia, and I dreaded this evening after the Michigan game, but they showed up, BIG TIME! They led twice during the game, and if they’d scored a field goal in those last 8 seconds, they would have won. AND, they deserved it! WOW! What a game, for Georgia, and for my Buckeyes!
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I’ll see you next year for the last five chapters of OSU Football Trivia. BAM! Here’s to those Buckeyes!

Started 12/15                                       Finished 12/28
I started another book first but quickly changed my mind . . . I wanted something different, something Christmassy, and there’s no one better at it than Debbie Macomber.

The best part – I wound up with two stories! I’ve read them before, and they’re both Hallmark’s kind of story . . . full of kindness and good cheer. (They turned three of Debbie’s Mrs. Miracle books into movies.)

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS is Cassie’s story. She’s 34 and believes finding the perfect husband is now, or never. To increase her odds, she finds a matchmaker. His fee – $30,000 . . . OUCH! But if he can’t find the most ‘suitable’ match, she’ll get her money back. But first, Cassie has 3 task to complete. You’ll have to read to find out if she makes the perfect match.

CAN THIS BE CHRISTMAS asks what might happen, if you were stuck in small town New Hampshire, without food, family, or even a Christmas tree. It looks like the worst Christmas ever, until a simple act of kindness gets everyone to look beyond what was lost, to find a silver lining. This is a Debbie Macomber story, so you’re guaranteed a happy ending, even if you’re reading it in January😊

Amazon’s Description (From Back Cover):
Christmas perfect? For Cassie Beaumont, it’s meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing’s worked. Not blind dates, not the Internet and certainly not leaving love to chance. What’s left? A professional matchmaker. He’s Simon Dodson, and he’s very choosy about the clients he takes on. Cassie finds Simon a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she’s astonished when he accepts her as a client. Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets him. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell ringer, dressing up as Santa’s elf at a children’s party and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all—and she’s finally ready to meet her match. But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise! What would the holidays be without a Christmas story from Debbie Macomber? --This text refers to an alternate kindle edition edition.

This book on Kindle (from a review) contains recipes and then another book, "Can This Be Christmas?" which was a delightful surprise. It is about individuals on a train on their way home for Christmas. They had been diverted from their plane schedules because of a huge snowstorm in Maine on their way to Boston to make connections. Each is going to a different location; each has a story. Their stories and how they handle the breakdown of the tracks and spend the night in a train station makes the interesting tale. It is fascinating in both these books to discover how people grow in maturity from the disappointments of life. A very good read.

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Started 12/7                                  Finished 12/15
I bought this book for one reason – the name of the main character – Rinda! I’ve never seen my name on anything in a store. EVER! They have regular names, like Alex. When I saw Rinda in the description. I bought it! I had to!

The experience – unexpected! At first I thought someone was calling me, but they weren’t. They were calling for Princess Rinda of Balinore. It took a few chapters before Rinda felt like a book character. Not me!

The description also said it was inspired by an old folktale – by King Thrushbeard. I’d never heard of him before, but the Scarecrow King reminds me of another story – Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Both of them have women with sharp tongues, and control issues.

And the theme of The Scarecrow King? Rinda learns to trust others, but more importantly – she learns to trust and value herself. 

​Amazon’s Description:
Princess Rinda of Balinore knows of only one way to get her cold father’s attention – to be an obnoxious, spoiled princess. When she finds out that the king plan to marrying her off to a far-flung nobleman, she puts on her best bratty show in front of the entire court. But Rinda’s plan backfires, and she soon finds herself married to the most ineligible man ever. Her new husband is monastery raised, poor as dirt, and a traveling minstrel.

A very, very bad traveling minstrel. But Alek isn’t what he seems like on the surface, and neither is Rinda. She won’t take this marriage lying down, and schemes to find herself a new husband – a king. But as she and Alek travel together, they learn that not only are appearances deceiving, but goals can change in the blink of an eye, and love can get in the way of the strongest plans…

                   The Scarecrow King is a romantic retelling of the King Thrushbeard fairy tale.
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Started 11/29                                       Finished 12/7
I love historical fiction when it’s well done, like this book. I’d never heard of the Armenian Genocide, and I wondered why the author picked Sandcastle Girls for its title. It’s a reference to the ones Elizabeth Endicott built as a child on the Boston shoreline. The sandcastles reappear later in the Syrian Desert. Using them helps to tell this tragedy, without traumatizing the reader.

There are three main storylines running through it, but they’re easy to follow. Elizabeth is the heroine. She’s there to assist her father with his charity work. To use her nursing skills to help the Armenian refugees.

Armen Petrosian escaped the genocide, and now he builds railroad lines for the Ottoman Turks. They murdered his family, but he’s willing to work for them. His hope – to find out what happened to his first wife and their infant daughter.

Armen and Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Laura, discovers the answer long after her grandparents’ death, and it isn’t pretty. She spots a woman’s photo in an exhibit. Her name – Karine Petrosian. Could they be related? Laura finds out from the letters and journals her grandmother had hidden away. It’s the beginning of a journey back in time to 1915 Aleppo, Syria to learn the truth.

PS – I love when posts link together. When Armen gives up on finding his wife and daughter, he joins the Anzac soldiers fighting the Turks in Egypt. If you’d like to learn more about the Anzacs, check out this link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/meet-the-anzacs-then-discover-who-they-were

Amazon’s Description:
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of The Flight Attendant, here is a sweeping historical love story that probes the depths of love, family, and secrets amid the Armenian Genocide during WWI.

When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Aleppo, Syria, she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke, a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language. It’s 1915, and Elizabeth has volunteered to help deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian Genocide during the First World War. There she meets Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant daughter. After leaving Aleppo and traveling into Egypt to join the British Army, he begins to write Elizabeth letters, realizing that he has fallen in love with the wealthy young American.
 
Years later, their American granddaughter, Laura, embarks on a journey back through her family’s history, uncovering a story of love, loss—and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

Do you ever need a laugh? I do, so Funny Editor.com sends me at least one a day, usually more. The best part – trying to figure out the answer. I usually miss, but I love trying. Here’s today’s joke . . . can you guess the answer?

​And the answer is . . . 
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​I didn’t think of Disney, the happiest place on earth, but I did think of taking the perfect Christmas picture. It used to stress me out, especially when my kids were toddlers.

Click the link below if you want to look at the answer. You’ll also find more jokes, and, you can subscribe to funnyeditor.com.

PS – I found this one using the categories button, under family. I wonder what category I’ll pick tomorrow . . . I’ll let you know then 😊
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                     Link: Where can you find the most stressed-out parents? (funnyeditor.com)
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​Times Square!
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I didn’t think of times, like multiplication. Or square either, like the shape, or 22 (two squared.) In math a number that’s squared is multiplied by itself. 22 equals 2x2, and that’s 4.

All I could think of was pie, not the kind you eat – the math kind, “Pi.” They’re pronounced the same, but pi’s a symbol that looks like this . . . "π". If you want to calculate pi, divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter. The answer is never-ending, but math teachers round it up to 3.14.

I’m glad the funny editor picked the other Times Square, the block in New York City. I have two pictures of it. The first is from a regular night. The second is New Year’s Eve. That’s when people from all over the US come together to celebrate. They watch the ball drop. It marks the beginning of the new year.
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Click the link below if you want to look at the answer. I found it in Categories, under education.
                           Link: Where do math teachers like to go on vacation? (funnyeditor.com)
​                                                                              Now, to find Joke #3😊


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Long distance made me think fuel. Cars run on gasoline. Reindeer –  on food. I couldn’t make it punny, but the funny editor did – with long distance runners.

It’s a great play on words . . . with the runners . . . those things on the bottom. They run through the snow on a regular sled, but they run through the air for Santa.

There are also runners – the kind that pull the sleigh. Santa uses reindeer for his. Click the link below if you want to look at the answer, and, more jokes. I found this one in Categories, under holiday.
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​Link: Why does Santa's sled get such good mileage? (funnyeditor.com)   
PS – I already picked Joke #4 for tomorrow 😊 From the same category 😊


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I love the Funny Editor.com answers. I didn’t have a thing for this one, and their answer is a 3-way word play. Think ‘suit.’ It has 2 meanings that fit – suit as in the one Santa’s wearing. The other suit is when something matches or fits you. Example – chocolate suits me! It really does!
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The real answer is completely different from suit, in how it looks, and sounds. Soot rhymes with foot. It’s the smoke pouring out of the chimney, the black powder inside it, and the ashes in the fireplace. I don’t know how Santa’s ‘suit’ stays clean with all that ‘soot.’

Click the link below if you want to find this joke and a few more. This one was in Categories, under holiday.

                 Link: Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve? (funnyeditor.com)

​If you’ve been following me through the Agent Audition Challenge, you’ve been with me since November of 2020. I got the answer in November of 2022. It’s true – nothing in the Kidlit world moves fast.  

Part 1 – A Little History:  I wanted to write this post since I got the answer  back in November, but sometimes it’s better to wait.

I thought I’d take you back in time to the beginning of my journey. The simplest way – with links to the posts I’ve written. It all started with this one from 11/7/21.

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​The link and the title: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/auditioning-for-an-agent
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​I wrote this post on 12/29/20. I was 2 months into the challenge, with 2 months to go – the halfway point. Its title and link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog//the-agent-audition-challenge-february-is-coming

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​This one appeared 7/21/21. I had 3 of the 4 manuscripts agent-ready, but I still wasn’t done. It also includes my disappointment over missing my February deadline. The title and link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/the-agent-audition-challenge-closing-in-on-the-finish
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​The final post – the end of the fantastic voyage. I emailed in all 4 manuscripts. Now the waiting began. The last title and link: http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/my-fantastic-voyage-from-october-2020-to-october-2021



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Part 2 – The Second Voyage, to the Answer:  This was a quiet journey. No posts to tell you how it was going. It was a journey of emails, where I stayed quiet, where I waited for an answer. Now, I can tell you my story.

This agent is worth waiting for. She’s considered a dream agent in the Kidlit world. Three or four of my critique partners have queried her, and she’s picky about the authors she represents. I would be too.

The biggest reason I’m waiting – my safety story. I’ve queried other agents, and they’ve said no. I believe in this story. I think it’s the most important one I’ve written. If an agent can’t take us on, then I can’t take them on either . . . so I waited. 
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​

I didn’t just sit and wait during that year. I sent other queries, to other agents. I also emailed two nudges to that dream agent. That’s an email that basically asks, what do you think – yes, no, or maybe so?

I sent the first one in April after learning she had a death in her family. I mentioned that in the first part of my nudge. She thanked me for my words. She also said my manuscripts were on her to-do list.
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Time passed. I waited until July to try again. It was time to ask for her final answer. I also decided to offer her a new story that I hoped, would help her say yes.
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Her answer - YES! She asked for Becoming You and the Nativity story. Frankly, Becoming You scared me. It’s so short, so tight. It’s not a poem, but it’s definitely lyrical. I talked to my mentor Callie, who said I could do it . . . in a month. So I emailed the agent back, and we got to work.
​
Callie helped me set up a schedule to revise both manuscripts. I had revision goals to meet each week. I met with Callie. She reviewed my revisions, and we made changes to the manuscript and schedule as needed. 

​​

​I finished Nativity the third week of September, but Becoming needed more tweaking. I emailed and asked for more time, and my dream agent said sure.

She’s like me . . . she wants to get the story right. That’s another reason she’s a dream agent. The things I’ve learned from this challenge, like nudging, waiting, and revising, they’re teaching me how to become a dream client.

I sent both manuscripts off on October 12th, after Callie thought Becoming was ready. I waited until the end of the month before sending one last nudge.
                                           
​                                          On November 7th, I got my final answer – No, but . . .

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​Part 3 – The Rest of the Answer, plus My Plans for the Future:  The final answer – No, but not because my dream agent doesn’t see the potential in me. She saw things to revise in both manuscripts. She looked at her schedule and decided she didn’t have the time to add me to her client list. It’s the nicest rejection I’ve ever gotten.
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She also offered two options I’ve never received before. First she opened the door for me to query one of her colleagues. I’ve already decided who I’d like to email in January. I think my writing style is a good fit for her.
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My dream agent also offered me the chance to query her next fall, if I haven’t found representation. It’s very kind, but it also says that she sees value in my work. It’s my best rejection ever!
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To celebrate I bought myself a cardigan. Whenever I wear it, I’ll remember this adventure. I’ve learned so much over the last two years, and all five of my manuscripts are better because of it. 
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​ 2. I’ll check the monthly publishing newsletters to find the agents who are making book deals. I’ll research them to find out who’s the best fit for me and my writing style. My goal is to query at least one agent a month. More – even better.

3. I’ll track my queries and nudge agents when it’s time.

4. I’ll keep writing. The more manuscripts I can get ready for submission, the better.

5. I’ll be working with my mentor, Callie, at least once a month to polish manuscripts. My job – to become someone’s dream client.
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6. I’ll pray every day that I find my dream agent. Here’s to the next voyage, in 2023!

Part 1 – Plants for Decoration:  When I came up with this title, I didn’t think of the plants pictured below. I thought of the kind you plant . . . then eat. But now . . . that’s part 2.
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We buy special plants to decorate our homes at Christmas. Do you recognize any of these? The first two are flowers. The last two can either be bushes or trees.

First up is the Christmas Rose – I only recognize it from the Christmas Eve hymn. Its English title – “Lo, how a rose e’er blooming. I didn’t know it was composed in Germany. To learn more about this old hymn, click here: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen - Wikipedia.  Don’t worry! The link is written in English.

The second flower is the one I think of when I think Christmas – the Poinsettia. They’re also called the Christmas Star. A lot of people buy them in November and December. I never do – I hate to kill plants! If someone gives me one, they only last a month or two, and then they die. Poor plant! I think it’s kinder for me NOT to buy one.

The third plant, Holly. I didn’t know there were 18 different kinds. I can’t decide what I like better – the waxy leaves, or the red berries. They look great in your yard, and they grow year-round without needing a lot of care. But whatever you do, don’t eat the berries – they’re poisonous! If you love the way they look, use them for decoration, or save them for your local birds . . . They’re safe for them to eat, and they love the taste.

The last one is everyone’s favorite – the Christmas tree. Some people buy artificial ones. Others go out to the woods to chop theirs down. Still others go to the store and buy one to decorate in December. If you’re into the environment, you could even buy one for Christmas, and then plant it in your yard. If you did it every year, you’d wind up with your own small forest of evergreens.



​Part 2 – Plants That Grow in Pots:  Like vegetables! That’s what I was thinking of when I decided to put up this post in December.  Fresh vegetables are great to have anytime, but especially in the winter when nothing grows up north. But inside in a pot, plants can grow and thrive. 

Back in August I got an email from Jen Stark, from Happy DIY Home.com. She had a link she hoped I’d share. Her turn came up this month, and it struck me that gifting someone with plants for Christmas, might make the perfect gift. If you have kids, growing vegetables is a great way to grow responsibility too, and your kids get to eat their profits.
 
The title of Jen’s post – 16 EASY VEGETABLES TO GROW IN POTS. They include – beans, beets, carrots, chard, chili pepper, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, zucchinis. That’s a lot of growing you can do when it’s freezing outside.
Jen’s Link: https://happydiyhome.com/easy-vegetables-to-grow-in-pots/
 
I must warn you – some vegetables are easier to grow than others. Lettuces and greens are easy-peasy. So are peppers. If you go to Jen’s link, it will tell you what size pot you need for each plant, and what kind of light they need based on your location. Some vegetables are climbers. They’ll need something to climb, like a trellis. The one I would never do inside – pumpkins. A friend tried a few pumpkin seeds, and they took over her whole backyard.  I’d hate to put one in a pot.



Part 3 – Easy Plants to Grow During the Winter:  The easiest ones – lettuces, greens, and herbs. After I read Jen Stark’s link from yesterday, I wanted to make sure I had the best ones for you . . . so I checked with Google. The link: can you grow vegetables inside during winter - Search (bing.com)

That’s where I found Dian Farmer. She did a post about best practices if you want to grow plants inside during the winter. She also had veggie suggestions. I posted basic information. Click Dian’s link for more specific instructions.  Link: 7 Vegetables You Can Grow Indoors In Winter – Dian Farmer Learning To Grow Our Own Food

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​Dian’s Tips:
1. Use good potting soil. It should be a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite.
2.  Pick pots that let the water drain out. Make sure the container fits your plant. Some veggies only need a few inches, but others need a foot of space to grow properly.
3. Place your containers in windows that face south. They get the most sunlight during the winter. If yours face a different direction, add lighting. Check out Dian’s site. It has a link to Amazon that will help you buy the right light.
4. Avoid drafty windows. They’re too cold. Don’t put your plants too close to heaters. That will dry them out.
5. Pick the right plants to grow inside in the winter. It makes a difference!
 
Dian’s Top Seven Suggestions: Garlic greens or chives, lettuce, kale, arugula, beans, peppers, and culinary herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, cilantro, lemon balm, and basil. If you feel more adventurous, you might consider alpine strawberries, brussels sprouts, Bok choy, Asian greens, broad beans, lamb’s lettuce, winter cabbages, or collard greens.

​​I found another helpful link. It had some of the same information, plus a few tips that were different. It also comes with links to the stuff you need to make your garden grow.
       Link: Learn How Easy It Is To Grow Vegetables Indoors In The Winter (theedibleterrace.com)
 
My favorite part – his conclusions . . .
1. Start small, with lettuces, the come and cut kind. They’re easy, and they can help you learn as you grow.
2. Check with local plant nurseries. Sometimes they have classes or experts who can guide you into gardening.
3. Gardening can be tricky. Be diligent, patient, and determined, and you’ll grow as a gardener too.
 
                                                                        Good luck, and happy gardening!

Started 11/20                                      Finished 11/29
This could be the first book in a new series! It has great characters and an interesting premise. Claire is a librarian from Texas whose fiancee walks out on her at their weddding rehearsal. Claire takes her honeymoon to New York anyway and discovers the presence of magic. She even winds up helping to decide who will rule the wizards of New York. There’s a guy, a cute one of course. I can’t give away the ending, but I can tell you that Claire’s research skills come in handy. Would you believe there’s a magical library inside the Main one in New York? You know the one with the lions? If this becomes a series, I’ll be waiting and watching for the next book, Fingers crossed!
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Amazon’s Description:
The wedding was cancelled, but the honeymoon is pure magic

Left at the altar, Claire Jennings wasn’t going to let a cancelled wedding get in the way of her honeymoon trip to New York City, especially since she’d already paid for it. But a chance encounter and a good deed send her vacation in an entirely unexpected direction, drawing her into a side of the city that tourists don’t see—and neither do most New Yorkers.

After she meets a handsome stranger in a hotel bar, she finds herself in a social whirlwind, invited to glamourous parties in impossible venues and included in excursions right out of a movie. She soon learns that she’s become the accidental keeper of something every magical person in New York wants—a source of great power. It’s giving her abilities she never dreamed were possible, but it’s also made her a target.
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If she ever wants to go back to her normal life where she isn’t constantly hunted by wizards, Claire will have to rescue an enchanted prince, find a way to navigate this magical world, figure out who the good guys and bad guys are, and mediate a centuries-old dispute. And all before her flight home.
A new contemporary fantasy with a touch of romance from the author of Enchanted, Inc.

Started 11/14                                                 Finished 11/20
Shanna Swendson is one of my favorite authors, and I’m working my way through her Lucky Lexie series. I just finished book 5, and I have 2 to go. No magic, but plenty of ghosts, and a murder to solve.

What I love most about her writing – is how fun it is to read. Imagine – a ghost hunter coming into the newspaper office to get the scoop on the haunted hotel, but she doesn’t see the ghost that’s standing right in front of her. I wish I’d written that scene! Or my other favorite ghostbusters – the Spooky Squad. Shanna wrote them just like something out of the Scooby Doo cartoons. Maybe I do need to try writing a mystery, just for the fun of it!

The first time I read one, I can never, ever solve it. If it were real life, I’d be dead😊. The best part about reading a mystery again – you can follow the clues right to the criminal, even when they point at someone else. Here’s to my next Lucky Lexie adventure!
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Amazon’s Description:
It’s the event someone’s dying to attend . . .The grand-opening party at a new bed-and-breakfast in a vintage farmhouse that’s supposedly haunted poses quite the dilemma for Lexie Lincoln. Most of the other guests are noted ghost hunters, and since Lexie actually can see ghosts, she’ll know whether they’re frauds and whether the inn really is haunted. But showing what she knows or honestly reporting on what she sees and hears would make her sound like a tabloid reporter rather than a serious journalist.

Ghosts become the least of Lexie’s concerns when a flash flood blocks the road out and then one of the guests is found dead. Someone in the inn has to be a killer. If they don’t figure out who, there could be more victims. It’s up to Lexie to enlist the aid of the resident ghosts to break the case and save them all, but that may mean revealing her secret talent to the rest of the world. Or is an angry ghost the real threat?

Started 10/13                                          Finished 11/14
I read this book every couple of years because its elements fascinate me. How many books have you read that begin with a dedication to your banker, who explained the ins/outs of ATMs for your plot? Add in another dedication – a quote from Isaiah about the Son of Morning falling from heaven, AKA Lucifer.  And the story hasn’t even started yet!

The main characters – Grace from 1996 and Niall of Scotland from 1307. How could they connect? Through the Foundation of Evil. Grace thought she was working for an archaeology group, until it destroyed her family. That’s when she learned the truth, that the Foundation was after nothing less than the treasure chest of the Knights Templar. Niall became its Guardian after the order’s destruction on Friday October 13th, 1307. And that was just the beginning of the book!

Some chapters like #9 are so intriguing . . . “The Foundation hadn’t had good luck with the past two Republican presidents, or the Democratic one before them. Their luck had changed four years earlier.” The two Republicans . . . Ronald Reagan and George Bush the elder. The Democrat . . . Jimmy Carter. And when did the Foundation’s luck change? In 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected president.

Another quote from chapter 9 . . . War was so gauche, so much effort for so little gain. The time had passed when nations could be won; now war meant little but destruction. Real power lay in money . . . and whoever controlled the money controlled the world as well as the puppets who stood onstage, in the limelight, and pretended to be the ones in power.”

There may still be war in the Ukraine. But social media and the press control the conversation, and they’re pushing for a new world order, not middle-class values. It seems more true today in 2022, than when this book was published back in 2009.

Chapter 26, puts the religious theme back into focus . . . “The fact that mortal man cannot understand God, that we must not say a thing is impossible, because all things are possible to Him, and our understanding too paltry. God is not limited by our imagination or our small minds. The Church makes rules and says they come from God, but they come only from man and his attempt to interpret God.”

And that brings the reader back to the main characters and their drive for a happy ending. This is a romance after all, and, a brilliant book! (Warning - this is an open-door novel. I skip pages that are too graphic for me.)

Amazon’s Description:
New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard captivates readers in the deeply romantic tale of a contemporary woman who unravels an extraordinary mystery from the past—by living it.

A scholar specializing in ancient manuscripts, Grace St. John never imagined that a cache of old documents she discovered was the missing link to a lost Celtic treasure. But as soon as she deciphers the legend of the Knights of the Templar -- long fabled to hold the key to unlimited power -- Grace becomes the target of a ruthless killer bent on abusing the coveted force. Determined to stop him, Grace needs the help of a warrior bound by duty to uphold the Templar's secret for all eternity. But to find him -- and to save herself -- she must go back in time . . . to fourteenth-century Scotland . . . and to Black Niall, a fierce man of dark fury and raw, unbridled desire. . . .

Have you heard of the song, Be True to Your School? Or the Beach Boys? No? You can click on this link, keep reading, or do both. I suggest both 😊          Link: be true to your school - Search (bing.com
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​Be True to Your School is a song by the Beach Boys, and it came out in October of  1963. I was 4, but I still remember it. The Beach Boys were popular in the 60’s and later in the 70’s when I was in high school. They were known for their ‘California sound.’ It was all about surfing, cars, and girls. You know, teenage stuff. In the 60’s California was the place to be. My parents considered moving, but didn’t.

This song started playing in my head after the OSU/Michigan game. My team, The Ohio State University, lost, and the internet articles were awful. Everyone loves the thrill of victory, but no one wants anything to do with the agony of defeat. It’s not fun, but it’s important to know how to win, and how to lose. Maybe that’s why this song started circling through my head.

So where did it come from? From Brian Wilson and Mike Love, two of the original Beach Boys. I knew that, but I didn’t know the melody was the University of Wisconsin’s fight song, ‘On Wisconsin.’ But the Wilson brothers, Brian, Carl, and Dennis weren’t channeling Wisconsin. They were using their high school fight song. Hawthorne High School in California uses the same melody, different words. As for the Beach Boys, their lyrics were all about staying true to your school, to your girl, the important things in life. I love positive messages, the kind that make you want to be a better you. Loyalty is a good thing.

BTW – the cover photo (below) is for their single, not the album. If you’re younger than me, songs back then were played on record players. They were vinyl disks, 7 inches in diameter. The ‘A’ side had Be True to Your School, the hit side. On the ‘B’side was In My Room. It was actually a hit, but not as big.
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Tomorrow – my thoughts about staying true to my school, to its coaches and players. Win or lose, I believe in loyalty.
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​                                             Sources:
Photos: By http://www.7inchrecords.com/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5030597
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Search link:  be true to your school - Search (bing.com)
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Information Sources:
Be True to Your School - Wikipedia
The Beach Boys - Wikipedia


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Part 2 – The School:  I’ve been true to my school since the 70’s. I’m a Buckeye first, last, and always. Win or lose, I’m a Buckeye. They’re words, but I’m a writer, and words are important to me.

I’m also loyal. If The Ohio State University is playing football, then I’m cheering them on. If we’re into Bowl Season, then I’m all about the Big 10. I’ll root for them, for their coach, and their players. Shucks, I’ll even root for Michigan, but only if it’s a Bowl Game.
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There are 3 seasons at OSU – the first11 games, then Michigan, and last, a Bowl. Win at least 2 of them, and you’ll keep your job.
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Here are the last two OSU coaches, Ryan Day and Urban Meyer. After OSU lost The Big Game on Saturday, people wanted Ryan fired, and Urban to be rehired. My guess – probably the same ones. The history of the two coaches is linked,

Here’s how . . . In 2018 when people were calling for Urban to be fired, he was placed on administrative leave for three games while the university investigated him. Urban was cleared, and he returned to finish the season. But those people, they were still calling for him to be fired. Not me. I’m loyal.
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The coach during those 3 games – Ryan Day. He won all 3. I backed him then, and I backed Urban’s return. Some people didn’t, and they got their way. Urban retired after the 2019 Rose Bowl. I was glad because I thought Urban stepped away for health reasons. He looked like he was in pain during most of the season. 
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The next head coach – Ryan Day. I was glad to see him back. I thought he deserved the job. And his record since then . . .  In 2019 Ryan had a  12 – 0 regular season, the first one since 2013. His team won the Big 10 Championship. They made it to the National Playoff but lost to Clemson. Coach Day was named the Dave McClain Coach of the Year, AND he beat Michigan.

2020 was a weird year. That’s when Covid almost stopped college football. The Buckeyes played 4 games and won them all. The 5th game, Coach Day missed . . . he had Covid . . . but his team still won. As for Michigan, they refused to play, they said because of Covid. We Buckeyes didn’t buy it. We thought Michigan choked and wanted to stop us from making the National Championships. But the Big 10 council said let OSU play. We won the Big 10, then beat Clemson in the National Playoffs. It was so satisfying after losing in 2019, but the year ended with a loss to Alabama. Disappointing, but being the #2 football team in the nation – not so bad!

2021 was interesting . . . Coach Day started freshman CJ Stroud at quarterback. I couldn’t believe it! I haven’t seen a freshman in that position since Art Schlichter when I was in college. I also couldn’t believe how Coach Day helped him grow. The Buckeyes lost 2 games that season, early in the year against Oregon, and that final awful game. I knew eventually Michigan had to win, but it was glorious, from 2011- 2020. And the good news – we beat Utah in the Rose Bowl. Michigan – lost BIG time in the National Championships to Georgia.

This year, 2022 was great, until Saturday. That’s the day Coach Day lost to Michigan, again, 2 years in a row. I didn’t know he bragged that he’d “hang 100 on them” in 2021 . It wasn’t wise, and it fired up those Wolverines, 2 years in a row. But looking at his record, even with 2 losses to Michigan, I’d keep Coach Day. Look at all those great regular seasons, plus 2 Bowl wins.

Photo Sources:
Ryan Day: By CFB ON FOX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kelObbmNiQ, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113990115

Urban Meyer: By CFB ON FOX - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kelObbmNiQ, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113990179
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Information Sources: Ryan Day (American football) - Wikipedia
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Part 3 – The Team:  I’ve been true to my school and its team since the 70’s. No player wins in isolation, or loses that  way either. Great plays, and mistakes are part of the game. I believe in that old adage – it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. 

​As for CJ Stroud, he took a lot of shots over the weekend for losing The Big Game, two years in a row. I didn’t blame CJ last year. He was a freshman and still learning. The only other freshman to win the starting quarterback position was Art Schlichter. It was unimaginable to start a freshman then, unless they’re super-talented. It still is.

CJ has grown a ton over the last 2 years, thanks to Coach Day and his staff. He is so good that this is probably his last season at OSU. He’s planning on going into the NFL draft.
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Are you ready to start your Christmas shopping? I have three ideas for you . . . and they’re all at bargain basement prices . . . $5. Ready, set, let’s shop!

Gift Idea #1 – A gift for $5? I found it . . . My book, ZOE’S SCAVENGER HUNT FUN. It’s a lake vacation interactive chapter book AND you can be my coauthor and coillustrator. My only caution -  that price doesn’t include shipping. Here’s the link for BiblioKid Publishing, and their price is less than mine.
 
Link:  Sale Archives - BiblioKid Publishing     
If you get lost, look for the Sale link button at the top of the BiblioKid page – Books under $10
 PS – you’ll find a LOT of books for that $5 price. Please consider shopping with BiblioKid, and my fellow authors/illustrators.

​Option B– Do you need free shipping for Zoe? Try Amazon! Their price is a little higher, BUT it includes that shipping. I’m always looking for bargains, and if BiblioKid and Amazon can sell it for less than I can, I say, “Buy it!”

If you’d like Zoe as a eBook, Amazon has a kindle version of it.
Amazon Link: Zoe's Scavenger Hunt Fun: A Lake Vacation Activity Book: Beach, Rinda: 9781734319552: Amazon.com: Books
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If you’ve been waiting to buy Zoe, this is the perfect time, the perfect price. And if you’d like it autographed, email me. I’ll snail mail an autographed sticker straight out to you.

​​Gift Idea #2 – Another $5 deal, from Amazon, AND it has free shipping for you too. It’s the picture book version of Zoe. I actually wrote it first, and it has a story on the left side of the page, and room on the right for you to draw and write. There’s only one place to find this paperback – Amazon, and they have it now, at half price!
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Amazon Link: Lake Fun For You and Me: Beach, Rinda: 9781733589239: Amazon.com: Books

Gift Idea #3 – I found another $5 deal for you . . . It’s my first book. You can get it from Amazon as a paperback, eBook, or hardback, whichever way you want it. AND, there’s free shipping too!
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Amazon Link: Amazon.com: Neil Armstrong's Wind Tunnel Dream: 9781733589215: Beach, Rinda: Books
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​Happy shopping! Tis the season!

This one was born when I picked Anzac Ted to read for Veteran’s Day, 2022. I thought with a teddy bear, it would be a great fit for young children who are ready to discover Veteran’s Day.
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Anzac Ted turned out to be so much more. It’s the story of the ANZAC soldiers who fought alongside Great Britain during World War I. I only read the first half of the book. It’s perfect for littles. The other half tells Ted’s story as he supported those Anzac soldiers, and I still think it works for young children.
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​Part 1 – What is an Azac?  Anzac stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp, ANZAC. The division was formed in December 1914, in Egypt, during World War 1. They were supposed to be stationed in Britain, but plans changed because there wasn’t room, or supplies. The Anzac units were sent to Egypt . . . the weather was a better fit. December is summer down under for Anzac soldiers.

This is a 1915 camp of soldiers from New Zealand. Its name – ANZAC Cove. They were commanded by General William Birdwood, an officer from the British Indian Army. He brought in soldiers from India, Ceylon, Britain, and Ireland. He even had a Jewish unit with volunteers from Russia, Canada, and the US, but it was mainly made up of those Anzac soldiers.  

This illustration of the Anzac troops came out after the battle at Gallipoli. George R.I said, “The Australian and New Zealand troops have indeed proved themselves worthy sons of the Empire.” That seemed odd . . . George I died after the American Revolution. George V was king during WWI, and he was also the last ruler of the British Empire. It began dissolving after WWI and eventually turned into the British Commonwealth of Nations.
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​And the Gallipoli campaign – it started on February 17, 1915. It ended on January 19, 1916. It had three goals – To weaken and defeat the Ottoman Empire. To keep the Suez Canal safe, and to open up shipping to Russian ports. BTW, that’s when the Russian czar and the British king were cousins, and they worked together against another cousin, the German kaiser.

The Gallipoli campaign didn’t work out as planned. The February land invasion failed, but the Allies didn’t quit. On April 25 they sent the Anzac soldiers to land on the Turkish beaches. That failed too. Finally in January 1916 the allies gave up and withdrew their forces. For Turkey, it became a defining moment in their history, the beginning of the road to becoming their own country.
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In Australia and New Zealand, they saw Gallipoli as a baptism of fire. It was also the beginning of their journey to become independent countries too. 

The Anzac troops left Greece on April 23 and 24 of 1941. Most of them were sent to Crete to bolster its defense against an upcoming German air and sea invasion. That battle began May 20. It ended 10 days later. The Germans – overwhelming.  
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The Royal Navy rescued most of the men, but some hid out in mountains. They survived thanks to the people of Crete.  Others were found, captured, and sent to Prisoner of War camps in Europe (POW).
I searched but couldn’t find the date this monument was built, but I’m glad it honors those who fell in Greece, then in Crete. They may have lost those battles, but their efforts helped win World War II. 
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​​Welcome to the Be’er Sheva Anzac Memorial Centre. You’ll find it in Be’eri Forest near Negev, Israel. It’s a monument to the Anzac soldiers who gave their lives in Palestine during World War 1. That was in April, 1917. (Palestine is now the country of Israel.)

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​The Memorial Centre was dedicated on the 100th anniversary of Be’er Sheva’s liberation from the Ottoman Empire. You can interact with the Anzac story inside the museum. Outside you’ll be walking on hallowed ground, where the two battles of Gaza were fought.

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Information Sources:
Anzac Ted – Written and Illustrated by Belinda Landsberry

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - Wikipedia

​Gallipoli campaign - Wikipedia

Anzac Memorial (Israel) - Wikipedia
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The Be'er-Sheva ANAZC Memorial Centre - אטרקציות בבאר שבע - כל האטרקציות בבאר שבע : תיירות באר שבע (visitbr7.co.il)