Friday, August 21, 2015

Patti Shene: God And Gunsmoke

Everyone's Story warmly welcomes writer, blog(s) owner, and radio personality, Patti Shene. Though I've known Patti from the past years of visiting on our mutual blogs and sharing encouragement via social media, I've only come to learn that we've had several close encounters of actually meeting face-to-face. One day, Patti! Thankfully, this sweet woman will be my guest this whole week. I hope you find her as uplifting as I do. Both Patti and I look forward to hearing from you.


Who Would Have Thought? By Patti Shene
When I reach back into the inner recesses of my childhood memories, the evening of September 10, 1955, rises to the top. I still recall the grainy black and white picture that held my family and I spellbound as the television show Gunsmoke debuted before the viewing public. I was all of 4 years old.
We watched in shock as the main character and hero of the show, Marshal Matt Dillon, fell under the gun of a formidable adversary. The professional skill of the acerbic Doc Adams, in conjunction with the determination of the hero, found him healthy enough by the close of the half hour to defeat the villain in a dramatic final scene.


That first episode spawned the era of the western in the world of television broadcasting. I followed Gunsmoke, the first adult western, throughout its twenty year run and many other shows in the genre as well.
Even though Gunsmoke, was set in Dodge City, Kansas, this Long Island, New York girl developed a fascination for the state of Colorado. Hence my subscription to Colorado magazine when I became old enough to earn my own money and spend it the way I wanted.
My first “real job” as a nurse in the Hudson River Valley found me making good money, living on station for very low rent, and a non-driver. I had plenty of money in a savings account when I earned my first vacation.
The ad in the back of Colorado magazine for an eleven-day horse pack trip in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado offered a dream come true. Over forty years later, that trip stands out in my memory as one of the most thrilling experiences of my entire life.


I suppose that is why, if I could only complete one novel in my lifetime, it would be Magic Moments in Time, a fictionalized account of that trip. The dramatic events that occurred stemmed from the interpersonal relationships that developed, and the struggles of man against nature forced on us by terrain and weather.
The opportunity to view massive stone-faced peaks and lush, green, lake-dotted valleys from a height of over fourteen thousand feet cannot be duplicated in the most rugged vehicle manufactured. Travel on foot or horseback through densely wooded trails leads to switchbacks that jut out over dense wilderness ten thousand feet below. The grandeur of God’s unlimited creativity is manifested in every square inch of ground and an infinite sky, not dotted with twinkling stars, but highlighted by a solid path of light miles wide known as the Milky Way.
A month from the day I arrived home from that breathtaking excursion, I was working in Colorado. To this day, I live in a town that sits on the Santa Fe Trail, surrounded by ranches that comprise literally thousands of acres, wake up to the lowing of cattle that graze in the pasture next door, and, enjoy watching the rodeo events that highlight the summer season.
Reminders of our local American history, from the museum that boasts hundreds of 19th century artifacts to the Kit Carson Chapel that memorializes the famous American frontiersman, keep my interest in the American west alive. Frequent encounters with friends who tend their herds, mend fences, ride horses, and wear their cowboy boots and jeans to church feed my romantic fascination with the lifestyle of the modern day rancher.
If I ever publish a novel, I can about guarantee my readers will encounter within its pages a cowboy or two, a few horses, wide open spaces, and the black velvet sky that burns in my memory from that long ago mountain adventure.
Oh, and our lives do tend to move in circles. Sixty years after watching that first Gunsmoke episode, I live in the very town where one of the show’s most famous actors, Ken Curtis, who played Deputy Festus Haggen, spent his childhood.

Patti's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
What does God, His grandeur, and Gunsmoke have in common? Visit with @PattiShene for the answer. (Tweet This)

@PattiShene on Everyone’s Story: Can life move in a positive circle? (Tweet This) 

How does a Long Island gal end up in Colorado and loving every moment? (Tweet This)

Authors' Bio:
Patti Shene hails from Long Island, New York, but has made her home in colorful Colorado for over forty years. She has been married to husband Manuel (lifelong nickname: Speedy) for almost 38 years. They have one daughter one son, and one granddaughter.
Like many writers, Patti has carried stories in her head since she was a kid. She’s had a few things published in the local newspaper, a local magazine, and edits her church newsletter. She is published in two anthologies.

Patti has three (western!) novels in progress and writes an occasional short story, poem, or blog post. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and Toastmasters International. Patti has served on faculty at the Colorado Christian and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences as well as the IdahopeWriters Conference.

She hosted Lit(erally) Speak(ing), a Blog Talk Radio show currently in the process of restructure with plans to return to live broadcasting in a few weeks. She enjoys hosting writers on the show and on her three blogs, found at her website.

Places to connect with Patti:




24 comments:

  1. Thank you so much, Elaine, for hosting me on Everyone's Story this week. It was fun to be able to write about Colorado and my favorite TV show of all time, Gunsmoke!

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    1. I'm so thankful that you accepted my invitation, Patti, to appear on my blog. I've admired you for years--you're a big inspiration for me!

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    2. Oh my goodness, Elaine, I'm honored that you would say that! I love to encourage others, so it blesses me that I have inspired you.

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    3. Pat, I hope you do get back to fiction. I remember enjoying excerpts a few years ago.

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    4. I know I need to, Kathy I think about it a lot, now I need to do something about it! My characters are so mad at me because I've left them in terrible situations for way too long now!

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  2. It was great to learn more about Patti! I remember watching Gunsmoke as a ten-year-old. We never missed it.
    From my experience, keep working so that when God opens the door to publication you're ready to walk through it. Wishing you the best.

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    1. Great advice--wisdom--Pat. When you think about it, these words can be applied to all matters of life, which comes down to His timing. Nothing short.

      As always, it's a pleasure to see you!

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    2. Thank you for coming by, Pat. I could go on and on about Gunsmoke!

      I appreciate Elaine's invitation to her blog. The more blog posts I write,the more I'm inspired to get back into my novel writing. All of the encouragement from other writers is a huge help. Thank you!

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  3. Hello Patti and Elaine! How nice to run into you here, Patti. Your description of the Colorado plains is beautiful. It's amazing how a location can call to you. I had a similar experience with London, but our time there just ended after only 5 1/2 years. Now we're trying to listen for the call of our next home!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Sara! My husband and I rode through Colorado on the train several times during east to west coast trips and it is a lovely state. You're fortunate to have had the overseas experiences you've had, both living wise and writing-opportunity wise.

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    2. Hi Sara! Great to see you here. The plains do not possess the stark beauty of the towering Rockies, but it is perhaps more valuable because you really have to look for it. Cactus in bloom, rainbows, amazing cloud formations, green pastures, a calf trailing after her mama...you get the idea.

      I pray the Lord directs you to your next home soon. Our son is still in the UK. I think he and his wife are going to make London their permanent home, but I never know with them!

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  4. Hi Patti, Okay, can I come and visit you? We just returned from the Az mountains, and I so resonate to your relationship w/Colorado. What a great story of how it all began - thanks for sharing.

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    1. Gail, nice to see you! Ah, Arizona is another one of the states that I'd taken the train through (on my way to southern California) some years ago. Beautiful land!

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    2. Gail, I'm not sure my little corner of Colorado has anything to offer compared to the awesome beauty of Arizona! I love that state. The rock formations are so majestic.

      Still, you are welcome any time! Thanks so much for stopping by to connect here in cyberspace!

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  5. Love it. Thanks, Elaine for hosting Patti. Like you, she's been an online friend for years. I loved hearing her story. We Texans LOVE Colorado, so I can so identify. Now, I have a daughter that lives in Aurora, Co., so have even more reason to visit. Good luck on publishing that book, Patti. I feel it would be an instant success.

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    1. Janet, thanks for visiting today. Any book with the author name of Patti Shene is a success in my eyes!

      Hope to see you again.

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    2. Thank you so much, Janet. I sure hope we get to arrange that meeting next week. I appreciate you stopping by Elaine's blog.

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  6. Elaine, fabulous, thank you for having Patti as a guest!

    Patti, I love Gunsmoke as well as horseback riding. Your trip sounds incredible! I never went on a 10 day ride, but I did work at a riding stable while living in Alaska. How neat that you live in the town where Ken Curtis lived as a child. His character was very entertaining, and he was a wonderful singer as well. With the stories that fill your heart, no doubt you'll write that novel that lives up to your dreams. I wish you continued success.
    God bless,

    Diana Cosby

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    1. Diana, so nice to see you! Thanks for visiting. Love learning more about you--Gunsmoke and horseback riding, huh? You, my friend, have had so many adventures that I'm sure have stirred your creativity. You're one of my inspirations!

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  7. Diana, thank you so much for coming by. I'm watching Gunsmoke as we speak! I have it on continuous record, and sometimes I don't get to watch for several days, then I pig out on the shows! LOL!

    There are folks here in town who knew Ken well. They say, "if you know Festus Haggen, you know Ken Curtis!"

    Alaska - my dream state! I so want to get there someday!

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    1. Patti, Gunsmoke is to you what movie musicals are to me--feel good emotional medicine. And I'm all for that :)

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  8. Patti, thanks so much for guesting on Everyone's Story. You've been a guest to treasure. Thanks too for your wholehearted effort in helping to promote your blog feature--that means so much to me! I hope that this week has blessed you with the encouragement to continue with your writing, as much as you've uplifted the many viewers who have read your inspiring words.

    Blessings to you.

    Blessings to all.

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    1. The thanks goes to you, Elaine! I so enjoyed writing the post for your blog. If folks in Twitterland were not aware of Gunsmoke, they are now! LOL! I treasure your support and your friendship.

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