Palomar Mountain News

One of our weekend neighbors has Palomar roots that go back to the beginning of the last century. Barbara Waite has published two books from her grandmother’s journal that are a delight to read.  The first tells of her adventures as an Arizona School teacher in 1912 prior to coming to live on Palomar.  The apple orchard they planted you still see today on both sides of State Park Road.  In fact, the current owners gave permission for Kids Club to pick apples there.  So, if you bought those delicious apples from mountain kids at the Summit or their stand, they were from trees planted by Elsie’s husband.

When I had a chance to proof the book about a decade ago, I didn’t stop until finished in the wee hours of the morning.  If you haven’t read them yet, you can order directly from the author through her links below.  Barb posted on Facebook about her grandmother so I just had to share.

Posted by Barbara Anne Waite:

Yesterday marks 132 years ago, on January 22, 1888, that this lovely woman was born in Alexandria, Virginia. I enjoy telling groups how she lost her citizenship when she married a Welshman on Christmas day, 1916. She regained citizenship when Cable act was passed in 1922. She was a writer and my beloved Grammy Elsie. This was one of her Palomar poems:

Mountain Blessing
by Elsie Roberts
I followed mountain ways.
Wild lilacs touched my face,
The fern fronds bent in grace,
And in the fire the wind sang ancient lays.
The vales and hills reach to the sea’s blue haze.
But lo! Over all there lay,
Touched with a mystic light,
The drifted cloud banks—white,
Exquisite, visible silence, the snow of May.
The distant sea was gone;
The heights and depths were one:
Holy and boundless calm at the close of the day.
Through all Nature the vast hush stole;
And it brought to my troubled soul
The Peace of God, that nothing can take away.

I possessed zero book marketing strategy when I wrote the first “Elsie” book. I just knew I must write it. I had done public speaking for years-but very little writing beyond my notes. When my grandmother, Elsie, died and I read her diaries it began a quest to discover the secrets locked in cryptic notes and her letters. It was no secret she loved books. Whatever genes I inherited there is no doubt that Elsie passed on a love of books.

I have been contemplating selecting a ‘word’ for this year 2020. Today I received an order from Western National Parks for another 30 Elsie books. I think ‘grateful’ would certainly be a fitting word. When I first sold Elsie books to the National Parks 9 years ago I wondered if they would ever sell the 20 they ordered. Today’s order marks 1,448 Elsie books just from Western National Parks. When speaking I have sold over 3,300. No idea how many have sold on Amazon or as an e-book. No matter, I am grateful, extremely grateful for God blessing this endeavor. Yep, that is me with a book- maybe age 9.

Thanks Elsie!

Barbara Anne Waite

Click for more info and ordering links