Summary: Written for the 2018 Advent Calendar, based on the quilting prompt, Jacob’s Ladder. It’s a whale of a Christmas tale with grandchildren on the Ponderosa.

Rating: G 3,000 words

Jacob’s Ladder Series, links to all stories included within.

SUMMARY: Expanding on four pinecones, I put together a story that takes place after Hoss has died although much of the story features Hoss in memories Ben has before the story switches to the time immediately after his death. Although that sounds quite sad, the end result is to try to take something of great sorrow and find the silver lining in that dark cloud.

Rating = T Word count = 3597

Summary:  Ben stops by to visit with an old friend on the occasion of a big change in the family.  It’s a combination of some Pinecone challenges on Bonanza Brand and an April Fool’s challenge on another site with a story line to pull them all together.  

rating = T  word count = 3298

Summary: Ben meets Margaret Jensen while traveling by train from Boston back to Virginia City. The apparent chance meeting will forever change his life.

Rating: T Word Count: 17,524

Part of the For the Love of Maggie Series, links to all stories included within.

Summary:  After hearing Hoss’ reaction to an Easter sermon, Ben is consumed by thoughts of responsibility for past tragedies. It is when his sons finally return home from a trail drive that they are able to ease his burden and help him to let go of the weight of that guilt and find the source of their father’s current turmoil.

Rating = T  WC = 5116

Summary:  Gossips sour Ben’s mood when he returns from a business trip; and he only wants to hear an explanation direct from the guilty party.

Rating:  T  (1,455 words)

Summary: Ben Cartwright has twice known love and loss. Will the third time be the charm?

Rating: T (1,044 words)

Summary:  In Illinois, Ben has more trouble with McWhorter and loses someone dear to him because of it. Story follows a different path but eventually the whole family will be together on the Ponderosa. It may take some time for that to happen however. It’s based on a story idea suggested by a reader. Thank you, Sylvia, for the story idea that got me started.    

Rating – PG13    WC = 36301

Summary: Ben tries to make sense of Jennifer Carlisle’s sudden reintroduction into his life. Some of Ben’s thoughts during and following the season 11 episode “Is There Any Man Here?”

Rating: K+  Word Count: 1125

Summary:  Ben’s loss is keeping him from home until he remembers what he still has there.  

Rated: K+  Word count: 1182

Summary:  Ben Cartwright reminds some interested ladies–including Clementine Hawkins and Lilah Rose–that the pleasures (or otherwise) of old memories can be entirely a matter of context. A WHIB/WH(much)Later for The Burma Rarity.  

Rated: K  WC:1100

Summary: Seedlings Challenge, May 5, 2014

1,006 words Rated:  K  WC  1000

Summary: Ben isn’t really a worrier. Then again, who knows what a parent thinks about, when beloved sons haven’t returned after a Friday night dance.  

Rated: K+  WC 2000

ummary:  This is the second story in the A Circle of Family saga. Adam’s Bible, nearly destroyed in The Book of Joseph, has been returned in better shape than thought possible. After an thoughtful conversation with Hoss, Ben opens the Bible to the story of David and Goliath and relives a memory from a Sunday in the past when a reenactment of that story went awry. We see a young David (Hoss) smite the powerful Goliath (Adam) with a heavy wooden sword, leading to an interesting exchange between Marie and Ben as they decide how to patch the mighty Philistene’s gaping lip.

Rated: K  WC  8300

A Circle of Family Series, links to all the stories within the series included.