The Magic of Winter...

On this windy, cold and cloudy, New Year's Eve, the weatherman is calling for snow. Call me skeptical if you will, but so far today, I haven't seen so much as a drop of rain here in Las Vegas. Now that doesn't mean we never get snow here. We have had some on occasion. So when we do, I sit back with a hot cup of cocoa, and watch it through the window--from the comfort of my heated home--with a fire roaring in the fireplace.

American Homestead Winter - Currier & Ives 

  
I bet I had an ancestor or two that would've loved to have traded places with me. Long ago--when life depended on the planting and harvesting of crops--the long days of winter were filled with various magical rituals. They had rituals for the fields they hoped would ensure an increase in flocks, herds and the harvest. Rituals were held to protect hearth and home. They even had rituals meant to bring back the light of the sun.

The Three Ghosts of Christmas...

A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens and published in 1843 is one of my favorite Christmas stories. As part of our family Christmas traditions, we either read it, or watch one of the many movie versions we own based on the story. The kids love Disney's version starring Mickey Mouse and I think I'm kind of partial to the one starring George C. Scott... (We also like Scrooged...ahem)

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First edition. Title page.

Anyway, I',m sure it doesn't surprise anyone who knows me, or reads my blogs or books that the Three Ghosts of Christmas fascinates me. We have the ghost of Christmas Past, which takes Scrooge on a journey filled with Christmas memories. The ghost of Christmas Present that forces dear old Scrooge to see firsthand the holiday celebrations of those way less fortunate and, finally, we have the ghost of Christmas Future...a future that might be but doesn't have to be. During my childhood, all the ghosts scared the Dickens right out of me (sorry, couldn't resist) because the thought of one of them showing up in the middle of the night by my bed seemed anything but pleasant.

The fabulous Stephanie Keyes presents...The Last Protector!

I am so excited to have my Inkspell sister and friend visiting with me today as she presents her latest novel!

About the Book

The Last Protector

By Stephanie Keyes

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing | Release Date: December 15, 2014

Gabriel Stewart helped his best friend Kellen St. James save the world from The Scourge in the Battle of Dublin. But before that? Gabe was just an ordinary guy who kept having dreams about a little boy with black hair and green eyes—a boy he hadn’t even met yet.

The Best Christmas Gift Ever...

So, last week I waxed nostalgic about Santa Claus. This week my thoughts have taken me to my most memorable, most special, most favorite Christmas gift of all time! Nothing has ever topped it and I truly don't think anything ever will. So...

I was five years old and during that Christmas season, my mother was pregnant. Very. Pregnant. In fact, our baby was due to arrive around the middle of January. At the time, my three other siblings were all brothers and oh, how I longed for a sister. Believe it or not, my brothers wanted a sister almost as much as I did. Mom and Dad tried to prepare us for another brother should one come, but none of us were having any of it. We wanted a sister, and that's all there was to that! (At the time sonograms were non-existent, so no peeking...)

Christmas Memories with Santa Claus!

Well...the tree is up and arrayed in all it's splendid glory! The rest of the house is still a work in progress but the tree is all a sparkle! What do you think? 

I don't know why, but a Christmas tree can put me in the Christmas spirit faster than anything else. Maybe it's because of the countless memories it invokes. After all, around here, the tree begins the season.

Now, because my only sister was born on Christmas Day (and that event is my most special and favorite Christmas memory) Santa Claus was a frequent Christmas Eve visitor to our home. We thought it so sad that my dad always had a meeting to attend whenever he showed up. Santa was just so busy, he couldn't wait for his return either! Nonetheless, we loved sharing the details of that visit with Dad over and over once he got home. Then as we grew older, our association with Santa provided even more amazing memories.