Happy Holidays!

Okay, so for all of you who have been chomping at the bit for me to take a break, it's time. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about click here.) I plan on spending the next two weeks with family, and I look forward to catching up with all of you when I return after the New Year. So, anyone want to place bets on who gets some good news while I'm away? Happy Holidays, everyone!

Tis The Season, Part 4...

Finding the perfect gift for your child is a relief. Watching your child's eyes light up when they open that gift is heartwarming. But watching the same child pace in anticipation while they wait for someone else to open a gift is truly priceless. (Do I sound like the Visa commercial? That's what I was going for. No? Well, maybe I should practice a little more.) Anyway... one of my favorite holiday moments was when my mom, my two brothers, and I adopted a family for Christmas. Instead of buying gifts for each other, we decided to spend the money on a family in need. This is nothing new, I know. But we were fortunate enough to actually get to meet the family and give the gifts to them in person. My kids were so excited to watch these underprivileged peers open their gifts that they couldn't sit still. That was more exciting to them than walking down the stairs on Christmas morning to their own brightly wrapped presents. It really was a wake up call about the true meaning of the holiday. I don't think any of us have ever viewed Christmas the same way since we watched those children get excited about opening necessities like shampoo and toothpaste, coats and gloves, and if they were lucky, a doll or a toy car. Okay, so this is where I'd normally relate my post to writing in some way, but I'd hate to take away from the whole "giving" message, so I'll leave it alone. Have a great day!

Tis The Season, Part 3...

If you've been around here this week, you know I'm sharing some of my favorite holiday memories. Since I told a farm story yesterday, I thought I'd stick with that theme and share another farm related memory today. As I mentioned yesterday, we have a dairy farm. What I didn't mention is that we don't actually live on the farm. We live in town in a neighborhood. (I'd explain why, but that would be some really unnecessary back story.) Anyway, a couple of years ago on Christmas morning, my husband brought home an unexpected guest who was in need of a warm place to stay and a meal. That's what the holidays are all about, right? Welcoming the needy into your home? Only this needy one came in the form of a newborn calf. It was so new, in fact, that it couldn't stand yet. It's mother had died while giving birth, and the poor calf was starving for milk and freezing. My kids took turns bottle feeding it in our garage while all the neighbors came to see the strange visitor. After all, most of them had never been that close to a newborn calf. Sometimes the most unexpected moments are also the most memorable. Same goes with writing. I just love it when something unexpected happens in my manuscripts. Any unexpected holiday memories you'd like to share?

Tis The Season, Part 2...

So, you all know that I'm tired of my kids thinking the holiday season is all about the newest gadget they want. This week, I'm sharing some of my fondest holiday memories in hopes of negating their commercial mindset. Today, I'd like to share a memory about one of the first Christmases I shared with my husband. I was nine months pregnant with our first child, and my mom had just moved 800 miles away. My dad was spending his Christmas morning with his new wife and her family, and my brothers were who knows where. I felt completely and utterly alone. (I'm sure my hormones didn't help, but still...) Most of you know that we are a farm family. My husband runs a dairy farm and buys and sells Holstein cattle for a living. And anyone who knows anything about farming, knows that Christmas is not a day off. I was aware of this when I married my husband, but that didn't stop me from being a little miffed about the fact that he had to go feed pastures and pastures of cows on Christmas morning. Rather than sitting at home alone, I decided to join him. About halfway through the first pasture, I realized my mistake. It was a bumpy ride, and I had a five pound baby in my womb resting on my full bladder. There was a foot of snow on the ground and no bathroom within miles. My husband kept talking to me and making jokes, trying to keep my mind off my dire circumstances. At the time, I was absolutely miserable, but looking back on it, I can't say I have any regrets. I learned a valuable lesson while spending quality time with my husband. Isn't writing the same? Every stage we are in, we may make bad decisions, but sure enough, we learn from them right? We always, and I mean always, look back on those times fondly, even if we we're miserable at the time. And, more often than not, we have no regrets. So, what about you? Any holiday memories that didn't seem so great at the time, but you cherish now?

Tis The Season...

Does anyone remember what it's the season for? If my kids add one more outrageously expensive gift to their Christmas lists, I think I might have to boycott the holiday all together. No... I won't do that, but I am ready for them to start thinking about what it's really all about. Regardless of religious affiliation, I think this time of year is about family. Whatever holiday you celebrate, I'd venture to guess that it has something to do with spending time with loved ones. So, this week, I want to share some of my favorite holiday memories. None of which have anything to do with presents received. I'm going to start off with something that was a tradition for my family when I was growing up. Every Christmas Eve (if we weren't traveling to Grandma's house), my mom would cook up a big batch of beef stew and an enormous pan of monkey bread. (Hey now, I never said my favorite memories wouldn't involve food.) As a family, we shared many meals throughout the year, but this meal seemed special for some reason. No one fought or argued. No one was in a hurry to get to a practice or a meeting or whatever else we were involved in. It was just us with all the time in the world. Lately, I've heard a lot of buzz about the added stress the holidays bring. Thinking back to when I was a child, it was the opposite. Things seemed to slow down for my family. I want it to be that way as an adult. So, this holiday season, I think I'll try to slow down and remember that life is so much sweeter (with or without monkey bread) when I'm not in a hurry to get somewhere else. Same kind of goes for this thing called writing. When we're always trying to get the next best thing, whether it be finishing the next novel, signing with an agent, selling to a publisher, hitting the Bestsellers list, etc., we fail to truly enjoy the craft of writing. What about you? Do you have any slow-mo holiday memories to share? If so, please do.