New Year's Non-Resolutions.

Greetings, fair reader.

I'm happy to report that Unmask the Night, that most troublesome manuscript of mine, is at last in its final stages of preparation. That joyous time when writing is finished, editing is done, and my inner author finally gets to take a very small break. That hateful, tear-filled time of tedious battles with Amazon's obtuse technical specs, the endless maze of navigating Microsoft Word on an ancient laptop that freezes every thirty seconds, and muttered insults at technology everywhere. It's a time of slowly, angrily dying inside. Of creativity and free spirit weeping and quivering in a corner of my mind... Anyway, you get the idea. Book 2 of Red Wolf is getting itself made presentable. I'm a bit nervous to give a solid release date, since I know how those things tend to fall apart on me, however, I am *cautiously* optimistic in hinting that it should happen before the end of January.

I never got around to making any posts for the holiday's this year, which makes me a little sad. I hope you all had a wonderful season. Ours was very nice, even with the inevitable party overload, but very chill this year. We went very simple, and didn't even put up a tree. Yes, I missed it. But after a rough year, it was really great to simplify and just enjoy having Hubby home for those extra days, relaxing, getting extra sleep, and pulling off those parties without extra fuss.

With the end of the year, I always get introspective. I've never been big on making New Year's resolutions, but I like to take a look at my life and spend some time dreaming and thinking about where I'd like to be. This season something jumped out at me that has stuck in my brain and really influenced a lot of my intentions and goals for the coming year, both for my home, and for this blog. It was a line from The Two Towers (the movie version) which I had a chance to revisit over the holidays. Orcs have overrun Helm's Deep, and Theoden, in a daze and expecting to be wiped out, says, "What can men do against such reckless hate?" I feel like that could be the lament for our time and our culture. Everywhere I turn, whether it's social media with its endless memes, to news media, it seems like America is drowning in rage. And if not rage, then sarcasm and casual indifference. Nothing is sacred, and rudeness has no filter. For an introverted empath like myself, it can feel like any contact with the world is an attack. And when I'm dealing with my own ugliness, insecurities, anxieties, and humanity, just turning on my computer in the morning can drag me into a really dark place if I'm not careful.

I'm not making any resolutions, or setting any hard goals for anything, but this year I want to be more intentional about creating peaceful spaces. I want my home to be a haven. I want to celebrate reading nooks, potted herbs, paper and ink, hazy summer mornings and whole, nutritious foods. I want to de-clutter and clean and create an environment where my soul can be at peace. Instead of visualizing some perfect future where I can be happy because all's right in my life, my house is clean, chores are done, and magically there's nothing else on the to-do list, I want to find moments to live in. Moments where I can slow down and take it all in and remind myself to simply be alive. And I'm really hoping to be able to share some of those moments here. I'd like to create a space here, even if it's just a virtual one, to celebrate those geeky, homegrown moments of goodness. Maybe share some recipes, or talk about old fashioned things. Go all fangirl over garden weeds like dandelion and yarrow that are actually undercover superheroes. Just sayin'. Maybe it'll happen.

For now, keep an eye out for Unmask the Night. I'm hoping to get some special book-themed posts up here in the next few weeks. Super excited!

The Art of Celebrating Christmas

Greetings, dear reader!

What was that? Did I hear a groan of disgust from one of you? Don't say the C-word until after Thanksgiving? Is that what I hear you complaining about? Well bah, humbug to you too! Just consider yourself lucky that I was being nice and waited until after Halloween to post this! Christmas has been going of for weeks already here.

"But why?" you say. "Isn't it bad enough that everyone's already pulling out the Christmas merchandise and commercials? Do we really have to hear it from you now, too? Why so much fuss over one day?"

Well, I'm just so glad you asked. Mwahahahahaaaaaaa.

Ok, ok, I'll admit, I'm not super crazy about the commercialism that hounds us this time of year. The cheepo Santa Clause crap that pops up everywhere. The pressure of spending too much money for stuff that no one really needs. If that's what you're bemoaning, then I'm right there with you, friend. Cause that ain't Christmas!

Christmas isn't a day. Not just a day that we spend weeks preparing for just so we can suffer that inevitable afternoon letdown once the gifts are opened and the meal is eaten and we're faced with a week's worth of dirty dishes, loose wrapping paper, fallen pine needles, and sugar-crazed chaos. Just, no. Christmas is a season. It's a celebration. Don't ever forget that. Don't let it become "Gone Bankrupt Day" like Thanksgiving has turned into "Turkey Day."

Think about it: midwinter just hit. It's dark. It's cold. The worst of winter is yet to come. The winter solstice welcomes in the DARKEST days of the year. And get this-- before Christmas-- that is, before Christ's birth-- the world was lost in that same kind of all-consuming darkness, without hope. I mean, really, what kind of hope did they have? Without any of the things we take for granted now, amenities like, for most of those who will be reading this, modern medicine, food, warmth, dreams and ambitions, the freedom to pursue any path toward happiness that we choose, the hope of heaven, for those who follow Jesus, and the comfort that comes with that, of knowing that this world is the worst thing we'll ever have to see. Before Christmas, things were just getting darker. Then Christ came.

Christmas is a celebration of Light. Or didn't you ever stop to think about those millions of feet of sparkly, twinkly lights that go up every year, and what kind of a statement they're supposed to make? The winter solstice is past, and now, no matter how cold the winter gets, light is coming. Spring is coming. It's not going to get any darker. And Christ, the Light of the World, has come. We have hope.

Ain't anybody gonna tell me I have to wait till after Thanksgiving to celebrate that!

So when October hits, and the days get noticeably shorter, and the nights get a whole lot colder, I start looking toward Christmas, and thinking about light. I could wax poetic-- literally (as evidenced by the poem at the top of the post)-- but I won't. At least not too much. But when I was growing up, Christmas was an EVENT. It started in August, during fair season, and involved lots of evenings listening to Christmas music and stories while working on projects. There were lots of horrible, childish crafts that I was so proud of, and lots of things I still love to do. Painted pinecones and wooden ornaments, lovingly set aside to be hung on the tree. Handmade gifts, designed and crafted especially with that one person in mind. Evenings when all but the Christmas lights would be turned off, and instrumental Christmas music turned on (Manheim Steamroller has always been a favorite), and you can just bask in the peace and the beauty and let your imagination follow the music and create stories and scenes that it brings to mind.

Maybe because we were poor, it was always a really big deal to go Christmas shopping. When you only have a very limited budget to spend on it, it becomes a treasure hunt of the first order, patching together bought items with homemade items, looking for a great deal on some fun little thing. When did buying the latest electronic gadget equal happiness? Please. There is an art to Christmas shopping, and it doesn't involve gaming systems or smartphones. Were some of our gifts a little corny? Absolutely. But they made the best memories. They meant everything, both to the person giving and the person receiving, because they had character. They had careful thought put into them. They weren't just an obligation. They were an expression of love-- just like the gift of Jesus.

So please, I beg you, as soon as humanly possible, drop everything and make some hot spiced cider. Put on some carols. Turn off the screens and just be still. Think about the people who mean the most to you, and how you could express that. Most of the time, the best way to do that doesn't involve much money at all. Christmas isn't a competition for who spent the most. It's a celebration of light, and all the people who bring light into our lives. It's isn't an obligation, it's an opportunity.

Here's to wishing you all a very long and satisfying holiday season! I would LOVE to hear about special Christmas quirks and traditions you or your family has. Or Thanksgiving, for that matter! And don't count on this being the last and only Christmas flavored post you'll be getting from me. I'm a bit holiday happy. LOL