Happy Thanksgiving.

If you're like me, sometime today you'll probably go through and count blessings. And eat turkey and pie, of course.
Seriously, though. Do you stop more than once a year and count blessings? Because there's so many!
One of my favorite holiday movies is Holiday Inn. My daddy raised me right, watching the oldies. In this Irving Berlin movie, Bing Crosby sings a song about each holiday. I've posted the one for Thanksgiving below.

Money.
As the sister says in Meet Me in St. Louis, "I loathe, hate, despise and abominate money." And as her dad replies, "You also spend it."
Yep.
And we seem to have the problem of spending it faster than it comes in, don't we? At least, that's the way it tends to work in my house.
This year, we had several moments when I wondered if we'd be able to make the ends meet at the end of the month. And you know what? We did.

Who is writing your love story? Fellow author Allison Pearl is my guest today, talking about who she wants writing hers.

​You make memories. You make friends and careers and plans. You make love. You make a future. You make a life. And you do it together. But life isn’t all scrapbooks, barbeques, holidays, and fun. Life is hard. Life can suck.
 
For every amazing moment my husband, Daniel, and I have had in our twelve years of marriage, there’s been a heartbreaking one too. And for two kids raised in church who thought they’d approached their marriage just right, this was a shock. It was more than a shock, it was an embarrassment. One we tried to hide, even from each other. We thought we’d failed. After all, none of the other couples we knew seemed to have the same problems.

Have you noticed how many different kinds of stickers people have for their cars? I mean, there's the ones that tell about the family and all their activities, the ones that boast about marathons (or half or less) run, the ones supporting teams or schools, the ones shouting opinions or politics, the ones that are funny, and the ones that are rude. Pretty much anything you want to put on your car, you can find it somewhere.
Have you noticed the ones that say things like "Jesus is my copilot" or "I believe in God" or something like that? What about the ones that support a Christian organization? Know what I've noticed? Those car owners don't drive much differently than the ones without the stickers. Sometimes, they even seem to be worse.

Do you ever groan when you notice gas prices have gone up five cents? Or even twenty? I know I do.
I was filling up one day and commented to the friend with me that I had to keep reminding myself that a few years ago, gas prices were over $3 a gallon, so I really shouldn't complain about them being less than $2 now. She said she had to remind herself of the same thing.
It's so easy, isn't it? To forget that things aren't nearly as bad as we think they are?

I've been sneaking hugs again. Not just to anyone, but to people OUTSIDE my family.
That's right. I'm tired of all the stipulations the CDC placed on us this year. I get that we're trying to stay healthy and keep the virus from spreading out of control. I get it. But it's been eight months and I'm a people person who needs people and hugs.
​And I'm not the only one.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I am not sure I do, but I do love hearing stories about people who connected quickly. My fellow Anaiah Press author, Dena Netherton is my guest today, telling the story of how her marriage started and why it's her favorite love story.

​I’d been living the glamourous, but not necessarily God-honoring life of a singer/actress/pianist in San Francisco. At one low point in my life, I asked God to help me live for Him and to bring God-worshiping people into my life.
The next month found me on a plane travelling east to study for my Master’s degree in music at the University of Michigan. On the first evening at my new place‑a graduate student co-op—a guy named Mark gave me a tour and introduced me to his friends. But the tour ended abruptly when he introduced me to this tall, lean, good-looking jazz percussionist named Bruce. It wasn’t instant attraction, but Bruce had the kindest way about him, and that drew me. I was so lonely and ready to make a change in my life.
Bruce asked me about my life in California, but before I could answer, an inaudible but authoritative voice inside my head said, “This is the man. No need to look further.”
Believe me, when you’ve gotten to know the Lord, you learn how He talks, and no one but God talks like God.
As I was pondering what I’d just heard inside my head, Bruce stood up and announced, “What you need is a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. He made me a pot of tea and listened while I told him about my difficult day and how confusing the huge university campus had been for me.
After we’d sipped and conversed for a while, he screwed up his mouth and narrowed his eyes as if trying to figure out how he could help me. “I think what you need next is a long walk in the snow with me.”

In my book Saving Grace, one of the go-to meals my characters have on a rough night is pizza. My family lives on pizza some weeks, and none of us are bothered if we eat it several days in a row. But we tend to make our own more often than not. I even made a cute ninja turtle pizza for my four-year-old's birthday party. If you're rolling your eyes, thinking pizza dough is super complicated for a meal you can order and pick up in less than half an hour, let me prove you wrong. Here's the super easy pizza dough recipe my family has used for years. I hope you love it!

Pizza Dough

1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 T olive oil
2 1/2 cups flour (I tend to start with a cup at a time and then add more until I reach the consistency I want -- some days it's the full amount and others it's not, depending on humidity)

Mix all ingredients together. Pour out onto a greased pizza pan or stone. Flour your hands and then press the dough out until it covers the whole pan (if it rips, simply press it back together and continue). This makes two small pizzas or one large. Add sauce and toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

While my characters like their pizzas with ham and pineapple, my son prefers pepperoni. My daughter turns her nose up at pepperoni, but loves when I make a pizza with alfredo sauce, chicken, and mozzarella cheese (sometimes I sneak tomatoes on to make it even yummier). There are so many options. Feel free to play with it until you find your family favorite!
Do you already have a combination you love? I'm always up for new ideas.

For my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, all the granddaughters got together and sang "Little Things Mean a Lot." It was true then, and it's true now. Check out this sweet story from fellow Scrivenings author, Cindy Bonds. I think you'll see what I mean. Also, she's offered to do a giveaway, so make sure you read all the way to the end!

Romance can be something different to each person and that is where the magic is. I’m reminded of Cogsworth on Beauty and the Beast: “There’s the usual: flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep…” The half-hearted romantic guidelines that woman tend to roll their eyes at and walk away from.
Romance isn’t just a phrase or word used to epitomize true love. At least, not in reality! Life is busy, chaotic and then there’s kids, jobs, school, sports, and everything else. Romance is an action, a break in the chaos to provide our spouse with a spark.

Know how much my husband loves me?

He lets me go do things.

Does that sound funny? Want to know what I mean?

When we were first married, I went to Bunko once a month with a dozen or so other ladies. It's a game and we'd always have yummy food and fun prizes.