Late each fall, I talk through options for things my kids can ask for as Christmas gifts. Things they really want or things they need. We try to limit the requests to reasonable items, though they're not always reasonable, because they're children. Regardless, this last year, as I was talking with them about it, we were struggling to come up with items to add to my son's list. All he really wanted was a skateboard.
(He got one, by the way--and pads to go with it.) Well, a few months before, he'd decided he hated using body wash. He wanted to use a bar of soap. I happened to have some fancy ones that I had been given as teacher presents, but never used since I prefer body wash. Who cares if my seven-year-old smells like Tropical Breeze or Rose Petals, right?
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As babies grow, one of the first things they do which delights us all is to try on their parents' shoes. Of course, as babies, those shoes are way too big for the tiny feet slipping into them. Growing further, they might still test them out every now and then, just to see how much further they have to go before the shoes fit.
I can't remember borrowing my mom's shoes much when I was a teen. I've always had fairly small feet, and hers were a bit wider. But I'm sure I did a few times. I know I did it with her jewelry. ;) Fast-forward to marriage, and I borrowed my mother-in-law's shoes a few times. Though her feet weren't quite exactly the same as mine, either. Then, when she passed away six years ago, I inherited any of them that I wanted/could wear. Some of those are wearing out now, and it makes me sad to be losing yet another piece of her. Just before my son's second birthday, he came down with croup. It's a disease that causes you to have a barking cough, sort of like a seal's bark. And it's miserable to listen to. From then on, he's had an inhaler, because it seemed to trigger asthma in him.
Each winter, he would start coughing again. Nothing productive. Just a little cough here and there that wouldn't go away with any medicine. Finally, a few years ago, the doctor prescribed a daily inhaler for him instead of just the "rescue" inhaler we'd had. This was a steroid he could take twice a day, although for over a year now he's only been doing it in the evenings unless he's sick. It's not always fun, but he also wasn't getting his yearly cough. May your day be merry and bright. And may you have at least one book under the tree. ;)
Here's a fun picture of an ornament a friend made me--it has all thirteen of my books inside. So fun! Do you have any bookish ornaments? What books did you receive as gifts this year? "I'm not romantic," my husband likes to say. He also hates taking selfies. Or pictures of any kind with him in them.
But you know what? I think he's wrong about the romantic part. I think he just needs to redefine it. So many times we've built our idea of romance up around the movies and books and even things that aren't that realistic. Instead, we need to remember what it is. To me, romance is doing things he knows will make me happy. Like almost-grinning in a selfie on one of our date nights. And more. Is there such a thing as too much Thanksgiving? Pictured above is just part of one of the Thanksgiving feasts I attended this year. I went to a total of FIVE. Five? Yes. But each one was just another part of my life that gives me a reason to be thankful.
The first feast was with our congregation. Y'all, we have an amazing church family and I wouldn't trade them for anything. To be able to come together and feast on chicken and dressing with all the fixings, including pie, it was wonderful. We spent time chatting with some of the ones we don't always get to talk to after services, and it was a huge blessing. I am so thankful for church. The second one was with my two children at their school. I got to go up and feast on chicken and dressing with them in a crowded cafeteria. Each night, we always ask our kids to give us something they'd like to thank God for that day. That night, they said they were thankful Mommy got to come eat lunch with them. It doesn't happen as often as I'd like, but I'm trying to make it happen more. That was a definite day to be thankful--for good kids, a good school, and time together. 2023 has been packed to the gills! I feel like we've crammed every spare minute of this year full of activities, accomplishments, and blessings. How about you? When I was first published back in 2017, I had no idea what things would look like six years later. But man! I am so blessed. God has helped me publish thirteen books. I have met so many people--readers and authors both--who have become such a sweet part of my life. And there are more stories to come! Obviously, this time of year is the time when most people think about blessings. I have so many I don't think I can count them all. Even on the "bad" days, there is still much to be thankful for. Are you or your spouse more romantic? Do your romantic gestures shine brighter during certain times of life? Guest author Lydia MacClaren is sharing with us today some moments that stick out in her memory. My husband is more romantic than I am. He’s the one who thinks of small gifts of chocolate and flowers. He is the one who suggests grabbing coffee together or going out to try a new dessert. He thinks up cheesy declarations of love that he gives with much confidence and a kiss on the cheek.
Yes, he’s the romantic one. I’m the pragmatic one. But, when I consider the most romantic gestures that he has made in our relationship, what comes to mind first isn’t the elaborate plans he’s thought long and hard over that belong in a romance novel, it’s the ones he’s made in the thick of difficult situations. What exactly do dead squirrels have to do with romance? Well, you might be surprised. Author Lisa Schnedler is sharing her story today and I think you're going to like it. ;) “You did it wrong,” one of my friends counseled. “You never get three dogs all the same age.”
I wish I had known—that my three “babies” – a rescue Maltese, a mixed-breed dumped on the side of the road, and my son’s childhood Boston Terrier—all in the same age range—would have to be put to sleep, one each year, for three years. And it wasn’t just the pain of putting them to sleep. It was the months and months of poor health, vet visits, and the pain of watching your companion want to live—and not be able to. My husband had had too much of this. “Let’s not get a dog until you retire.” But, six months after the suffering ended, I had had enough. Enough of coming home to an empty house. Enough of walks alone. Enough of not having my warm friend under my feet as I worked at my computer. I had had enough! When you're all set to yearn for a life of hair-tucking and quaint gestures, it's hard to settle for gluten-free pizza. Or is it? Author Karin Beery is chatting today about her "not romantic" husband. See what you think. I knew when I met my husband that he wasn’t classically romantic. He’s a bit of a redneck—he considers camouflage a “neutral” pattern—and had never read a romance novel nor watched a rom com. I didn’t have high hopes for grand gestures.
I was right to be skeptical. He bought me roses once when we were dating. Since we’ve been married (almost 18 years), the only flowers I’ve received were a Crayola-colored bouquet of daisies from the grocery story. As a life-long reader of romance novels (seriously, I started reading them in middle school), part of me grieved. I wanted hair tucked behind my ears, poetic professions of love, and romantic getaways to quaint bed and breakfasts. |
This is a place for me to share thoughts and ideas not just related to writing. Thoughts about what's going on in my life, about an idea I got that I thought shareworthy, or just a funny anecdote.
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