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. 

See those beautiful orange pumpkins?
We have plenty more where they came from. And when I say plenty, I mean WAY MORE.
Last year, we planted two pumpkin seeds and grew one pumpkin. This year, we planted two pumpkin seeds and grew 34 pumpkins. Possibly more. We're really not sure if there are more hiding the middle of the patch where we can't see them for the extra tall grass or not. We keep finding them as they turn orange and show through the green. It's almost ridiculous. 
What on earth are we going to do with thirty-four (or more) pumpkins?

"Third grade is supposed to be one of the hardest grades."
These are words my daughter uttered before school started this year. She was nervous. Multiplication tables? State testing? She just wasn't sure she wanted to go to third grade.
You see, she'd gotten in her own head. Convinced herself it was going to be hard, that she couldn't do it.
​And once you get in your own head, it's really hard to get back out.

Know that verse in the Bible that talks about how the birds don't have to worry about what they'll eat? Because God takes care of them. Well, this summer, evidently the birds decided God was taking care of them through my tomato vines.
Sigh.
Don't get me wrong. We've gotten tons of tomatoes this summer. So, I really can't complain. But it's just so frustrating to see a hole poked in a tomato just turning red, so perfect otherwise, and now mostly ruined due to bird germs and bugs and the way it's starting to rot.
And yet, maybe I needed the reminder.