CHRISTMAS - Make It Stress-free!

Christmas is an overwhelming time  during the holidays when we get caught up in the glitz and hustle and bustle of finding presents, writing cards, hosting parties, listening to radio and television advertising, making food and baking--and so many other activities that we become over-stimulated, cranky, and sometimes downright depressed. We think we have to get everything just right. Just perfect.

My mother used to remind me when I slipped into my crazy Christmas mode, that Christmas is only one day. It will come and it will go--in just twenty-four hours, she would admonish. 

Here are some quick tips to reduce the Christmas stress:

PLAN AHEAD – Plan ahead, whether it’s starting the Christmas cards early in November or making a list of things that are priorities such as travel plans, possible presents, or your food lists for menus for the season. It always helps to start early and avoid rushing later.

BUY ONLINE – There’s no need to elbow you way through crowded stores when many of the online specials already beat the Christmas prices advertised in the flyers and on the radio and television. Shop online and have everything delivered to your door.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF – Take time to breathe, take time to exercise, take time to do something you like. Grab a cup of hot chocolate or decaffeinated coffee and your favorite book and cozy chair for a few minutes. Psychologists say we need 20 minutes of “me time” or “personal down-time” each day. Take it and don’t feel guilty.

ENJOY THE SEASON – If Christmas music makes you feel joyful, turn up the knob on your radio or find music on your phone or Tablet/Kindle. Take a quiet, solitary walk and get away from it all, if you must. Watch the snow fall silently and peacefully, covering the world in white. Smell the homey scents of the season: pine, citrus, cinnamon and vanilla. Listen to the sounds of bells or children laughing. Enjoy the very sights that remind us of Christmas such as a wreath on someone’s door or a lighted Christmas tree.

And in the end, remember—“It’s really only one day. It will come and it will go--in just twenty-four hours!”  

Merry Christmas to all!

 

Please Note: 

The above blog is a re-post from December 2017, but is relevant every December.

 

 

Musical Christmas Series  - JUNE ~ The Pianist
 

THANKSGIVING ~*~ GETTING READY FOR WINTER

Thanksgiving is the time for us to individually be thankful for many things in our lives. It's my favorite holiday of the year. It’s a special day when we don’t have to go into a meltdown mode chasing down the perfect gifts for everyone on our Christmas list. The real gift is simply being able to gather family and friends together to eat, talk, share stories, and enjoy all those tempting dishes—like to-die-for corn bread stuffing, pecan and pumpkin pies with mounds of whipped cream, and the ever-famous turkey baked to a golden brown in the oven or a deep fryer.

In the northern states, Thanksgiving also is a reminder that Old Man Winter is on his way with flying fat snowflakes and sparkling white snowbanks. For many, the national holiday also heralds the start of the holiday season as stores and shops blare carols, hymns, and contemporary songs of Christmas from their speakers. And Christmas music is something I can get behind, even if I dislike shopping for presents. 

As a reminder, my “Musical Christmas Series,” consisting of three novellas, is available. Each female in the three-book series plays a musical instrument and has a story to tell. My first one, JUNE ~ The Pianist, is followed by ADELENE ~ The Violinist, and finally , LUCY ~ The Clarinetist. All are available on Amazon. 

 LINK:   June ~The Pianist 

          Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holidays!   

"Reasons for Thanksgiving"

To have food enough and a place to dwell,
To have work to do and to do it well,

To find the comfort when things go wrong
In a bit of prayer or a snatch of song,

To know good books and share their worth,
To plant bright flowers in rich brown earth,

To have true friends--this is living
And reason enough for Thanksgiving.

~Edith Shaw Butler

OCTOBER GAVE A PARTY

 October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came…
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band. 
                                                ~George Cooper, "October's Party"  

Autumn has walked across our Pennsylvania mountains and spilled out all the seasonal smells like a rich perfume. This is time when red-cheeked apples and sweet wood smoke give off a familiar fragrance that is a harbinger of things to come. We can smell the earth—the dried cornstalks, the pungent aroma of woods and pine, and the musky scent of pumpkins and gourds. Along the fences, grapes on withering vines fill the air with an earthy bouquet. 

But there’s a certain sadness to autumn. It’s a warning that the year is ending, that we’re growing older. We’re maturing. It is a time to contemplate the reason for our being and for our purpose. It’s a time to be thankful for our lives, to re-evaluate our errors, to realign our goals, and to strive towards that which makes us happy . . . and our world a sweeter place.

****     

Above are the poem and excerpts from my very first online blog, for October 2011, fourteen years ago. Since graduating decades ago from Point Park College with a degree in journalism and communications, I’ve realized my entire life has been dedicated to pounding the typewriter or computer keys to string words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs. 

I’ve written for television, radio, education, industry and business. I’ve composed copy for commercials and public service announcements for radio, television, and news outlets. I’ve written grants, curricula, and news articles. I’ve taxed by brain while collecting facts for nonfiction, and stretched my imagination for fiction. I’ve written with tight deadlines of only a few hours; and I’ve procrastinated for days, knowing I had a loose lengthy deadline. 

All writers know the feeling of rejection—as well as the joys of being published. Awards are also wonderful to receive, but there is no better feeling for writers than the minute they finish a tough piece of writing, and they know they’ve given one hundred percent of their time, energy, and talent. The elation, which may only be a smile or nod or sigh to the outsider, can’t compare to the joy and relief they feel as the thoughts in their heads do a happy dance. 

Someone once asked me what I thought were the main ingredients needed to become a writer. There are many, but personally for me, the main abilities are curiosity, an imagination, persistence, and a love for reading. 

As October brings us falling leaves, falling temperatures, and maybe even falling snow, I leave you with this quote from Somerset Maugham:

It’s a funny thing about life; 

if you refuse to accept anything but the best, 

you very often get it. 

 

 

 

FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY  

 

Released this month:  

eBook/Digital - $2.99

Print - 6.99 

 

FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY - is finally finished!

 Finding Love in Pine Valley is finally finished.

I’ve been trying to get this second chance mystery and romance finished and released for almost two years now. There are over twenty-five reasons why a person procrastinates. I can truly believe five of mine are:  Task aversion, distractions, feeling overwhelmed, indecisiveness, and decision fatigue.

However, there is one reason, which is wrapped up like a ball of tangled string, that affects me as a writer the most. It’s the fear of having existing mistakes in the manuscript—whether they are spelling, grammar, or development errors. Luckily, I have a good friend who is a wonderful editor. Yet, my insecurities still exist.  FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY will be released on September 14^th, and there is a pre-order for those who would like to purchase it early. 

It is: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Love-Pine-Valley-romance-ebook/dp/B0FNS296JP

 Cost for ebook/digital is $2.99 and print is $6.99. Enjoy!  

The back cover blurb is below. I hope you enjoy it.

                       FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY   

 Lena Starron knew that leaving her two-timing ex-husband and her job in New York as a writer would be a challenge. Starting over always is. But she never thought she’d return to her old hometown in Pennsylvania where two new jobs awaited her, only to discover she had no place to live. 

Wyatt Taylor of Taylor Tree Farm hired Lena to organize and open a new café while she also worked writing publicity for Pine Valley’s 200th Anniversary Celebration. Even though it has been five years since his painful break-up with his fiancé, Wyatt hasn’t been able to get his life or his home in order. When he learns Lena needs a place to live and work, he offers office space and room in his house.

To help raise money for town’s Recreational Park and its much-needed new playground equipment, Lena agrees to organize a two-day, fall Jamboree at the tree farm. When her expensive, antique jewelry box is stolen, she must determine whether it’s for true monetary value—or does someone want to see her fail and leave town. 

Together, as Wyatt and Lena untangle the mysterious web surrounding the robbery, will sparks fly? And will they be brave enough to find their second chance at love?