Write Stuff Wednesday

Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera is packed with all the Write Stuff!

This book, a gift from a fantabulous friend to my whole family, became an instant classic. Not only is the artwork delightful, the message is superb! I even use it as part of the decorating scheme.

Disclaimer: It is NOT odd for an author and voracious reader to use books in the process of decorating.

Now the holidays may be over but that only means it's time to shop for bargains and tuck them away for next year ...except this book you'll want to read, share and keep close no matter what the season!

Happy Holidays!
Regan

Oh - and my New Year's Eve short Snow Covered Resolutions - another Hobbitville adventure - is now available from Echelon Press Shorts!

The Days After

I know people who take their Christmas tree down the day after and have everything restored to pre-holiday order tout-suite!

More power to them! After all the rush and wrapping and ripping and unwrapping I enjoy a serene view of the tree and decorations for just a few more days.

Somewhere along the way I remember hearing it was bad luck to have last year's tree still up when the new year came along...but I don't have any cultural or community basis for that. It's just a thought that wanders through my head as the year comes to a close.

In the interest of our annual New Year's Eve party, we always took the tree down by December 30, but we never eliminated all evidence of merriment with ruthless efficiency or dedication. It was more of a leisurely thing. A bittersweet sort of day as we packed things up for the next season and laughed over memories of gift-giving.

So are you the type to get on with life after holidays? Or does it depend on the year?

Happy Holidays!
Regan

Write Stuff Wednesday - The Night Before Christmas

It's the day before the night before Christmas! And the famous poem by Clement C. Moore certainly has the Write Stuff!

Whatever holidays you celebrate, I hope they're focused on love and that you're sharing the time with people who matter to you.

I'm thrilled to have my family at home despite the noise and distractions, the bickering and baking, the mess and the wonder. Together we manage to make a joyful noise overall, and though we're an eclectic group I'm glad they're all in my life. I'm richer because of them and hopefully they'd say the same (without bribery).

One of our many family traditions is reading The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. When the kids were little, they'd crawl into my husband's lap and he'd read from the same book my father read to me. Though they're older (and they'd flatten his lap now) we still read the story as a family with cider or cocoa. It never gets old, it's fun to paraphrase, and hey, it's tradition!

Do you have a tradition passed down from your elders, or one you hope to pass on to your kids?

Happy Holidays!
Regan

The Alphabet By A Greyhound Puppy

Nothing's sillier - on any day of the week - than a puppy. For the first time in, oh, nearly forever, we are fostering greyhound puppy. I'd forgotten some of the particular joys and trials of puppies, but overall we're having a great time!

He just turned one. He's adorable. He's busy. He's cute....and well here's the rest of the alphabet according to our youngest pup:

Adorable
Busy
Cute
Determined
Eager
Fun, fun, fun
Goofy
Housebroken (quite important)
Inventive
Jolly
Kind
Loveable
Mooch
Nearly grown (let's hope)
Ornery
Pure puppy
Quick!
Roo, roo roo
Sweet
Tug of war
Unstoppable
Verbal
Wonderful
X-factor
Yearling
Zest

That's one summation, but trust me, it's only the tip of the iceberg with this greyt pup!

Happy Holidays,
Regan

New Short from Hobbitville!

It's here! Snow Covered Resolutions! The cover, the story, all for you holiday reading pleasure!

Don't miss this latest installment from Hobbitville - and don't leave your Echelon Press Shorts Twelve Days of Great Reads collection incomplete!

You've heard about it - Austin, the one Pixie Chick everyone goes to for insider info on the cutest guys in school, is the only Pixie dateless on New Year's!

Get your copy of Snow Covered Resolutions today!

Happy Holiday Reading!
Regan