Countdown to Christmas with Kerri Nelson

Hello and welcome to Day 15 in my Countdown to Christmas Blog! Today’s featured guest is Kerri Nelson. Kerri is here with us today to chat about the things in her life she is thankful for. Oliver, stands at the window, gazing upward at the first star of night, counting his blessings. Snowflakes swirl from the sky, adding to the spirit of Christmas. The cherry log in the hearth crackles, giving the parlor a warm, ethereal glow. Then the doorbell rings and Oliver runs off, belting out a verse of his favorite Christmas song

Do you hear what I hear?
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
“With a tail as big as a kite.

Kerri comes in, her cheeks all rosy from the cold. Sharon embraces her and they sit in front of the fire.

Sharon: Oliver, about those refreshments, dearheart?

Oliver swaggers off, blowing kisses to Kerri

Sharon: Kerri, you have a lot to be thankful for this year. Why not share some of the things you were telling me about with the guests.

Kerri: When Sharon asked me to visit her blog, I was thrilled! Coming up with a Christmas themed post sounded like a fun idea to me! I have 4 books releasing this month and a new author promotion company that I’d love to chat about. Now, how can I weave those into a blog on Christmas?

What I realized is that in order to share my Christmas feelings with you today, I must simply remember what I was doing last Christmas and to sit in awe of all that has transpired in one, short year.

Oliver pushes out a silver caddy brimming with herbal tea and fresh from the oven sugar cookies. He pours, winking at Kerri.

Sharon: Thank you, Oliver. That will be all. So, Kerri. Let’s talk about some of these things. Do share.

Kerri: Since I love making “to do” lists…I’ll share one with you today…

Sharon: Please do. We can all learn from them. What is first on your list?

Kerri: Look Back
As the Christmas season is a time of great joy and celebration we must look back at all the wonderful things that we accomplished this year. Come January 1st of each year we see a bright future ahead of us but we never know exactly what will happen. This year I accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible. Not only was this the first year that I became a published author but I went on to sell a total of nine books in one year! For someone who has been actively seeking publication for a decade, this is a huge deal!

I also opened two new businesses including an author promotion business and a custom design book trailer business for my fellow authors. Not to mention the fact that I started teaching two writer related workshops for online chapters throughout the country.
On the home front, I was able to raise enough money to purchase a much needed insulin pump for my oldest daughter who suffers with juvenile diabetes. During this fund raising effort, I discovered just how generous of heart romance industry authors can be.
I also discovered that I’ll welcome my first son into the family in 2010!
Needless to say, I’ve been truly blessed this past year in both private joys and professional ventures.

Sharon: Holds up her teacup. Congratulations, Kerri! Those are some major accomplishments to reflect upon. Nine books? Oh, my! Two businesses and a wee son on the way! How thrilling. And as you know, being a type 1 diabetic myself, your daughter’s insulin pump was a quest near and dear to my heart. I’m so glad so many friends helped you. You do indeed have a lot to be thankful for this year, I’d say. And what is second on your list?

Kerri: Let Go
At the same time you reminisce over the joys of the past year, you will undoubtedly come across some bad memories. Obviously, not everything goes wonderful all the time.
You might remember the loss of a friend or relative, the failure to seize that new job or promotion or even the loss of a job. Perhaps it was even something small like a missed opportunity that you wish you’d pursued but that you let pass you by.
For me, I suffered my first miscarriage early in the year. It was a devastating time for me and my family and during this time it was difficult to understand just why God would plan such a tragedy for my life. As I mentioned above, we’ve gone on to learn of my new baby boy that is only 8 weeks away from making his grand entrance. So sometimes you must go through the darkness to find the light again.
No matter what bad news or disappointments you feel during a year’s time…the holidays are the time to let go of them. How do you let go? I know that it can be difficult but what works for me is the following:
You have to remember that they happened, realize that you will survive, and release them from your mind where they will only sit and fester. Only then, can you truly move on.

Sharon: Well said, my friend. And congratulations on the greatest gift of all, a new son in a few short weeks. How true. There is light at the end of the tunnel, even if it sometimes feels as if the darkness will never end. And what is next on your list?

Kerri: Look Forward
As the Christmas season is a time of new birth and new beginnings we must look forward to all the things that we will discover in the New Year ahead. You may have heard that the older you get, the faster the time passes by. I totally believe this to be true.
Remember when we were kids and the time between the first day of school and the glorious summer break seemed eons away?

Now, as a parent, I’m amazed at just how quickly my children are growing right before my very eyes. They change significantly every single day. They grow taller, wiser, and never cease to amaze me with their own little developing personalities. I must truly marvel at just how rapidly life is passing us all by as I look forward to another year of growing my wonderful marriage, parenting my adorable children, and meeting new and wonderful people that will most assuredly bless my life as so many others have done this past year.
So, this holiday season, when you remember the reason for the season…take time to do this one little check list and know that in our hearts we can have Christmas time all year round!

Sharon: Thank you for putting everything in prospective, Kerri. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kerri Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing. At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly "Panther Tales" column. She won the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.
After an education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense novels with a legal or law enforcement theme. She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing southern gentleman husband and two little belles-in-training. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her baking homemade goodies for her family, feeding her addiction to blogging online or designing custom made book trailers. Kerri is an active member of Romance Writers of America as well as numerous Chapters including Southern Magic, Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal, Hearts Through History, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.
To learn more about this author, visit her website at www.kerrinelson.com, her blog at www.kerribookwriter.blogspost.com, or her author promotion site at www.thebookboost.com

Countdown to Christmas with Skhye Moncrief

Hello and welcome to Day 14 of my Countdown to Christmas Blog! Today’s featured guest is Skhye Moncrief and she’s in the kitchen with Oliver. Here’s Skhye to share her secret recipe with us. Enjoy!

It's common knowledge that I'm certifiably geek. My affinity for information acquisition
spans in many directions, including that of the history of Christmas. Ten to 20 years ago, I began recording everything on TV ranging from travel shows to cooking. It's true. And my husband reads the Sunday comics. So, he cut the one out about the woman telling her husband (prostrate on the couch watching the boob tube beside his endless stacks of VHS tapes) that he would never live long enough to watch all the things he recorded. That small vignette of life at our home hung on our fridge for an eternity.

Well, I've watched all of my documentaries. :) When I was pregnant, we bought a DVD burner and I converted 550 hours of recorded tidbits to DVD from VHS. Let's just say reclaiming space summarizes the process. And it set me off on a whirlwind of writing all the new stories that came to me... Of course, I've recorded more since!

Anyway, Sharon's sworn Oliver would don one of those g-string butler outfits and strap on an apron to help me out today. I'm going to teach you about the origins of those orange slice candies (gum-drop texture slice shapes coated in powdered sugar).

This is not the moister semi-circle slices in various flavors... No. This is the kind my father-in-law ate when he was a kid back when penny candy was too expensive to purchase during the Great Depression. Anyway, I acquired this recipe during a documentary on colonial Christmas. Yep. Thank goodness I recorded that show!

Aside from saving the long curling peels from apples to use for cooking when food was scarce during winter, colonials faced an even greater challenge--vitamin C deficiency. What do we associate with that lovely affliction? Scurvy.
http://www.monzy.com/scurvy/

Revolutionary wars and European wars drove the need to fight scurvy with lime/lemon treatment on naval vessels. Let's face it. Drinking stagnant water and munching on protein-rich (bug-infested) crackers was the life of a sailor. UGH. Sorry. No matter how long I study anthropology I never can find myself fantasizing about munching on live bugs. Add dead bugs to that list please. I'm just not into ingesting things I never defined as food. Personal taboo, I know! Shoot me. But when facing bleeding gums and ulcers, I say eat orange peel. And that's just what the colonials did whether they intended to or not. The essential oils of citrus fruits are in the peel. Add the sugar content and vitamin C, and you've hit paydirt. Citrus was imported from overseas. It was seasonal. And it rotted. Using the rind of citrus fruit was a way to extend the use of the fruit through making something more easily stored.

ORANGE PEEL CANDY
You want to start with 1-2 cups of citrus rind (preferrably orange for this recipe).
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
cinnamon if you like it
How to prepare rind:

Buy a 3-5 pound bag. Peel the rind from the fruit with a potato peeler. Be careful NOT to lift the soft white bitter pith with the rind. If the pith comes off with the rind, you can boil some water in a pot with the rinds, checking the rinds frequently to see if the pith scraps off. Do not boil the rind very long. You'll cook the essential oils out of it. Remove the pith-free rind from the water ASAP. This is where your citrus flavor and odor come from! Eat the fruit you've peeled too. Of course, colonials would have eaten the fruit or cooked something with it afterward. Set prepared rind
aside.

Mix one cup of water and 2 cups of granulated sugar in a skillet over medium heat. You can add a teaspoon cinnamon if you like cinnamon. Once the sugar has melted, add the rind and cook the liquid down the water until it's a thick syrup, always watching and stirring on occasion. You want the rinds to became translucent a bit and to be coated with syrup. Lower the heat to low or simmer. The syrup will eventually begin to granulate again. That's when this process ends. So, keep stirring, watching, and waiting for the syrup to almost disappear. You're "preserving" the rind. After the liquid seems almost evaporated, you spoon the rinds onto wax paper or foil. You
don't want it sticking to cookie sheets. So, cover the surface you plan to cool your candy on... When it's cool, bag it. Voila, you've made colonial candy that can be eaten as is or chopped and added to breads or used for dessert toppers. I remember coating the rinds in a bit more granulated sugar because it was tacky like coated with sugar glue. ;) So, fear not a bit of coating...

This makes a truly interesting gift to give people. Just tell them it's orange candy. They'll never guess how you made it. After they eat a piece, tell them what it is. My fellow anthropology students in grad school loved the idea and process here! ~Skhye

Oliver saunters out, cheeks full, munching on candied orange peels. He pumps his biceps and steals a kiss from Skhye. With a wicked wink, she lickds the juice from his sweet lips.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas with Linda Swift

Hello and welcome to Day 13 of my Countdown to Christmas Blog. Today’s featured guest is Linda Swift. Linda is here to chat with us about

• THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

But before Linda joins us in the parlour amidst the twinkle lights and bristly pine tree, here’s a blurb and excerpt from this delightful Christmas story.

Blurb:

Leigh and Russell have not seen each other in years when they come to Kentucky to spend the holidays with Leigh’s grandmother Amelia. Russell’s own grandmother lived next door until her death and they had been in love before Russell left for college. Leigh waited for his return but to her disappointment, he never came back.

When they meet again, the attraction between them is stronger than before but many complications exist. Leigh’s husband and young son were killed in an accident in upstate New York. She blamed herself for her son’s death and vows never to be a mother again. She left her elementary school teaching job and moved to Florida where she now sells real estate. Russell is a successful building contractor in Arizona, a divorced father of two, whose wife just remarried and will be moving overseas. She has offered custody of their girls, four and eleven, to him and he must decide now.

When Russell asks Leigh to marry him, she thinks he needs a mother for his children and doesn’t want the job. Will he be willing to say no to custody in order to get Leigh to say yes? Can she become Russell’s wife if it means depriving him of his beloved daughters?

Excerpt:

The Twelve Days of Christmas

A few scattered snowflakes were falling as they walked the now familiar route toward the university. When they passed beneath the street light, Russell caught the fleeting glimpse of crystal droplets in Leigh’s hair as he reached out to touch her arm, slowing her steps until she stopped and faced him.

“Leigh, there’s something I want to tell you.”

She met his eyes in the dim glow but remained silent.

“I love you. I always have.” His hands reached out and held her arms gently. “I never expected to have this chance again and I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice. I want you to marry me.” He heard her soft intake of breath and waited what seemed an eternity before she answered.

“I’m sorry, Russell. I can’t.

After a moment of silence, he asked, “Is it your husband? Are you still being loyal to his memory?”
“No, it isn’t. . . ” she let the words trail off

“If not that, then what, Leigh? Tell me.”

“I can’t explain. It’s too complicated

“Leigh, please don’t deny us this second chance to be together. I need you and I think you need me.”

Available Now:
http://www.awe-struck.net/

Let’s have a warm welcome for Linda Swift!

Sharon: Thank you for joining us today. Oliver, we’re ready for refreshments.

Oliver swaggers out, donned in his Santa hat, pushing a silver caddy full of steaming tea and coffee. Winking wildly at Linda, he breaks into song.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Three French hens, two turtle does and a partridge in a pear treeeeeeeeeeeee!

He takes a sweeping bow and arranges two dainty teacups and unveils a platter of scones, gingerbread boys and sugar cookies. He grins his bone-melting smile. “Coffee, tea or me?”

Linda: Well…She gives him an admiring glance. That's a hard choice to make. Seeing Sharon's frown, she hastily answers I'll have tea, please and under her breath adds, for now.) And you do have a great voice, Oliver. Have you thought of singing on a talent show? Sharon frowns again. In your spare time, of course.

Oliver whips out his certificate proving he did indeed appear on American Idol.

Sharon: Oliver, run along. Don’t you have more baking to do?

Sharon: Sigh. He can’t help himself. So, Linda. I love the sound of this book. Tell us about your main characters, Leigh and Russell.

Linda: Leigh has never dealt with her grief over the loss of her husband and son. And she blames herself for her little boy being with his father when the accident occurred. She has tried to run away from her pain but it isn't working. And Russell is also hurting from the breakup of his marriage and the loss of his daughters. But when given a chance to reclaim them, he's afraid to take it. Then Leigh and Russell meet and realize they still love each other but now their goals are at odds and the situation seems hopeless.

Sharon: A book about second chances. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? All things anew. Do you believe in second chances?

Linda: Oh, very much so. It's never too late to begin anew. Everyone makes mistakes and we can learn from them and move on. And if we are very lucky, like Leigh and Russell, we have a chance to start over and get it right.

Sharon: Why the title? The Twelve Days of Christmas?

Linda: I like to use the title or a line from a familiar Christmas song for my holiday books. And somehow the idea came to have Leigh's plane ticket for twelve days correlate with this song. I don't struggle to find titles for my work. I create a story and in the process, a title usually presents itself. I don't question where it comes from!

Sharon: That’s great. So many authors struggle with book titles. So tell me, do you have any fond memories of this delightful Christmas song?

Linda: No, I don't have any special connection with this song other than it's one of my favorites and I can remember it always being a part of the Christmas music I listen to and enjoy.

Sharon: And a catchy tune at that! How will you spend Christmas this year?

Linda: My husband and I will be in our condo in Florida and our son, daughter, her husband and our granddog plan to come down from Nashville for the week. We are looking forward to that as we usually spend the holiday without family there with us.

Sharon clasps her hands together and laughs a deep belly laugh. A granddog! I love it! Now, as you know, traditions are very special to me. What is your favorite Christmas tradition, one you passed on to your children from previous generations?

Linda: On Christmas Eve, we always had dinner, then drove around the town and looked at holiday lights. Afterwards, we read the story of Christ's birth from Matthew and had light refreshments. And when the children were older and wiser we opened gifts. During the Santa Claus years, we waited for gift opening until early Christmas Day. I am an only child and my family also followed this tradition from my early childhood.

Sharon: Those are lovely traditions. And how would you like to be remembered when you leave this earth? What footprint would you like to leave as your very own?

Linda: I'd like to answer that with a poem I wrote a long time ago called Immortality.
I would like to leave
a little bit of me
that you can see
and say
she passed this way.

I like to think my books may be part of what I leave to be remembered by.

Sharon: What a beautiful poem, Linda. Thanks for sharing. And finally, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? If you could star in any literary fiction, which would it be and why? And last but not least, who would you want playing your romantic hero?

Linda: I'd like to live in a village in England in summer but I'd want to come home to Florida in winter or perhaps some place warm in Europe. I've always been a nomad.
I love the old classic movies and I have always wanted to be part of the old South and live in an antebellum mansion, so I'd choose Gone With The Wind. And who better to play Rhett than Clark Gable. But as Miss Scarlett, I'd rewrite the script and make sure he did "give a damn." Don't laugh, but I once owned half a horse and I named her Miss Scarlett.

Oliver struts out, returning from the book store with his copy of The Twelve Days of Christmas. If I might be so bold as to have your autograph, Ms. Swift?

Linda: Oh please, Oliver, do call me Linda. And I'm flattered to sign your copy of my book.
Let's see. She pauses and then writes slowly as she reads aloud. To my dear friend Oliver with fond regards. How's that?

Oliver swoons off, singing The Twelve Days of Christmas, but not before stealing a kiss under the mistletoe he held over Linda’s head.

Sharon: Thank you so very much for joining us today, Linda. Where can readers buy this book and your other books?

Linda: Oh, do give me a moment for my head to stop spinning. There. The Twelve Days of Christmas will be released by Awe-Struck Publishing any day now, and I have another contemporary book just released there called Single Status. My other holiday book, Let Nothing You Dismay, is available from the Wild Rose Press. And I have Circle of Love also available from TWRP.

Book Title: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (to be released in December)
Buy URL:
http://www.awe-struck.net/comingsoon.html

Sharon: Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Oliver rushes out blasting his horn with a major announcement. "The Twelve Days of Christmas is now available, hot off the press as of yesterday!" Get your copy in time for a holiday stocking stuffer!"

http://www.awe-struck.net/

Linda Swift divides her time between her native state of Kentucky and Florida. She
has been writing since she was ten and is an award winning author of published poetry,
articles, short stories, and a TV play. Her first two books were published by Kensington.
In addition to her holiday e-book, Let Nothing You Dismay, Linda also has Circle
of Love available as an e-book and in print from The Wild Rose Press.
Linda's Awe-Struck Publishing books include Single Status, available as an e-book
and in print. Another holiday book, The 12 Days of Christmas, will be released in
December and her first published historical in 2010.

Christmas Countdown Nostalgia

Hello and welcome to Day 12 in my Countdown to Christmas blog! Well, here we go again with another story of Aunt Sis. She loved dolls and had quite a handsome collection of them. From the time I was a little girl, visits to Aunt Sis’s were very special. She lived in a Victorian house high on a terrace surrounded by rose bushes, a vegetable garden and herbs planted in the shape of a Celtic cross. A wreath of dried flowers, babies breath and eucalyptus graced the front door. Chimes invited guests into a simple home rich in hospitality. Upon entering the home, the scent of dry rose petals and herbs filled the air. Tiny sachet baskets sat in nooks all about the house, keepsakes she made for her nieces. But my favorite room in the house was the bedroom at the top of the second landing. It was her daughter’s room when she lived there, and I’ll never forget the first time I walked in.

Baby dolls were everywhere you could imagine, each a different size and shape. They sat in rocking chairs, in a cozy corner alcove, on the mantel. One slept on the bed and another in an old-fashioned wooden cradle. As most little girls, I was drawn in and completely mesmerized. The dolls didn’t look anything like the ones I had at home. No Barbie dolls, no Tress doll or Little Women. They were…well…soft and pliable and all dressed in clothes that looked old. I remember feeling as if I had just walked into another place and time. My aunt, coming in behind me, smiled, puffing her chest out with pride.

“These are all my Bunny’s dolls from when she was a little girl. And rather than giving her clothes away when she outgrew them, I dressed my doll babies in them. See.”

She took me to the wooden cradle, a family heirloom of many years. A rag baby slept inside with a glass face. She was donned in a long, flowing Christening gown and cap, yellow with age. I watched Aunt Sis gingerly pick her up and hold her over her shoulder, as if burping her. I stared in awe, thinking how real the baby doll looked. A far away look came into my aunt’s eyes, reliving her daughter’s Christening from all those years ago. I went to the rocking chair, afraid to touch…even though my fingers itched to pick it up and see what it felt like.

“Go on,” Aunt Sis said, reading my mind. “She won’t break. Isn’t she pretty? She’s sitting in Bunny’s rocking chair and that precious blue chiffon dress was what she wore for her first birthday party.”

Aunt Sis was very family oriented and very sentimental. Calling her baby dolls doll babies was one of the many things that made her one in a million.

As I got older, more of the story unfolded. While Aunt Sis wanted to keep the memories of her daughter by dressing up her doll babies in their respective outfits, there was more to the story. It turned out Aunt Sis never got over her fetish for dolls. She loved and cherished them and never got over her little girl adoration. And once the truth was out of the bag, all the nieces in the family began buying “doll babies” for Aunt Sis for every birthday and Christmas. But rather than choosing doll babies that resembled Bunny, we all found ourselves on a quest for doll babies resembling Aunt Sis.

The last Christmas present I gave my aunt before she died was a doll baby I found at a garage sale. She was a rag doll dressed up in overalls, high boots, and huge sun hat. She was holding a watering can. A little chill shot through me. The doll baby resembled Aunt Sis when she toiled about in her garden of roses, vegetables and herbs. It was the perfect gift. When I gave it to Aunt Sis that year, she teared up and clutched it close to her heart and said she would cherish it forevermore.

Aunt Sis is fondly remembered in my family for her “Doll Babies” and her doll parties and doll house. But those are stories for another day. But for now, I imagine my aunt, floating about in the billowy white clouds, surrounded by “Doll Babies” with wings…

Countdown to Christmas with a Memory Tree

Hello and welcome to Day 11 in my Countdown to Christmas blog! I hope those of you who have lost loved ones will consider this. It is truly beyond special and a wonderful way of remembering our loved ones who have left footprints on our hearts. Enjoy.

“Death is so final,” I said to my aunt after a family member’s funeral. “If only there was something we could do to keep the memories from fading.”

“There is,” Aunt Sis sniffed, daintily dabbing her nose into her crumpled tissue. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

I followed my Irish aunt through the foyer of her Victorian home, heels clicking rhythmically. She pointed at a plaque on the wall. Pieces of jewelry glittered on a black velvet canvas.
“That’s lovely,” I said, stepping closer to get abetter look. “Where’d you get it? At some antique shop in town?”

“I made it,” Aunt Sis said, a twinkle coming into her blue eyes. “Out of family jewels. See, take a closer look.”

I studied the plaque, fascinated by its uniqueness. The wall décor was in the shape of a Christmas tree, showcasing a menagerie of shimmering jewels.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I said, awed by the hodgepodge of earrings, broached pins, pendants and strings of pearls giving it a regal appeal. It was stunning, something straight out of a decorator’s dream catalogue.

“Now that’s my family tree,” my aunt said, blue eyes peering through wire rim glasses. “Every piece of jewelry on that tree was a gift from one of my nieces or loved one. Just think of all the pretty earrings you lose, leaving ya with a single mate. And what about when your favorite broached clip or pin breaks? Rather than tossin’ them aside in a drawer where they’d just collect dust, I decided to mount them on a plaque. That way, I can always hold the memory of the gift near and dear to me heart.”

The melodic lilt in my aunt’s voice floated through the foyer as smooth as piano keys. Something pulled at my heart strings when I spotted a pretty pink rose earring on the tree, its rhinestone nectar glistening like diamonds amides the pretty pink petals. I traced my finger over the earring, the memory of all those years ago fluttering across my mind with feather-like softness. Emotions caught in my throat. “I bought you those earrings for your birthday when I was just a little girl. I remember thinking how happy they’d make you because they were your favorite color and because of your love of roses.”

Tears pooled in my aunt’s eyes. “And sentimental fool I am, when I lost one, I just couldn’t bear to throw away the memory. So you see what I mean. I’ve glued the pieces of my heart on a wall plaque to capture the moment in time. See here,” she gestured to a star glittering on top of the tree. “Aunt Lane gave me that broached when I was a little girl. Now I always have a treasured keepsake of the Christmas I spent with her.”

“What a lovely idea,” I said. “And look at these pearls, strategically hung to give the illusion of strung popcorn. Amazing.”

“And it can be in whatever shape you choose,” my aunt went on, lowering her voice to barely more than a whisper. “When the time is right, I’ll mount all the jewelry my dearly departed Don gave me in the shape of a heart.” She sighed wistfully. “That way, both his presents and presence will be with me, keeping the memory of the special occasion alive. By mounting those precious keepsakes, I’ll be preserving a piece of me heart.”

“How sweet,” I said, sentiments clogging my throat. “So how do I go about making one of these keepsakes?”

“That’s easy,” Aunt Sis said, puffing out her chest. “Go home and go through your jewelry box, old shoe boxes, drawers. Then see what your mother has. You’d be surprised what she kept from your childhood, and each memory will jog an otherwise forgotten memory. Come on and I’ll brew some tea and tell ya all about it.”

And over raspberry tea and Irish soda bread, my aunt filled me in on the makings of a memory tree.

“So once you have all your jewels and gems lined up, just get yourself some Tacky glue, a canvas, a piece of velvet and a pattern. Say you decide to make a sweetheart tree. First ya glue the velvet on the canvas and let it dry completely, a day or so. Then trace the pattern on the velvet and go wild. And then let it dry a day or so before framing it. And then you’ll be ready to hang your memory tree, something to cherish for years to come. You’ll see. Go on, get creative.”

Aunt Sis was right. After going on a scavenger hunt through my drawers, jewelry boxes and a thorough closet cleaning, I found enough jewelry to make my own memory tree. My mom gave me some of the gems I’d given to her over the years, broken but not forgotten trinkets, each near and dear to my heart. And true to my aunt’s words, every time I glued another jewel to the tree, I attached a cherished keepsake. And before I knew it, my memory tree was bursting at the seams.

My aunt passed away, but her spirit lingers. And because Aunt Sis taught me how to capture a moment in time, she will always be with me in spirit. Every time someone becomes enthralled with my tree, I can still hear her melodious laughter, the Irish lilt in her voice when she regaled family stories. But mostly, I remember a time when she walked with me on this earth, leaving lasting footprints on my heart.

Countdown to Christmas with Sharon Donovan

Hello and welcome to Day 10 in my Countdown to Christmas blog! For those of you who know me and follow my blog, you know I collect traditions for all holidays. Christmases Past are now Christmases Present and will one day be Christmases Future. Keeping traditions alive from year to year is the best way to commemorate the footprints our loved ones have left on our hearts. Here are a few favorites from around the world.

Australia
With December being summertime Downunder, Santa has no white stuff to glide his sleigh through! So Swag Man wears a brown Akubra, a blue singlet and long baggy shorts. He spends all winter under Uluru with his Merry Gingoes. Then at Christmas, he gets in his huge four-wheel drive and sets off through the red dust to deliver his presents!

Bethlehem
The little town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Nativity, all ablaze with flags and decorations each Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the town gather on the roof of the church to watch the dramatic procession. Galloping horsemen on Arabian horses are in the lead, followed by solitary horsemen carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed. Then come the churchmen and government officials. The procession enters the church and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the church. Deep winding steps lead to a grotto where visitors find a star designating the birth of Jesus.

Canada
Celebrate by trimming the tree, exchange of gifts and a turkey dinner. But in the old days, Tourti Re was eaten and is still made in some homes. It’s a sort of stew made of a layer of meat, a layer of potatoes, a layer of onions, another layer of meat with continued layers. Then a pastry dough is placed on top and it is baked for a long time. Christmas dinner is called “Revillon”

Denmark
Celebrate Christmas at midnight on Christmas Eve. All look forward to a special rice pudding. An almond is hidden in one dish and the finder of the nut will have luck for the following year.

England
A big tradition is the Queen’s Christmas message given every year at three o’clock in the afternoon. The pulling of Christmas crackers often accompany the meal. This is a brightly colored paper, twisted at both ends. Two people pull on each side and when it pops, the contents fall out. Contents traditionally contain a paper crown, small gift and a joke.

France
The focus of nearly every home is the setting up of the Nativity set or Creche, the focus of the celebration. The Nativity is often peopled with little clay figures called Santoms or little saints made by craftsmen in the South of France. In addition to the Holy Family, the shepherds and Magi, craftsmen produce figures of dignitaries. The molds used to create these figures have been passed on from generation to generation since the 17th century.

Greece
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors in Greece. According to legend, his clothes are drenched with grime, his beard dripps with sea water and his face covered with perspiration because he has been working hard to combat waves in order to salvage sunken ships. Ships parting Greek ports will always have some sort of St. Nicholas icon. On Christmas Eve, children in the village travel from house to house, offering good wishes and singing kalanda, the equivalent of Christmas carols. They often carry metal triangles and clay drums. Children are rewarded with sweets and dry fruits.

Ireland
St. Stephen’s Day is celebrated by young men in extravagant clothes and masks, parading noisily through the streets in the Wren Boys Procession. They carry long poles topped with sprigs of holly bush. The holly is said to represent a captured wren and for whom the young boys beg for money.

Italy
In Rome, cannons are fired to denote the celebration. The main day of celebration is January 6th, Feast of the Epiphany, the day the Magi came to visit the Christ child. Children anxiously await a visit from La Befana who brings gifts for the good and punishment for the bad. According to legend, the three wisemen stopped along their journey and asked an old woman for food and shelter. She refused and later had a change of heart but the Magi were long gone. La Befana means Epiphany, still wanders the earth looking for the Christ child. She is depicted as a fairy queen, crown or witch
Poland
An elaborate tradition called Wigilia is celebrated. In honor of the star of Bethlehem, the meal cannot begin until the first star of night appears. Christmas in Poland is officially known as Bozz, but is most referred to as Gwiazdka or little star. Once the star appears, the meal commences after sharing rice wafers blessed by the priest.

Russia
St. Nicholas is especially popular in Russia. According to legend, the eleventh century Prince Vladimir traveled to Constantinople to be baptized and returned with stories of St. Nicholas of Myra performing many miracles. To this day, Francis is the most popular boys name. The tradition of Russians is a special porridge called Kutya, made of wheat berries to symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppies to ensure happiness, success and untroubled rest.

Scotland reserve merriment for New Year’s Eve which is called Hogmanay. This name may be derived from a type of oak cake given to children on the first of the year. According to tradition, the first person to set foot through the door brings good luck. Best if dark haired or fair haired. This tradition is often called “First Footing.”

Spain
The Magi is very revered and is said to travel through the countryside each year to reenact their journey to Bethlehem. Children leave shoes on windows filled with straw, carrots and barley for the horses of the wisemen.

Sweden
Celebrate the feast of St. Lucia, the queen of light. Centuries ago, she helped the persecuted by bringing food. To light the way through dark tunnels, she is said to have worn a wreath of candles on her head. Today, her feast is celebrated by the eldest daughter wearing a white gown with red sash and an evergreen wreath with seven candles. She brings coffee and buns. St. Lucia is remembered for bringing light in the darkest hour.

Wales
Carols are very popular in Wales and are often accompanied by a harp. In rural areas, a villager may be chosen to represent the Mari llwyd. This person walks around the town draped in white and carrying a horse’s skull on a long pole. Anyone who gets a bite must pay a fine

Well, I don’t know about you but most of these traditions are new to me! Have one to share? Comments are most welcome. Whatever your nationality or tradition, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas in 2009!

Christmas Countdown with Jane Richardson

Hello and welcome to Day 9 in my Countdown to Christmas Blog! Today’s featured guest is Jane Richardson. And with the twinkle lights all a glow on the bristly pine tree, icicles forming on the window panes and a roaring fire in the hearth, Oliver sets out crackers and cheese and perfectly chilled white wine. As Jane enters the room, Roy Wood and his band Wizzard play on the stereo and Oliver sings along to “I wish it could be Christmas every day!”

Sharon: Hello, Jane! Sharon and Jane exchange hugs before settling into wing back chairs. Oliver pours the wine while blowing kisses to Jane.

Jane is going to share her memories of a British Christmas, 70s style. This sentimental journey will make you laugh and cry. And with no further ado, here’s Jane.

I guess the simplest definition of a ‘tradition’ is ‘something that’s always done the same way,’ and while I’m generally the sort of person who will happily embrace change, there are some things I do for no other reason than sheer tradition. Take Christmas, for example. Now that I’m a Proper Growed-Up Person with children of my own, my family has developed a number of its own traditions, but there are still some things, legacies of my own nineteen-seventies British childhood Christmases, that I just can’t do without. Christmas isn’t Christmas without them.

Take Christmas stockings. My children will always find and apple and an orange in the toes of their Christmas stockings because that’s what I always had in mine. Well, now I know they were a result of my mother’s desperate attempts to make sure her kids had at least some festive Vitamin C and fibre to cancel out the effects of all that yuletide sugar and chocolate, but that’s fine. Along with that well-intentioned fruit salad - which always meant you’d reached the end of the stocking toys and it was time to head downstairs where the big pressies were - there would be one of those little net bags of chocolate coins. You know the sort where you have to prise a disc of razor-sharp gold tinfoil off each face of a circle of the sickliest chocolate ever? Yes, I know, they’re revolting, but still - it’s traditional, isn’t it? And that’s why I find myself stuffing the same chocolate coins into my children’s Christmas stockings, only these days I’ve found a supermarket that stocks chocolate Euros, a fact that for some reason tickles me hugely. A sign of the times, I suppose. After all, my nineteen-seventies Christmases were a century ago!

A large part of the British Christmas in the nineteen-seventies revolved around television. I suppose lots of people still spend inordinate amounts of time in front of the TV now over the season, but in those days there were only three television channels in the UK. Three! Can you believe it? You could set your brand spanking new Tell-The-Time Timex watch by the television on Christmas Day, it was always the same. In the morning there would be some carolling programme broadcast from some cathedral or other, and always very staid and formal. Three o’clock in the afternoon was time for The Queen’s Speech, as it is even now. Nobody in the whole world spoke like the Queen did then, and does still. Late afternoon, some kind of variety offering – mention the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show to any Brit and I guarantee you’ll get a hoot and a grin in return. In the evening would be the Christmas movie, and the dear old BBC didn’t have much imagination when it came to choosing them, which is why every person in the UK between the ages of forty to fifty-five has seen The Great Escape at least twelve times….!

Of course, for us pre-teens, the highlight of the day was the ‘Top Of The Pops’ Christmas special. Ah, that seventies glam rock! My sister and I would be setting the table with the best tablecloth and the special once-a-year dinner service, warbling along with Roy Wood and his band Wizzard telling us ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day,’ or best of all, belting it out with Slade - ‘so here it is, Merry Christmas! Everybody’s having fun!’

And we were, we were having loads of fun! Those nineteen-seventies Christmases were the best of all. We were too young to know much about politics or economics or the state of the country, and the UK really was in a bit of a state back then. Things were tough. We certainly never realised what Mum and Dad must have gone without, how they would have scrimped and saved to make sure Christmas was special. Well, they managed it perfectly. I don’t remember Christmas being anything other than completely wonderful, and that’s how it should be.

Both Mum and Dad are gone now, Dad a few years ago, Mum just a few days before last Christmas, and you know something? The last words she’d said were….’Merry Christmas.’ So, this year I’ll be setting out the same old tablecloth on my own family’s Christmas table, and setting out some of that same once-a-year dinner service. There’s no more Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special, and ‘Top Of The Pops’ is long gone, but I expect The Great Escape will be showing on some TV channel at some point. Well, it’s traditional, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be Christmas without it! And I promise you, I’ll be singing the same songs we sang back then…..’Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun.’ I’ll be watching my own kids having fun, and I’ll be remembering when my sister and I were kids and how much we loved Christmas. And at some point I’ll raise a glass to Mum and Dad to thank them for all those wonderful nineteen-seventies Christmases that I loved so much. Thanks, Mum and Dad. This Christmas will be for you.

Happy Christmas, everybody.

Sharon: Thank you for sharing your lovely memories with us today, Jane. What better way to show the footprints our loved ones have left on our hearts than by passing family traditions on from generation to generation. Lovely indeed. Your parents will be smiling down on you this Christmas Day, thrilled that they left such footprints on your heart.

Scots-born Jane Richardson now lives on the south coast of England where the sun always shines and it never, ever rains, not ever never. She lives in a state of permanent yet jolly chaos with her husband, two children (she thinks they might be hers), several felines, a pooch, a tank full of goldfish and an invisible fox who barks beneath her window every night and keeps her awake. She’s been a management trainer, a stage manager, a dresser and part-time costume assistant and a holistic therapist, so it’s fair to say she’s Been About A Bit!’
Don't forget to enter Jane's Christmas Wishes Contest at her blog Home Thoughts From Abroad!

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Christmas Countdown with Helen Hardt

Hello and welcome to Day 8 of my Countdown to Christmas Blog! Today’s featured guest is Helen Hardt. Helen is in the kitchen with Oliver to share one of her favorite family recipes. With the heady scent of pine drifting from the beautifully decorated Douglas Fir, Oliver, donned in his Santa cap and reindeer apron, sings to Helen as she mixes up the perfect hot toddy.

Have a holly, jolly Christmas
It’s the best time of the year
I don’t know if there’ll be snow
But have a cup of cheer!

And here’s Helen to share her hot toddy recipe with us!

Sharon, thank you for having me today!

One of my favorite holiday traditions is my family’s rendition of this hot beverage favorite. Nothing warms you up like a mug of Wassail, especially when it’s spiked with an ounce of Wild Turkey!

Wassail

1 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 c. lemon juice
1 ½ c. orange juice
14 whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
8 allspice berries
1 qt. apple cider

Boil sugar and water for ten minutes. Add spices and let stand one hour. Strain the spices and add fruit juices and apple cider. Heat carefully so it doesn’t boil. Serve warm in mugs or punch cups. Great with 1 oz. Wild Turkey added! Try brandy, as well.

Happy Holidays to all!

Current releases:

Slow and Wet, Ellora’s Cave
Blood Wolf in Got Wolf? Volume On, The Wild Rose Press
Montego Lay, The Wild Rose Press, Wilder Roses

Coming December 11:

The Cowboy and the Cougar, Aspen Mountain Press

Bio:

Helen Hardt is an attorney and stay-at-home mom turned award-winning romance author. She met her real-life hero in law school, and they live in Colorado with their two teenage sons. Helen writes contemporary, historical, paranormal, and erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave, The Wild Rose Press, and Aspen Mountain Press. Her non-writing interests include Harley rides with her husband, attending her sons’ sports and music performances, traveling, and Taekwondo (she’s a blackbelt.) Visit Helen at http://www.helenhardt.com/ and http://www.helensheroes.blogspot.com/.


Sharon and Oliver, sipping on a cup of Helen’s holiday cheer, wish Helen a Merry Christmas. Oliver escorts her to the door and helps her on with her coat and scarf. But not before stealing a kiss under the mistletoe!

Have a holly, jolly Christmas!

Christmas Countdown with Mary Ricksen

Hello and welcome to Day 7 of my Countdown to Christmas Blog! Today, Mary Ricksen is in the kitchen with Oliver, sharing a few secrets. As Mary snaps out orders, Oliver, donned in his Santa cap and apron, scurries back and forth from the pantry as Mary tells him which ingredients she needs. And whilst he’s busy playing Santa’s helper, he sings to Mary. “You’d better watch out, you’d better not cry. You’d better not pout I’m telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town.

Shoving Oliver away, Mary smiles at her adoring fans and tells them a little family history about her Christmas delights. Here’s Mary!

Here is a great recipe for cheescake Italian style, I have lots more.
Mongiello's Famous Italian Cheesecake
My grandfather came over from Italy, as they called it, "on the boat". And with my grandfather came dozens of the finest recipes ever. Here is a family favorite.
2 eight ounce packages of cream cheese
l lb. Ricotta
l pt. sour cream
l small package marscapone cheese (optional) depends how Italian you are, but it
comes out just fine with or without it.
4 large eggs
1/4 lb. melted butter
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla (the real stuff)
3 tbsp. of flour and 3 tbsp. of cornstarch mixed
1 1/2 cups of sugar

Blend the cream cheese with the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, add the melted
butter, beat again. Add the lemon juice and the ricotta and beat again.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well, real well. Add the vanilla and the flour/cornstarch
mixture and beat at least five minutes. Add sour cream and beat again till smooth
and creamy. Bake at 325 degrees in a large size springform pan lined with the graham
cracker lining listed below. Bake for one hour, do not open the oven. Then turn off
the oven and let it sit for two more hours in the off oven. Chill, put strawberries
on top, whatever you like, or just put a dab of whipped cream. Everyone in our family has their preference. One sister likes blueberries, all six of us used to fight over
what was put on top. My mother was a very patient woman.

Graham cracker lining
melt three tbsp. of butter and put in the bottom of the springform pan. Add three
quarters of a cup of graham cracker crumbs, mix and spread over the bottom of the
pan. Press to even out.

Then eat the very best cheesecake you have ever, ever had. You like cheesecake? Trust
me this is cheesecake heaven. It makes a lot of cake and it gets even better as it
sits. Your friends and family will be begging you for the recipe. Even if they are
not Pizons. (I hope I spelled pizons right, but if you are Italian you will get it).
Eat, Mangia. By the way Mongiello in Italian means they eat, and boy did our family eat!


Here's another,
The best Christmas cookies ever.
1 lb butter
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
2 teas vanilla
Cream butter
with sugar, add eggs, mix, add four and the rest of the ingredients.
Here's the fun part, You can put the cookies on a baking sheet by spooning some of
the dough on the sheet, pressing it down and sprinkling with decorative candies,
then baking.
Or flour a surface, roll and cut them after chilling the dough, decorate and cook.
(might need to add flour as you try to roll out if dough is sticky.
Or put into a cookie press then decorate on sheet before baking
Or divide into three batches, color one red and add chopped red sweet cheeries from
the jar, color one green and add chopped pistachio nuts, the third use melted semisweet
chocolate to flavor and color.
Put all three into a loaf pan in layers, press down to get rid of air. Put in fridge overnite. Bake and slice for spumoni cookies.

I put the oven on 350-375, 10 minutes? I watch and check while they cook. You don't want them brown, or gold at all, so take out before they cook too much.

This is very buttery and so good, but so bad for you!

Oliver, his belly full of goodies, chases Mary with his mistletoe and steals a kiss.

Love and hugs,
Mary





Mary M. Ricksen
Tripping Through Time ISBN#1-60154-392-1
You Gotta Read Reviews-Absolutely wonderful! An excellent
first novel. Rated:You Gotta Read!

http://www.maryricksen.com/

"Know that love is truly timeless"