Festivities

I had my second book signing yesterday.  This time at Mediacom Ice Park during a MSU Ice Bears v. KU Jayhawks game.  We won - oh, yeah!  What a gratifying experience, though, to be able to talk about No Penalty for Love with team members and staff and fans.  I hope everyone who bought a copy enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  It was a challenge for me to get the technical aspects of the game on the page and let the thrill of it come through in the writing.  I never would have been able to pull off some of the scenes if not for the Ice Bears.  So, thanks again, Guys!

I'm feeling partied out this weekend - festivities abound.  Though, I did manage a Saturday morning at home yesterday to make some Christmas candies and cookies.  I found a recipe (another good one) in Grandma's recipe box - 4 Chips Good Fudge, it was called.  Rich!  Oh, my!  Made that and also some Maple Nut Brittle which didn't "brittle" so became a new and oh, so wonderful Christmas delight - Maple Nut Clusters.  Also some plain, but simply wonderful sugar cookies - not the frosted kind - icky - but just a touch of colored sugars to give them a little sparkle.  I wore my Snoopy Christmas apron and played Christmas music on the radio in the kitchen, sang to Natalie (she's the only one I sing to besides God because neither of them are critical of my tunes), and had a jolly good time.

Speaking of festivities, here are some romantic suggestions for December in case you  need a little Christmas right this very minute:

1.  Find a movie house showing one of the classics and go - It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, or Miracle on 34th Street (which Bruce took me to see at the Gillioz last night).  Barring that, dvr one and make a point of watching it.
2.  Gotta watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Other specials to revive your childlike enthusiasm for the season are Rudolph the Red Nosed Reineer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, and, if you can find it (which I haven't) Mr. Kreuger's Christmas - apparently I remember a 1/2 hour long made-for-TV special from the '70's with amazing clarity.  It stared James Stewart.
3.  Burn a pine scented candle, light the fire and watch the tree blink lazily.
4.  Make a fireside supper - that's what I plan to do next Saturday night before the actual holiday week is upon us.  One of the great things about vegetarian cooking at Christmas is that there is an abundance of red and green food to choose from.  Makes for festive and lively plating!
5.  Sing - even if it's just to your dog.
6.  Get quiet and remember Jesus - if that doesn't make you happy and grateful, you're a lost cause.
7.  DON'T make any resolutions or bemoan the year past - just make sure you remind yourself that every moment of every day is a new beginning and nothing stays the same - good or bad - and plan to make the changes you want to see sooner rather than later.
8.  Make a Christmas treat for the birds - airpopped popcorn tossed out by the handfuls, or something more adventurous like backyard tree decorations made with peanut butter and bedecked with seeds.
9.  Read a great Christmas book:  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens; anything Christmassy by Debbie Macomber.
10.  Count your blessings - as Bing sings - it's better than counting sheep by far.

Blessings to you and yours this holiday season -
Shellie