Merry Christmas...or whatever. :)

Illustration by: suphakit73@FreeDigitalPhotos. net

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Felice Navidad or however you prefer to express your year end celebrations. I don't care how you say it, but I wish you all warm hugs, happiness and the company of those you love this season.

Our Christmas will be quiet, but extended. Christmas Eve and Christmas day will mean only myself, my husband, my sister and the cats. And that's just fine.

But this Saturday, we cross the street to our friends, the Raju's. They do sweet things for us all the time...like using their Bobcat to plow our driveway. And Tara makes the very BEST rice pudding...just for me. They have nooooo idea how much we appreciate them. And they have no idea that we bought small thank you gifts...NOT Christmas presents, right?

Uncle Arnie will show up for a Christmas drink...We don't know when, but it won't be on Tuesday or Wednesday because as much as he loves us, he hates Christmas fanfare more.

Our best friend Darci is going home for the first time in years, so our dinner and gift exchange will have to wait.

We're expecting friends travelling from British Columbia and The North West Territories, but again, we don't know when. It's a LONG drive for Colleen from the island and a LONG flight from up north for Doug.

This just in...Roxy is coming over Christmas Eve! Yaaaay!

Christmases around here have long become less about the actual day with the gifts and food and more about the time spent with those we care about.

I'm pretty excited. And I hope you are too. I'm hoping your holidays are filled with happiness and love.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Definitely Thankful.

I got so preoccupied with all that's been going on this fall, I forgot about Thanksgiving! I feel like a real putz for that...But just because my family didn't really celebrate it, and me and my husband rarely do, that doesn't mean I don't reflect on the things I'm grateful for.

I'm grateful for my husband, who believes in me so much he lets me stay home to work on my writing. I'm grateful for my best friend Darci who always has my back and is forever helping us with home and computer stuff. As a matter of fact, she's having us over for Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow. I'm thankful for my sister, who has always supported me.

I'm thankful for all my writer, blogger, Twitter, Facebook, Staccato, Shenanigans, and plain ol' Good Friends. And for my, dare I say it?--fans. Maybe it's too early to call them that. You're only as good as your last book, right?

I'm grateful for my reviews too--good and bad. And for all the opportunities that come my way as a result of all the hard work people have done on my behalf.

I'm grateful for all the simple things, like the view out my windows, the harvest from my garden, and those little sparks of inspiration.

Most of all, I'm grateful for my CATS. Because no matter what, they make me smile everyday and there is nothing in this world I love more than them. Thanks, God! And Happy Thanksgiving everyone!