*** LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW! ***

Oh, the weather outside is joyful
And the fire is so delightful.....
And since we've no place to go....
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Ahhh. I couldn't ask for anything more on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. I'm enjoying every task I'm performing....such as laundry, straightening up different rooms, cooking, watching a little NFL football on TV, answering e-mails, helping to keep the fire in the fireplace roaring.....all while watching those beautiful snow flakes falling, swirling, looking like a favorite snowglobe of mine!

I hope everyone is also enjoying their day as much as I am!

*** Christmas Day 2009 ***

** I got my wish! We're having beautiful snow flakes!!! Some are light at times, some really large and heavy at others! (It truly looks like the photo I posted below!)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings....whatever fits your style and mood!

We'll be with all our kids and grand kids later this afternoon. I can only imagine the excitement and noise going on in their homes this morning!

Peace, Joy and Wonder to all of you.

** Christmas Eve 2009 **

"It's December the twenty fourth, and I'm longing to be up North...."

I was feeling the same way the past couple of days, as the temperature kept climbing and we received a deluge of rain instead of the lovely snowflakes which would be so much more appropriate this time of year. But today the temps begin to drop drastically and our forecast is for some light snowfall. Yippee!!

If we just have flurries on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, that is all I ask. I just want to see and feel and be surrounded by the magical quietness, the glorious wonder, the miracle that is ** Snow! **

(The picture above was taken from my back patio in Janurary 2008.)

** A Charles Dickens Christmas **

The movie: A Christmas Carol and the other versions of the wonderful Dickens tale (Scrooge...the musical with the fantastic Albert Finney, and Scrooged...the comedy with hilarious Bill Murray) have been favorites of mine for many years. I love the story of a miserable, greedy man learning how to be loving and giving again, especially at such a late stage in his life.

At this holiday time of year, when giving is stressed....especially to people who are less fortunate than we are, it's always wonderful to see people doing good things for others on the television news, instead of the usual pain and suffering we're constantly subjected to. And many of us ask ourselves, after the cheer and good will is gone and forgotten....WHY is it forgotten? Why do most of us tend to only think of those in need during the holidays? I've heard of a saying that's something like: Need knows no season.

I received a Christmas card today from the wonderful people at the local Habitat for Humanity office. I was immediately struck by the quote on the front of the card, and knew that I must post it on my blog:

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." --- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

I will often remind myself of this quote and I request all my friends to do the same. There are millions of people in our world that are so much more worse off than any of us may think we are.

** Various Thoughts on a Sunday Evening **

This morning I decided to change my comment formatting from Open Comments, to Saving for Publication, and I'll receive an e-mail to review them before they actually appear on my blog. I really don't like doing it that way, but until further notice, that's how it will work. Just wanted to point that out for anyone who leaves a comment and wonders why it didn't post automatically. 

I had a combo-weekend: both productive and lazy! And so, I'm ready for a very productive day tomorrow. No time for laziness the rest of this week. I've got lots to do, in every corner of my life!

** Incredible Coincidence & Friendships for a Lifetime **

My writer friends and I have similar likes and dislikes, mostly I guess because we are creative, thinking women, who really see the world around us.We have such camaraderie, kindness, generosity, support for each other, and hilarious times together.

Last night, two of my writer friends and I got together for dinner and the exchanging of Christmas gifts. One of the friends and I discovered last week that we both had bought the exact same gift for the third friend. Out of all the millions of "writer related" gifts we could've chosen, how in the world did we buy the exact same day planner??? It's called The Reading Woman and contains gorgeous pictures of various works of art depicting women reading! Plus it contains many inspirational quotes. (Tammy and I are still mystified and shaking our heads about this incredible coincidence! She happened upon hers at a local book store. I bought mine online after browsing for "writer gifts", "women writers gifts", journals and calendars.)

I've never experienced such acquaintances, friendships, or allies, all pertaining to one particular "group" of people. I've even developed immediate friendships online, due to my contacting someone because I loved the way she wrote, and vice versa.

How amazing it is to be a writer.....a published writer.....at this stage of my life!

All I can say is, with the continued support of my wonderful writer friends, "the best is yet to come"!

Trouble With Posting My Photos

I haven't posted anything since our big Chicken Soup for the Soul book signing on Saturday, the 12th, because I wanted to include some photos I took, but my computer is not cooperating! The camera worked fine, the pictures look great, but when I try to install them onto my laptop, it says something like it can't find my photo program! And when I tried to download it again, something didn't work properly. Eeeeeekkk!!!

I really dislike computer problems!!!!

Guess I'll have to do a little more investigating tomorrow and hopefully can get it fixed! Until then.....

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! ♪♫♪♪♫

** CHARLES DICKENS-ESQUE ATMOSPHERE **

* Reminder: Tomorrow, Saturday December 12th,
    Main Street Books in Historic St. Charles:

  Chicken Soup for the Soul --- Canned Soup for the Body

  Please stop by between 1:00 and 3:00 pm, bring one canned good for a local food pantry, save 10% on your total purchase. Buy some of your Christmas gifts: Chicken Soup for the Soul books, autographed by local authors!!  (Photo below is of 4 of the 7 writers attending, myself included.)

  Hope to see many people there!  

  http://www.stcharleschristmas.com/    

   http://www.mainstreetbooks.net/