Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the magic, joy, and wonder of the season!!

Naughty and Nice: A Contest

In case you didn't already know it, I have a fabulous critique partner, Lisa Desrochers. Lisa and I met at the San Francisco Writers' Conference in February 2009, decided to start swapping our drafts and within the year we both had book deals!! I'm still reeling at our good fortune and am always grateful that I have such a wonderful writer and friend in Lisa.

Lisa's debut, Personal Demons, is smokin. Check out her blog and leave a comment below for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of her book!! (Thank you, Lisa!!!!)

I'm thrilled to have two of the book's stars - Luc (a demon) and Gabe (an angel) - stopping by for an interview today.

Me (looks at Luc and Gabe, fans self): Ummmm, is it getting hot in here?

Gabe (jerks thumb at Luc): You’ll have to take that up with him.

Me (coughs, hurrying to change the subject): So, guys, the holidays are coming up – what’s on your wish list this year?

Luc (smirks): Frannie, over easy.

Gabe (rolls eyes): There’s the Christmas spirit. (smiles at Andrea) It’d be horribly cliché to say peace on Earth and goodwill toward man, wouldn’t it? So, I’ll just settle for Frannie’s soul.

Luc (glares at Gabe): Shouldn’t you be impaled on the top of someone’s Christmas tree?

Me (beaming at Gabe, too nervous to sneak a glance at Luc): Time to be nice - Luc, I know you’re going to hate this – what’s one trait you admire in each other?

Luc (raises eyebrow at Andrea): Seriously?

Gabe: You’re complaining?

Luc: I am.

Gabe: I’ll start. Luc is…creative.

Luc (barks out a laugh): That’s the best you could do?

Gabe: It’s better than “seriously?”

Luc (looks back at Andrea): See what I have to put up with? Okay. Give me a second… Gabe is…bright.

Gabe (throws up hands): You admire my brightness?

Luc (shoots a glare at Gabe): What do you want from me?

Gabe: I guess a reasonable answer is too much to hope for?

Luc (slumps in chair): Fine. He’s loyal, I suppose.

Gabe (nods): And Luc is courageous…when he wants to be.

Me: Okay...I guess we’ll give naughty a spin too. What have you done lately that might make Santa skip your house?

Gabe: Can I plead the fifth?

Luc (smiles at Andrea): I’ll give you his list. He’s been up to all kinds of very questionable angelic conquests, such as trying to get into Frannie’s—

Gabe (holds up hand): Whoa, there, brimstone-breath. I have done absolutely nothing outside my scope as a Dominion.

Luc: Except kissing Frannie.

Gabe: How do you know about that?

Luc: She told me.

Gabe (shifts in seat) (looks at Andrea): He, on the other hand, would have a much easier time answering the question: Have you done anything in all your pathetic existence to redeem your sorry demonic butt?

Luc (crosses arms): I have.

Gabe: Such as?

Luc: I can’t see how that’s any of your business, and this isn’t your interview. (Turns to Andrea) Santa has plenty of reasons to skip my house and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Me (tries not to blush while Luc keeps looking my way): Uh...moving along...since I love philosophy, let’s wax thoughtful for a moment. We’ll be seeing you again soon in a book titled, Original Sin. What’s your take on that concept?

Luc: Depending on which belief system you buy into, original sin can be interpreted in any number of different ways, all of which work for me. Whether you look at it as the specific sin of Adam and Eve that lead to the fall of man, or the more Catholic doctrine that it’s the general state of sin that all men are born into, it means that man will always sin and I will always benefit.

Gabe: No. It means that sometimes man sins—

Luc (smirking): And so do angels.

Gabe (shaking head): The concept of original sin is founded in Christian doctrine. In reality, it’s not nearly as cut and dry as organized religion would like to make it seem. Man has free will. What that means is they are free to make their own choices. There are temptations—

Luc (grinning): Tell me about it…

Gabe (glaring at Luc): and sometimes man falls prey to them. In the end, a man’s conscience is going to dictate how he deals with those temptations, but I don’t buy that man, in his true essence, is born to sin.

Luc (leans forward and smiles wickedly): How about you, Andrea? Up for a little original sin?

Me (holds Luc's gaze for a moment, stands up, bolts because I'd prefer to hang on to my soul) (calls over shoulder): Thanks for stopping by you guys! Merry Christmas!!! Say hi to Lisa for me!

Wow - that was...intense...ummm.....remind me to bring a chaperone next time. And don't you guys forget to leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of Personal Demons. I'll take entries through December 25 - whether you've been naughty or nice!

Winner!

Happy Friday, everyone!

The randomly selected winner of Five Flavors of Dumb is:

Christina Ferko!

Congrats :) Keep watching the blog for more giveaways leading up to Christmas. I'm going to celebrate the weekend with one of my favorite Christmas songs:

Little Victories

We had to move Christmas. The National Weather Service described travel conditions at the time we were meant to head North for the family as 'life-threatening.' No family, no presents. It started as a terrible disappointment. It could have been a disaster.


But sometimes inconveniences, big and small, can bring to light the best parts of life. Instead of gathering at the traditional time in the traditional place, we cobbled together a small dinner for those of us close enough to meet without risky life and limb. Christmas Up North has been rescheduled for next weekend. Our impromptu Christmas dinner was delightful. Today, Boxing Day, we loafed about, tucked under quilts, nibbling leftovers, until it was time to move the cars because of the Snow Emergency.

*This is not us, but we looked very much like this*

Since this latest storm consisted of not only snow, but also ice, the streets have turned into corridors slicker than skating rinks. It took a group effort to get the car moving, but move it did amid laughter, shouts from the open car door (the windows were frozen shut), and celebratory dancing in the street upon success.

Little victories make the world bright and have made my out-of-the-ordinary Christmas a very nice one indeed.

Now in Technicolor! Christmas Specials

It's Christmas Eve and we're snowed in (and will be snowed in for some time - more on that tomorrow), so what better way to while the away the hours than by watching one's favorite TV Christmas Specials! (You thought I'd say reading, didn't you? Okay, you caught me, I'll be reading too. A lot.)

But before reading, I wanted to continue in the vein of favorite holiday wackiness and some of the wackiest wack comes in the form of televised holiday cheer. Some I just can't stomach, but others make me giggle, and still others draw the nostalgic tear.

Good for giggles:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)Stop motion animation? An elf who wants to be dentist? Burl Ives the snowman? And of course the Abominable Snowman? What's not to love??


A Christmas Story (1983)From double-dog dares to the Bumpbus dogs there is too much to love in this movie. But my favorite: Snow Suit Immobilization.


But the special most likely to make me snort eggnog up my nose from laughter:
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)



(And I know it's crazy, but I love that song!! Proof that I'm a child of the 80s, no doubt)

And last but not least, nostalgia-filled favorite Christmas special of all time:
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987), which contains this unforgettable moment -

Light Up The World

I know that just two posts ago I suggested the darkness of Winter Solstice is something to be treasured rather than feared. Nonetheless I can't claim that the long dark hours of this season don't take their toll. Hence today's post, #2 in the Holiday Extravaganza: Christmas Lights.

Christmas lights make coming home in the dark a little less oppressive. When I walk my dogs in the evening and pass bushes, trees, windows twinkling with an array of colors, or the subtle glow of solitary white lights, I feel much happier.

Whether they be multi-colored casting a candy-hued glow all around the tree,


or the ethereal quality of clear white lights, imparting the magic of the season, in contrast to the fun, celebratory quality of crazy colors.
I can even get behind the over-the-top bonanza light displays,


though I don't know if I'd want to live next door to this.



Do you put lights up for the holidays? What kind?

Break Out Christmas Hit

For a few days now I've been forecasting Andrea's posts of holiday wacky goodness and now IT'S HERE!!

Today through Christmas Day there will be astonishing lights, sound, sight - all the holiday glitz you can stomach (maybe more if you've been drinking too much nog).

It's kind of a pet peeve of mine that the Sound of Music's "My Favorite Things" has been adopted as a holiday song that plays in the background of malls while you shop. But I've decided to jump on the bandwagon, dedicating these posts to my Favorite Holiday Things.

First up: Fave Holiday Songs

I love holiday soundtracks, but I have a strict rule about not listening to any seasonal songs until we're past Thanksgiving. Hearing "Silver Bells" any sooner than late November is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Music makes my world go round, so limiting the selection here is tough, to say the least. So I've decided to choose one song from Andrea's new: Key Categories of Holiday Music Bliss Out.

Category: Childhood (I listened to this one on my Grandma Opal's record player, over and over and over)





Category: Kitsch (In case you're wondering 'sori' is sleigh, 'sube' is the sleigh's movement. Side note: I highly recommend all U900's ukelele carols)



Category: Sacred



Category: Muppet (This song always makes me tear up)



Category: NEW FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG

One of the best things about entering the writing world is meeting other writers who really see the world the way you do. Yes, everyone, be very, very afraid. Josh Berk and Kiersten White are geniuses. Soon they will rule the world and I'm hoping they will let me be in their Cabinet, or Inner Circle, or Secret Society - what have you. Here is their amazing contribution to the Holiday Songbook.



What holiday tunes are you spinning this December?

Winter Butterfly

I love the shift in seasons.

I know, I know. Two months ago I ranted about October snow - but I love the shift in seasons when they happen at the appropriate time. Early or late snow freaks me out.

Now that it's December and we're diving toward the Solstice, I'm enjoying the drop in temperatures and the delicate flakes that lazily drift through the air.

Winter has another benefit as well: complete wardrobe transformation.

Living in a true four seasons climate means we Northern folk get to emerge from our respective cocoons not one, but four times a year. Winter, spring, summer, fall - each have their own sets of clothes. When the temperature drops I rifle through my closet, discovering velvety corduroys and woolen skirts long neglected through summer and fall. It feels like a shopping spree occurred where I didn't have to spend any money!

As much as I enjoy pleasant weather, I don't think I could sacrifice this seasonal bliss for year round temperature stability. My brother lives in LA (he reads this blog and I'm about to mock him, sorry little bro!) and just sent his Christmas list - which put mine to shame by the way - in which he requested an "LA winter coat."

Guffaw! There is no LA winter. He needs a light jacket, which I believe will contribute much more to style than defense from the elements.
As for me I'll be packing up breezy cotton skirts and sheer tops, which I'll stow away until it's time for the next cocoon to break open, welcoming spring rain and warm Zephyr wind. Given that I live in Minnesota, it probably won't happen until May.

The Empty List

In the days just after Thanksgiving a question oft-repeated among my family and friends:

What would you like for Christmas?

I'm not going to blush or offer downcast eyes. My attitude toward gifts is much like that of Buffy on her birthday:

"Oooh, prezzies! Gimme, gimme, gimme."

I love presents. I love giving them and getting them.

But this year I'm stumped. I have no idea what to put on my Christmas list (sorry Mom!)
And I know why. 2009 was the year I got what I wanted more than anything else in the world - my book deal.

When I try to think about a 'gimme list' I always come back to: book deal. And I have that. And every time I remember I get squeeey goodness. And then I don't want anything. I iz happy, happy, happy.

Okay, okay...so there was one thing I wanted - a Droid.

But my oh-so-lovely husband just bought me one, and when I insisted it was my Christmas presented he countered: "No, this is your book deal present." (See - there it is again! The book deal is the blob that consumes all other gift options!)

If you don't know what a Droid is, it's this awesome device that is pretty much Motorola's answer to the IPhone. And it is awesome. I am not a gadgety girl, but I love my Droid. I love it because I am a Messy Person.

I believe that this inherent messiness is a good thing. So does the New York Times *sticks out tongue at obssessive neat folk* (Don't worry, I still love you strange, organized folk of the world, my husband is one of you. I simply will never understand how you manage to be so neat.)

The Droid is the closet thing in my life I can offer for organization. I thrive in chaos and clutter and me walking through a room seems to have a similar affect to that of a tornado. My desk lives under the constant threat of drowning in papers, books, sticky notes, and pictures. My calendar cannot hope to keep up.

The Droid helps because it's everything in one neat little black box. Plus, it tells me when I'm supposed to be different places...and that is the kind of little helper I need. Though I'm a little afraid that it will become self aware and take over the world, starting with my house.

But it's help has left me with that same old problem. Nothing for the list. Except books of course, there's no end to the books I pine for. So Mom, little bro, & everyone else who's asked me for a list. Just head to the bookstore because and I'll steal a quip from Edward:"Books are my life now."

Though according to LisaDez, none of this is going to be a problem anyway.