Thanksgiving Traditions

I love fall and the kickoff to the holiday seasons. There are so many Thanksgiving and fall traditions.

When I was little, my grandmother and I put up her Christmas tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was always a magical time and a great capstone for Thanksgiving weekend. I love Christmas, and I usually put up four or five trees. They’re themed by decorations or color. We haven’t done the outdoor decorations in a few years, so maybe this year, we’ll Griswold the front yard.

Back in the heyday of the malls in the 80s, the Friday after Thanksgiving was always our biggest shopping day, and it was usually an all-day event that started before dawn. I like shopping online now, so I do most of mine from my desk. But those days at Lynnhaven Mall and Pembroke Mall were fun and crazy because my sister could never make up her mind, and we visited the same stores multiple times. And Thankfully, I never did get caught up in the Cabbage Patch fights. Though, my nephew did send me on a wild goose chase one year looking for a very specific blue Power Ranger (that didn’t exist.)

I have to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and all the Charlie Brown specials each year. They are such a holiday tradition. And Thanksgiving is also the kickoff to all the holiday movies. (And yes, that includes Die Hard.)

Since I’ve been married and we host Thanksgiving at our house, Turkey Day is for food, family, and football. (My team is playing their arch-rival this year. Pleeeeeeeese let us win!) We usually eat the big meal at lunch and then spend the afternoon and evening snacking on football food during the games.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Holidays for Writers (And Book Lovers)

Mark your calendars. There’s always something to celebrate!

January 1 - Copyright Law Day

January 3 - National Write to Congress Day

January 12 - Poetry at Word Day

January 18 - National Thesaurus Day, Winnie the Pooh Day

January 27 - Library Shelfie Day

February 3 - World Read Aloud Day

February 7 - Send a Card to a Friend Day

February 9 - Read in the Bathtub Day

February 14 - International Book Giving Day, Library Lovers’ Day

February 26 - Tell a Fairytale Day

March 2 - National Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss’ Birthday)

March 4 - National Grammar Day

March 8 - National Proofreading Day

March 14 - National Write Your Story Day

March 16 - Freedom of Information Day

March 20 - World Storyteller’s Day

March 21 - World Poetry Day

March 25 - National Tolkien Reading Day

March 30 - Pencil Day

April 2 - International Children’s Book Day

April 4 - School Librarian Day

April 6 - National Library Workers’ Day

April 7 - Nation Bookmobile Day

April 10 - Encourage a Young Writer Day

April 15 - Celebrate Teen Literature Day

April 16 - National Library Day

April 23 - World Book Day

May 2 - Harry Potter Day

May 6 - Free Comic Book Day

May 12 - National Limerick Day

May 22 - Sherlock Holmes’ Day

June 10 - National Ballpoint Pen Day

July 30- Paperback Book Day

August 9 - Book Lovers’ Day

August 21 - Poets’ Day

August 29 - Bookstore Romance Day

September 6 - Read a Book Day

September 8 - International Literacy Day

September 15 - Mystery Book Day (Agatha Christie’s Birthday)

September 24 - National Punctuation Day

September 29 - National Coffee Day

October 7 - National Poetry Day

October 16 - Dictionary Day

October 20 - National Day of Writing

October 30 - National Frankenstein Day

November 1 - National Authors’ Day

November 6 - Book Lovers’ Day, National Nonfiction Day

November 9 - Young Reader’s Day

November 15 - I Love to Write Day

November 18 - High-five a Librarian Day

December 7- Letter Writing Day

December 12 - Crossword Puzzle Day

December 21 - National Short Story Day

My Funny Christmas Moments...

Christmas is one of my most favorite times of the year. The season is full of sparkle, lights, magic, and the goodness of humankind. My grandmother Ruth loved the holiday season too, and as a little girl, I always spent Thanksgiving weekend with her to help her decorate, bake, and make Christmas candy.

I was the kid who stayed wide awake all night every Christmas Eve, and much to my parents' dismay, I was always up at four or five in the morning to open presents. One year when I was about four, I was so excited to see Santa. We waited in line for at least an hour at Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach. When it was my turn, fear took over, and I had a tearful outburst. I didn't get to give him my list. I fretted for days that he was going to skip our house that year. I was shocked and SO relieved on Christmas to find out he came through for me.

When I was almost five (and the only grandchild on all sides), I wanted a puppy. I got a sister that year. She came home on Christmas Eve, and things haven't been the same since. I'm just kidding, my sister is my best friend (but I was a tad disappointed that I didn't get the puppy and that she was too big for me to carry around like a doll.

This time of year is chaotic, but it's fun. Here are some of my humorous holiday moments.

I Have Proof - One year before my sister arrived, it snowed late on Christmas Eve. It rarely did that in Virginia Beach. I didn’t know which was more exciting, Christmas or snow. We opened the front door, and there were real, honest-to-goodness reindeer tracks on the front steps. I couldn’t believe it. I had proof. I saw them. That’s where the reindeer waited while Santa unloaded all of my loot.

I found out much later that my “reindeer” was the next-door neighbor’s German Shepherd JoJo.

What is That Smell? - One summer, I was driving back and forth from work, and I smelled this sickening citrus odor in my car. I checked my bags and the car. It kept getting worse, and I couldn’t find the source. When I couldn't stand it any longer, I pulled everything out of the car. Someone had given us a bag of potpourri the previous Christmas, and it had gotten stuck between the back seat and the trunk. It was ripe when I finally threw it out.

Invasion of the Short People - My husband volunteered to help the men’s club at church one year when they decided to sell wooden angels as a fundraiser. The angels were about four-feet tall with the name of the donor on the front. At Christmas time, they decorate the lawn of the church.

He cut about five of them and put them up against the wall in our garage. I went out to the garage in the dark and saw five figures lined up next to the wall. I got a start until I realized what they were. In the dark, it looked like a bunch of short people hiding in my garage.

The Terrible Christmas Cookies - One December after work, my husband met me in the garage. “These cookies are terrible,” he said munching on something hard.

“What cookies?” I asked as I tried to remember what kind I bought last time. He finished his snack and said, “These in the red bag.” They were the peanut butter dog treats my niece made for the pair of Jacks.

I Don’t Care About the *&^%* Carolers - One Christmas, I volunteered to bring four dozen cookies to the holiday party at work. Well, at my house, to get four dozen cookies that look good enough to share, I had to bake six or seven dozen. The malformed ones were for sampling, and the burnt ones went into the trash. About halfway though the baking, I had lost my holiday spirit and all desire for peace and goodwill.

My husband came bounding into the kitchen with the joyous news that we had holiday carolers outside. He wanted to know if we should take them some cookies. By then, the floor, dogs, and I were covered in flour and sugar. I gave him the look of death, and he slowly backed out of the kitchen.

What Happened to the Angel? - One year, my sister and I went over to my Grandmother Ruth’s house to help her decorate for Christmas. When we were unpacking decorations, we discovered a bald angel. Previously, she was a blonde. It seemed she fell off the tree last year, and Patton, the Boston Terrier ate her hair.

It's Awfully Humid in Here - My Grandmother Ruth always had candy at her house. She had an open dish in her living room for guests. During the holiday season, it was filled with all kinds of festive hard candy. I loved the assortment, but it was always stuck together. We had to break it off in chunks. Grandma always chalked it up to the heat and the humidity.

One day we discovered the truth about the sticky candy. We went in the living room, and Patton, her Boston Terrier, was standing in the chair licking the candy dish. I pass on the hard candy now.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. I know there's a lot of activity, but try to squeeze in the moments to enjoy the magic and fun.

Holiday Time Management Ideas for Writers

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the December holiday season is fast approaching. It should be a time of celebration, but it's stressful when there are too many tasks and obligations. And somehow, my schedule always gets crazy in November and December.

Here are some ideas for managing to celebrate and still work on your writing and book marketing.

1. Create a bank of blog posts when you have extra time. That way, when you're in a crunch, you can use one that is already ready to go.

2. Schedule blog, Facebook, and Twitter posts in advance, especially for days you know you'll be busy.

3. Find an hour or two on your calendar and block it off as writing time. I cut TV/movie time when I need more writing or editing time.

4. Get up early (or stay up later) to write, blog, or post to social media. My house is really quiet in the morning, and I get a lot done before the family and guests are up and ready for breakfast.

5. Use your social media mobile apps. When you are standing in line, check your social media sites, respond to comments, or do a quick post or tweet. It's a great way to keep up with emails too.

6.Take pictures of the fun and festivities. They're great for sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Pinterest.

7. Use a calendar to keep up with the "must do's." Some electronic calendars (like Google) can be shared with others. There is also a variety of software out there to help manage tasks. Trello is a fun, easy one to use. You create electronic "cards" to manage projects or large efforts.

8. I try to get the holiday shopping done and wrapped early. It just takes some of the pressure off.

9. You can say no and not feel guilty. You don't have to participate in everything. I was asked to be a part of a cookie exchange one year. The idea is to bake one dozen cookies for every participant. I ended up baking ten dozen cookies. It's a nice idea, but I really didn't need the cookies I brought home. And it was more work and stress than value.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. With a little organization, it can be a fun season, and you can still have time to write and do your book promotions. Happy writing!