My Favorite Presents...

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I'm almost finished with this year's Christmas shopping. Hopefully, I'll wrap up the shopping and decorating by next weekend.

What was your favorite present?

I've had several through the years. These aren't in any particular order.

  • I asked for a puppy one year, and I got a sister.
  • My sister graduated from high school, and I graduated from college in the same year. That year for Christmas, Santa brought us cars. Mine was red (of course).
  • One year, I remarked that I never got a Snoopy Snow Cone Machine for Christmas. My sister gave me one (when I was in my thirties).
  • My husband gave me my engagement ring in an Easter egg one year at brunch.
  • We got our first puppy, Domino Phoebe, for Valentine's Day.

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

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I've been challenged to complete 31 Days of Random Acts of Christmas Kindness in December. It's a pay-it-forward deal instead of counting down to the Advent Season.

I can pay tolls or tabs while I'm in line. I can hold doors and leave snacks or treats. Any other ideas?

I'm going to work on my list, and I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Let the holiday season begin!



Nov. 21 Lethal Ladies' Lunch Break - Fountain Bookstore

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Join the Lethal Ladies at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA from 12:30 - 2:30 on Friday, November 21. Signed mysteries make great holiday gifts.

Come out and see Sisters in Crime members Mary Miley, Donna Andrews, Mary Burton, Lyndee Walker, Vivian Lawry, and me. We'll have signed copies of Virginia is for Mysteries.

http://www.fountainbookstore.com/event/lethal-ladies-lunch-break

Suffolk Mystery Authors' Festival

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Virginia is for Mysteries authors hosted three panels at the Suffolk Mystery Festival last weekend. I had the pleasure of presenting "The History of the Mystery" with Maggie King and Teresa Inge.

It was fun to meet all of the cozy mystery readers and writers at the Suffolk Cultural Arts Center.


Things I Miss from the 70s and 80s...

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I am a child of the late seventies and eighties. There are things like leg warmers, blue eye shadow, and shoulder pads that just needed to be retired with those decades. But there are some things that I miss...

I really liked Love's Baby Soft perfume. I wore this for years. (I was so excited to find a throw-back version on Amazon. I ordered it. I'll let you know if it's as good as the original.)

Blue M&Ms are fun, but I still miss the tan-colored ones.

Pop Rocks were fun. They're still around. Grab a pack of the cherry ones if you see them.

I miss "Must See TV." Everybody watched the same shows and talked about them the next day.

I liked getting my nightly news from Walter Cronkite. And I loved watching "Captain Kangaroo."

I loved Saturday Morning Cartoons. Scooby Doo, Josie and the Pussycats, Speedbuggy, H.R. Puffenstuff, and the Kroft SuperShows were the best.

I grew up in a beach town, and it used to be so cool to pull up to a stoplight, and everyone was listening to the same song on the radio. That never happens any more.

I miss that life seemed simpler then. We were busy, but we weren't as over-scheduled and harried as we are today. I hope you enjoy your weekend and can find some wind-down time.

 

 

Happy Veterans' Day!

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Many thanks to all who have served to preserve our freedoms. You and your families have endured and sacrificed much, so that we can enjoy what we hold dear. Our nation owes you an incredible debt.

Thanks to my veterans: Stan Weidner, Bill Cain, William Simpson, Landon Simpson, William Simpson, Jr., Lewis Welch, Sr.,  Irving G. Dewberry, Sr., Jack Dewberry, Harry Edwards, and Elwood Katzaman.