CHRISTMAS GIFTS

There are many gifts of Christmas including a gracious, giving attitude by many people. Individuals dig deep into their pockets to buy toys for disadvantaged children. Others drop coins into the Salvation Army red kettle. Still others donate turkeys and canned goods to area food banks. Don’t you wish we could keep this warm, caring attitude for the whole year?

We also take special care to find just the perfect gift for our loved ones. If you have a book lover in your life and are looking for just the right book, I’d like to share the books I have authored with you. Hopefully, you’ll find one that sparks your interest.
Seattle homicide detectives, Nick Winston and Pat Strom, search out crime in the underbelly of the Emerald City. This time, a serial killer is murdering lesbians in the Northwest’s most gay-friendly city. Winston and Strom are called to the apartment of University of Washington student, Kylee Harris. The provocative young woman is slaughtered in her bed, and the killer leaves behind a grisly clue that shocks even the most cynical detectives. https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Girls-Make-Them-Die-ebook/dp/B06XBR46LV/ref

I AM GRATEFUL FOR:

 

 

The love of my family: My daughter Heather and my grandson Dawson hold my heart.

My church: It keeps me on the path to a kinder and richer existence.

Treasured friends: You know who you are. Some I’ve known a quarter of a century. Others, I am coming to know in delightful ways.  Thank you for loving me as I am.

My day job: I get the opportunity to share knowledge with Social Security recipients.

My writer’s critique group: You’ve helped me write four books over the last few years. Your insights and honesty have made me a better writer.

My home: As a child in a military family, I moved every three years. I have now lived in my house for twenty-seven years. I love the security and sanctity of my home.

Mom and Dad. Grandma and Grandpa. Aunt Helen and Uncle Ike. Long-gone, but not forgotten. I love you all and will see you on the other side.

My siblings: Dennis, Larry, Rayven and our beloved brother Rob who left us way too soon. What a wild and crazy trip it’s been.

My Mustang: I’ve always been a practical person and drove sensible cars that I kept for years. Thanks to my grandson who whispered in my ear, “Buy it, Grandma, please.”

Mt. Rainier: You take my breath away every day.

Thanksgiving: It reminds me to pause and remember how rich I am, how much I have been given, and how much I am deeply blessed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christians are coming out of the closet and finally uttering “Merry Christmas” again. For a number of years, the politically correct demigods have demanded that we be all-inclusive and use the generic “Happy Holidays” so we don’t offend anyone. I’ll admit I bought into the nonsense for some time too. But the reality is, Christmas belongs to Christians. It’s our Holy Day and while we are willing to share it with the world, we shouldn’t have to bow down to those who insist we do our day their way.

I love Christmas for the happy feelings that bubble out of me as I race madly towards December 25th. True, it’s easy to get stressed looking for the perfect gift for my grandson, but it’s pure magic when I spot just the right item and swoop it into the basket. It’s also true, I spend more than I should. I dread the consequences of my excess, but I’m willing to face the music in January just to see his sparkling eyes and the giggle that erupts when he rips open the package and finds that I found exactly what he wanted.

And there’s a deeper magic that happens at Midnight Mass when the congregation join voices and sing the old carols. I shed the chaos that has consumed my life for the last month and spirit finds its way into a heart that is willing to listen to a message of love. Besides the gentle voice of love, sometimes there is pain. Both my parents died at Christmas and I am flooded with memories of Christmases past and those I have lost. Tears are shed for Bea and Bob and my younger brother Rob who died way too soon. I miss you all.

For all my friends who are Buddhists, Wiccans, Taoists, Muslims, atheists, those who celebrate Kwanza, and my fellow Christians, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.