A Strange Christmas

This was the first Christmas since 1974 that we didn’t spend with our oldest son. Since Scott, Kristen, Reagan, Sawyer, and Sage weren’t able to make it up to Wisconsin this year, we mailed their stockings to Missouri. So sad. And for the first time since 1981, our Aaron was not here on Christmas Eve. NOT so sad! Because God, in his awesomely perfect timing, added another stocking to our mantle...on Christmas Eve!! Aaron and Adrianne gifted us with grandbaby #9 at 6:39 p.m. on December 24. Lillyanne Alice Lola Melby came into this world with tons of dark hair and kissably fat cheeks. What a gift!

Part of the reason our Missouri kids weren’t able to be here was because Scott flew out of St. Louis on December 27, on his way to three weeks in Egypt. Read about his adventures at http://bluebottledesigns.blogspot.com/

Stuck Plot=Clean House

Nothing motivates me to clean and organize like problems with my work in progress. Since Cathy and I haven't figured out a dramatic-enough crisis for Angel (the party planner) and a good enough reason to keep her and Wade (the guy who rescued her when she hit a deer) apart, and what in the world to do with Matt (the guy she saved with the Heimlich)...I've cleaned behind the dryer and the couch and organized the pantry with little labels on the shelves. The shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped, the house is decorated, and packages are on their way to Missouri. The Christmas letter, however, involves writing and also comes under the heading "Procrastination." My hope is that getting all this stuff done ahead of time will free up enough brain space for a plot breakthrough. If not, I'll have some serious catch-up to do. Any stuck plot solutions out there?

In the meantime, I'm counting blessings in the snow. A husband who can blow out all the candles on his cake in one breath is one of them. A grandson who celebrated his "half birthday" on the same day is another. And the gluten-free chocolate cake I made for both of them is yet one more!

Little Things

So many things crowded my brain this morning...creating too much noise for sleep. So I tip-toed down the stairs, laptop tucked under my arm, to greet a scene this writer rarely sees in winter (or any season for that matter). What is it about a sunrise that seems to wash away the concerns that can seem so huge in the dark? I was reminded all over again that God's promises are new every morning.

Now that I'm up, I'm choosing to focus on all that is beautiful. Choosing is the key here. I wasn't born with a "half full" disposition, but one baby step at a time I'm learning to pick praising over whining.

So here are some of the recent joys I'm thanking God for on this amazing snowy morning: Our grandson Cole turned two last week. He requested "Coo-coo pie" for his birthday, so his dad baked him a chocolate chip cookie pie. Notice, to the right of the boys, their little sister ready to join the fun literally any day now. We'd appreciate prayers for a quick and safe birth for little Lilly.

Cousins Keira and Oliver spent a lot of quality time together this past weekend. As long as we kept them from grabbing each other's ears and eyeballs they got along just fine!


We had Thanksgiving dinner at my mother's house with five and nine-tenths of our grandkids there. My little mom is 91 and still hosting holidays! One of the traditions she loves is putting an apron on my brother and watching him carve the turkey. He does an artful job.

Well, time to focus all this blessing-counting onto the fact that I can sit in my jammies, cozied up to a nice warm laptop, and "go to work." I just passed the halfway point in Pleasant Surprises, the first story in our Illinois series and I'm gaining ground on A Sweet Mess. Last week Cathy and I got our first look at the cover for Dream Chasers, coming out in March. It's blue and beautiful and I'll be sharing it soon. So, as I go off to work, I leave you with a reminder to choose praise over whine and savor all the little blessings. Take a lesson from my granddaughter Keira--imagine this kind of joy (Yes, that's a smile!) over a piece of celery and a camera!

Pumpkin Praline Fudge

One of the joys of working on A Sweet Mess, the women's fiction book I'm writing, is that part of my research is learning the art of fudge making! In keeping with the season, here is a Thanksgivingy fudge recipe. I must admit I haven't made it...yet, so please let me know if you try it. I'd like to come up with a recipe for this that doesn't use marshmallow fluff--that stuff is ridiculously sweet!

Pumpkin Praline Fudge
Ingredients:
· 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped
· 1.5 cups granulated sugar
· 1.5 cups brown sugar
· 2/3 cup evaporated milk
· 2/3 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
· 1 tsp ground cinnamon
· 1/2 tsp ground ginger
· 1/4 tsp nutmeg
· 1/8 tsp cloves
· 1/8 tsp allspice
· 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
· 7 ounces marshmallow cream or fluff
· 3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
Preparation:
1. Prepare a 9x13” baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray or lining it with foil.
2. Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, and spices in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches soft-ball stage, 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
3. Take the pan off the burner and stir in the white chocolate until it melts.
4. Scoop the marshmallow cream and stir it into the candy until smooth. Add the chopped nuts last and stir until well combined.
5. Spoon the candy into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
6. Allow to cool and harden at room temperature until firm, preferably overnight.
To Serve: Cut into 1x1 squares.

Multiple Deadlines

I used to hear published authors complain about multiple deadlines and my thought was "I wish!" And then this week I got a little taste of it. I'm still not complaining! Cathy and I just finished going over the galley for Dream Chasers--our chance to read through the whole book just as it will look in print and make final changes. The next thing on my list is to fill out the cover art form for Stillwater Promise. (Picture a snowy Minnesota scene) . Tonight we will get together to sign the contract for Pleasant Surprises, the first book in our Illinois series. And while all this fun stuff is going on, I'm working at doubling my words-per-week to meet our Heartsong deadline and hopefully to finish A Sweet Mess, the first book in the Fudge Fairy, Inc. series I'm working on alone. I would love to get this manuscript done by Valentine's Day. I have a "nod" from an agent and a couple publishers--meaning they're at least willing to look at it when it's finished. If any of you feel prodded to pray for this project, I'd be grateful.

Another Contest!

It's Here!
Holding a book you've authored in your hands for the first time is much like cradling a child you've just given birth to. Two days ago I finally got to "hug" a copy of Walk With Me! It won't go out to the Heartsong book club until December, but I have a few copies. If you'd like to be one of the first to read and write a review, post a 50-word-or-less reason why you want to read this romance. Be creative and ping my heartstrings with your plea!! (Family and critique partners excluded--you'll get your own copy anyway!) I'll pick a winner on November 6.

The Eyes of God

My greatest joy at this stage in life is to have every one of my kids and grandkids under the same roof. We were blessed with that this past weekend. Eighteen of us plus little Lilly who we won't meet for another two months. I could sit for hours and just watch all the different interactions...my four daughters-in-law sorting through baby clothes together...my four manly sons scattering like leaves in the wind when I sneak up with the camera... I love the baby swapping as Keira and Oliver get passed around a circle of aunts and uncles. The six "big" kids took over the island in the kitchen with pipe cleaners, colored puff balls, googly eyes, and lots of glue. Reagan, Sage, Ethan, and Peter created cute little creatures, wacky glasses, and hats. Sawyer, our resident scientist, constructed an H2O molecule and a DNA chain! Things turned silly when googly eyes started sprouting on foreheads!

I won't claim that this deep spiritual thought came to me in the midst of the goofiness, but when I looked at the pictures later it occurred to me that the eyes of our Heavenly Father are always on these kids. I love this verse from Zephaniah: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Years ago I read that verse and it hit me with enough force to leave a lasting mark. God spoke these words over Jerusalem, but I believe they apply to His children as individuals, too. Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, stands over us and rejoices with singing!

Knowing that we each get such tender, unique attention from Him prompts me all the more to pray for my kids and grandkids. I started praying for my boys (and their future wives) when they were babies and God has been so faithful and generous with his answers. What a privilege to pray for the next generation. Of all the things we try to do as parents and grandparents to raise our offspring in the ways of God, I believe with all my heart that prayer is the single most important thing. And it's NEVER too late to start!