OUR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS @RomanceGems

 By Caroline Clemmons

Our theme this month is the gift of romance—what better could fit Romance Gems? Our days are spent dreaming and writing romance. Using our “gift” or talent to create a gift to you is our goal. 

Today, I’m writing to you about the romance of Christmas. How many Christmas stories have you read? How many Christmas movies have you watched? All month I've binged on the Hallmark channel and that style movie elsewhere.

After releasing two new holiday romances, I have been reminiscing about past celebrations and family traditions. I’ve always wished for a large extended family, especially at holidays. Mine has dwindled and is a small family of just Hero, our two daughters, and me. However, we still have our traditions and celebrations.

Of course, one is a tree. Due to allergies, our tree is artificial.  Actually, we have two trees—a tall, pre-lit one in the family room and the main tree in the living room. Our Darling Daughter 2 decorated the larger tree while Hero and I chatted with her about the ornaments and a variety of other things. We are excellent observers while someone else works. This year, we decided against using all of our ornaments.

This year's tree

Last year, she had decorated the tree and it looked lovelier than it ever had. A perfect tree! She and I had stepped to the table end of the living-dining room when we heard a loud crash. You guessed it, the tree fainted. The base of the tree suffered metal fatigue and broke. So did many of my favorite ornaments.  

Hero came to the rescue and repaired and reinforced the base. He also secured the tree to the wall. DD2 repaired the damage and disposed of the broken ornaments. As you can imagine, I was distraught. So, I concentrated on setting up my little village and train on the dining table.

The village is a tradition begun by DD2.  She gave me several of the buildings, starting when she was in high school. She and I added each year until I had a little town. Hero provided the train and track. With Hero’s help, I painted and modeled a sheet of plywood for the base, complete with a “mountain” and a tunnel. When we downsized seven years ago, the plywood went the way of other things for which we have no room. Instead, I cover the dining table with a layer of batting for faux snow.

My tiny village and train

Our family room mantle is where we hang our stockings. Yes, Hero and I have stockings, too. When DD2 learned that I filled the stockings, she said that wasn’t fair because I knew what was in mine. That year, she used her allowance and purchased a set of tea bag holders which she sneaked into my stocking. Of course, I still have them saved in my “treasures”. Soon, each of us was doing the same thing for the others.

Our mantle with angel stocking holders

On Christmas Eve, our tradition is for Hero to read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. Then we open presents. This is after we have supper of tamales, chips, guacamole, and other Southwestern-style snacks.  In the past, we attended a Christmas Eve late-night church service.  

Christmas morning is when find our filled stockings waiting for us. Then we concentrate on our Christmas dinner. Some years that is lasagna. This year, our menu is traditional turkey and dressing.

(By the way, Darling Daughter 1 enjoys seeing the decorations, but not participating in arranging them. That’s especially true the past few years as she’s recovering from numerous surgeries for broken legs and knee injuries.)

If reading Christmas stories is something you enjoy, please take note of my new release, MEG, book 20 in the Angel Creek Christmas Brides Series on Amazon. The Universal link is https://mybook.to/McClain

This series has been popular with readers. I’m pleased to be included in these books set in Angel Creek, Montana Territory. The 2020 books are set in 1870. Here’s the blurb:

Margaret “Meg” Todd is tired of putting her happiness on hold. When she learns her bullying brother-in-law has horrifying plans for her future, she asks an attorney family friend for help escaping. Meg wants her own husband and home and is willing to move over halfway across the country to achieve her goal. Along the way she agrees to take two children for their dying mother? Is she too impulsive? Will Curtis and the children become the happy family of Meg’s dreams?

Curtis McClain has to be careful with his small savings or it won’t fund his dream of his own newspaper. He wants a wife—and he needs someone to help him with the newspaper. If he can combine the two, then he’ll be all right. In a few years, they can start a family. But, will a woman want to move to the middle of nowhere on those terms? Will she grow to care for him in spite of his reserved nature?

He is slightly annoyed when his wife shows up with two orphaned children. When he learns the amount of her inheritance, he decides she won’t be content to stay with him. The boy and girl are well-behaved but he still isn’t certain of his reaction to them. That is, until a terrifying event occurs that forces him to make a decision and take quick action.

My wish for you is a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year!