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.
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.
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.
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.
