Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all!

December marked the publication of my first short story Nightmares and the Honorable Mention of another short Grayson House in the Verbs Crime Scene Contest. I finished the revision of Vengeance that I have an option on with a small publisher on the west coast and sent that off yesterday and all my holiday shopping is done.

Heavy, heavy sigh and a woohoo too!

I am gearing up for a very busy holiday season on the home front. This weekend I will have a handful of nine year old boys staying over for the celebration of my son's 9th birthday and I'm looking forward to taking them to see Bolt! I think I am going to welcome going to work on Monday if you know what I mean.

The following weekend we are having my husband's family over for our annual Christmas gathering. If everyone shows up it will be a crowd of thirty something people ranging in ages from one to 75. It is happening on the 21st which is my son's actual birthday so I'll be sure to have a second cake for that event.

Then comes Christmas. On Christmas eve, my family gathers at the house. My sister and her family spend the night and my folks re-join us in the morning for opening gifts. I always miss my brother on Christmas. He's in South Carolina and hasn't celebrated Christmas with us in quite a few years because of the distance, but we always call and say our hellos and I love yous.

My favorite Christmas tradition is watching It's a Wonderful Life with my sister after the children have gone to sleep. Our husbands usually end up downstairs drinking and playing pool, but for us, it is a few hours of nostalgia and hope in an otherwise nutty existence.

I would love to hear more about your holiday traditions!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and any other holiday that I missed that occurs in December - Here's to wishing all a happy and safe 2009!