What is Christmas?

Every year I post the Christmas memories and thoughts I've written over the years. This is a post I like to begin the season with...


© Anny Cook 2007

As I sat at the computer waiting for inspiration to appear, I thought about what Christmas means. Is it shopping? Is it the story of the Christ Child? Is it the presents under the tree on Christmas morning? Christmas Carols?

For each person different things are the true essence of Christmas. For some, if they are not with their families, then it isn't Christmas. For others, certain decorations are the true meaning of Christmas.

As for me, I'm not sure what it is exactly that makes it Christmas. I have spent Christmases surrounded by a vast family and friends. I have spent Christmas alone. There was more than a Christmas or two that was tinged with grief and sadness and others that were filled with joy. Both sides of the coin had their place because our lives are not static. We are constantly moving on, constantly dealing with changes in our lives.

Traditions help us stay grounded as life rushes past but we must not be so buried in tradition that we are lost when the traditions fade away. We must be open to establishing new traditions to take their place. Sometimes a new tradition begins with a whimper. Sometimes with a bang. Some are born of desperation.

One Christmas we were so broke I wasn't sure where we would find the money for the yearly stuffed animal from Santa. My friend called to let me know that a local pharmacy had all their teddy bears on clearance. We drove down to the store, found four different ones and for the princely sum of six dollars, Santa would be making a house call at our place Christmas Eve. They were plain. Stone cold plain, but my friend rummaged through her sewing supplies and located enough fancy ribbon to outfit each bear with a jaunty bow.

And then I had the notion to issue a "gift certificate" to each of the kids. I designed them and printed them out on an old dot matrix printer and colored them with colored pencils. Each one was for a specific sum to be payable when we received our income tax refund. Looking back now, I wonder what my kids really thought about receiving a colored promissory note. But I give them a lot of credit. They acted quite excited about it.

Income tax time finally arrived and we spent hours at the stores spending their gift certificates. The next Christmas rolled around much too soon. Things weren't a whole lot better. With a faint heart I asked them what they wanted for Christmas. Unanimously, they all declared that they wanted the gift certificates again. And so a tradition was born. For many years after that, we had the Cook family gift certificates.

Heh. I was just ahead of the curve as usual. Now we do gift cards. And they're still excited.

In the last five years, we've had more of a turnover in traditions than at any other time in the past. One Christmas we witnessed the birth of a grandchild. Another Christmas Eve I brought my husband home from the hospital after surgery. Most years we've done minimal decorating due to various circumstances.

Three years ago I completed seventeen calligraphy pieces, matted and framed, and mailed them out. They were all 11 X 14 and miracle of miracles they all arrived safely. Two years ago I made memory books for my kids. They were a hodge-podge of pictures, short stories, recipes, and memories. The kids call them The Christmas Book and they hold a place of honor in their homes.

New traditions. Old traditions. They stretch back through the years providing the tapestry of Christmas past and present. Perhaps that is the meaning of Christmas... the wonderful tapestry of memories and traditions that hold us together through the good times and bad.

Anny

Kaenar Langford, Jude's Choice and the Annual Ornament

It's Monday again and I'm back on track with the Monday interview and review. Today my guest author is Kaenar Langford and I'll be reviewing her second book, Jude's Choice. She was sweet enough to take time to answer my questions in this busy time of year so why don't we jump right in and get to know her?

1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change?
I used to wish that I had started writing earlier in life. That way, I could be sure that all these characters and ideas running around in my head would have a chance to get out and be put on paper. Then I realized that there are so many factors that enter into that decision to start writing.
I went to a workshop on ‘How to Write a Romance Novel’ and having to write an introductory paragraph to a romance novel began my writing career. Even though I was working full time, I still made time every day to write so I could finish that manuscript. The workshop was the catalyst in my life, without it, I doubt I would ever have discovered my addiction to writing.
I’ve also had a lifetime of reading romance novels, giving me a better idea of style and what readers like and don’t like.
The only thing I’d change is to live in a house that’s big enough to have a writing room for me instead of just a corner in the living room. I sometimes have to wear my son’s factory-job headphones to block out the noise. It looks pretty funny.

2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer?
Keep submitting. Don’t give up. If they ask you to make changes, do it and resubmit.
Reread your manuscript, read it out loud, ask someone else to read it and make sure it flows, makes sense and has continuity.

3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
I’d love to meet Jaid Black. I’d love to meet this woman who has pulled herself up from so much adversity and made such a success of her life. Plus she’s my boss and I’d love to meet the boss.


4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?
I absolutely loved Jacob Kerr in Shannon McKenna’s story, Something Wild. That story became the inspiration for my first novel, Lucifer’s Angel, which was picked up by Ellora’s Cave. I’d love to meet him, in the flesh so to speak.

5) What do you want to be when you grow up?
I will never grow up. I retired in June after thirty years of teaching but I’m only 54 so my life is now a grand adventure. I can go crazy places to do research, like my trip to the largest gay spa/bathhouse in Toronto. I can attend conferences that take place during the school year and I can dress however I want, which I’ve already been doing for years.

6) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for?
I hope they remember the books I wrote and how it brought them laughter, joy and hot sex.

Jude's Choice by Kaenar Langford from Ellora's Cave

Well, yum. There are times when you want to read a murder mystery. There are times you want to read an action adventure. And then there are times you want to read a romance with hot sex and if that's your pleasure then Jude's Choice will deliver.

Jude is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. An icky alien critter has his navigator and lover, Toryn and he's holding him hostage until Jude delivers Delia. The alien's plans for Delia aren't pleasant by any means as he plans to take his revenge on her for something she did in the past.

Things go pretty smoothly for Jude as he stalks Delia and captures her, taking her aboard his ship. But somewhere along the way he realizes that Delia is just as important to him as Toryn. Suddenly, his choices are limited.

He rescues both Toryn and Delia and then must face another dilemma. What if Toryn and Delia don't like each other? What if they refuse to share him? How will he decide between them?

This is a steamy, hot story (and I do mean steamy!) I think Kaenar must have taken some ideas from her spa tour. I want a shower stall like the one in her book! I found the characters very likeable and sweet and I won't hesitate to recommend Jude's Choice for a wonderful evening's pleasure. Trot right out and pick up your copy from Ellora's Cave.

Don't forget to stop by Amarinda's blog at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com for her take on the trials of the working world. And then stop over at Kelly's blog at www.kkirch.blogspot.com where she has the Saga today. What will she do with Emmeline and Merle? Will Merle get a make-over? Check it out!

The Annual Christmas Ornament

The annual Christmas ornament was a serendipitous fluke. When my sons were around two or three years old, we started collecting a new ornament for each individual in our little family. The ornaments very deliberately were unusual and unmarked with the years or names. My intention as the years passed was quite simple.

Remembering my own first Christmas away from home and how my house hunk and I decorated our tree from discarded ornaments from family and friends, I wanted each child to have some of their own ornaments to take with them when they moved to their own apartment or home. Every year the ornaments were all identical so that whichever home we now visit, we all have that small sense of continuity. If we traveled close to Christmas time, the ornaments might have been chosen on the trip. Other years they were hand made or chosen as a group when we went out Christmas shopping.

Each year as we decorate the trees, there are memories and conversations about the ornaments that hang on those branches. My oldest granddaughter is now old enough to ask about each one as we choose just the right place for it on the tree. And in the asking and sharing of memories, a new tradition begins. My children who have children of their own have continued the tradition. That's how memories are made.

Anny