I have a cold today and anyway, it's the day after Christmas and I am just not doing a THING, apparently ( Read more... )

Cool environmentally conscious intellectuals don't shop on Black Friday. I know this because every year all the message boards and mailing lists on various topics to which I belong have a conversation like: "Would any of you go shopping on Black Friday?" "I would rather set a rainforest on fire and eat a chocolate-covered kitten than shop on Black ( Read more... )

This Thanksgiving is a little weird. My grandparents got a great deal on a trip to Budapest, apparently, so no Grandma-cooking for me. My immediate family was planning a Thanksgiving where maybe we would all contribute a dish and keep it simple, perhaps roast a chicken...and then my mom had to go to Asheville to supervise flooring installation on ( Read more... )

Christmas was so nice this year! My book was out and I could really relax and enjoy seeing my family. Also, I got terrific presents.

A ukelele!:


( Read more... )

Don't worry. I have the 1960 Christmas issue of good housekeeping here. You're going to be just fine ( Read more... )

It's been a while since I posted a chatty update about my life. Part of the reason is, I rarely do anything exciting besides think about the book release. But, this week I've been in the holiday spirit. We got a Christmas tree on Friday, which is the earliest I've ever gotten a Christmas tree. Last year I couldn't afford a tree, so this year I ( Read more... )

On Tuesday eve I got back from visiting my dad's side of the family up in Lake City, FL. We stayed in cabins not far from the banks of the Suwannee River (which I may or may not be able to spell?) and nearly everyone was there. Twenty-one people, if my counting is correct! It's lucky those cabins have HUGE porches and it wasn't too cold ( Read more... )

I am finally feeling better! Yegods! I have been all phlegmy and coughing since Friday evening and full-blown sick since Monday morning. I am still phlegmy and coughing but at least the fever is gone and I feel somewhat human again. I was out from work TWO DAYS! That's never happened. I felt so bad about it. But in the last two hours I am feeling ( Read more... )

Yesterday, was, of course (for those of you who are in America), Thanksgiving. These days, I generally think of Thanksgiving of "the day before the day I have to get up really early and deal with a million customers." That's one sad thing about growing up, I remember how Thanksgiving used to be the start of Christmas. After Thanksgiving, it was ( Read more... )

I finally had a good Halloween this year. I dressed up as Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas at work and when I got off at 6 I went trick of treating with my cousin. I hadn't been trick-or-treating in a few years and the last couple times I was miserable, thinking I was "too old." Now that I'm REALLY too old I actually felt better about it ( Read more... )