The Night Before Christmas is a beloved story/poem by Clement C. Moore, first published in 1823. It is a classic, a favorite of children, and one of my favorite children’s books too. But, I wondered, how would it have sounded if Mr. Moore had not told the story in rhyme? What if he had just […]
Dec 21, 2021
Peace
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The older I get, the more I value peace, the kind of peace that calms worry thoughts. To me, Christmas brings that kind of peace along with a quiet feeling of joy. I like to imagine the first Christmas night with Mary and Joseph, tired and amazed and filled with awe, gazing at the baby […]
Dec 20, 2021
Quiet Thoughts
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Our family has the tradition of lighting Advent candles on the Sundays before Christmas, then reading Scripture. The soft glow of the candle is peaceful and silent but it reflects a powerful message of hope and love. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will […]
Dec 12, 2021
December Snow
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Ned wanted nothing more than to spend Christmas with her Uncle Javin Granger, her last living relative. It had been forty years since she and her family left her hometown of Ednalee, Oklahoma; now, she was back, hiding from a threat in Atlanta and needing the peace and quiet of the old Victorian house her […]
Dec 10, 2021
Those Mystery-Lovin’ Twelve Days
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A Cozy Mystery Writer’s Spooky Twelve Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas, Santa brought to me: a creative cozy mystery. On the second day of Christmas, Santa brought to me: Two tidy murders and a creative cozy mystery. On the third day of Christmas, Santa brought to me Three suspects skulking, two tidy […]
Dec 6, 2021
The Mystery of the Missing Centerpiece
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It’s a pretty Christmas centerpiece: large bowl, candle inside, greenery around. I like it a lot. But, three years ago, when I put away Christmas decorations after the big day, I did an especially good job putting this centerpiece in a safe place where the bowl wouldn’t get broken. The question is: where? I haven’t […]
