You do know what happens in exactly one month from today?Yes, that biggest, brightest, most anticipated day of the year arrives and, as of yesterday, my house is beginning to look like it.
The day started nicely with my neighbors across the street popping in for a visit.
Sara and Nathan were out of school this week so they came over to help me decorate. Down went Thanksgiving! Up went Christmas. Sara put up the tree. We decorated it. Thanksgiving gourds were whisked away. Christmas gourds replaced them. The Advent wreath and Advent calendar came out of their boxes.
About mid-afternoon, Nathan declared a case of the munchies and proceeded to the kitchen. Before long, the aroma of baking chocolate chip cookies filled the air. It was a very good day.
When I was a child, a book at Christmas was my favorite gift to receive. I’ve always enjoyed getting and giving books. They are lasting and can be enjoyed again and again, sort of like friends. We never tire of them. I’ve written only one Christmas cozy mystery, Moonlight Can Be Murder. It starts on the first day of December and ends on Christmas Day. But, between those dates, an awfully lot happens. Its sequel, By the Fright of the Silvery Moon happens the next autumn but it has an equal number of shivery moments when it looks like Ned has reached the end of her rope. I’m now working on the third moonlight mystery and it has a few extra surprises thrown in.
Cozy mysteries are good friends to have around any time of the year, but when things are beginning to look a lot like Christmas, it’s a perfect time to snuggle up with abundant reading material and lose yourself in the world of make-believe.
(Our family is having Thanksgiving dinner here today, so we also have some of our Christmas decorations up. The tree is decorated, as is the beautiful mantle that was recently painted white by our good friend Rodney. We have some more to put out and I’m really looking forward to it. Christmas is my very favorite time of the year!
Thank you for writing, Peg. Your house sounds beautiful. Yes, Christmas is a special time of the year.