13 Things That Start with "B"

1. Books have always been a major part of my life. I can't remember a time when I didn't treasure them. In fact, I'm still pretty peeved at my mother for selling my Nancy Drew books to buy my brother a set of Hardy Brothers books which he never read. 

2. Book Clubs. I love talking books almost as much as I love reading books. For many years, I was in a book club with several  women I went to high school with plus a few I didn't. I moved away six years ago, so I can't attend that book club anymore, but recently joined one here in Florida. We're currently reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Okay, so I'll admit I haven't started it yet, but I will. Soon. 

3. Brothers. I have one. He's six years younger than me. I also have a terrific brother-in-law. There are so many things I could say about them, I don't even know where to begin. Let's just say that I love them both to the moon and back. 

4. Burnout. What happens to writers when they write too much, too fast. Unfortunately, the creative process has to include time to regenerate creative energy and in the quest to make a living too many of us don't build that recuperative time into our schedules. Sooner or later, it catches up with all of us. Nobody can escape it forever. 

5. Blood Sugar. Because Diabetes doesn't begin with B. A few months ago, I discovered that what I thought was solely burnout (see above) was actually made much more severe by a case of previously un-diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes, so now I'm hyper-aware of my blood sugar count on a daily basis and how awful I feel whenever it gets too high or too low. 

6. Broccoli. Sounds weird, I know, but I've always been a grazer. I feel much better when I don't let a lot of time build up between meals, and it's even more important now that I need to watch my blood sugar. Of all the low-carb, healthy snacks I've seen, read about, or tried, broccoli is my current favorite. 

7. Balance. The thing I am always actively seeking in my life. I try to have a life balanced between family, faith, and work, but I don't always succeed. 

8. Beatles. I'm old enough to remember when they first burst onto the music scene. As a girl, I used to play "Beatles" with my friends. We'd get our mother's brooms and pretend they were guitars and we'd stand out on the street (we lived on a very quiet street) and sing and "play" until grouchy old Mr. Tibesaur came home and tried to run us over for playing in the street. When we weren't actually being the Beatles, we picked boyfriends. Everyone always wanted Paul, but I was a George Harrison gal.

9. Bankruptcy. I spent more than 15 years of my life working in the close-knit world of bankruptcy law. I went from being a legal secretary, to an office administrator, to a judicial assistant at the federal court before I finally quit to become a full-time writer.

10. Barbie Doll. I loved my Barbie because she wasn't like everyone else's Barbie. My Barbie had lovely black hair, so I could always tell her apart when playing with friends. She survived quite nicely until my brother (see above) decided she needed to go swimming in a hole someone dug in the field next door. (I have no conclusive evidence that said brother dug the hole. I only know he took full advantage of it.) He wrapped Barbie in Scotch tape (he claims this was to protect her from the dirty water), tied a string around her waist, and dipped her in the muddy water. The Scotch tape must have worked. I still have her and shes still in my original Barbie case under my bed.

11. Bicycle. Okay, this isn't so much part of my life now, but it once was. My sister and I used to ride our bikes all over the place. This was back in the day that a kid could take off on a bike in the morning (or maybe after lunch) and just be told to be home in time for supper. There was one hill (I think it was Grand Avenue in Billings, MT) where we would zoom down one side and, if we could get going fast enough, coast almost all the way to the top on the other side of the gully. It was awesome! 

12. Band. True confession time. For 9 or 10 years when I was young, I played the keyboard and sang vocals in a band. It was just a local thing, but we were pretty well known in certain circles in our area. Here we are playing ... somewhere. I'm on the far left behind the keyboard. 

13. Beach. I grew up in the west near the mountains, and there are still days when I wake up wanting to take a drive up one of the canyons, but right now I live about 5 minutes away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We have white sand and emerald-green water, and it's beautiful. When my youngest daughter and the grandkids lived near me, and her husband was deployed, we went to the beach every morning. Now that they've moved, I don't spend as much time in the sand as I used to. I probably should get out more.

Scratch that. I definitely should get out more. 

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photo credit: 100_8962 via photopin (license)

13 Things That Start With "A"

Just for the fun of it -- 13 things in my life that begin with "A" 

1. Apple peeler/corer. I don't use it as often I'd like to, but it's pretty much the coolest thing ever.

2. Apple slicer: a handy-dandy gadget that has become my new favorite kitchen tool. You can pick them up for around $5 at the grocery store, and they make coring and slicing apples easy as pie! 

3. Afghans I've crocheted. I don't even know how many there are, but it's something I've always loved doing. I used to have one in the works all the time. Lately, not so much. It's just too hot and  humid here in Florida to have a heavy wool blanket laying across your lap, even in the depths of winter. Still, I find working on a crocheted afghan soothing and hope I can get back to them some day. 

4. Angel. She's not with us anymore, but this dog is still a huge part of my heart. I got her for my youngest daughter after an illness. The dog was supposed to help her heal. Well, she did her job, and then my daughter got married and moved out, and Angel stayed with me until the day she died. She was a magnificent dog, really. She could jump down 5 stairs at a time and sail over an 8 foot fence without even breathing hard. She's still one of my favorite things. Here she is with one of the afghans I crocheted. For some reason the colors and pattern of this one appealed to her, and she claimed it as her own.

5. Autumn. It's the time of year when I was born, and I think it's my favorite time of year. I love the cool nights, the moderating temperatures in the day, the leaves as they change colors, the smell of the soil, the sound of leaves underfoot as I walk. I love Halloween decorations and school bulletin boards, and gourds and squash. I just love it all.

6. Alabama. No, I don't live there, but I live right "next door" and can get there in less than an hour. The part of Florida where I live is less like you'd think of as Florida and more like lower Alabama. .

7. Anne Tyler. She's not really part of my life, but I love her books so she makes the cut. 

8. Amazon: Not because I spend so much time shopping there, but because, since taking the leap into the indie publishing world, I spend a great deal of time there putting books from my backlist up on the site and making them available for sale. It's become a rather large part of my life lately. 

9. Avocados. Delicious, especially when made into my cousin Angie's guacamole recipe. 

10. Alaska. I went several years ago and had a wonderful time. The scenery is amazing and the people fascinating. I hate the signs documenting how many moose have been killed along the highways. It's sad. Beautiful land. Everyone ought to go once.

11. Arkansas. It's where my dad and both of his parents were born. Even though I've never lived there, my ancestry gives me a connection to the state--at least in my own mind. It's also a much prettier state than you might think. Los of rolling hills and thick, wooded area. Apparently also a lot of rocky soil. 

12. Ancestors. I was raised to do genealogy. It's in my blood. I've known the names of my great- and great-great-grandparents.for as long as I can remember. I find doing genealogy fascinating and only wish I could just hop on a plane and jet off to France or Germany or England to learn more about my ancestors like they do on shows like Finding Your Roots or Who Do You Think You Are? 

13. Acadia National Park. One of my favorite places on earth. Admittedly, I'm a National Park nut. It's one of my dreams to visit every park in the US and Canada before I die. Yellowstone National Park is my favorite, but Acadia ranks right up there. It's beautiful. 

Thirteen Things I Didn't Know About March

1. March is National Crochet Month. Seriously! I had no idea, and I love to crochet. The Crochet Guild of America (yes, it's real) is sponsoring Crochet-Along in March. Check out CGOA Now! for more details.

2. March 18th is the birthday of Sparky the Fire Dog, who is the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). I am not making this up!

3. Each year the President of the United States designates March as Red Cross Month. Something tells me I should know this. Something else whispers that maybe I did once, a long, long time ago. But maybe I'm making that up. I really don't know. Go donate blood or something. It's the right thing to do.

Clip art courtesy of DailyClipArt.net

4. March is National Frozen Food Month. You probably already know that. I didn't. I'm going to buy some ice cream to celebrate. Again -- the right thing to do.

5. March is National Noodle Month. I kid you not. Not to be confused with National Pasta Month, which is celebrated in October of each year. What's a noodle, you ask? It's made from unleavened dough shaped either into thin, flat strips or round cylinders and cooked in boiling liquid. Derived from the German nudel.

6. March is National Irish-American Heritage Month, which should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody.

7. March is Music in our Schools Month. My heart aches every time legislators anywhere cut funding for the arts in our schools. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. The website linked to here offers a few suggestions for what we can do to help, including following the organization on Twitter and "liking" it on Facebook.

8. March is National Craft Month. Use your spare time this month to learn a new craft. Make a collage. Learn how to make jewelry. Knit or celebrate National Crochet Month. Get off Facebook and Twitter and do something crafty!

9.  March is also National Nutrition Month -- a time for all of us to focus on eating right and making healthy choices. I guess that means I should buy frozen broccoli instead of ice cream for National Frozen Food Month. I'm not going to lie -- I'm disappointed.

10. March is Women's History Month. The theme for 2011 is: Our History is Our Strength.

11. March is Youth Art Month. I hope the Youth Art Month and Music in Our Schools Month folks are working together. I'd hate to think they're competing for the limited funding out there.

12. I did my research just in time. This week is National Bubble Gum Week! I can't believe I almost missed it. Thank goodness I have a couple of Blow-Pops on top of my fridge that I was saving for my granddaughters. If you're really ambitious, you can even make your own bubble gum. The recipe is here! Or, if you're not in the mood to chew your way to bubble-gum nirvana, check out this Bubblegum Martini recipe.

Photo of vintage Barbie dolls from Wikipedia

13. It's also Barbie's Birthday! My first Barbie looked like the one on the bottom row, far right. She was beautiful. I still have her, as a matter of fact. She's old. She's fragile. Her hair now looks more like the Barbie on the top row. So does mine. She and I have weathered some storms together. When my little brother was younger, he wrapped poor Barbie in Scotch tape, tied a rope around her waist, and lowered her into a mud puddle in the empty lot next to our house. I'm not sure why. I was too traumatized to ask, I guess. Anyway, she's safe now, so you can all breathe a sigh of relief. But please join me in saying Happy Birthday! to my dear, old friend.

Thursday Thirteen: Websites

I ran across a blog meme the other day that prompted participants to list ten things they wanted to change about themselves. Now, I'm all for taking a good, hard look at myself. I do it too much, actually. But then I clicked on one of the links and read someone's blog containing five answers followed by a note that s/he was too depressed to continue and I thought wait a tick!  There's something wrong here!

There's enough negativity in the world. Too much, actually. There's always someone or something just lying in wait, ready to knock us down. So I decided today to list 13 places on the internet that lift my spirits when I click on them. After you've checked out my list, I'd love to know what sites are on yours. 

1. Operation Beautiful. The mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that we are all beautiful. 

2. Prettybooks on Tumblr.com. A collection of quotes, images and book reviews. The images make my heart happy.

3. Whitley Phipps singing "It is Well With My Soul" on YouTube. This is a relatively new song to me, but it struck a chord with me immediately. No matter how bad the day is going, if I listen to it, my spirits lift. It's not just the song that lifts me. The story he shares gives hope, especially when he says, "It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God's greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you've been through." 

4. The Happy Writer. The writing life is a hard life. Staying positive is freakishly difficult. Go here. Be Happy. 

5. 1000 Awesome Things. This blog, updated every weekday, reminds me to find joy in the little things, whether it's #299: Finally pulling out an ingrown hair or #899: The smell of frying onions. 

6. Christian the Lion. This isn't a website, but it's a wonderful video. If you haven't seen it yet, rush right over. If you have, watch it again. It makes me happy every time. John Rendall and Anthony Bourke bought Christian as a lion cub from Harrods in 1969. They raised him in their London home for several years, then set him free to live in the wilds of Africa. A year later, against advice from experts, John and Anthony traveled to Kenya, hoping to reunite with their old friend. "They" said Christian wouldn't remember.

7. Gives Me Hope. The optimist's answer to FML. Some of the experiences people share are big -- dealing with cancer or grief. Some seem small -- one woman paying another's bus fare. But all give hope and light in a world that seems to be growing increasingly dark. 

8. Greater Good Network. Their websites bring together communities that care, giving all of us the power  to make a difference in the world with simple, every day actions. 

9. The art work of Liz Lemon Swindle. It always touches me. At this stage in my life, I'm really touched by Mother

10. Poetry.com. For me, words can be soothing. Words used beautifully, succinctly, correctly, are like music to my soul. 

11.Military Homecoming videos on YouTube. Is there anything better than seeing spouses and children surprised by a returning soldier? I start sniffling within seconds. So touching. 

12. 365 Project. The 365 project is a photography project where you document a year of your life by taking a daily photo. I'd love to join in but my camera was ruined in a downpour last year and I haven't been able to replace it. The shots I get with my old camera phone just aren't that good. 

13. Bible Gateway . A searchable online Bible in over 50 languages and 100 versions, featuring a verse of the day. 

You may not like all 13 of my choices. You may not like any of them. But they're the places I go when I need a lift. Now ... what are your favorites?

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Thursday Thirteen: 13 Guilty Pleasures

We all have 'em, don't we? Things we absolutely love that we don't usually talk about with friends and family? Things we'll admit to, but only with a little blush and a protest or two about why they're not really that bad. So, in honor of Thursday Thirteen, here's my list of

13 Guilty Pleasures

1.  An Idiot Abroad. Ricky Gervais and his friend Stephen Merchant send their friend(?) and colleague, Karl Pilkington, around the world to visit the 7 Wonders. Karl is billed as being uncultured, and he grouses through most of each episode about the countries he visits, the people, their hygiene, living conditions, and food. It's generally hilarious, with just enough honestly touching moments to keep me from completely hating Karl and his buddies. 

2. Some reality TV, like Celebrity Apprentice. Okay, so it's a train wreck. And I can still hear Joan Rivers screeching, "She's a poker player," at ... whoever the poker-playing "celebrity" was in the last season -- or was it the season before that? Obviously, I'm not thoroughly invested in the show but it is good for a laugh now and then. It's starting again on March 6th, and I just looked up the cast to see who's going to be on it this season. I've heard of about half of the people listed, which begs the question -- should this show really be called Celebrity Apprentice?  Celebrity Rehab's also on the list. I know this really makes me sound like I'm hooked on celebrities, but I'm not. I swear. Like Apprentice, I usually know about half the cast. It's the human interaction that fascinates me. I use it for research. Really. I do like Dancing with the Stars, but American Idol is lost on me. I've never willingly watched a reality dating show.

3. Ben & Jerry's. I was going to specify a flavor, but I find that's impossible. Some days it has to be Willie Nelson's Country Peach Cobbler. Others, nothing but Cherry Garcia. Or Boston Creme Pie, or Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream. I was raised on ice cream as comfort food, which probably isn't a good thing. But there you have it. There's never a bad time for Ben & Jerry's.

4. My Snuggie.  Who would have thought that I'd use a Snuggie in Florida! Thanks to my friend Linda for such a great gift! I'll be kind of sad when it gets warm again and I have to put it away.

5. Diet Pepsi.  Diet Coke will do in a pinch, but nothing beats an icy-cold Diet Pepsi! 

6. A trip to the office supply store. Any office supply store will do. An office-supply aisle at a one-stop store will do if I'm having a real office-supply moment, but as any true office-supply aficionado knows, those one-stop stores are sadly lacking. Just put me inside the front door and let me wander. If I don't have a need for that set of pens or those stacking trays, I'll invent one.

7. Sonic's Grape CreamSlush Treat.  See above notes about ice cream. I first discovered the amazing taste sensation of frozen grape-flavored whatever in ice cream form at a local drive-in called the Iceberg Drive Inn. Their grape milkshake is ... well, amazing! I don't live near the Iceberg anymore, so Sonic is my source for frozen grape ice cream. My only regret is that the CreamSlush Treat is not part of Sonic's Happy Hour two-for-one deal. 

8. Kurt Russell. I'll watch him in anything, anytime. 

9. Maguire's Irish Pub. The atmosphere alone is worth a visit, and I've never had anything off the menu that I wouldn't order again. Their Reuben Eggrolls are out of this world. 

10. Uninterrupted reading time. 

 

11. A trip to a yarn store. A good craft store will do, as long as they have a good supply of yarn. I love to crochet. Afghans. As gifts. And every once in a while I make something for myself. I recently finished this afghan for a friend's baby. Next up, an afghan for my niece's little boy -- promised to him so long ago, I'm embarrassed to admit it.

12. Shopping for purses. They don't have to be expensive, but they do have to be cute. And different. And ... cute. Variety is the spice of life!

13. Getting my nails done. I used to have a standing appointment every three weeks with a manicurist named Shauna. The hour or two I spent sitting in that chair and talking about all the important things in the world were some of the best hours in my month. I haven't been to a manicurist in well over a year, but I'm crossing fingers that when circumstances change, I'll be able to find someone I like half as well as I liked Shauna. 

And there you have it. Thirteen of my guilty pleasures. What are some of yours?

Thirteen Romantic Movies

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are my top 13 Favorite Romantic Movies:

 1. Notting Hill (1999)

Starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. He's Hugh-Grantishly charming and she's ... well, she's Julia. Just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. The requisite "chasing the girl through crowded city streets" scene in this movie is one of the best ever. 

2. Love, Actually (2003)

Hugh Grant again, this time with the glorious Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, and Alan Rickman, to name just a few of the talented actors in this movie. The scenes between Emma and Alan's characters are particularly touching. Bill Nighy is delightfully icky, but you can't help but love him. Even Kiera Knightly, who usually isn't a favorite, wins me over.

3. America's Sweethearts (2001) 

John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones are America's Sweethearts, once-married actors who made a string of romantic comedies together. Now they're divorced, but the studio needs them to appear together to promote their last movie. Julia Roberts and Billy Chrystal round out the cast. Hilarity ensues. What's not to love?

4. Overboard (1987) 

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. She's a spoiled rich socialite. He's a poor carpenter. She falls off her yacht and loses her memory. He's Kurt Russell. She struggles to find her way in a strange new world. He's Kurt Russell. The chemistry between them is unmistakable. He's Kurt Russell. Need I say more? 

5.  Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

A classic romance. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. If you haven't seen it, don't wait. It's thoroughly charming -- and I mean that in a good way :) I find myself quoting lines from this one. "It's like a little clue."

6. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Back in the day, I didn't expect to like this movie. The premise sounded implausible, at best. But it's one of my favorites. Kinda makes you want someone to lean, if you know what I mean.

7. Return to Me (2000)

David Duchovny plays a widower still mourning the loss of his wife. Minnie Driver is a heart transplant patient who received Duchovny's late-wife's heart. Carroll O'Connell and his band of friends are scene-stealers all the way through. One of my favorites. 

8. P.S. I Love You (2007)

 

This movie has several things to recommend it. First, Gerard Butler. Second, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Third, Harry Connick, Jr. And Hillary Swank's pretty darned good too. Kathy Bates as Swank's mother is a great character. Does it even matter what the plot is? Barely. But the plot works and the scenery is stunning.

9. Some Like it Hot (1959) 

 

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are on the run, hiding from gangsters after witnessing a mob hit. Their only way out of town is to become members of an all-girl band. Marilyn Monroe stars as Sugar Kane Kowalczyk and Joe E Brown is hilarious as Osgood Fielding III. Wonderful. 

10. Teacher's Pet (1958)

Clark Gable plays a rough-edged newspaper man. Doris Day is a journalism professor at the local college. Since Doris Day's character despises Gable's character by reputation, he naturally pretends to be someone else when he's forced to take her class. Gig Young as Dr. Hugo Pine is wonderful. 

11. Truly, Madly Deeply (1990)

Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman in a deeply emotional movie that's also wonderfully funny. If I remember right, this was the first movie I ever saw Rickman in and I became a fan for life. Stevenson's portrayal of grief in a scene at her counselor's office is one of the most realistic I've ever seen. 

12. Sliding Doors (1998)

Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah in a wonderful movie about chance. What if one split-second move could forever alter the future? That's what happens to Paltrow's character, and we see her life playing out in two versions, running along in parallel.

13. It Happened One Night (1934) 

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in a wonderful romantic comedy. She's a runaway heiress. He's a reporter looking for a story. The story goes that this movie was a favorite of animator Friz Freleng, and Gable's character during the hitch-hiking scene helped inspire the creation of Bugs Bunny. 

Thirteen Random Things from My Week

1. My oldest daughter went downstairs for something the other night and discovered that the sewer was backing up into our basement. 2. We discovered the sewer issue at about 7:00 in the evening. The plumber left at 2:30 in the morning. 3. While the plumber was here, he asked my daughter to fill the washer with water and then drain it so he could see if the drains were working again. While the washing machine was trying to pump out the water, it began smoking. Badly. 4. The fix for the washer we hoped would be minor isn't, so it's new washer time for me! I could give you 13 reasons why this is very bad news, but I won't bore you. 5. I learned that my oldest niece, who is pregnant with her fourth baby, is having another boy, leaving Miss Jade as the only girl in the family. Sorry, Jade. 6. I learned that my youngest niece is pregnant with her first baby. I'm very excited for her because this is something she's wanted for a very long time. 7. My granddaughter, who is still in diapers, and who woke up before her mother this morning, decided to paint her bedroom. Three guesses what she used for paint. 8. I popped a bagel into the toaster yesterday, only to discover that the toaster doesn't work anymore. It still doesn't work this morning. 9. I'm not even going to talk about the mold we found growing on the basement walls, but I will mention that apparently our neighbor spent several weeks in the hospital with pneumonia thanks to mold growing in her house, and another set of neighbors moved out of the house on the other side when they discovered mold. 10. I'm going to RWA's national conference in July. This year, the conference will be held in Washington DC, and I'm excited since I've never been there before. 11. I've been invited to teach at the Low Country Romance Writers Jumpstart Master Class in 2010, and I'm very excited. It looks like it should be a fabulous experience. 12. I finished judging 2 writing contest entries sitting on my desk and hard drive. Each one took over two hours by the time I'd read and commented on the manuscript and filled out the judges' score sheet. 13. Finished chapter one of my new work in progress, a paranormal mystery. 13 1/2 ... I tried going to the Thursday Thirteen site to post that my post was up .... and it's gone

Thursday Thirteen #9

Thirteen Things I Like About Christmas

1. Decorations. Lights, Santas, snowmen, reindeer, trees, candles, bows, wreaths ... I love them all. The more, the merrier. 2. Christmas movies. And yes, I even like the sappy ones. I have a bunch of movies on my "must watch" list every holiday season:

• White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and Danny Kaye. My daughters and I can sing every song in harmony and recite most of the dialogue
• A Christmas Story, with Darren McGavin as the dad. A classic.
• The Santa Clause. I have all three of the movies in this series, but the first one is still my favorite.
• Jingle all the Way. I don't know why this one appeals to me so much, but it's just not Christmas until I've seen Arnold and Sinbad battling over an action figure and heard Arnold say "It's Tyurbo Time!"
• Noel. I discovered this movie a couple of years ago, and quickly added it to my list.
• Christmas in Connecticut, both the Barbara Stanwyck and Dyan Cannon versions.
• At least one version of A Christmas Carol. I think the George C. Scott version is my favorite, but I've been known to substitute Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on occasion.
• New this year: Fred Claus. I laughed until I nearly wet my pants.

There are also a few Christmas movies I refuse to watch, but I won't list those. 3. Snow. But only when I don't have to get outside in it. I think it's beautiful on the ground and covering the trees, but I hate driving on the slick streets and walking on icy sidewalks and parking lots. Obviously--since I hate the sensation of sliding--I don't ski or participate in any other winter sports, so I could probably live somewhere without snow and be quite happy. 4. Christmas Songs. Okay, yeah, I get tired of them by the end of December, but for 2 or 3 weeks every year I'm perfectly content listening to 100 different versions of "Carol of the Bells" every day. 5. Christmas Shopping, especially now that I can do so much of it online. Even before online shopping became an option, though, I used to like shopping. I especially liked shopping for my kids. I love finding just the right thing for someone, whether it's something I know they want, or something I stumble across that I know is perfect. 6. Hot Cocoa. Yeah, I know it's not a Christmas-specific thing, but the Christmas season always makes me want cocoa, so it makes my list. 7. My Mother's Fudge, which she makes every year. She started out bringing a small box to my sister's house on Christmas Day, then added a smaller box for me to take home since my family got only one (or maybe two) pieces each year, while my sister's family happily snacked for days on all the fudge we didn't eat on Christmas. Then she had to expand again to make separate take home boxes for each of the grandkids as they grew up and left home. The fudgemaking operation has expanded yet again to include shipping now that most of the grandkids have moved to other parts of the country. 8. The scent of fresh pine which, unfortunately, you can only get from a real pine tree or pine branches. I have yet to smell an artificial pine scent that smells even remotely like actual pine. 9. Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yum! 10. Happy Tears. My family is weird. Every year it seems that someone gives a gift that touches the receiver in some deeply emotional way and brings on joyful tears. We love that gift. We love getting it, but we especially love giving it. Making someone we love weep with happiness is the ultimate Christmas experience. 11. Tradition. Of course, as families grow and change, as new people join the clan, begin their own branches of the family and move away, traditions change. That's as it should be. But some things remain the same, and that's a good thing. 12. The real meaning of Christmas. All this good will toward man, singing, eating, and showering those we care about with gifts had roots in the birth of the Christ Child. One of our family traditions is reading about the birth from the Bible. 13. Santa Claus. What's not to love about Santa? All that good will toward man, the showering of kids with gifts, the unconditional love .... That lump of coal thing? Made up by parents! Seriously! Has anyone ever actually recieved a lump of coal from Santa?