December Tea and a Book: No Holly for Miss Quinn (Christmas at Fairacre)

Quick take: So COZY.
(Special thanks to Laura B. for recommending it and to Glenda A. for gifting it!)

Goodreads synopsis: Miss Quinn, who cherishes her privacy, intends to spend Christmas on her own as she likes it. But before the holiday, her brother telephones to tell her that his wife has been rushed to the hospital, and would Miss Quinn come and stay with the children? Miss Quinn's unexpectedly hectic Christmas has a significant effect upon her life.

(Above you see Christmas at Fairacre, an omnibus that includes No Holly for Miss Quinn. Check this Goodreads page for reviews and links to various vendors of the individual novel. Or check here for the omnibus.)

My thoughts: My mom has always loved the novels of Miss Read (a.k.a. Dora Jessie Saint, who died in 2012 at the age of 98). I read one or two of them when I was young, but at that time I didn't have quite such a powerful craving for quiet and cozy books. Well, I do now! And amidst all the madness of late, this book certainly hit the spot.

I thoroughly empathized with Miriam Quinn's preference for quiet and solitude. At the same time, it was great fun to see her thrown in with her brother's somewhat feral brood of children. Oh, the appalling disorder! How satisfying to watch her organize them, and then how delightful to see her loosen up and enjoy various sweet moments of connection with each child. My favorite part involved the two nieces, one of whom knows "the truth" about Father Christmas and is aching to spoil her younger sister. Our Miriam deals with that in a lovely way.

No Holly for Miss Quinn is a quick read brimming with warmth and humor, and even a tiny bit of romance. Chime in if you've read it -- I'd love to hear about your favorite moments!

Related favorite things:


I particularly enjoyed the illustrations by J.S. Goodall, which gave me the same cozy feeling as those of Garth Williams (the Little House books) and Pauline Baynes (the Narnia books).


LOOK AT THIS! I have listened to this Enya CD about a million times, and I never once associated this song with Miss Read. How delightful! Do have a listen.

Miss Read/Dora Saint wrote of her own childhood in Fortunate Grandchild and Time Remembered (now combined in a single volume entitled Early Days). Also, for more on her inspiration for the novels' settings, see On the Trail of Thrush Green.

And now for tea:


I tend to make the same treats every year for Christmas, so this time I tried something different: Chocolate-Cherry Snowballs from the Betty Crocker website. Click the link for the recipe, which is pretty straightforward. I will say, however, that next time I'll make the cookies smaller because they really should be bite-sized. (Otherwise, MESS.) Also, I would recommend you wait until they are quite cool before you roll them in the powdered sugar. They need time to set so as not to crumble when you roll, and they get stickier as they cool, which makes the sugar cling nicely. (I learned all this the hard way, of course!) I followed advice given in the comments and used maraschino cherries instead of candied, which worked quite well. (Where does one find candied cherries, anyway?)

Here is a closer view of the "snowballs".

In the pot is Thé des Délices, a black tea containing citrus peel, candied mandarins, and cocoa nibs. So delicious, and only available during the holidays from Palais des Thés.

Don't forget to check out my December Holiday Reading List, and do let me know if I've left out one of your favorites. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorites: Holiday reading list!

The following is my first stab at an exhaustive list of December holiday-themed fiction for adults and kids. Books that I have read and recommend are indicated with an asterisk (*). I've linked each title to Goodreads so that you can see reviews and click through to your vendor of choice. (Amazon is featured most prominently, of course, but if you click "stores" you'll find other vendors.)

I know I've missed so many titles. If you don't see one of your favorites, please list the title in a comment and I'll happily add. (There must be more MG, YA, and adult fiction involving Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, yes?)

[books alphabetized by title]

For (so-called) adults
Burning Bright: Four Chanukah Love Stories, by Megan Hart et al.
Christmas at Fairacre, by Miss Read
Christmas at Rose Hill Farm: An Amish Love Story, by Suzanne Woods Fisher
A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, by Charles Dickens
*Christmas in Cornwall, by Marcia Willett
Christmas Journey, by Anne Perry
*A Christmas Party (Envious Casca), by Georgette Heyer
*Christmas Pudding, by Nancy Mitford
The Doctor's Christmas, by Marta Perry
*An English Murder, by Cyril Hare
Festival of Deaths, by Jane Haddam
Hercule Poirot's Christmas, by Agatha Christie
*High Rising, by Angela Thirkell
Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
Holiday Miracles: A Christmas/Hanukkah Story, by Ellyn Bache
Lighting the Flames, by Sarah Wendell
An Informal Christmas, by Heather Gray
A Merry Little Christmas, by Anita Higman
A Midnight Clear, by William Wharton
Miracle and other Christmas Stories, by Connie Willis
The Mistletoe Promise and *The Mistletoe Inn, by Richard Paul Evans
Old Christmas, by Washington Irving
The Old Peabody Pew, by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Dogs, by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
A Redbird Christmas, by Fannie Flagg
Shepherds Abiding, a Mitford Christmas Novel, by Jan Karon
*The Sittaford Mystery, by Agatha Christie
*The Sugar Queen, by Sarah Addison Allen
Tied up in Tinsel, by Ngiao Marsh
*Winter Solstice, by Rosamund Pilcher

For teens, kids, and kids-at-heart
*The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
*The Box of Delights, by John Masefield
*The Children of Green Knowe, by L.M. Boston
*A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas
Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1932 (Dear America), by Kathryn Lasky
Christmas Fairy Tales, by Neil Philip
*The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares and The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily, by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
The Family Under the Bridge, by Natalie Savage Carlson
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
*Letters from Father Christmas, by J.R.R. Tolkien
*The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
London Snow, by Paul Theroux
*My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, edited by Stephanie Perkins
Nutcracked, by Susan Adrian (forthcoming in 2017!)
The Nutcracker, by E.T.A. Hoffman
The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah, by Isaac Bashevis Singer,
What Light, by Jay Asher
When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer (Dear America),
by Beth Seidel Levine
Winterspell, by Claire Legrand

Picture books
Babar and Father Christmas, by Jean de Brunhoff
Bear Stays Up for Christmas, by Karma Wilson
Chanukah Lights, by Michael J. Rosen
The Christmas Day Kitten, by James Herriot
The Christmas Mouse, by Elisabeth Wenning
Christmas Time, by Sandra Boynton
Eight Winter Nights: A Family Hanukkah Book by Laura Krauss Melmed
The Golem's Latkes, by Eric A. Kimmel
*A Guinea Pig Nativity, by Bloomsbury Publishing
Hanukkah! by Roni Schotter
Hanukkah Bear, by Eric A. Kimmel
Hanukkah Haiku, by Harriet Ziefert
The Hanukkah Mice, by Ronne Randall
Hanukkah Moon by Deborah daCosta
Kevin's Kwanzaa, by Lisa Bullard
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story, by Lemony Snicket
The Legend of the Poinsettia, by Tomie dePaola
The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story, by Kallie George
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah, by Tilda Balsley
The Miracle Jar: A Hanukkah Story, by Audrey Penn
My First Kwanzaa, by Karen Katz
My First Kwanzaa Book, by Deborah Chocolate
*The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore
*The Polar Express, by Christ Van Allsburg
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story, by Angela Shelf Medearis
Snowmen at Christmas, by Caralyn Buehner
The Story of Hanukkah, by David A. Adler
*The Story of Holly and Ivy, by Rumer Godden
The Tailor of Gloucester, by Beatrix Potter
Together for Kwanzaa, by Juwanda G. Ford
The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Peek-Through Picture Book, by Britta Teckentrup

Books/series with lovely Christmas chapters
Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling
Little House in the Big Woods (& sequels), by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame

Next week I'll feature one of the novels listed above for my December "Tea and a Book" post, so stay tuned!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorites: Holiday reads

You know me -- during this season I love to listen to Christmas music, watch Hallmark Christmas movies, and read Christmas-themed fiction. I have four books to recommend, two of which were intended for children (tho they certainly have appeal for adults, as well).

The Children of Green Knowe (1954), by Lucy Boston. Young Tolly is sent to stay with his great-grandmother over Christmas and soon learns that the looming, castle-like house is haunted (!!!). But these child ghosts are long-dead family members, and over the course of the story Tolly learns what happened to them, and eventually must face a dark force that threatens the house. There are more Green Knowe books, and I love the fact that the house is based on a real medieval manor in Cambridgeshire owned and restored by Lucy Boston herself. (It's open to visitors by appointment!) I highly recommend the audiobook with its lovely voice performance from Simon Vance.

Charlotte Fairlie (1954), by D.E. Stevenson (also known as The Enchanted Isle). Ever since enjoying Miss Buncle's Book, I've sought out all the Stevenson books I can find, and this one, with its headmistress heroine who visits a pupil's family castle in remote Scotland, certainly seemed right up my alley! The book is very difficult to find in print, but luckily there is a satisfying and readily available audiobook from Audible.com. I suppose it's a bit of a cheat to include this one--the Christmas bit only comes in toward the end and seems a bit "tacked on"--but it's a beautiful season for bringing everyone together. The romantic impediment strains credulity, but I didn't care! I just enjoyed spending time with these people.

Christmas at High Rising (a collection of stories published in the 30s & 40s), by Angela Thirkell. Only two of the short stories in this collection have anything to do with Christmas, but I especially liked seeing Laura Morland and her son Tony during the holiday season. I also enjoyed the story from Thirkell's own childhood experience of celebrating Christmas at the house of her grandfather, Edward Burne-Jones! If you're interested in reading this anthology, I recommend first reading Thirkell's High Rising, which is linked below (and is set almost entirely during the Christmas/New Year season).

Box of Delights (1935), by John Masefield. Having left boarding school for the Christmas holiday, young Kay Harker comes into possession of a magic box, which he must use to thwart a gang with evil intentions. This story brought to mind many favorites: C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, Edward Eager's Magic series, and Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series. (I wonder if Masefield was as influenced by E. Nesbit as Lewis, Eager, and Cooper were?) The story has been adapted into several BBC radio shows over the years, and also has a 1984 BBC TV adaptation that I'd love to get my hands on (though I shudder to think of the special effects). It's available in a lovely New York Review Children's Litarature edition (see link above) or on audiobook. My favorite thing about Box of Delights is the character Maria, a very young girl who talks tough and acts even tougher, and no one in the book ever asks her to behave like a lady or any of that rot--so refreshing in a book written so long ago! All in all, the story is not quite as magical as those of Lewis, Eager, or Cooper, but it is unique and charming, and from it I finally learned how to make a posset: fill a bowl with hot milk, an egg, a spoonful of treacle, a grating of nutmeg, "and you stir 'em well up, and you get into bed and then you take 'em down hot." Supposed to revive the weary!

Previously featured Christmas reads:
High Rising, by Angela Thirkell
Winter Solstice, by Rosamund Pilcher

How about you? Any Christmas reads to recommend?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Christmas glee part III: Tea and HIGH RISING

This month's "tea and a book" recommendation has such a Christmassy cover, doesn't it? Or perhaps it's just wintry, but that's almost as good. Angela Thirkell, granddaughter of Pre-Raphaelite phenom Edward Burne-Jones, published High Rising in 1933 and went on to write several more novels set in Barsetshire, a fictional English setting borrowed from Anthony Trollope.

This edition from Virago Modern Classics is particularly attractive AND free of typographical errors, unlike my older copy from Moyer Bell. Looks like Virago will be releasing more of Thirkell's books in the near future, and I look forward to getting my hands on Wild Strawberries in March.

High Rising centers mostly upon Laura Morland, a widowed mother of four who makes ends meet by writing best-selling suspense novels set in the fashion industry. Laura gets involved in several real-life village intrigues over Christmas and New Years, all while trying to survive the boundless energy and volubility of her youngest child Tony, who only wants to converse about trains. Allow me to share some favorite passges:

On motherhood:
Oh the exhaustingness of the healthy young! Laura had once offered to edit a book called Why I Hate my Children, but though [her publisher] had offered her every encouragement, and every mother of her acquaintance had offered to contribute, it had never taken shape.

Laura on the first church service of the new year:
Tony was an exhaustion to the spirit . . . and they had one of those psalms about Thy molars gnash upon me exceeding hard and my loins are spilled abroad on the ground, and I nearly got the giggles.

George Knox, after he and Laura leave King Lear at the first interval:
If there is one pleasure on earth which surpasses all others, it is leaving a play before the end. I might perhaps except the joy of taking tickets for a play, dining well, sitting on after dinner, and finally not going at all. That, of course, is very heaven.

(I certainly can relate to the last remark, having escaped an outdoor production of Lear at the interval last summer. I mean, it's not like the story takes a happy turn! And it was cold. And my bottom hurt.)

Aside from a few unfortunate anti-Semitic jabs (which baffles me because one of the romantic heroes--beloved by everyone in the book--is of Jewish descent), this is a jolly read that had me barking with laughter throughout. Can't wait to read more from Thirkell.

And now for tea...

This month's tea offering is a product of my curiosity and laziness. A few years ago my in-laws served toasted slices of panettone for breakfast, and I, fearing potential grossness but not wanting to be a jerk, ate a small slice. Glory be, turns out I love the stuff! My husband, however, is not such a big fan, so it doesn't really make sense for me to buy the usual cake-sized portion. But lookee here what Immaculate Baking Company has on offer -- mini panettones that you can bake at home. Huzzah!


They are as easy to make as canned biscuits, and quite delicious! Keep in mind, however, that they are only available during the holiday season. I found mine at Whole Foods.


For tea, I chose "Esprit de Noël" from Mariage Frères. Lucky for you, getting your hands on this tea does not require a trip to France. You can order it online from The Cultured Cup. It has a delicate nutty/fruity/spicy flavor that pairs well with holiday treats.


I cut the mini panettone in half and toasted it -- so delicious with butter. Don't let Rustic Santa's grim face fool you, he heartily approves!

And that about wraps it up for me in 2014. Happy Holidays and see you in the new year!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Christmas glee, part II

In contrast to my craving for horror in October, I love a bit of holiday schmaltz at Christmas time. And Hallmark always delivers! Some of it is too sentimental and predictable even for my tastes, but this year I've encountered some very satisfying and poignant stories. Click the link to learn more AND to find out when this movie might repeat on the Hallmark channel so that you can watch!


A Christmas Wish (2011) -- this one features Kristy Swanson (the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as a struggling divorcée (!!!) who, despite being a hard worker and loving mother, can't seem to catch a break. Great cast in this one.


A Princess for Christmas (2011) -- oh, this looked like it would be so cheesy, but I had to watch for Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser in Outlander). I was pleasantly surprised! Even Sir Roger Moore did a nice job. I actually preferred this foray into fairy-tale-romance-in-a-castle to the newer A Royal Christmas.


Angels Sing (2013) -- the rare Hallmark movie without a budding romance at its center, this one really pulled at my heartstrings. Exceptional cast! (Was this even made for Hallmark? I can't tell.)


Nine Lives of Christmas (2014) -- Simply adorable! Charming and sympathetic romantic leads + CATS = Happy Sonia.


The Christmas Shepherd (2014) -- This one had a slow start, but it's one of the best Hallmark movies I've seen. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for the ones with animals. Highly recommended.

And for something a little different:
Fans of Martin Freeman and/or Christmas pageant stories really need to see Nativity! (2009). I purchased it from Amazon.co.uk last year but never got around to watching and sort of forgot I had it. Oh, what fun! It's quite silly at times, and the actual pageant might seem a bit irreverant to some, but overall it has such a big heart and the finale (set among the ruins of the old Coventry cathedral!) is so satisfying. Check out the trailer, but keep in mind that it does tend to focus on the silliest bits:


For those not in the UK, this movie is available for download from Amazon ($2.99 to rent!) or on disc from Netflix. Not available on Hulu, sadly.

(I think I'll skip Natvity 2: Danger in the Manger with David Tennant, and you couldn't pay me to watch Nativity 3: Dude Where's My Donkey? with Martin Clunes. *shudder*)

What about you? Any fun Christmas movie discoveries this year?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Christmas glee, part I

I've been on the hunt for a miniature Nativity set for a while now. The problem is . . . the human figures in most Nativity scenes have given me a mild case of the creeps since I was a little kid. I don't mean baby Jesus, of course. I'm just more interested in the Nativity animals than the people. Perhaps C.S. Lewis would have understood?

Last week I found my dream Nativity scene in the little gift shop at Local in Norman. This "Gentle Friends" Nativity set came in a round wood box and contained the most delightful creatures! Of course they're not necessarily historically accurate, but they fill me with glee nonetheless.


Here you see a very bold-eyed cow along with the donkey and sheep.


We get a bit more fanciful with a goat (?), a pair of fowl (is one of them a rooster?), and, of course, a cat. NOT A DOG, FOLKS! A MAJESTIC GINGER CAT!


And here they gather in the hay to wonder at the new born king.

I called Local to see where they obtained this set, hoping to share that information with you, gentle reader. The only thing they could tell me is they bought their sets back in the spring from Portico Collections as part of some trade show in Dallas, TX. I can't seem to find any details about who actually makes the "Gentle Friends Nativity Set" (please don't let it be desperate third world children!). Google turned up a photo on Pinterest, but that's about all I could find.

Do you have a treasured Nativity set?

Just for fun: The Worst and Weirdest Nativity Sets. (Zombie Nativity???)

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Five -- Tea at the Savoy

For my final English Christmas post, I offer five photos from our holiday tea at The Savoy in London.


The setting was elegant and inviting.


The tea tray included cranberry and plain scones (on top), raspberry ginger preserves, clotted cream, and homemade lemon curd (bottom), plus a collection of cucumber, egg salad, smoked salmon, chicken and duck confit, and ham sandwiches.


I chose the Christmas chai tea, and Steve enjoyed the Savoy afternoon blend. I ended up buying a canister of the latter.


Next . . . pastries!


And just in case we hadn't yet fallen into a sugar coma, the event concluded with dessert.

We could have fed Nicholas Higgins, his daughter, and all the Boucher children with that tea and still had some left over. It was delicious and decadent -- highly recommended for your London tea splurge!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

A little Narnia magic

During our time in the Peak District, Chatsworth offered a special exhibit on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Needless to say, this was a MUST SEE for me. Although Steve and I much prefer the grounds of Chatsworth to the house--extravagant Baroque interiors are not quite our thing--this exhibit turned the house into an unforgettably magical place.

[As always, click the photos to see a larger version]


After psssing through the wardrobe, we encountered a wintry corridor full of adorable creatures.


Next, we took tea with Mr. Tumnus. (The gentleman featured on his copy of Is Man a Myth? is the current Duke of Devonshire!)


The wolves tried to spook us along the way, but we soldiered on.


Though Steve did rest on the White Witch's sledge while the poor, tired reindeer took a drink.


My heart pounded at the sight of Evil Jadis and her throne.


And then it broke upon encountering the fallen Aslan.


But then . . . the risen Aslan!

Happy Christmas to all! I'll be back later this week with one last England post about -- you guessed it -- TEA.

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]

Friday Five: English Christmas

Steve and I just returned from a trip to England, where we enjoyed quite an array of Christmas delights (and thankfully avoided having the Apollo Theatre ceiling collapse on us--my thoughts are with the injured). I hope you'll indulge me as I share five of my favorite photos from the experience.


We spent the first three days in the Peak District, and one busy day we shared a turkey & cranberry pasty in the quiet yard of Bakewell Parish Church. Afterwards we peeked inside and were surprised to find a busy project underway that involved lining the walls with lighted Christmas trees. It was so beautiful, and this picture just doesn't do it justice.


As soon as we'd moved on to London, Steve made it a priority to visit Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. His favorite part was eating. Mine was watching the ice skaters. (Though I rather liked my banana & Nutella crepe, too!)


Here's the view along Regent's street. It's hard to beat London for Christmas light displays!


A return to Royal Albert Hall was certainly in order. Judging by my big ol' goober grin, I guess we were pretty jazzed by the Christmas carols and excerpts from Handel's Messiah.


Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral was quite an interesting experience, but my favorite part was exploring all the cathedral's nooks and crannies afterwards.

Bonus shot: The moon at Chatsworth.

Next week -- tea at The Savoy and Narnia at Chatsworth!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

December Tea and a Book: WINTER SOLSTICE

For this month's post, I was determined to find a novel in which most of the story takes place during Christmas. I read several good candidates, but Winter Solstice was by far the most compelling. The story revolves around Elfrida Phipps, a former stage actress who has retired to a small cottage in Hampshire, England. There she meets the Blundell family, and is particularly drawn -- in a friendly way -- to Oscar Blundell, who married late in life and has a young daughter. When tragedy strikes (I don't want to spoil too much), Elfrida agrees to accompany Oscar to his childhood home in Scotland, so that he can avoid the festivities of Christmas and mourn in private. The house becomes a refuge of sorts, as more people from Elfrida's life arrive to escape their troubles and be healed by her nurturing attention.

This book is wonderfully cozy, and I hardly know how to express how much I loved Elfrida, so I'll just keep it general and brief. If you are fond of cozy domestic dramas that meander pleasantly, in which character trumps plot and the predictable outcome makes you grin from ear to ear, you'll love this book. If you like English and Scottish villages, happy dogs, lively chats, and lots of tea drinking, you'll certainly enjoy Winter Solstice!

Speaking of tea, here's a little excerpt that tickled me. Mrs. Snead, who cleans for Elfrida, has just met fourteen-year-old Lucy, Elfrida's latest refugee:

"You're Lucy, aren't you? Mrs. Phipps told me about you. What do you think of your room? We 'ad a lovely time doing it all up for you. It was just an empty old attic before."

"Have a cup of tea, Mrs. Snead," said Elfrida, and Mrs. Snead said that would be very nice, and proceeded to make herself a mug, with a tea-bag, and then settled down at the table to drink it.

Lucy knew that Gran would disapprove violently of such familiar carryings-on, and, perversely, liked Mrs. Snead all the more. (231)

In honor of Mrs. Snead, and the casual, cozy nature of tea in Elfrida's household, I decided to have a mug and tea-bag myself. Elfrida often makes reference to "builder's tea" (strong, inexpensive tea brewed in a mug, with lots of milk and sugar), so I chose a bracing cup of Irish Breakfast. It's a mite too posh, having come from Fortnum & Mason, but it'll do.


And since it's Christmas time in the story, there are many mentions of mince pies. With that in mind, I bought a jar of mince meat and set about making my own! Now, a word on mince meat: apparently the pies used to be made with meat and suet along with the fruits and spices--a Middle Eastern-inspired combination of sweet and savory. But these days the pies you find at shops and cafes are usually just sweet, and that's how I like them! Read more about mince pies here.


Using this recipe, I made my own crust and ended up with a rather rustic-looking batch of pies. The recipe is supposed to make 18 mini pies, but I didn't understand how the dough was to be pressed into the pan, so perhaps my crusts are thicker than the recipe intended. But I'm glad I did it, because the pies are delicious.


See the wonderful fruity insides? This particular mincemeat contained currants, sultanas, raisins, apples, cider, orange and lemon peel, and of course, brandy and sugar. YUM.

Stay tuned for more Christmas merriment tomorrow and early next week!

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]

Friday Five

Even more random than usual . . .

1. Giveaway -- better late than never, but I'm finally announcing the winner of THE DARK BETWEEN blog tour contest. Congratulations to:

Heidi Davis -- a package of goodies will be coming your way very soon!

2. The Sound of Music -- I'm rather annoyed with myself for having missed NBC's live production last night. I've never seen the Broadway musical, and I've certainly never seen NBC do anything this risky or interesting. Seems like the reviews are mixed. What did you think? Did it put you in the Christmas spirit?

3. Speaking of Christmas -- my friend Shel has featured a stocking stuffer extravaganza on her blog all this week. Check it out! She has compiled roughly a bazillion ideas for filling your stockings.

4. SNOW!


It's not a blizzard, by any means, but it's enough to shut things down in these parts. The house is dark and quiet--even the cat is sleeping in--but I had to get out and have a tromp in the snow.

5. Death Comes to Pemberley -- here's the first trailer for the BBC adaptation:


I didn't really enjoy the book, but I'm certainly game for a TV adaptation. (Chatsworth! Anna Maxwell Martin! Cravats!) The tone seems terribly dark for Austen, but of course I'll watch whenever it makes its way across the pond. Will you?

Have a wonderful weekend!

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]

Happy holiday things -- a photo recap

Sweet nieces!


A cozy cabin in the Ozarks.


Gently falling snow.


And a Christmas wagon ride! (Aren't Gus and Woodrow handsome?)

Tonight we'll be snuggled up at home with our kitty, and I doubt we'll stay up until midnight. But that's okay!

Happy New Year!

Clinging to Christmas cheer

This past Friday was horrifying, I know. Others have shared wisdom and comfort much more eloquently that I ever could (including my friend Dr. Lisa Marotta, who offers thoughts on helping your child weather the storm of tragedy at her blog). My own form of coping is to refocus on the joy of the holidays.

First off, I wanted to thank people for their music/book/film recommendations. I'm excited to explore all your suggestions. For music, specifically, I've already added Dee Dee Chumley's recommendation of the Ware Patterson Duo's An Angel's Noel. XM radio's Holiday Pops inspired me to get Noels and Carols from the Olde World from Apollo's Fire and Joy to the World from the King's Singers. My favorite song from the latter is "What Child is This" -- you can listen to the audio on their Myspace Page, or you might check out their rendition of "Greensleeves" (same music, different lyrics):



Saturday was my crit group's annual Christmas tea at Inspirations Tea Room. It was wonderfully cheering to spend time with these amazing ladies, and you know I can't resist sharing a tea photo or two:


The tiered tray is always impressive . . .


and the company always divine!

I'm nearly done with Christmas shopping. This week I plan to buy those last few things, do some holiday baking, wrap presents, revise a short story, go ice skating with friends, and hopefully watch a few more Christmas movies. (Have already watch The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Holiday (the latter twice!).

What are your special traditions for the week leading up to Christmas? And those of you who celebrated Hanukkah -- was it wonderful? I hope so!

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]