Season's Greetings.

  I was helping out a friend of mine with organizing her closets, drawers, stuff and stuff.  She had a pile of things that she wanted brought to the thrift store.  In that pile were three books, all written by the same author, Perri O'Shaughnessy.  Instead of bringing the books to the thrift store I decided to bring them home and read them.  Beats me as to why I did it, I just did, I didn't even bother asking her what she thought of them.  I read the first one and I became hooked:-).  And I can't tell you how happy I am and how fun it is to be hooked on reading entertaining books at Christmas time, the perfect season to be hooked.  These books date back to the late 90's, early 2000's, set in a town on the California/Nevada border, mountainous, mystery murders...which reminds me of one of my most favorite Christmas memories (minus the murder).
  My mom's husband's family owned a home in Mammoth, California.  My brother, sister and I, our mom and David went up there for the week of Christmas to ski, late 90's.  I had just picked up Chaim Potok's The Chosen to bring with me on that trip.  I am telling you, nothing feels better than the memory of being in my downstairs bedroom, completely warm, wrapped up in a double bed and comforters, in my flannel j's, laying there for hours reading The Chosen.  (Since then I have read The Chosen two more times.  That is the only book I have ever read over and over again.)  During the day my family and I would ski.  I love to ski (albeit the cost is far outside our current pocket book now) and I particularly loved to ski with David because he challenged me.  He had grown up in the sport and was really good, so when I would ride the lifts with him, we hit areas of the mountain I would have never gone on alone.  And I love speed (in my next life I will either be a backing vocalist or a race car driver) so going straight down a mountain with lots of speed is good (or was good:-), it's been awhile, so I bet I'd be a little more cautious now--maybe;-)).  We played hard in the cold of the day and then on the eve of Christmas, we went to a midnight church service, quiet, softly lit, and sturdy pew-ed.  I love that memory.
  This year my husband and I and our pup (almost 9 year old yellow lab) are heading up to Michigan via roadtrip.  We are staying in a lake cabin about 10 miles south of my dad's.  The cabin is owned by an artist who owns a gallery in South Bend, IN.  I found it on airbnb and only after I booked it, did I start reading the reviews more in depth.  They say there's a lot of character in this cabin, a lot of charm, neat tchotchke's, with our bedroom overlooking the lake.  This will be the first time in 9 years that my husband and I have been up to Michigan together.  We will get to see my grandmother.  We get to go bowling and play TABOO with my dad and his wife.  I'm bringing my Perri O'Shaughnessy book (third one, I may need to get others!  O'Shaughnessy is actually two sisters who pen these books together. They are no Potok, but the read is fun all the same!).  I think I'm gonna love this memory, too.
Merry Christmas!  Happy New Year!  And as my New York husband says, "See ya's later!"