I’LL BE HOME FOR
CHRISTMAS
By Catherine Lanigan
I was watching the “Countdown to Christmas” on
Hallmark and one of the movie clips has the hero saying to the heroine, “I’ll
bet you’re one of those people who plays Christmas music before Halloween.” Her answer, “Of course.”
My
reply: “Guilty of that and more.”
I
love, love, love Christmas. I’ve been stockpiling my baking ingredients to make
my thousand cookies for friends, my dozen or more fruit and nut filled cinnamon
coffee rings that I distribute on Christmas Eve to my friends and family, for
over a month.
Slowly, week by weekend I slip another Christmas angel among my
autumn decorations. And yes, there’s Frank Sinatra singing, “It’s Beginning To
Look a Lot Like Christmas” wafting through the house.
Along with much too early decorating, ordering
Christmas Cards, baking cookies, I not only watch very old Christmas movies---"Bell
Book and Candle”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, but I read or re-read Christmas
romances. I gather up Heartwarming Christmas books old and new and indulge. Why
not? There’s nothing happier than a love
story set amidst the magic of winter’s long nights and the sense of hope
dancing in the air.
My Prism Book Tour starts November 11th and
extends till November 23rd. I
have extensive posts on the tour about the inspiration for this story---but
here’s the nutshell version.
When
I was growing up here in my hometown of La Porte, Indiana, part
of our holiday tradition/ritual was to go to the Bernacchi Greenhouses and pick
out our special poinsettias for friends and family. My mother was raised in
Florida and she adored tropical flowers at Christmas. She not only had
poinsettias but there were always blazing red Anthuriums on the dining room
table. We had Paperwhites in the south windows and amaryllis in the living
room. Christmas isn’t Christmas to me without lots of real flowers in the house.
When the greenhouses had to close a few years ago, it
was like I experienced a death. My husband, Jed, nearly went into depression.
Our wedding anniversary is on the winter solstice, December 21, and he spent days
picking out different poinsettias for my birthday, December 11, our anniversary
and Christmas. (He also liked keeping the house filled with flowers).
To continue: I was standing outside the greenhouses one day,
reminiscing with my Aunt Sara, who had come to town from Oregon, and the story
for Home for Christmas burst into my head, nearly full cloth. I saw the
characters re-opening the greenhouse, decorating a monster Christmas tree and
even the Golden Retriever puppies being born. (Mine were born on December 1
many years ago---but yeah…puppies at Christmas? Of course.) New York based, Joy Boston’s story of losing
her beloved Grandpa, discovering that he’d been lying to her about the
financial health of the greenhouses, returning to Indian Lake and coming face
to face with her first love, Adam Masterson, is one I hope you enjoy. And that
you might even re-read next Christmas!
I hope you’ll join me on my tour.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @cathlanigan and
on Facebook for announcements of my Amazon card raffle on the tour and give me
your comments and ideas.
Merry Christmas to all and God Bless Us, Every One!
Catherine
I love Christmas too and started playing Christmas movies as soon as Halloween was over. I'm always picking up new ornaments. I got a Befana ornament once (love that folktale!)but can't find it, so hoping I'll run across another. The one I found wasn't quite what I wanted. I'd like to find a Catalonian Santa Claus, just because their tradition on it is so strange from our perspective, but I think I'd just like to have it, not hang it on the tree. I haven't got a pickle yet, but it's showing up a lot of places now. I like the new poinsettias, but am careful. We've got a cat that seems to chew on everything, so we don't want to take chances.
ReplyDeleteYou have "highered" my education. I do not know this Befana folktale and MUST know it right away. Too, I have to look up Catalonian Santa Claus. I have a Norwegian Santa I adore that was gifted to me from a friend 25 years ago who was a native of Norway. I used to have a huge Santa collection, but between children, grandchildren and nieces, etc. they have new homes now. And I have dozens of pickle ornaments. I love them. Lots of birds in nests. Spiders in webs are for wealth. The birds are happiness. I believe. I could be wrong.
DeleteBefana is the Italian version. In Russia, she's called Baboushka, though she's pictured differently there. They are gift-givers in those cultures.
DeleteI do like flowers at Christmas, especially amaryllis. I love the way you can almost see them grow. I tend to prefer the old-fashioned solid red poinsettias and amaryllis, although the white markings on some new ones make a nice contrast. Can't wait to read the story!
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, those purist colors, that red, makes everything so cheery during dark , short winter days. I hope you like the story! Your Christmas stories are on my nightstand...again!
DeleteA lovely idea for a Christmas book, Catherine. Going home for Christmas is often a mixed blessing for some people, isn’t it? As always, I’m in awe of your organization and decorating skills. Would love to see that house. As for the baking....yum.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janice! C'mon over! I've got the first double batch of cookie dough in the fridge to bake tomorrow. Getting the ladder out to put up garlands. If I just get the lights on this week I'll be happy. AND they just revised the weather forecast--snow in 48 hours. That part, I'm not ready for! Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteGreat blog. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteAustralian Assignment Writing
I also love Christmas. I loved your book excerpt that you shared earlier too. This story sounds beautiful and I love the inspiration that lead to it!
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog, it’s really helped me a lot, so keep sharing post like this
ReplyDeleteMarketing Management Assignment Help
Perdisco Assignment Help
ReplyDeletehttp://www.assignmenthippo.com/perdisco-assignment-help
When students seek our Perdisco Assignment Help Services from us, they are assured to receive the best PERDISCO Assignment Writing Help Services that meets all their writing needs and Affordable PERDISCO Paper Writing Services that has been written following all the instructions thanks for assignment help