Of Decorations, Energy, and Bad Omens by Konnie Enos

I believe I’ve mention before that our usual habit is fighting my husband through October to not decorate for Christmas until after Halloween. Then having our decorations up from early November until early January. This used to be our normal until, well the great Christmas debacle.

One year, nobody had felt up to decorating until mid-December, but that also held true for putting away all the decorations. We simply didn’t get the tree down for um, well, at least three years. Probably four. But eventually it did come down.

Then in 2024 it was mid-December again before we got our decorations up but at least half the issue was our old tree really needed replaced and it took a bit to get a new one, and some more (i.e. working) lights. My daughter had everything back down within days after Christmas.

Okay, so no more keeping it up for years.

This past Christmas we actually managed something closer to our usual schedule and had the tree, and my Christmas village set up before Thanksgiving. I fully expected everything to come down before my husband’s birthday (early January).

The reality?

Let’s put it this way. I’ve had multiple conversations over the last few weeks discussing how long they are going to stay up this time.

When all the females in your household (in this case, just two) are in anyway under the weather, well, things slide.

I came down with what we are assuming is this nasty flu bug around my husband’s birthday. At some point I developed an ear infection to go along with it. Yes, I got antibiotics but those could do nothing for the flu. So, I was still coughing, and my nose was still running.

 During this time my dear daughter was either experiencing a fibromyalgia flair or coming down with a cold of her own. When her throat started to get really sore and scratchy she went to the quick care. What none of us expected was the doctor telling her that she had strep.

So, not only do we have that nasty flu spreading through the household, but now we have to worry about strep making the rounds. Oh fun.

Then this last weekend, with me still sick, though getting a bit better, my daughter added to her misery by starting her period and getting the accompanying migraine. Needless to say, neither one of us was up to our weekly grocery shopping trip.

Being in slightly better shape, I finally managed a small trip on Monday.

Last night we realized my excursion wasn’t as well executed as we had thought. In that we had overlooked the fact that we were completely out of a fresh garlic, and our planned meal requires fresh garlic. Nobody is going to the store just for garlic so we’re going to have manage with powdered garlic, which we do have.

But that’s not the only thing we discovered. I wiped out our supply of onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and both sweet and russet potatoes. This means that the stew we’d also planned on making this week will not be made this week, because we do not have the vegetables to make it.

But that’s not even the only issue we’ve run into this week.

Monday night I realized that my lower back ached enough that I could not straighten up when walking. But for some reason I didn’t realize why it was hurting until the next time I went to the bathroom and noticed how dark my output was.

Apparently, while I’ve been coughing and constantly blowing my nose, I have not been drinking enough water. Yes, I now have an appointment this morning to address my apparent bladder infection. So, round two of antibiotics. I am already expecting to address the inevitable yeast infection that always occurs after multiple rounds of antibiotics, close together.

On the plus side, my nose seems to have finally dried up.

But all this means that between my daughter and I, neither one of us has felt like addressing the decorations in our living room, which now has my son speculating on how many years they will stay up this time.

Fair assumption under the circumstances.

I’m hoping one, or both of us, will have the energy to accomplish that task before the month is over, but after the month we’ve had so far, I’m not holding my breath.

And if this disastrous start to the new year wasn’t bad enough, yesterday, both our dishwasher and our washer were giving us fits. So, we are facing the expense of either repairing or replacing one or both of them. At this point I would not be surprised if our older dryer or stove joined the revolt.

Hopefully things get better instead of worse.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

 

Book Challenges by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

I’ve read a lot online about book challenges. Most are a challenge to read, like fifty books a year.

I, personally, don’t think I can manage that.

Not that I don’t like to read; I do. I own a lot of books, both physical and digital copies. But I’m such a slow reader that getting through that many books in a year seems daunting to me.

Then again, I’m presently on my sixth book so far this year. Some of those only took me two days to finish. The current one will be longer, but only because it’s so much bigger.

Finishing the whole series may take me a month, and that’s only seven books. Then again, the first five I’ve read included a four-book series, though those five books were by the same author.

Last year, I spent a couple of months going through my Dick and Felix Francis collection. And that is around thirty books. Maybe I did make fifty books last year.

I read my Francis collection, my HP collection, which does include The Tales From Beattle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts, and the five-book Percy Jackson series. I also went through all nineteen of my Box Car Children series. Of course, all those are easy reads.

And I have eleven books of a twelve-book series on my reader, as well as two other books.

No wait, those two other books were after the first, and some of the eleven were too.

Okay, I haven’t kept an accurate count of how many I’ve read and when.

I know I read a couple of my romance novels during that time.

Was it last year, or early this year? I can’t remember.

Okay, I do read, maybe I could read fifty books a year, but most of those would be relatively short romances rather than the longer, more detailed epics, which is what I’ve just started.

This series is actually, word-wise, longer and bigger than the HP series.

Then again, HP is supposed to be a children’s book, and The Work and The Glory is most definitely not a children’s book.

I did buy myself a bunch of new, or rather new to me, books over the holidays, and I really should read more of those. One of those four book series I read is part of the new purchases.

I finally acquired the final book of that series. I’d been holding off on reading it until I had all the books.

I was quite sure it would be good because I’ve owned one of the author’s earlier works for decades. She’s good. Actually, the fifth book I read from that author was rereading that earlier book. I still have her first published work, which I have read, just not recently.

Actually, one of the two romances I recently read was the newest book by a favorite author.

And yes, I have several favorite authors.

It partly depends on the genre, but even then, I could name one favorite, especially in romance.

And if you are asking, I’m sure I own way more books than Nativities.

I really need to complete my book inventory, which isn’t going to be easy, as often as I splurge on new books.

Not that I’m buying new (except in the digital form), I generally buy my books through Thrift Books these days.

The best part about Thrift Books is that I can get my hands on some classic titles, which I wouldn’t be able to do at a standard bookstore.

And, if you are asking, I’m positive I have way more books than Konnie has, simply because I have more room for books than she has, even if her house is bigger.

After all, I have a two-bedroom apartment to myself while she has a three-bedroom house, which she shares with three other people. So, she has a bigger house, but I have more personal space, which I don’t have to share. Unless you count Patches. And clearly, he doesn’t read, nor does he care how much space my book collection takes.

Well, maybe he would care if the books started to infringe on his living space, but it doesn’t right now!

And don’t expect me to consider whether or not Konnie can read fifty books in a year! Konnie can read way faster than I can. A book that will take two days to read will take her a matter of hours.

Anyway, are you a slow or fast reader? Do you think you can manage a fifty-book-a-year challenge? Or, like me, do you think that ideal is out of your league?

I personally don’t think I can manage more because I need some writing time, but also because I read slowly.

Anyway, happy writing, everyone!

Of Birthdays and Colds By Konnie Enos

Yesterday I called Bonnie and she could easily tell I am rather sick. She was concerned about me being able to write my post today, but I told her I should still be able to write it. Then I promptly forgot about writing my post in favor of taking care of myself, including taking some naps.

I, in fact, so completely forgot about that I did not remember until one of my several middle of the night trips to the bathroom. And I only remembered it then because my son apparently forgot that today is garbage day.

How did going to the bathroom remind me of that fact?

Because he had not emptied the garbage can in our bathroom, or in fact, any cans in our room. Though the only one stuffed full at the moment is the one in our bathroom. (It’s stuffed because it hasn’t been emptied in a couple of weeks simply because it wasn’t full enough to bother until now.)

Now normally my son comes in our room sometime in the evening on Tuesday to make sure all the garbage is gathered but yesterday the only time he came into my room was to get some pain medicine because, surprise, surprise, he’s sick too. (Sore throat and achy.)

Don’t worry, our bins got to the curb this morning. One, because I had to be up early to deal with my post. And two, because my son realized it needed done and got up early to do so.

And as my brain is more focused on bundling up for some warmth and getting any sleep I can, I cannot think of much to say. Though I am currently remembering something that happened Sunday.

We were at church and I overheard someone asking if that day was the fifth or the sixth. Clearly it was not. I told them it was most definitely the fourth since the next day, Monday, was the fifth. I indicated I knew that for a fact because Monday was a certain gentleman’s birthday, while clearly pointing at my husband.

One of the gentlemen there then decided to guess hubby’s age. Now before he did state his guess, he said he wasn’t good at guessing and wanted to guess low. I’m assuming to not offend us. Now this man does know some of our kids and is aware we have grandchildren. He as at least one himself. He also is well on his way to full head of gray hair and otherwise looks the part of a grandfather.

It should also be noted that our kids are all in their early 30s to mid-20s. It would be safe to assume someone with kids near the same age as yours was themselves about the same age as you were.

Not only did he guess low, but he guessed fifteen years too low. I can assure you that we were not in our teens when we married and started a family. We were almost no longer in our 20s. (Our oldest was born less than three months before hubby turned 30.)

Yes, my husband, with his completely gray and receding hair, apparently does not look as old as he is. Then again, our friend was guessing slightly below his own age which happens to be ten years younger than hubby and I are.

Since I’m coughing, sneezing, and attempting to sleep, which is what my body needs right now, I’m going to end here so I do those things.

Take care.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

 

The Year's End by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Today is the last day of 2025, and what do I have to show for it?

Not much.

I really haven’t been very productive this past year. Thanks to wrenching my back and being on a muscle relaxant, I didn’t even finish NaNo this year. And about all I’ve accomplished the last couple of weeks is watching a ton of online content.

Though I have come across a few interesting videos and ads.

One I saw just cracked me up. I mean, I literally laughed long and hard!

It turned out to be an online ad for a Harry Potter wand, but it started with a quote showing across the screen, which said, “Babe, stop buying toys, you’re 30!”

Okay, that still makes me laugh. Here’s this poor guy complaining about his woman buying Harry Potter merchandise at 30 years old, and here I am at 63, and I can see both Harry Potter merchandise and Barbie merchandise within my current line of sight, and I purchased the Barbie merchandise last month!

I kind of wonder what those ad executives would think about someone my age still buying toys for myself.

Then, again, let’s face it, despite a person’s age, there is always going to be something on which they will splurge.

When my husband was alive, he saved his spending money to buy muzzleloaders, buckskin, and all the various historically accurate accoutrements of his hobby. I’m still alive, and I spend my discretionary funds on books, Barbies, craft supplies, Nativities, owls, Eagles, and occasionally Harry Potter merc.

I’m sure other adults have other things they like to splurge on. Everyone should have at least one hobby, no matter what their age.

And, yes, I know, I have several. But it still boils down to the guy in that ad complaining about his lady love buying toys for herself at the ripe old age of 30, and I’m over here at 63 still buying myself toys. I might also point out that I purchased my first toy with my own money when I was around 12 years old. I still have the toy, too. He’s my oldest Ken doll, part of the original Malibu Barbie series, which came out around that time.

Which sort of brings up another thing I saw online this past week. Someone asked their audience what the oldest thing in their house was. I sort of wish that it were Ken, but alas, the oldest thing in my house is the desk I have in the corner, which was my grandfather’s many eons ago. It is, in fact, older than I am.

Unless one of my various Nativities, which were mostly gifts or acquired from thrift stores, is an antique (and I sincerely doubt that), that old desk is the oldest thing I own, because I am fairly sure it’s the only thing here that predates my birth.

I do have books which were originally published before I was born, but I do not have any first editions of said books; none of my vast collection of books would qualify as the oldest.

Though speaking of books, I also recently saw a post stating something about if the one book physically closest to you was the only book you could read for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I laughed at that one, too, because immediately to my left was volume 1 of a four-book series of which I now have all four books, and the same distance away on my right was my Kindle Fire.

My reader not only has a vast library of books on it, but it also has a separate app produced by my church, which is our entire Gospel Library. My Kindle Fire alone could keep me occupied for quite a while.

The final interesting post I saw this last week was one where a guy asked, “What is one thing no one can understand, unless they’ve lived it?”

My response was, “Being identical twins.”

I can certainly provide examples of how it is different because I have lived it, but telling you everything different still wouldn’t make you understand.

Actually, I’m talking about mirror twins more than identical because we’ve known twins who looked fairly identical to me, but well, they had never said the exact same thing at the exact time with the exact same tonal inflection, just one at a different octave than the other.

We’ve known lots of twins throughout our lives, and I’ve never known another set who could simply glance at each other and know what the other was thinking.

I could keep going, but I’ve mentioned all these odd things we can do in earlier posts.

Happy writing, everyone, and have a happy and productive new year!