The Christmas Pumpkin?

I peeked into my attic the other day, just far enough to find the Advent wreath.The rest of the Christmas decorations loomed nearby in the dusty shadows. I grabbed the wreath and slammed the door shut. I don't know why, but I'm just not ready to decorate yet.

All of our neighbors have their lights up. I still have a pumpkin on the porch.

I guess part of me just wants life to slow down a bit.

So many of my friends have been talking about decorating, posting photos online, and telling stories about finding the perfect "live" tree. That always makes me ponder the term. A LIVE tree? But, I thought when you cut it down...

As you have probably guessed, I am in the artificial tree camp. It's neatly tucked into a box in my dusty attic, waiting for me to bring it out into the light. The kids are already clamoring about getting it out. Maybe this weekend.

Or maybe I'll just take my friend Joules' advice. Slap a Santa hat on the pumpkin and call it good.

Pumpkins have become a tradition in my family. Just after we were married, my husband bought me a miniature pumpkin for Halloween. We set it up in our family room and it stayed there for months because I didn't have the heart to throw it out. We were amazed how long it lasted. It's become a silly game with us which we repeat every year. I always think it's funny when someone asks, "Why is there a pumpkin on your mantle? It's January!"

Our Christmas tree always has a few tiny pumpkin decorations on it, too. That first year of marriage, we had so little spending money that we blew our entire decorating budget on a small artificial tree. I had some little paper mache pumpkins in my craft supplies, so we stuck those on the tree for decorations. They still go on our tree every year, in memory.

So, how is YOUR decorating going? Are you one of those "I must have every decoration in place by Thanksgiving" types? Or are there still a few pumpkins hanging around your porch, too?

I think I will keep that pumpkin on the porch and maybe just add a few lights and wreaths. There's nothing wrong with slowing down and remembering what's come before. And in our household, the pumpkin has become a symbol of love--and that fits the season perfectly.

Friday Book Pick: The Christian Girl's Guide to Style by Sherry Kyle

Have you tried shopping for a tween-aged girl lately? It makes me cringe nearly every time I go out with my daughter. She's only eight (so not quite a tween), but the clothes that are being offered right now are scaled-down versions of teen fashion. Skin-tight jeans, tops with rude sayings, high heels... Oh, goodness--don't get me started on little girls wearing high heels. Ugh.

But, I'm not here to rant. I wanted to share a super-cute book idea with you. I recently met author Sherry Kyle and had the chance to read her new book, The Christian Girl's Guide to Style (Legacy Press, 2010). This book is the perfect Christmas gift for 8-12 year old girls.

I am thankful that I had a chance to read it before my eight-year-old spotted it in my bag and promptly took off with it. Of course, what attracted her first was the adorable little animal print coin purse attached, but the book's content is even better. Sherry writes directly to a tween's level, beginning each chapter with a short story written in a young girl's voice. She discusses fashion, friends, make-up, hair and personal style. She emphasizes modesty, listening to your parents and biblical truth; all written in a down-to-earth, non-preachy way. The book also includes Bible verses, fun quizzes, craft projects and interesting fashion facts.

Sherry Kyle's debut novel, Delivered with Love, will be released from Abingdon Press in the Spring 2011. If you are interested in picking up a copy of The Christian Girl's Guide to Style, you can find it at your local bookstore, order it from Amazon, or pick up a signed copy from SignedbytheAuthor.com. Of course, if I want to find a copy, I just have to dig through the pile of stuffed animals on my daughter's bed.

Who is Ready for a Long Winter's Nap?

So, my husband called me from work today. This is how the conversation went...

Him: "So, how are you doing?"

Me: "Oh, fine. The weather's pretty dreary though."  He works in a basement office with no windows, so I always feel compelled to give him a weather report.

Him: "Oh, yeah?"

Me: "Yep. Pretty typical February day."

(Long pause).

Him: "Uh, Karen?"

Me: "Yeah?"

Him: "It's November..."

Me: "What? Oh, yeah. Right. November."

I'm thinking it might be a long, long winter.

Just two days ago, we had one of those rare mornings in November (in Oregon) where the sun actually shines. It glowed its way through the autumn-colored leaves and made me feel golden and cheerful. I wrote 2,500 words on my work-in-progress.

Today, it poured down rain and was c-c-c-cold. That wet kind of cold--you know what I'm talking about. The leaves were swirling around outside warning me that we will have to spend the weekend raking. So, how many words did I write today? Nada. Well, to be perfectly truthful, I had commitments most of the day, so I didn't expect to get much writing done. But, still. I wasn't even in the mood to write.

Here's my energy level on a rainy, overcast day: 

And here is my energy level on a sunny day:

So, I'm thinking I have a few choices. I can buy one of those expensive sun-shine lamps, I can move to the southwest, or I can sleep until May. What do you think? Any other ideas? Someone's gotta' help me out here. What do you do to keep yourself cheerful?

Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson--FREE!

For those budding writers out there, here is a deal you absolutely should NOT miss. I've been letting you know about freebies offered on Amazon for Kindle readers, and this is one of the best. Writing coach Randy Ingermanson (a.k.a. the "Snowflake Guy") has put together some of his best writing tips in the book  Writing Fiction for Dummies  and it is available for FREE on Amazon.com through Nov 19th.  I already own the book and I'm still picking up the kindle version so I can refer to it on my phone or laptop while I'm working away from home.

Even if you do not own a Kindle, it is possible to download a free Kindle App to use on your computer, your smartphone or your iPad. If you haven't done this yet, this may be the book that gets you moving.

I've studied under Randy at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference and he is truly one of the best. He's also offering a 50% discount on his Snowflake Pro software to anyone who owns Writing Fiction for Dummies. I use Snowflake Pro while I am developing my plotlines and deepening my characters. It is a very helpful resource.

Don't miss out--go grab this book while it's free!

Don't Miss The Amazon Freebies!

How many of you have made the leap into the digital world with your reading? I still haven't decided whether to buy a Kindle, iPad or Nook, but I have discovered that I enjoy reading books on my Droid smartphone. With a free downloadable app, you can read Kindle e-books on your computer, iPad, iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or Windows phone 7.  The fun thing about e-readers is all the FREE stuff you can find out there. If you're looking for great Christian titles, check out the top 100 free offerings on Amazon. Click on the 100 Bestsellers and then look at the right side of your screen--that's where they list the freebies. They are not generally labeled "Christian," so sometimes you have to dig to discover them. Watch for publisher names, such as Zondervan, Bethany, Tyndale, Abingdon, Barbour, Moody, B&H, Harvest House, Waterbrook, Thomas Nelson, Revel, etc.

Here's a list of some of the free Christian titles being currently offered. These are not necessarily personal recommendations (since I haven't read them yet), but they are free!

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn.
A Simple Amish Christmas by debut author Vanetta Chapman.
Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry.
Deceit by suspense author, Brandilyn Collins.
Perfect by medical suspense author, Harry Kraus.
Relentless by fantasy/thriller/suspense author Robin Parrish

Enjoy! Maybe you will discover a new favorite author. Free is a very good price, right?

Mood Skin and Sparkles

We often use colors to describe ourselves: red with anger, feeling blue, a golden glow, green with envy. Aren't you glad that we don't actually turn colors with our moods? We wouldn't even have to ask, "How are you?" And we couldn't get away with a simple, "fine, thanks." Everyone would know if you were lying. I wonder if there would be a color for that?

On a recent trip to the Monterey Aquariam, I saw a video that explained how the giant octopus has skin that changes color with its mood. "Huh. Mood skin--like a mood ring," I thought. In a different part of the aquarium, I read a sign that said that sea horses will actually glow or sparkle when they are feeling amorous towards their mates. Hmmm.

Can you just imagine how different our lives would be?

I, for one, am extremely thankful that God didn't give us mood skin or attraction sparkles. What if you "sparkled" at the wrong person? Then you might be red with embarassment AND sparkly. Yikes. Talk about a teenager's worst nightmare.

No, God gave us a little more dignity than that. He allowed us to hide behind our fig leaves and our fake smiles. We can hide our moods, our shortcomings, our embarssments from each other. But we can't hide them from God. One of my favorite Psalms (Psalm 139--read it all here) talks about how God knows us completely, inside and out. It even says, "Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely." Though we can sometimes hide our emotions from each other, we can trust--and take comfort--that God knows it all.

So, what color are you today?

God already knows. Why don't you go talk to Him about it?

Friday Book Pick: A Friend in the Storm by Cheryl Ricker

Friday is here again and this week I have a very special Friday Book Pick recommendation, Cheryl Ricker's A Friend in the Storm.  If you have you ever had a friend who is suffering so badly that you struggle to find any words to say, this is the book for you. When author Cheryl Ricker discovered that her friend was losing a battle with cancer, she dug deep to find words of comfort and put them into poetry. Written from the perspective of a loving Savior, her poetry balances tough questions with gentle, love-filled answers. These poems, together with words of wisdom from heroes of the faith and passages of scripture, are now grouped together in the lovely gift book, A Friend in the Storm.

This book would make a touching gift to a grieving friend or a treasure of comfort for your own heart. You can learn more about Cheryl and her book at her website, Breezing Heaven's Comfort.

We 'Otter' Be Friends

I spent last week at an amazing writers retreat (hosted by Books&Such Literary Agency) in beautiful Monterey, California. It was exciting to sit around with other authors and discuss publishing, publicity, social networking and how to connect with your readers. As a still-yet-unpublished writer, I found this a bit overwhelming, but also a fantastic glimpse of what is (hopefully) ahead. The photo is of me and my roommate for the event, author/speaker Linda Evans Shepherd.

We also spent part of each afternoon simply enjoying the sights and sounds of Monterey Bay. I had the opportunity to walk the shore, snapping photos of sea lions and harbor seals, gulls and splashing waves. We also explored the wonderful Monterey Aquarium.

By the last morning, my head was spinning--filled to the brim with good information and fun experiences. I sat on the terrace overlooking the bay, using the quiet moments to process what I had learned. "God, what am I doing here?" I prayed. "These other writers are so far ahead of me. I'm just getting started."

Just then my eyes were drawn to the waves. Several otters were frolicking together in the kelp. A volunteer at the aquarium had explained to us that the otters live in small groups and that they will wrap strands of kelp around themselves when they sleep so that they won't drift away. I felt God nudging at my heart. The otters stay in groups--just like writers who need to come together with others who truly understand us. And He's not going to let me drift, aimlessly. He's provided an amazing agent and other publishing professionals who can provide guidance and support--like the kelp--that will keep me from drifting off course.

Do you have some "otter friends?" Writing is isolating. Have you tried to explain plotting & characters to a non-writer? Sometimes I notice my friends' eyes glaze over while I talk. Or, when I talk about my characters as if they were real, they get concerned looks on their faces. Our friends and family are precious to us, but it's important to spend time with other writers who understand the heartbreaks and joys of the business. If you are a writer, make time to attend some writing conferences or join a local critque group. Because everyone "otter" have some friends.