M. Jean Pike's Blog, page 23

Little Blessings

My wildflower garden did a whole lot of nothing this year. The summer was too dry and too hot and I gave up watering somewhere in early July. My columbine and prairie flowers and coreopsis were beautiful for a moment, but they came and went quickly and by August I basically had a garden of weeds.

My porch tomatoes didn’t fare much better. Those I did water faithfully. I even took someone’s suggestion to plant marigolds in the pots with them to encourage growth. After a yield of three or four small tomatoes I finally gave up and dumped the soil in the wildflower garden, dead marigolds and all.

What a lovely surprise, on this gray November morning, to discover this cheerful visitor to my garden! It’s like a little splash of sunshine on a rainy day. Like a smile from God.

I love unexpected blessings like this. Little things that remind me to keep going, even when its hard. That even on the gray days, there is something to be thankful for

The Carolers

Once my Christmas tree is up it is never long before the carolers make their appearance on my bookcase. I have a relationship with these guys that spans more than three decades. Back in the late 80’s I was visiting some Christmas shops with my mother and we came upon a wonderful, whimsical display of Buyer’s Choice Carolers, each one more intricate and adorable than the last. We stood admiring them for a long time. Mom said she would love to start a collection of her own but wouldn’t know where to begin. So the next week, since she had a birthday coming up, I decided to choose for her. The first one I bought was the mother. The following year on her birthday I added the father. The year after that, some kids.

The years went by and on each of my mother’s birthdays I bought her another caroler. The grandparents, the actress… It was so much fun choosing them, and even more fun giving them to her.

My mother passed away unexpectedly in the late 90’s and the carolers, along with all of the other Christmas decorations sat in storage in my father’s basement for a few years. When I finally got them out, a couple had been destroyed by mice, but I was happy to see that most of my mother’s beloved caroler’s were intact. I took the collection home and little by little added to it. A shopping bag for the actress. A Christmas tree and a snowman for the kids. A beautiful glass partridge to tuck in the branches of the tree. The year my granddaughter was born my sister bought me a little girl to add to the collection.

And a couple of years ago, she bought me The Toymaker, the perfect man, lol.

I can’t describe the joy the carolers have brought to my family over the years. They are truly one of the bright spots in my holidays and some of my most prized possessions.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree…

Yep. I got my tree up.

Some have said it’s too early, I mean, I still have my fall wreath on the door, but it’s never the wrong time for the joy my Christmas tree brings me. I love the ambiance of the soft white lights, (I did a mix of steady and twinkling this year) especially in the evening when it’s dark out. I love the strands of jeweled garlands (picked up at a garage sale for a song!)

Mostly, though, I love the ornaments. Some bright and shiny and some homespun, they each have a place on my tree and a place in my heart.

This little reindeer was made by my son in preschool more than 25 years ago. Rudolph looks pretty good for his age!

This little green gingerbread boy was made out of playdough by my son one snowy day many years ago! I remember the fun we had cutting them out with cookie cutters and painting them. I thought they might last a year or two. All these years later, he’s still hanging around, bringing me smiles

For a few years now I’ve been obsessed with the little red truck motif. Our ladies group at church did a painting day at a local ceramics shop last year. So of course I chose this as my project!

My heart is attached to this cheerful snowman because he was given to me by my dear friend, Melody. She had a short life, but lived it with so much laughter and kindness. I treasure this gift she gave me.

This church reminds me so much of my little country church!

Some of my ornaments are family treasures that have been with me since my childhood and some are flea market finds. But each year when I unbox them and hang them on the tree, it feels like my house is suddenly filled with old and dear friends!

Have you got a favorite ornament? I’d love to hear about it…

One step closer…

My weekend was Thursday and Friday this week and I had a to-do list three miles long. Thursday was my catch-up day and Friday was going to be a day to work on my new writing project and get my house decorated for Christmas! Thursday’s chores spilled into Friday, as they often do. I got the last of my leaves raked up and bagged and ready to be hauled to the curb for next week’s pickup. I did some much needed cleaning, and some other tasks I had been putting off for far too long. So with Friday dwindling away I found myself with a choice. I was writing well, so I could keep going or I could stop and decorate. I chose to keep writing

I did, however haul my tree and my dozen totes of decorations out of storage, which is a big first step. I have a very small house and the only option for storing my Christmas decorations is a platform above the steps that go down to my root cellar. The cellar is damp and musty, so not an option for storage. Getting out the decorations is quite tricky to say the least, lol. It’s the only part of decorating I dread. But the totes and tree are safely stacked in the living room now and waiting for my next day off. I hope to have some pics to post of my tree and decorations very soon

It’s November

And I’m still wondering where September went As the days grow shorter and colder and we move into the holiday season, my thoughts turn to cozy evenings with good books and warm drinks. In November I make a conscious effort to reflect with thankfulness on all the blessings in my life. God has surely been good to me! Here are a few highlights of the last couple of months and some of the things I am thankful for…

Apples fresh off the tree.

The astounding beauty of autumn leaves.

My goofy girl, who is a senior dog but becomes a puppy again when the ground is covered with leaves!

Stock pots full of chicken soup.

The beautiful corner of the world I call home

November is a time when nature seems to rest and reflect and I plan to follow suit as much as possible. To savor life. To hurry less, enjoy the little things, and be more thankful. To read good books, spend more time with the good people in my life, and maybe try out that new latte flavor I saw. I may even break out a jigsaw puzzle this month.

It’s Release Day!

Today is the day! The Pelican Book Group Christmas Extravaganza titles have arrived, including my novella The Key to Christmas. Amazon sales start on November 8th, but you can get them delivered today in PBG’s bookstore or on any of the other platforms. I’m super excited about this story because with it I have returned to my Western New York State roots. If you enjoy a heartwarming holiday romance that’s sure to make you smile, please give The Key to Christmas a try!

Thanks so much!

Preorder at Amazon for delivery to your kindle on November 8th   

Or have it delivered today from

PBG

Ebooks.com

Google Play

Happy reading!

An excerpt and a deal!

My Christmas novella, The Key to Christmas, releases on Friday and my publisher is offering it for a limited time for the preorder price of just .99!

Christmas in the Village is the highlight of the year for the town of Charlee Falls, but this year Alexis Crossman is anything but inspired. Devastated by her father’ s death, she can barely summon the energy to decorate the window of the furniture store she’ s inherited, let alone officiate the store’ s annual Christmas contest.

Jessie Wainright is struggling to navigate parenthood alone. Especially when it comes to his daughter’ s first date. He attends the annual festival hoping to lighten his mood, and inadvertently wins a key to the contest. But can he find the key that will unlock lovely Alexis’ s heart?

Here’s an excerpt …

Jessie Wainwright didn’t know, sitting at the breakfast table that Saturday morning, his cell phone propped against a cereal box as he streamed last night’s football game, that this was the day when everything would change. Weeks later, he’d think back and pinpoint that exact morning as the end of life as he knew it.

 His daughter, Izabella, sat across from him, busy on her own phone.

“What’s your plan for the day?” he asked.

“Emma and are going to the mall. I need my color refreshed.”

His gaze skimmed over her hair, recently dyed black with two inches of purple peeking out from the bottom. Along with her pale blue eyes, she’d inherited a mane of lustrous honey -colored hair from her mother. He hated what she’d done to it. But Izzy’s hair was not a hill he was willing to die on.

“And I need a new pair of jeans.”

“Do you need some money?” Already his hand was sliding into his pocket.

“I have my birthday money.”

He pulled out two twenties and set them beside her plate. “I’ll get the jeans. Just don’t buy a pair that’s full of holes.”

She sighed. “OK, Dad. Thanks.”

“How are you girls getting to the mall?”

“Emma’s mom is taking us. She has to do her Christmas shopping.”

Izzy had turned sixteen three months before, and so far, had no interest in getting her driver’s license. Which suited Jessie just fine.

He finished watching the game highlights and turned off his phone. A disappointing end to a disastrous season. There was always next year, except maybe there wasn’t. He’d stopped taking things like next year for granted.

He swallowed the last of his egg and sausage sandwich while Izzy nibbled at a slice of dry toast. The egg and sausage sandwiches had been their Saturday morning thing for as long as he could remember. He’d learned to make them after Nicole died, wanting to keep at least one small thing the same. But last week Izzy informed him she was a vegan now. That wasn’t his hill either.

He carried his plate to the sink and filled it with soapy water, grabbed the scraper and went to work on the fry pan. “I have a drywall job to finish up today. I shouldn’t be much later than six. Do you want me to bring home subs for dinner, or shall we grab something to eat at the festival?”

“Dad, about tonight. Can I tell you something without you making a federal case out of it?”

A federal case. His wife used to say that when she thought he was being unreasonable It’s fine, Jessie. Don’t make a federal case out of it. He didn’t like the way it sounded any better coming from his daughter. He took a moment to compose his face before turning around. 

“What is it?”

“I got invited to the movies.”

A fist squeezed in his chest.

“Who invited you?”

“His name is Lon. And before you ask, you don’t know his family. They just moved here from Brooklyn. Mrs. Murphy made him my study partner in science class. That’s how I know him.”

It was too much information coming at him all at once. A movie date. With a boy he didn’t know. Lon from Brooklyn. Thank you, Mrs. Murphy.

If it looks good to you hop over to my publisher’s book store and snag your copy today! It’s also available for preorder at Amazon.

Hay ride

My church had its annual hay ride on Sunday. It is one of my favorite days of the year. I love riding through our beautiful Ohio countryside. The weather was gorgeous, the sky a stunning shade of blue. I thought I would share a few photos…

Even though the leaves are past their peak there was still a lot of lovely color to be seen.

I love the Amish farms and homesteads.

Lots of traffic for a Sunday

I loved these wind chimes hanging in the maple tree.

A peaceful pond.

There’s something about abandoned buildings that fascinates me.

Hello, Beautiful!

We rode past one farm and these two cute chihuahuas weren’t having it. They chased us for about a half a mile before they finally turned back. Don’t know what they would have done if they’d caught us, lol.

Just a few girls, grazing.

Our chariot!

And that was our day. Thanks for coming along for the ride

Canopy

I have a golden canopy outside my back door. Autumn leaves. One of God’s sweetest gifts…

Tumult

Tumult = confusion and disorder.

There was a murder in our small town last Saturday night. A man shot his wife on a quiet country road. My heart grieves for her, her family, her children.

Two nights later a masked gunman robbed two employees at a gas station as they were leaving work. It’s near my neighborhood, so I sat in my house with the doors locked, as instructed by the Sheriff’s office. And my heart broke a little more.

Yesterday the fire department was out for hours putting out some fires someone had set.

This is not Columbus or Cincinnati. This is a small community, population 6,250, a lovely community.

This morning I walked and prayed. And seeing the beautiful foliage along our quiet streets brought me peace and a sense of order in this chaotic, tumultuous week.

Lord, as the world seems to grow darker, help me to walk in Your light.