Lisa R. Howeler's Blog, page 79

Beyond the Season Free on Amazon this week or the blog always

Beyond the Season, the Christmas novella I shared here on the blog for 12 days in December was free this week on Amazon and I meant to share that news here on the blog but got completely distracted. Thursday is the last day for the sale.

A copy of the book can also be downloaded for free here on the blog by clicking on the link, Beyond the Season, at the top of the page, or visiting this Book Funnel link: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/mzgwhaihwq

For a refresher, the novella is part of the Spencer Valley Chronicles.

The description:

Christmas has come to Spencer Valley and Robert and Alex are busy trying to pull of some big surprises for the women they love. If only life didn’t try to keep getting in the way and messing up their plans. Will they be able to finish their Christmas surprises in time and will there be a Christmas proposal for one of the characters from the small town readers have fallen in love with?

Sunday Bookends on Monday: Christmas, books to be read in the new year,

It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, what I and the rest of the family have been reading and watching, and what I’ve been writing, and some weeks I share what I am listening to. This week I am a day late since Christmas was yesterday and I was too busy to finish the post, which I actually started Christmas Eve.

What’s Been Occurring

I rambled more about what happened last week in my blog post on Saturday. I included some photos of the kids playing in the snow we received and also shared about the arctic temps we received. You can find that post HERE.  

Today I will share that I’ve been in a cocoon of Christmas for the last two weeks and I really am not ready to crawl out of it. It’s been nice watching happy movies and reading fluffy Christmas books.

Yesterday, we visited my parents for Christmas. I only received a couple of gifts this year and that’s the way I wanted it because I was more excited for the children to receive gifts. I was especially excited because my son was receiving a bass guitar, which he’s been wanting to learn for a while now. I wanted to go back to bed after Little Miss woke us up early but I was too excited to see how The Boy would react to the gift, which we had stored at my parents.

I wasn’t sure he’d want me to share the video I recorded here on the blog, so I won’t, but his grin was huge. He was so excited to get home and try it out, but finally went upstairs at my parents’ and tried it, even without the amp. When we arrived home, he went straight upstairs and started practicing.

My dad joked that our neighbors won’t bring us Christmas cookies anymore because we gave The Boy this loud instrument. For now, though, the windows will be closed since it is so cold, so the guitar shouldn’t bother them.

The Husband did buy me the five-DVD set of the original Anne of Green Gables series by Sullivan Entertainment (the Canadian produced one from the 80s) but it hasn’t arrived yet. I am very excited to start watching it when it does since that movie series was part of my childhood.

What I/we’ve been Reading

This past weekend I finished Shepherd’s Abiding by Jan Karon.

It reminded me I really like Jan Karon books but I also get a little annoyed by how she writes them in short bursts of information with tons of section breaks and quite a few points of view changes that sometimes make my head spin. I still enjoy the overall message of them, however, and will continue to read them as comfort reading.

Last week I started The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham and am listening to it on Audible, which we have at a reduced monthly rate as part of a special deal, for four months. I am enjoying it so far. I’m only on Chapter 4 because every time I try to listen to it, I get interrupted or fall asleep (if I try to listen at night).

Quite frankly, I am overwhelmed with book choices right now. I truly feel like I have some form of ADHD because I can’t focus on one book at a time.

I am reading a book called A Mark of Grace by Kimberly Woodhouse right now because it releases next Tuesday (January 3).

I also got back into Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery, but then a Bookstagrammer I follow on Instagram invited readers to join her in reading The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery so I may try to tackle that this week instead. We will see how far I get. She actually suggested readers read it in a weekend. A weekend?! I’ve never read a book in a weekend.

I’m such a slow reader. My brain seems to dart away to other things I need to do. For example, I have blog posts to share or write and social media pages to maintain and homeschool lessons to plan and … blah, blah, blah.

This week I plan to listen to the chapters I assigned The Boy in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn last week for school. I’ll probably do that as soon as I finish this post.

In the new year, I have a whole list of books I hope to tackle, but I’ll ramble about that another day.

The Boy is not reading anything this week that I know of. He’s simply enjoying talking with friends online, making plans to meet them in person, and practicing on his new guitar.

Little Miss and I are reading Paddington At Large at night still and have taken a break on our book for school but may pick it up again this week.

The Husband is reading Game On by Janet Evanovich.

What We watched/are Watching

I watched quite a few movies last week, a few of them with family.

Two we finished up when we were interrupted watching them the week before. One of those was A Christmas Story Christmas, which was a sequel to a Christmas story. It had a slow start but got much better as it went on and we enjoyed it.

I also watched It Happened on Fifth Avenue, which I stumbled on on HBO Max (via our Roku) and The Husband said he had watched it before when he used to work a night shift as a switchboard operator at the local hospital.

It was very good. If you are interested here is the plot:

On Christmas, The Husband started Miracle on 34th Street at our house and then we finished it later in the day at my parents.

We also watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas at my parents at my dad’s request, even though I had watched it earlier in the week.

On my own, I watched A Walton’s Christmas, which was actually the pilot for the television show. It was a very, very melodramatic and a bit over the top, much like the show could be at times, but still sweet. I don’t know if I’d necessarily watch it again.

I also watched A Little House on the Prairie Christmas special from season eight, which Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs recommended for me and I really enjoyed it. It was very wholesome and heartwarming. Each adult character shared a Christmas memory and Laura’s memory of Mr. Edwards bringing gifts to her family one Christmas when there was a blizzard was my favorite because it is a story that Laura shared in one of her books, which, if you remember, I read a couple of times to Little Miss last year.

On Christmas Eve we watched The Rankin/Bass claymation/animated special Santa Claus is Coming to Town (the one with Mickey Rooney and Fred Astaire) and then really got into the Christmas spirit by watching…. Top Gun Maverick.

What I’m Writing

I am writing nothing right now. Is that proper English. No, probably not, but I’ll roll with it.

I’m on a bit of a fiction writing hiatus after finishing up my Christmas novella, Beyond the Season (which incidentally is free on Amazon this week and via the link at the top of the page). Shores of Mercy is with advanced readers and my editor so I’ll be making corrections on that before long.

On the blog this week I shared:

The TussleSaturday Afternoon Tea and a Chat: Merry Christmas EveBeyond the Season Available for DownloadGet in the spirit of Christmas: Five Christmas Music Specials, Five Christmas Songs, and Three Christmas-themed programs to help you do just that.‘Book review, recommendation: Abiding in Him: A Life Together in Ministry by Bettie and Barry Gilbert

What I’m Listening To

Last week I listened to a ton of Christmas music. I am not currently listening to any specific music this week. I am, however, listening to audio versions of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Mistletoe Countess this week.

Blog Posts I Enjoyed This Past Week

I hope to share some of my favorite blog posts on this post each week. I’ve been saving posts to share for months but haven’t actually sat down and put them together in one post so I thought I’d share at least a few here today.

Mama’s Empty Nest: Catch A Falling StarFuel for the Race – What Child Is This?Jenny Knipfer, author — Drink And Be Satisifed. A Prayer and A Vision

Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to, or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.

The Tussle

By Ronald Robinson (my dad), December 2022

One morning on the family farm in 1927 a tussle broke out between a 16-year-old and his 25-year-old uncle. The reason I do not know but, by the account of the nephew after the tussle his uncle threw a dung (manure) fork at him. A few of you may know what a dung (manure) fork is. At that point, I assume it got more serious The nephew again overpowered his uncle and dragged him through the cow drop, and left him there. Some of you also know what a cow drop is.
That was the lad’s last day at his home. The next day in New Albany he was waiting for the freight train. A gentleman from another farm approached him, “Where do you think you are going? ” In that day trains were linked nationwide even from New Albany. The lad answered “New York City”. The elder farmer said, “You come with me.”

At his farm, he put the young man, for the first time behind a team of horses with a sod till plow and instructed him, “You fix your eyes on a mark on the other side of this field and do not look back” Side note: There are times to look back but, not until the field is plowed. This man and his wife gave the lad a home and provided an upstairs bedroom that had a candle in it for light. The need to be frugal was the time so when he retired for the evening the misses would give him two matches to light the candle. That young man later attended Wilkes barre Business School. After many years of driving truck, he and his wife, a Wilkes-barre Business School graduate became successful benevolent business owners.

When I was a young child, each year after Christmas at New Years’ time I accompanied my parents to my uncle’s and aunt’s home, at the same farm and a meal was prepared. Hominy was always served because the nephew liked it. Me, I did not like it at all. That was by the way, where I saw a television for the first time. The screen was round, slightly larger than a dinner plate, and the images that evening could not be made out. Even after I was married, Carolyn and I were invited to that Hominy meal one time. I do not know when it happened or if the healing process was gradual. but, reconciliation had taken place.

If this year I find some Hominy I will savor it.

Of course, that lad was my Dad.
Bitterness and unforgiveness destroy lives.
Christmas time is a good reconciliation time. Reconciliation is possible when Jesus reigns.
“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end”. Sometimes we do not see His reign, Why? Who is the house of Jacob? Jesus reigns where He is welcome, where there is room for Him to reign.

When there was no room in that inn years ago, Jesus as a baby reigned from that stable. He now reigns in the hearts and affairs of of men when we allow Him, when we make room. Amazing that the ruler of the universes came down from His Glory and knocks on the door of our heart. May we make room, room for the king of Kings to reign in our heart and help us reconcile with others as Father Reconciles us to Himself when we accept Jesus.

RGR, December 2022

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”

The Tussel

By Ronald Robinson (my dad), December 2022

One morning on the family farm in 1927 a tussle broke out between a 16-year-old and his 25-year-old uncle. The reason I do not know but, by the account of the nephew after the tussle his uncle threw a dung (manure) fork at him. A few of you may know what a dung (manure) fork is. At that point, I assume it got more serious The nephew again overpowered his uncle and dragged him through the cow drop, and left him there. Some of you also know what a cow drop is.
That was the lad’s last day at his home. The next day in New Albany he was waiting for the freight train. A gentleman from another farm approached him, “Where do you think you are going? ” In that day trains were linked nationwide even from New Albany. The lad answered “New York City”. The elder farmer said, “You come with me.”

At his farm, he put the young man, for the first time behind a team of horses with a sod till plow and instructed him, “You fix your eyes on a mark on the other side of this field and do not look back” Side note: There are times to look back but, not until the field is plowed. This man and his wife gave the lad a home and provided an upstairs bedroom that had a candle in it for light. The need to be frugal was the time so when he retired for the evening the misses would give him two matches to light the candle. That young man later attended Wilkes barre Business School. After many years of driving truck, he and his wife, a Wilkes-barre Business School graduate became successful benevolent business owners.

When I was a young child, each year after Christmas at New Years’ time I accompanied my parents to my uncle’s and aunt’s home, at the same farm and a meal was prepared. Hominy was always served because the nephew liked it. Me, I did not like it at all. That was by the way, where I saw a television for the first time. The screen was round, slightly larger than a dinner plate, and the images that evening could not be made out. Even after I was married, Carolyn and I were invited to that Hominy meal one time. I do not know when it happened or if the healing process was gradual. but, reconciliation had taken place.

If this year I find some Hominy I will savor it.

Of course, that lad was my Dad.
Bitterness and unforgiveness destroy lives.
Christmas time is a good reconciliation time. Reconciliation is possible when Jesus reigns.
“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end”. Sometimes we do not see His reign, Why? Who is the house of Jacob? Jesus reigns where He is welcome, where there is room for Him to reign.

When there was no room in that inn years ago, Jesus as a baby reigned from that stable. He now reigns in the hearts and affairs of of men when we allow Him, when we make room. Amazing that the ruler of the universes came down from His Glory and knocks on the door of our heart. May we make room, room for the king of Kings to reign in our heart and help us reconcile with others as Father Reconciles us to Himself when we accept Jesus.

RGR, December 2022

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”

Saturday Afternoon Tea and a Chat: Merry Christmas Eve

Ready for a cup of tea or cocoa? I think most of us need it considering how cold it’s gotten out there in almost every single state of our country.

It seems crazy to me that it is already Christmas Eve, but here we are and for us arctic temperatures have settled on us. Temperatures this cold scare me, I’m not going to lie. What was really crazy was yesterday when we watched the temperature drop from 46 degrees to negative three in less than ten hours. Last night it was negative five (Fahrenheit).

Thankfully our wood stove has been repaired and if we were to lose power in the next couple of days, we’ll at least have the wood stove to keep us warm.

On Thursday we were hit with snow and the youngest was excited to go out and play in it. The pets enjoyed it for a while but eventually decided they’d had enough too. Now, though, the cats are pacing inside by the back door because they think they want to go outside. We are refusing to let them go, of course, because I don’t want to pry their poor frozen bodies off the back porch. They have been chasing each other today to get out the energy — wait, I should say the oldest has been smacking the youngest because she is mean but it looks like play — but later the youngest (Scout) will fall over in front of the wood stove and we will have to check if she is breathing after a few hours.

By that night, rain had moved in and the temperatures rose but the snow still remained by Friday morning when the temperatures started dropping.

As I’m writing this we are at negative three and are supposed to get to at least negative four. (It actually dropped to negative five). I know that’s nothing compared to the folks in Alaska and parts of Canada and we are fine with that. These temperatures are not something we are used to or adjust to well.

The high on Christmas Eve is supposed to be 10 and the high on Christmas Day might be 19.

By next weekend we are supposed to be in the 50s again, which will be odd and bring on a lot of illness probably.

(How’s your drink? Need a warmup? An extra cookie? Take an extra cookie. We have a lot, which is unusual for us, even in pretend world.)

This week was very uneventful, other than the fact Little Miss had severe pain in one of her teeth and was up all night Monday and then in pain again on Tuesday. We thought we might need to get an emergency dentist appointment but then discovered a spot on her gum behind her tooth on the bottom that made it look like she might have cut her gum somehow. We still aren’t sure what happened but by Wednesday the pain was gone and she’s been fine since.

We have a dentist appointment in late January to see if we can get some issues with her teeth taken care of. Those issues, from what we have been told in the past are caused by an enamel deficiency.

With her tooth issues behind her, she is looking forward to Christmas and a week off from school. Both kids and even mom are looking forward to that break. It will help all three of us regroup and get ready for a new year of learning come January 2.

Between the tooth issue and the cold weather, Little Miss and I didn’t get out of the house much so we took some time to make no-bake cookies and chocolate-covered pretzel sticks for our neighbors. The neighbors closest to us, send over a huge pan of homemade cookies every year and Little Miss wanted to send them a treat back. We could never top what they send, of course. My neighbor and her daughter spend two days baking all kinds of cookies and then giving them away to family, friends, and neighbors.

We did purchase a gift basket for them this year, to try to show them how thankful we are for them being our neighbors and for the cookies they always provide.

I had considered buying cookies from a popular bakery near us and pretending I made them all but, in the end, I really couldn’t do it.

(I might have one of those cookies with my tea now, come to think of it.)

As I write this, we are watching Top Gun Maverick instead of Christmas movies but did watch one of the old 60s Santa Claus claymation movies earlier in the evening.

Today we were going to go to my parents to make homemade pizza, but we decided to stay out of the frigid temps and instead just brave them one day this weekend.

Tomorrow we will have to brave them to spend Christmas with my parents, however. It will be worth it and we are all looking forward to it, though we are disappointed that my brother and his wife have decided they won’t be able to attend.

So, how is the weather where you are? Freezing cold still? Ready for Christmas tomorrow? Or maybe just ready for some downtime? Let me know in the comments and if I don’t talk to you before then, have a Merry Christmas!

Beyond the Season Available for Download

The BookFunnel link to Beyond the Season, my Christmas novella, is available for download for free for blog readers and you can find it HERE.

The book will be on Kindle Unlimited next week and can also be purchased for 99 cents there.

If you want to read the book chapter by chapter here on the blog you can go HERE.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and thanks for reading along!

Get in the spirit of Christmas: Five Christmas Music Specials, Five Christmas Songs, and Three Christmas-themed programs to help you do just that.

Some years we are either too busy, too nerved up, or too down to really feel the Christmas spirit. If you need a little help this year, for whatever, reason, here are some ideas to give you a brief time of peace or joy as we remember the true gift of Christmas, our savior Jesus Christ.  

Five Christmas Music Specials

1. Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith

2. A Story of the First Christmas with The Chosen (includes the short film, The Shepherd)

https://youtu.be/T5ftnTK9-3w

3. Michael W. Smith and Friends

4. Christmas on Broadway with CeCe Winans

5. Gaither Christmas Sing-A-Long

Five Christmas Songs

Mary Did You Know (Jordan Smith version)O Come O Come Emmanuel with For King and Country and NeedtobreatheO Holy Night by David Phelps (the only version you ever need to hear)

https://youtu.be/ElJ0fiD0lkcIt’s Beginning to Look A Like Christmas by Michael BubleAmy Grant, Breath of Heaven

Three-Christmas Themed Programs (or old specials)

1. A Walton’s Christmas

2. A Garfield Christmas

3. The Berenstain Bears Christmas

Bonus: one movie

The Bishop’s Wife. This is a heartwarming tale of a Anglican Bishop who has become so obsessed building a Cathedral that he has lost sight of what is really important in life, including his wife and daughter. Enter Cary Grant, playing an angel, who wants to get the bishop back on track again before he loses everything.

‘Book review, recommendation: Abiding in Him: A Life Together in Ministry by Bettie and Barry Gilbert

When you deal with chronic illness, it isn’t easy to always stay upbeat or hopeful.

You feel as if God can not use you because you struggle to even leave your house, let alone go out into the world and preach the gospel.

Bettie Gilbert and her husband Barry learned over the years that not even chronic illness, various attacks on their joy, and heartache could stop God from using them to further his kingdom.

That’s the story that is written in Bettie and Barry’s new book Abiding in Him: A Life Together in Ministry.

This beautiful book which can also be used as a devotional was written in the past year by Bettie and Barry and is published by Chronic Joy, a wonderful organization that Bettie is a part of. The organization helps support those who struggle with chronic illnesses.

The book is full of inspiring stories, poems, Bible verses, and reflective questions to help bring you through your own trials, questions, and journey, whether you are in ministry or not. Each chapter ends with a beautiful prayer and three questions to help you focus on your own life.

This is a book for those of you in ministry, yes, but for any of us who face trials no matter what we do in life.

This is a book full of hope in a hurting world, a reminder though how God worked through Bettie and Barry’s life that he can and will do the same for us — maybe not in the way we want or expect but in a way that we need and will, many times, blow us away.

You can learn more about Bettie and Barry’s beautiful book on the Chronic Joy webpage. (https://chronic-joy.org/abiding-in-him/) or you can order it right from Amazon.

Just a closing, thought, Bettie Gilbert’s writing changed the way I think about chronic illness, especially the one I deal with. Her writing reminded me that we are called to worship God in all things, even the hard things. She made me think about how for those of us with a chronic illness will rejoice that much more in heaven because we will know what it is to not have full health on earth and then realize it in our heavenly bodies.

Thank you, Bettie, for your inspiration, your words, and your faithfulness.

To read Bettie’s past words about her journey through ministry and life check out her archived posts on her blog (as she’s currently in retirement from blogging).

‘Tis the Season Cinema: Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas and Charlie Brown’s Christmas

To close out our ‘Tis The Season Cinema feature, Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs and I watched Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas and Charlie Brown Christmas this week. Blogger Katja from Breath of Hallelujah joined in as well.

Both films are aimed at children but carry inspirational messages for all ages.

I don’t know how I had never heard of the Emmett Otter movie until Erin mentioned it, but I hadn’t.  It is shocking considering – gulp – how old I am and it was released in 197…er..something. The year I was born. Anyhoooo…

The movie is a Jim Henson creation and is about Emmett Otter and his mom who are living alone after the passing of Emmett’s father. They both decide to enter a music contest where they could win $50, hoping they can win and buy each other store-bought gifts. Neither of them knows that the other one has decided to enter.

The story is a twist on the story The Gift of the Magi and in the end, sacrifices have to be made to be sure they can get their loved one the gift they want.

The movie began as a stage adaption by Henson and was later transformed into the film to be shown on CBS.

The puppetry is cute, like all of Henson’s movies, and the songs are sweet and full of warmth. I’d listen to them on a soundtrack even without the movie.

The love between Emmett and his mom is so tender and wholesome. Plus the puppets are so cute I want to reach through the screen and cuddle them.

Henson’s version is based on a story written and illustrated by Russell and Lillian Hoban, creators of Bread and Jam for Frances and other treasured children’s books, in 1971.

The film featured Muppets characters but also Hoban’s characters. The main Muppets character showcased in the film is Kermit.

If you want to watch the movie you can find it for free on YouTube or streaming on Amazon and Peacock.

I’m glad Erin told me about it and I’m sure it will be one we will watch again in other years.

Charlie Brown’s Christmas is one we try to watch each Christmas.

The songs sung during the show transport me back to a simpler time in a similar way to I’m sure how the songs on Emmett Otter transport Erin back to a simpler time for her.

In the beginning, Charlie laments with his friend Linus that he doesn’t feel like he thinks he should feel for Christmas. In fact, he feels depressed. If you ask me, Charlie has put on himself the same pressure we put on ourselves to be happy at Christmas by participating in all the activities, sending the cards, and buying the gifts, but not really realizing that Christmas is much more than all of those things.

As Charlies discovers, Christmas is about being together with family and recognizing the ultimate gift of the season — hope found in the birth of Christ.

The main plot of the movie is that Charlie feels detached from Christmas emotionally and to make him feel more involved, Lucy tells him he can direct their (school, church, community? I don’t know which) school play. Charlie decides to take the job seriously and gets very into it. Lucy gets into it as well, yelling at the cast to respect their director, as well as threatening them with bodily harm.  

I always forget certain lines in the movie, including the one that Lucy says about not eating December snowflakes because the ones in January taste better. I may totally test that theory out.

The scene that people who have seen the special remember the most is when Linus gives a speech about what Christmas is really about by reciting from Luke 2:8-14. This comes after Charlie declares that getting more involved in Christmas activities has still left him depressed and he calls out, “Does anyone really know what Christmas is about?”

I love that this was part of the film and that when it first aired on television in 1965 it was something television stations didn’t even blink at showing. The Christian message of Christmas was still very much a part of society at that time.

Producers, however, tried to talk Peanut’s creator and illustrator Charles M. Schulz out of keeping in the part with Linus reciting from Luke. Schulze, according to Amazon’s trivia section on the film, refused by saying “If we don’t, who will?” The recitation was praised as one of the most impactful moments in that special and any animated episode. In the original comic strip that featured the story, Linus was actually stressed out about having to learn and give the recitation.

As a little bit of additional trivia, the producers of the show were convinced the show would be a flop and were surprised when it was well received by viewers.

The special remains the second-longest-running Christmas special on US Network Television behind Rudolph the Reindeer.

Incidentally, every time I watch a Peanuts movie I try to figure out who I relate to most and I think I relate to more than one character. I relate to Linus because I had a blanket as a kid too (my mom eventually sewed it into a pillow when there was barely anything of it left). I also relate to Charlie, though, because he’s always melancholy and searching for happiness. I may have a bit of Lucy in me as well because I’m also a bit bossy and trying to fix everything or make sure it goes my way. Luckily not as aggressive as she does it, though.

As usual, I feel bad for poor Charlie Brown, who everyone always makes fun of, or rejects, but, of course, in the end, the real message for Charlie is finding out what Christmas is really about. His friends and classmates also rally around him in the end by decorating the little tree he found and making it a real Christmas tree while singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing with him.

These two Christmas specials were a nice, wholesome, and heartfelt ending to our Christmas movie feature. I hope all of our readers found a movie you weren’t as familiar with and either found time to watch one with your family or will find time in the next few days and into next week.

To read Erin’s impressions of these Christmas specials you can read her post on her blog. To read Katja’s you can visit her blog.

A Christmas in Spencer Valley: Beyond the Season Chapter 12

Here we are on the final chapter of our Christmas story! That means we are almost to Christmas! So exciting. Let me know in the comments what you thought of the story.

The story was shared with minimal editing, just for fun, but it will be fully edited once it is complete.

You can catch up on chapters HERE.

If you would like to read more about the characters in this story, you can find full-length novels on Amazon for purchase or on Kindle Unlimited HERE,

The first three chapters of the first book, The Farmer’s Daughter, can be found HERE.

Once all the chapters have been shared here, I’ll be providing a free Book Funnel link to blog readers and placing the story on Amazon for 99 cents.

Chapter 12

The house smelled of frying bacon, brewing coffee, pancakes, and if he wasn’t mistaken, grits, something his family ate only on special occasions. It was a dish passed down my his mother’s Southern relatives.

Robert had talked Molly and Ellie into keeping Annie in the kitchen while he and Jason worked on installing the swing.

Hannah had brought Franny over and Walt and Marcia were on their way. Leon and Eleanor were driving from town.

A surge of energy rushed through Robert as they put the final touches on the swing. He stepped back when they were done and took a deep breath. Morning sunlight glistened off the silver of the new chain and the white surface of the swing seat.

Jason hung an arm loosely on his shoulder. “She’s going to love it, Dad. You did a beautiful job. Shall we go get some breakfast before we bring her out?”

Robert nodded. “Definitely. We need to get your grandmas here first. They’ll see it on the way in, so grab them if you can and tell them it’s a secret.”

“Will do.” Jason opened the front door. “But let’s see if we can help the women get the food done faster so we can eat.”

Neither of them was much help as they both picked at pieces of bacon but finally the table was set and everyone had arrived to gather for breakfast around the dining room table, which Robert had extended to fit them all.

Robert asked them all to take each other’s hands and they bowed their heads and thanked God for their time together, for his son, and Robert especially thanked God that he was still alive to be with his family.

“Amen,” Franny echoed as he finished the prayer. “That goes for me too.”

Everyone laughed and began to eat.

Nervous energy buzzed through Robert as breakfast began to wind down.

He took a deep breath. “Everyone, can I have your attention? I need to ask Annie to come outside with me for a few moments before we begin opening gifts.”

Walt chuckled. “Rob, can’t you wait to make out with your wife until later?”

Robert shook his head, a faint smile playing across his lips as he stood from the table and held his hand out to Annie. “No, sorry. I can’t.”

Annie gasped and playfully slapped his hand. “Robert Tanner! You stop. Now what’s going on?”

Robert gestured for the rest of the family to go out ahead of him and once they were on the porch and in the yard, he walked Annie onto the porch, hoping she wouldn’t peak through the front window. The gasp that slipped from her when she stepped through the door and saw the swing sent relief flooding through him.

“Oh my goodness! Is that our swing?” She placed a hand over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. Everyone in the family cheered and held up their phones to record the moment, something Robert still wasn’t used to. When she was able to speak again, her voice cracked with emotion. “This is beautiful. Did you do all of this?”

Robert gestured into the yard. “I refurbished it, but Brad helped get the parts, Jason helped with the painting and hanging it up and the rest of the family helped keep the secret when they saw it on their way in.”

Annie wiped tears away as she wrapped her arms around Robert’s neck and kissed him.

“Should Jase and I grab your gift, Annie?” Alex asked from where he was standing next to Molly on the porch.

Robert pulled back from the embrace, confusion etched on his face. “What’s all this?”

Annie smiled. “You weren’t the only one keeping a secret.”

Jason and Alex lifted a dark stained bench down from the back of Jason’s truck a few minutes later and carried it to the porch, placing it on the side opposite the swing.

Robert’s chest tightened as Annie’s hand slid down to his. She laughed. “Looks like we both had ideas for somewhere we can sit on the porch. When we get tired of swinging, we can sit on the bench.”

Robert walked to the bench, fingering the back of it. His throat thickened with emotion. “Is that –” His voice caught. “One of the pews that Dad made?”

Annie nodded. “Yes. Walt helped me refurbish it.”

A tear slipped down Robert’s cheek. “Thank you, honey.” He looked at his brother, while pulling Annie against him. “Thank you, Walt. This is beautiful.”

He sat down on the bench and took a deep breath, looking out at his family bundled up in winter coats, smiling back at him. Gratitude consumed him.

 After a few moments of watching them laugh and joke with each other he stood again. “If everyone wants to wait out here just a few more moments, I think Alex has a special gift he’d like to show Molly.”

The family all turned to Alex expectedly and Robert tried not to chuckle as pink flushed across the young man’s cheeks. It was clear what the family expected the gift to be, and Robert had a feeling they might be disappointed, but also delighted at what it really was.

“Take it away, Alex,” he said. “It’s your turn.”

***

“Close your eyes!”

Alex listened to Jason’s playful admonishment as he walked to Ned’s truck, parked behind the barn.   When he pulled the truck up in front of the house Jason had both of his hands over Molly’s eyes while they both laughed.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Jason taunted through a laugh.

“Okay, you can uncover them,” Alex said as he exited the truck and slammed the door behind him.

“Now?” Jason grinned while Molly tried to pull his hands away. “Are you sure?”

Molly clawed at Jason’s hands for a moment, then licked her palm and reached up to drag it across his cheek.

Jason removed his hands, jumping back, and rubbed at his cheek. “Ah man! You’re gross! What’s wrong with you?”

Molly’s laughter faded as her gaze fell on the truck. Her eyes moved slowly, taking it all in and then she drew in a ragged breath. Alex’s chest tightened when her expression crumpled, and the tears began to flow. He’d known she’d be emotional but had no idea the emotion would sweep over her so completely.

A collective “aw” went up from the women in the family. Alex hesitated then stepped closer cautiously. “Are you – is it, okay?”

She clutched at his shoulders and leaned into him, sobbing against his shirt. “Oh Alex, it’s beautiful. I can’t believe you did this.”

He slid his arms around her, choked up himself now. “Bert and I did. Jason helped too. And Brad drove three hours to get us the last part we needed.”

Looking on the porch and in the yard, he saw tears in the eyes of most of Molly’s family members, especially Franny and Robert. Bert gave him a thumbs up sign and Jason pointed a finger gun at him and pretended to fire.

“Do we seriously have to go back in the house and try to follow these show offs?” Walt asked loudly, bringing a round of laughter from the group. “I don’t think anything will top these gifts.”

As if on cue, the sound of sleighbells filled the air, and everyone turned toward the road. Alex shook his head and laughed as he watched Matt leading a horse-drawn sleigh across the freshly fallen snow, Liz sitting next to him in the seat.

The tension that had built up in Alex’s muscles released as he kept an arm around Molly while they watched the sleigh stop in front of the house. Sunlight glistened off the red paint and the silver of the runners on the bottom.

Matt pulled the reigns back quickly as the sleigh slowed. “Whoa!”

He grinned as he looked out at the crowd gathered in front of the house. “Hello, Tanners. I didn’t know we’d have a welcoming committee.” He winked at Alex. “Looks like you weren’t the only one with a big Christmas surprise.”

He stepped out of the sleigh and held a hand out to help Liz step down. Her dark hair had spread across her shoulders, flowing from a blue knitted cap.

Alex looked at the sleigh in awe. He ran his hand over the smooth curve of wood along the back of it. “This is the one your dad started, right?”

Matt looked at the sleigh proudly. “Yep. This is it. I finally decided to finish it, like Dad would have wanted.” He slid an arm around Liz’s shoulder. “Liz was very surprised when I told her we were going for a ride in something special.”

Alex watched as Matt quickly stepped away from Liz, turned toward her, and dropped to one knee, pulling a small box from his coat pocket. “I think this might surprise her even more, though.”

Liz and Molly gasped at the same time.

The next few minutes were a blur of activity. Liz crying and saying, ‘yes’, hugging Matt, them kissing, Molly hugging Liz, Annie hugging Liz, Robert shaking Matt’s hand, Alex shaking Matt’s hand, Jason shaking Matt’s hand  . . .Around they went.

After a few moments of congratulations, Matt said he should get the horses out of the cold and Robert offered the barn and invited him and Liz inside. The rest of the family turned to go back in the house, Liz talking to Ellie, showing her the ring.

Alex realized he had almost been holding his breath in all the excitement.

Molly leaned close to him as Matt began to unhook the horses. “I have to tell you, I was afraid you were going to do something like that today. I would have been so embarrassed.” She laughed softly, whispering. “Plus, proposals on Christmas day are so cliché, right? I’m thrilled for Liz, though.”

He hooked an arm around her waist. “Then I’m glad I didn’t have that in my bag of surprises today.” He kissed the top of her head. “Hey, I’m going to help Matt with the horses. I need to find out where he got them.”

She smiled. “See you inside then. I want to go get a look at that ring.”

Alex reached in his coat pocket for the gloves he’d been trying to wear more regularly now, knowing he’d need them to help Matt. When he yanked one out of his right pocket, a box tumbled out with it, clanking against the ice on the ground.

Panic surged through him, and he stooped quickly in case Molly turned around to see what the noise had been. While stooping, though, pain ripped through his lower back and left him down on one knee, cold seeping through his jeans. His foot slipped forward, kicking the box and sending it skittering across the ice, into Molly’s path.

It seemed like an eternity before she paused and looked at it, then bent and picked it up. She turned slowly. “Oh, Matt, I think you dropped your –”

Alex watched her gaze fall to him kneeling in front of her, color draining from her face. She took a step back, her lips parting slightly. “What are you – are you –?”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Robert, Matt, and Jason stop what they were doing and turn to look at him. His heart raced and he couldn’t feel his hands.

“Oh, Alex. I – I – I didn’t mean – I shouldn’t have said what I said about –”

He held up his hands. “Wait. Let me explain. It’s my back. It’s locked up. That box just fell out of my pocket, and I tried to get it but accidentally kicked it with my foot and now I’m stuck down here and . . .”

He couldn’t read Molly’s expression for a moment, but he thought he saw a flicker of disappointment before a smile replaced her shock. She laughed and reached out her hands. “Oh. I see. Let me help you up.” He stood slowly with a grimace, and she handed him the box. “I jumped the gun there. I’m so embarrassed. Here’s your box.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “Whatever it is. Anyhow, I’m so embarrassed. Really.”

As she turned to walk back into the house, a brilliant blaze of memories flicked across his mind at warp speed, all the moments between them rushing at him in a visual cacophony.

He stopped her, grabbing her wrist. “Molly, wait.”

Looking in her beautiful green eyes, he suddenly wanted to see the ring on her finger. The ring Franny had given him earlier that day.

The ring Ned had placed on Franny’s finger all those years ago. The ring Franny had told Alex two weeks ago she’d held on to for him, in case he decided he wanted to propose to Molly someday.

It wasn’t that he felt pressured to propose. Suddenly he wanted to propose. More than anything he’d wanted before. He wanted this ring on her finger and to soon have her arm looped through his as they walked down the aisle into a future they would experience together.

The memory of a dream he’d had years ago came flooding into his mind – a dream where he and Molly were outside Franny’s farmhouse, with children playing in the front yard on a swing set, and a baby on Molly’s hip.

He tried to speak but no sound came.

“Alex?” Molly reached up and touched his cheek. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” he blurted. “I don’t know if you’re ready, but I know I love you and that I can’t see spending the rest of my life with anyone else. Honestly, this scares me out of my mind.” He shook his head and laughed, tears pricking his eyes as he opened the box with shaky hands. “This isn’t a very good proposal, I know, but it’s all I’ve got.”

Molly laughed through the tears, holding out her hand and letting him slip on the ring. “I’ll take what you’ve got, Alex Stone. Any day and any season.”

***

The creek of the swing and the tap of his foot on the porch floor broke the silence of the night. Robert and Annie’s breath sparkled in front of them, intermingled and dissipated again. In front of them, in the yard, snowflakes dotted the air, falling on snow that had already fallen in the days before.

He took a sip from the mug of cocoa in his hand and pulled his wife against him.

“The day worked out okay, didn’t it?”

She nodded and yawned. “It did.”

“Alex is going to be an official member of the family soon, it looks like.”

“It does.”

“Life is good Annie Tanner.”

“Life is good Robert Tanner.”

He clinked his mug against the one in her mitten-covered hands. “Here is to a new season of life. May it bring us much joy as this one has.”