Yes, I am back at my home away from home, the Silver Spur Guest Ranch for a visit and it is with great pleasure I present this guest post by returning author, Karen McCullough. So without much further ado.....Here's Karen....
I
have a number of things I treasure – a few pieces of jewelry that were gifts
from my husband or inherited from my mother or mother-in-law, some family
heirlooms, and particularly thoughtful gifts from my kids – but in truth, I
treasure my experiences and memories more than the things I have.
My
most recent Christmas has to take a place near the top of that mental album of
treasured memories. I’ve never had a really bad Christmas, though some have
been better than others. But this one
was a particularly wonderful time because I had all of my family here for it.
That means myself, my husband, three kids, their spouses, and their combined
five children, three of whom are under the age of four. And for the entire time
they were here we had a steady stream of friends and relatives taking advantage
of the opportunity to see them, since the younger two traveled from quite a
distance to get here.
It
was hectic, chaotic at times, and expensive. We made daily and even twice daily
runs to the grocery store. We had to space out morning showers to avoid running
out of hot water. The dishwasher ran three times a day until we wised up and
switched to paper plates and plastic cutlery. By the time they all left, the
house looked like a tornado had gone through.
It
was more than worth every penny and every minute of time spent.
To
hold my grandchildren and see the wonder in their eyes when they stared at the
Christmas tree was a gift beyond any price. Long talks with my kids and their
wonderful spouses, walks to the park and around the neighborhood, dinners crowded
at the table where laughter abounded and conversation was non-stop… Every
moment of their visits offered precious memories.
They’re
all the more treasured because I know it won’t happen again. There will be
other Christmases—God willing—and other visits with the kids. But next year the
families of the younger two will likely go to the in-laws for Christmas, and
we’ll probably have Christmas morning with my older daughter. That will have its own delights, but they
won’t be the same.
And
the younger families are expanding, which will make it more difficult still for
them to travel. In the future we’ll likely go to them rather than having them
come to us.
But
this past Christmas is a treasure worth keeping in my heart.
To
make a connection with my books, my most recent release, Blue December, is
partially set at Christmas, and some of the description of Rick’s family bears
similarities to my own. And the experience of the joy of family is something
most of my protagonists are looking for, whether they know it or not.
It’s
two weeks before Christmas and Meg Brandt, a department manager at Wambash’s,
“the store with the answer to all your family’s needs,” has problems beyond the
usual seasonal chaos. Her department is losing cash from the registers.
Inventory is leaving the premises unrecorded and unpaid. Security is focusing
on her, since the losses are happening on her watch. Her efforts to track down
the source of the disappearances have produced no results, and her career
appears to be headed for oblivion. When the store’s new security officer starts
showing unusual attention to her, Meg isn’t sure what to think. He’s attractive
in any number of ways, but she can’t be sure if his interest is personal or
professional.
Purchase Blue December at Amazon.
Karen
McCullough’s wide-ranging imagination makes her incapable of sticking to one
genre for her storytelling. As a result, she’s the author of more than a dozen
published novels and novellas, which span the mystery, fantasy, paranormal, and
romantic suspense genres. A former computer programmer who made a career change
into being an editor with an international trade publishing company for many
years, she now runs her own web design business to support her writing habit.
Awards she’s won include an Eppie Award for fantasy; three other Eppie finals;
Prism, Dream Realm, Rising Star, Lories, Scarlett Letter, and Vixen Awards, and
an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest. Her short fiction
has appeared in several anthologies and numerous small press publications in
the fantasy, science fiction, and romance genres. She lives in Greensboro, NC,
with her husband of many years.
Website:
http://www.kmccullough.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KarenMcCulloughAuthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/kgmccullough
Hope you enjoyed this week's Tuesday Treasure! Check back for Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!
Until later...take care & God Bless!
PamT
3 comments:
HI Pam -- Thanks for letting me join you here. I appreciate it.
Truly a Christmas to remember. Hope you took lots of photos!
I didn't realize you had that fantastic of a Christmas. I'm sure it was hectic, but to have all of your kids and grandkids there. How neat. I've seen some of the pictures on Facebook. No, that usually can't be pulled off year after year. I'm sure you took lots of pictures. A big event.
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