Thankful for Readers by Eileen O'Finlan

 

                                
          

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Here in the United States, Thanksgiving falls in November. As the day of feasting approaches, thoughts turn to the many things for which we are grateful.

I have much to be thankful for - family, friends, home, my cats, my writing group, a good job, lots of books to read, and time to write - to name a few. But I recently received something in the mail that reminded me of another thing for which I am deeply grateful - my readers.

One of my cousins told a friend about my debut book Kelegeen and its sequel, Erin's Children. His friend read the books and told him how much she loved them. So, my cousin asked me if I would send her a signed copy of each of them. I was happy to do so. 

It was a pleasant surprise when not much later, I found an envelope in my mailbox with a return address that seemed familiar though I couldn't place it. Upon opening it, I found a lovely card with a drawing of a seaside cottage upon a cliff reminiscent of the Irish landscape.

I took a moment to admire it before opening the card. What I found on the inside was a delightful surprise. For this reader to take the time and effort to create something so personal and lovely touched my heart.

To all of my readers, please know that I truly appreciate and am thankful for every one of you!

Having a Home Library by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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A few years ago I converted one of the rooms in my house to a home library. It's something I've always wanted. The table in the center of the room gets good use when I'm doing research for a novel I want to write. It's helpful to spread out books, maps, documents and notebooks. Having shelves of history books is also handy as I often have a book or two (or more) on the subject I'm researching.

Recently, while looking around my library, I realized that I have a multitude of books I've yet to read. There is no question that I acquire books much faster than I can read them. I'm fine with that. I probably couldn't stop if I wanted to. And while I do enjoy gazing at my shelves full of books, I don't buy them for looks. I buy them because I actually want to read them. Many of the books on my shelves have been in my possession for years and have yet to be read - a disservice to both their authors and to myself. So, I've decided to do something about it.

It is not a lack of interest that prevents me from reading them. It's a lack of time. I still work a full-time job, teach online courses for the University of Dayton anywhere from once to three times a year, run a household on my own, and, of course, research and write novels and still attempt to have a life outside of work and home. 

I also spend as much time reading as possible. I am never not in the middle of a book, usually several books. For example, at the time of my writing this, I am reading one book and listening to another audiobook on my Kindle. I bring a book to work with me so I can read on my lunch break. There is another book I keep in my bedroom to read before going to sleep. Add to those any books I'm reading for research and any other books I'm reading for unexpected circumstances (like the one I'm currently reading on clicker training cats in an attempt to keep one of my cats from strolling across my kitchen counters and stovetop.) Books are my life. Well, books, cats, and writing to be exact. They top the list of things that bring me joy. 

Also on that list is learning. I love to learn about almost anything. If I could be a professional student, I would. While I enjoy various methods of learning, reading is undoubtedly my favorite. This is reflected in the variety of books I own on many subjects. What a shame to have them and never find the time to read them.

I decided to do something about that. I am now mindfully carving out time to snuggle into the rocking chair in my library and start reading my way through my book collection. Since history is my greatest love, I've begun with the bookcase that holds my books on American history. I am more than halfway through Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick. This bookcase will take me through the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the American Revolution and into the American Civil War. 

Other bookcases include biographies, early-mid 20th century history, books on art, music, and photography, theology and eco-theology, women's history, European and Non-Western history, folklore, material culture, poetry, classics of literature, crafts, gardening, and, of course, plenty of novels.

  

One of the best things about the time I spend reading in my library is that I am almost always accompanied by one or both of my cats. 

So, books and cats, my two favorites. What more could I ask?

 

    Zach in the window                              Josette on my lap

Surviving a New England Winter by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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Every time I send my sister in Florida a picture of the snowfall I just woke up to, she always texts me back about how pretty it is. She's right. A fresh  snowfall in New England is lovely as I'm sure it is anywhere. Waking up to look out at a blanket of sparkling white is awe-inducing. That is, until you have to shovel it. As of this writing, I have spent the past several mornings removing several inches of snow from my car and driveway. On go the boots, hat, coat, and gloves. Grab the shovel, spray the scoop part with cooking spray to keep the snow from sticking to it, and step out into frigid temperatures for some vigorous exercise guaranteed to wake me up. In my case, that also includes causing a very sore back for at least the next 24 hours due to the severe arthritis throughout my spine. On days when the shoveling is immediately followed by getting in the car and driving to my full-time job, there isn't even a moment to rest.

                   

Though I do appreciate the beauty of a pristine snow-covered landscape, I find the long, cold New England winters to be more and more of a hardship as the years go by. Oh, how I wish I could hibernate.

So, what do I do to survive the winter months? I spend as much time as possible tucked away inside my house, snuggled up on the couch or draped with a blanket in the rocking chair in my home library, a cup of hot chocolate next to me, a good book in hand, and my beloved cat nearby. More than ever, winter has become my cozy time. For me, cozy means books, cats, and warmth. The more time like this I can get in the winter, the better.

My "stay in the house as much as possible" routine has the added benefit of giving me more time for writing and research. Though I never make New Year's resolutions, I have promised myself I will be more diligent than ever about my writing this year. Ideas for novels have been spinning in my head so much lately, it's surprising that characters aren't falling out of my ears!

So, fine, bring on the snow and cold. I just wish it could be contained to the days I don't have to go out. Then I can semi-hibernate in my little house with my laptop, my books, my sweetie pie, Autumn Amelia, and some warming comfort food and that will see me through the winter just fine. 

Who could resist cozying up to this face?

Holiday Traditions by J. S. Marlo

 

 

Red in the Snow

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Deep Beneath the Surface

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When I googled "Holiday Traditions", this is what popped up: 

Decorating Christmas tree - I used to do it with my children, now I have to wait until my granddaughter has a free weekend to put it out because decorating grand-maman's tree is an integral part of her Christmas tradition.

Exchange gifts - We do that, but it can happen anywhere between Dec 24 - Jan 1, and nowadays, it's rarely on Dec 25.

Sending cards - I still send a few, but we mostly exchange text messages and emails.

Cookie decorating - We tried a few times, but the cookies weren't great, so... Santa gets a 'store' cookie with his glass of milk.

Make reindeer food - I never made food for Santa's reindeer, but I made tracks in the snow.

Music & Carols - I play Christmas music all day long. That counts, right?

Tracking Santa - The grandchildren love that one. To access the Norad tracking site, click here

Ice Skating - We have two grandchildren who are learning to skate this year, so we may end up on the ice, but we're more likely to sit on a cold bench and watch fun hockey games.

Elf on the Shelf - No Elf moving around the house, but I have two Gnomes who sit in the windows, unless my grandson is playing with them LOL 

Go for a Christmas lightwalk - We started that before we even had children, let alone grandchildren, though we sometimes drive around instead of walking when the temperatures are too frigid.

Mail letters to Santa - My children did and my grandchildren are doing it. To get Santa's answer by Christmas, the letter should be mailed by Dec 8. That's today! So get your pen and paper out! For more info, click here

Shop at Christmas Markets - I love Christmas Markets. The ambiance is fantastic, you can find very unique and original gifts, and you get to shop local.

Late Game nights - Playing games and making puzzles (while listening to Christmas music) is a big hit.

Advent calendars - Chocolate calendar, Escape room calendar, Puzzle calendar, Little teddy bear calendar, Yarn calendar... We love them all!!!

Attend Christmas Parade - We've done it in polar temperatures. Brrrrr....

Watch Christmas movies - I love them but hubby isn't a fan.

Bring kids to meet Santa - That resulted in tears more often than none.

Cook Christmas feast - I do every year, but it's less and less often on Dec 25.

The list goes on, but the one that fascinates me the most is called Jolabokaflod. (Please, do not ask me to pronounce it.)

Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic tradition. On Christmas Eve, family and friends get together and exchange the gift of a book. They then spend the night reading while eating chocolate and drinking hot cocoa.

I've been in Iceland, but I dream of spending a Christmas there just so I can fully immerse myself in that tradition.

Whatever you do this holiday season, give someone a book and send her/him on a wonderful adventure.

If you're looking for a warm and cozy mystery, full of twist and turns, all wrapped in the magic of  Christmas, The Red Quilt will take you through an unforgettable adventure. You'll even learn how to make reindeer tracks. The Red Quilt is available here.

It's snowy and cold in my corner of the world. It sure looks like Christmas!

Stay safe and warm! Hugs!

JS

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

Trying Again for Jolabokaflod by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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I have been fascinated with the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod ever since I found out about it. Jolabokaflod roughly translates to "Christmas book flood|." Beginning during World War II, people in Iceland have been purchasing books from a catalog sent to every household in Mid-November. They give these books to friends and family. Gifts are opened on December 24th. According to tradition, the recipients start reading the books right away. A cozy Christmas Eve is spent with hot chocolate, a sweet treat or two, and a brand new book. It sounds like heaven to me.

Last year, I decided I would try my own version of Jolabokaflod by getting everything ready early and then spending the entire evening reading. Unfortunately, I did not plan well enough. I host Christmas dinner for a few family members at my house so a lot of Christmas Eve is spent cooking what I can ahead of time, cleaning, and playing Santa for my cat. (Yes, she's very, very spoiled.) I miscalculated how much time I would need and never got my long evening of reading.

I do try to learn from my mistakes, so this year I intend to do everything I can do ahead of time on December 23rd so that on Christmas Eve I can curl up in my favorite comfy chair next to the Christmas tree and indulge in my favorite pastime - reading. A couple of cookies, a mug of hot chocolate, and my cat lounging nearby will make my Jolabokaflod complete.

I will have to take time out to fill Autumn Amelia's stocking with catnip toys and place her special treats under the tree.  I don't mind, though, in fact I like doing that for her. She loves Christmas. Besides, she's my muse and the inspiration for one of the main characters in my Cat Tails series books, so she's earned it. After all, how could anyone deny Christmas joy to this face?

                           

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Reading by Season by Eileen O'Finlan

                                                                                                                                                                   

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Over the years, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. At certain times of the year, usually at the change of seasons, I get the overwhelming urge to read specific types of books. Often, just as we are sliding into summer, I get the hankering for historical fiction set during either the American Revolution or the American Civil War. I've no idea why the warmer weather induces such a fancy. After all, those are hardly what most people would call beach reads, but there we are. 

I've never been into the typical "beach read" anyway. The last time I read a book on the beach (many, many years ago), it was The Shining by Stephen King. I was so into it that I completely lost track of time - a common occurrence when I'm reading a good book - and didn't realize that four hours had gone by. I'd been laying on my stomach, propped up on my elbows. I got a massive sunburn and wore the outline of it on my back from my low, scoop-back, one-piece bathing suit for the next two years! Yes, Stephen King books can be dangerous!

Now that we are heading into fall, the temperatures here in New England are beginning to dip, the days are getting shorter, and autumn is definitely on its way, my book cravings are turning to the supernatural. I'm beginning to amass a "to be read" pile of such books, having just finished two of the genre's classics - Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Henry James's The Turn of the Screw.

I'm sure I'm not alone in turning to these types of books at this time of year. It makes sense. (Certainly more than yearning for Revolution and Civil War books just because it's summer.) Come the holidays and the long, cold winter, I'll probably start looking for something more cozy. But from now through Halloween, bring on the vampires, ghosts, and haunted houses. 

While it took a year to write The Folklorist, (after at least six months of research), I really got into it the most during the fall. It was exciting to craft a novel that could have been on my own autumn TBR list at the same time I was craving that type of book. I think it helped me write the kind of book I most wanted to read at that moment.

Included in this fall's reading will be books from BWL's Paranormal Canadiana Collection. If Nancy M. Bell's Night at the Legislature is any indication, they are sure to induce plenty of spine tingles!

Of course, I might throw a book or two by Stephen King into the mix. At least at this time of year, I won't be risking a sunburn.

The beginning of my fall TBR

A Gift From A Book by Eileen O'Finlan

             

 

                                     

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I grew up hearing lots of family stories from my mom about her youth in Bennington, Vermont. She often spoke fondly of a neighbor named Carleton Carpenter. She was very close friends with him when they were kids in the 1930s and '40s. After high school they went their separate ways - she to college, then a teaching career, marriage and family and he to New York and later Hollywood to act on Broadway and in movies. If you don't recognize his name, you will certainly remember his famous co-star Debbie Reynolds with whom he appeared in several movies.

About seven or eight years ago, I found out that Carleton Carpenter had written a memoir called The Absolute Joy of Work: From Vermont to Broadway, Hollywood, and Damn Near 'Round the World so I purchased a copy for my mom knowing that she would be interested in reading about the life and career of her old friend.

I got to thinking how great it would be if I could reconnect these two childhood friends now both in their nineties. It took some doing, but I finally managed to track down an address for Mr. Carpenter and wrote to him explaining who I was and why I was writing. I didn't tell my mom that I was doing this. I didn't want to disappoint her if it didn't work out.

Before long, I got a letter back. Well, two letters actually. He wrote one to me thanking me for contacting him and another letter to my mom. I'll never forget how surprised and delighted she was when I explained what I'd done and gave his letter to her. He also included his phone number. So began the renewal of an old friendship through letters and phone calls in which they caught each other up on all that had happened in each of their lives during the decades since they'd last seen each other.

Carleton Carpenter passed away on January 1, 2022. By then my mom was in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's Disease. I chose not to tell her since she spent most of her time living in her childhood and to her, he was once again her neighbor and playmate. Mom passed away in December of 2023.

Recently, while looking through my book collection, I came across the copy of The Absolute Joy of Work that I'd bought for my mom and decided to read it. The first part of the book is about his childhood in Bennington, Vermont. Mom had underlined the names of people and places that, obviously, she remembered from her own childhood there. 

Reading this part of the book was not only interesting in and of itself, but it also gave me an added connection to my mom. I love the stories she told of growing up in Vermont. I've been trying to keep them alive in my memory. My mom had a fascinating life and I would like to fictionalize her reminiscences for a future novel. She was the last of her siblings to pass so there is no one left to ask about that time and place. I must rely on only what I remember her telling me. 

Seeing the places in the book that my mom had marked have added to my cache of knowledge about the time and place of their childhoods. It was an unexpected gift as I felt as though Mom was speaking to me again, telling me more about her stories, sharing more details of her past, and letting me know that she's never truly gone from my life.

I consider books among the greatest gifts in life. Sometimes, they bestow their treasures in the most unexpected ways.

 

The Unexpected Gift Inside a Book by Eileen O'Finlan

 

                        

                                           

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I grew up hearing family stories and reminiscences from both of my parents, especially my mom. She told many of them so often I eventually knew them by heart. My mom often spoke of her old friend, Carleton Carpenter. They grew up together in Bennington, Vermont. She talked about how close they were as youngsters and the many things they did together growing up in the 1920s and '30s. She would reminisce about how Carleton used to write plays and get all the kids in the neighborhood together to put them on, directing everyone with authority. This is no surprise when you realize that he went on to act on Broadway and in several movies, often playing opposite Debbie Reynolds.

One day, several years ago, when my mom (and Carleton who was the same age) were in their 90s, I found out that Carleton Carpenter had written a memoir called The Absolute Joy of Work: From Vermont, to Broadway, Hollywood, and Damn 'Near Round the World. I bought a copy for Mom which she loved. 

Then I got the idea of trying to see if I could reconnect these two old friends. They'd lost touch after high school so it was a longshot but worth a try. It took a while, but I finally tracked him down and got an address. He was living in New York. I wrote to him, explained who I was, and hoped he'd remember my mom. He was, after all, in his 90s, and I had no idea what he might or might not remember. I was so excited when I got a letter back from him saying that he certainly did remember his old friend, Barbara, and was so glad that I had contacted him. He included a letter for my mom in the envelope. I don't know who was more delighted, Mom or me!

I had given Mr. Carpenter our phone number in the letter I sent to him and he put his in the letters he sent to us. I set up a date and time with him to call my mom. After that call, she spent the day looking like she was in a blissful daze. She just couldn't get over the fact that she had been reconnected with a dear old friend who she hadn't seen or heard from in over 70 years. They continued to write to each other and talk on the phone frequently. She caught him up on her life, who she'd married, her kids, where she'd worked and lived. And he told her all about her acting career and his close friendship with Debbie Reynolds and how sad he was at her recent passing.

It was only a few years later that Mom slipped so suddenly and deeply into dementia that she had to be moved to a nursing home. I learned that Carleton Carpenter passed away on January 31, 2022. I chose not to tell Mom because by then she thought she was living in Vermont and he was her neighbor. It would only confuse and upset her. Mom passed away almost one year later.

Recently, I came across Mom's copy of the memoir he'd written and decided to read it. It begins with his childhood in Vermont. As I read, I noticed that Mom had underlined the names of several people and places he mentioned. Obviously, these were people and places she remembered. Now, as I read it, I imagine what it must have been like for her to read that book and be taken back to her childhood and the happy days she spent with Carleton and their friends and neighbors in Bennington.

I have also found that it is a gift for me because I feel as though through the underlined passages she is pointing things out to me, once again telling me her stories and sharing her childhood with me. I am so glad I found this book and decided to read it. I had thought that there was no way I could ever have that experience again and yet, here it is. I've always found books to be a great gift, but this one has given more than I could have hoped for in a way I never would have expected.