Happy, happy holidays!!!

 by Diana McCollum

Happy Holidays! I love this season! The Christmas lights, music and goodies to eat. We bought a giant tree this year to go in our open beam living room. This will probably be the last year for a giant tree. All the family is coming on December 28th for our family get together and celebration. 

I'm still undecided if I'm having a turkey this year or stick with tamales and mexican sides. We did the tamales the last couple years and I thought a change might be nice. Plus, I love turkey dinner leftovers.

I took all these pictures around our house. I enjoy decorating for Christmas, except climbing the ladder to decorate the tree. Hubby decorated the top 1/3 or the tree on a very tall ladder.

Enjoy the pictures and leave a comment about what you are serving for the holiday dinners.

And I'll leave you to enjoy our Christmas Cactus that are blooming profusely this year. Let me know what you are cooking for your Holiday Dinner this year. 

My Favorite Reads of 2024 by Lynn Lovegreen

 I love to read, as most writers do. I have eclectic tastes in reading; I read mostly fiction, but some nonfiction too. My favorite genres are YA (young adult) romance, contemporary, and historical fiction. I throw in some middle grade, adult romance, mystery, and history to mix it up a bit. Here are my favorite reads of this year—some were published this year, but others have been around a while. Look through and see if there’s a book that strikes your fancy! I’ve included author website links so you can check them out.

 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (Adult fiction)

https://linktr.ee/snabooks?fbclid=IwY2xjawG8ejhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVyWwJ7QQMoUR__AqI9NK_DN4irOggrpL_bjrJg-NKxWnH1yObGerYDVfA_aem_4xw5JPG64LRUhtM5hHV04w

Anxious teen Aleisha works at the local library when she comes across a list of books that broaden her horizons. Lonely widower Mukesh comes in to see what his late wife saw in books. When Aleisha shares the list, that leads to a transformation of their lives, and the community's. (content warning: mental illness and suicide)

 

The Next Great Jane by K.L Going (Middle Grade fiction)

https://klgoing.com

Jane is a precocious sixth grader determined to become a writer. When a famous author visits her small Maine town, and a hurricane, an obstinate boy, and Jane's Hollywood mother combine, not even Jane can guess the ending. 

 

Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson (Middle Grade Fiction)

https://www.nasugraqhopson.com

An Iñupiaq (Alaska Native) boy collects obsidian when he sees a magic eagle who tells him he must go with him or die like his older brothers. He learns about drumming, singing, and dancing from the Eagle Mother, then teaches other people at a great feast, bringing a sense of community to their culture. Hopson tells the origin story of the Messenger Feast of her Iñupiaq people brilliantly, with heartfelt words and lovely illustrations. This middle grade book won a Newbery Medal nomination for good reason, and will enchant readers of all ages.

 

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (YA Historical Mystery)

https://www.staceyhlee.com

Lulu Wong was Gemma and May Chow’s friend and neighbor before she became a movie star. When the sisters find her body in Chinatown, the police are slow to act, and business leaders use the killing as an excuse to tear down Chinatown to make way for a train station. Gemma and May must find the killer before it’s too late for their neighborhood, and before the killer catches on to their investigation. Historical fiction queen Stacey Lee brings 1930s Los Angeles to life in this great page turner.

 

Sway with Me by Syed M. Massod (YA Romance)

https://www.syed-masood.com

Arsalan’s 100-year-old great-grandfather taught him everything he knows. Not wanting to be totally alone one day, he asks feisty Beenish, stepdaughter of a prominent matchmaker, for help. She agrees if he’ll help her ruin her sister’s wedding by performing a forbidden dance. They end up growing closer than either would imagine.
This hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story is a gem! Love the romance, found family, and multi-generational love! (content warning: physical abuse)

 

Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau (Adult Mystery)

https://cathypegau.com

Romance, mystery, and Alaska history--this hit so many of my interests! Cathy Pegau's Murder on the Last Frontier is a great feminist historical mystery set in Cordova, Alaska during the suffragist days. I will look for more from this Alaskan author.⁠

 

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (YA Romance)

https://www.taliahibbert.com

Bradley manages his OCD, his classes, and his friendship with the popular guys pretty well, but trading insults and barbs with Celine isn’t as fun as it looks. Celine has one goal: to become the next Golden Explorer and protégé of the famous lawyer Katharine Breakspeare, but when Brad decides to compete for the title, she’ll need to beat him to get there. A survival course in the woods might lead to a winner, or an emotional adventure neither of them expects. This second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance kept me up late turning pages--funny, witty, and heartfelt in all the right ways. (content warning: mental illness)

 

If you’d like to look at other books I’ve read, you can follow me on The StoryGraph at https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/lynnlovegreen.

 

 

 

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 

Still SAD after all these years

 

It's the middle of December, 2025, and I feel overwhelmed.

I have dealt with SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, for nearly 40 years. I am repeating a post from 2020 because right now I feel a  little foggy.  Please forgive me for resurrecting this blog post. 

Seasonal affective Disorder (SAD) has probably been around since the beginning of humanity but it was not described until 1984 by Dr. Norman Rosenthal. SAD is a form of depression also known as seasonal adjustment disorder.


Thanks to artificial lights, the world is now active 24/7/365.  Humanity has lost a connection with the seasons and the rhythm of the days. For some of us, this is extremely bad news that can't be helped by holiday lights, no matter how bright or cheery. As an author, this was a period of disaster. I couldn't think. For someone who calls herself a good plotter, during my SAD times, I couldn't write a thing. Depression is a mind-eater. The only thing usable I accomplished during wintertime was an end-of-days short story back in 2012.

The problem

People with SAD often suffer from the associated depression for many years before they are diagnosed. Many are like me. I self-diagnosed long before 1984. One winter, when I was in my twenties, I went through a period of depression. I knew with absolute certainty that some nameless disaster was coming and All I could do was wait for the end. Coming out of that depression was a miracle that occurred around mid-March. I prayed I would never be that down again.


I went through this cycle three years running. By the fourth year, when the feeling of nameless terror arose again during the short, dark days of October, I remembered the pattern. I was finally able to tell my self that I just needed to wait for the equinox, mid-March. By the time days and nights were of equal length, the feeling would be gone and I could finally say, "Here comes the sun," in the words of the Beatles song. 

Estimates are that approximately 500,000 people in the US suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and around 10-20% of the US population suffer from milder forms of the disorder.


SAD can begin at any age. However it most commonly develops before the age of twenty-one. This form of depression is almost five times more likely to be found in women than in men. 


Many symptoms of SAD are similar to those associated with "ordinary" depression, such as anxiety, changes in mood and panic attacks.  Other symptoms include:

• Lack of energy for everyday tasks 
• Weakened immune system 
• Irritability 
• Inability to concentration 
• Overeating and weight gain 
• Alcohol and/or drug abuse
• Feelings of guilt and worry 
• Sleep problems 
• Reduced libido 
• Social and relationship problems

When light hits the retina in the back of the eye, messages are sent to the parts of the brain responsible for sleep, appetite, sex drive, mood and activity. If there's not enough light, these functions may slow down, or even stop. That may be one reason why those with blue-eyes seem more resistant to SAD. Blue eyes allow more light to get into their brains. 

Treatment for SAD involves exposure to artificial light from a light therapy box for an average of 2 hours each day. The light given off by the box mimics natural outdoor light and is at least 10 times the intensity of standard domestic lighting.

Needless to say, I have had one of these boxes for years. Unfortunately, it only helped a little. At least I no longer feared the world could end at any moment. I still had no will to write.

My doctor has also prescribed antidepressants. The light therapy alone barely held the unseen monster at bay. The combination does the trick. 2018 was the first time I tried the pills, and the result was amazing. This year, as soon as the first snow hit in October, I began taking my meds. No monsters at all. (Although getting out of bed in the mornings remains a problem.)

The biggest news for me is that with my lights and medicines, I can write in the winter. Yay!! Winter writing is still slower than during the summer months, I can't deny that. But I can now plot, Craft engaging dialog, even perform edits. And the story does not have to be about the end of days! Before, winter was a holding time. I might be able to think about a story, but not to write.

PS, for many sufferers, the worst is yet to come.

According to The Canadian Mental Health Association, January 19, is the most depressing day of the year. Not only because of dreary weather and lack of sunshine, but also because this is the time people start getting their bills from all that holiday shopping. It’s also the time where many give up on their new years resolutions.

Many people suffer from clynical depression. This is not the same as being depressed because of an external reason like a death in the family, or the loss of a job. Some sufferes are like me. We manage to function, barely, all the while desperatly wishing we were bears so we had an excuse for hybernation. It doesn't have to be from SAD, in fact the good thing about my form of depression was that there was an end in sight.

If any of you suffer from depression, I would like to hear your strategies for coping and remaining motivated to do things.  Don't be afraid to see a professional, it is not a disgrace or a weakness.  Don't let the holiday spirits of others war you down they way they sometimes did me.

And I wish you luck in your journey toward recovery.

Wartime Christmas Memories by Eleri Grace

Each Christmas I enjoy re-reading a blog post that a man wrote in tribute to his mother, who had served as a Red Cross Girl in Europe from 1943-45. Unfortunately, it seems the original blog is now behind a pay site, which is very sad as I don't think I ever printed out a copy. 

Thankfully I've blogged about it before and can refer back to my previous reflections. In the man's memory, there was such a contrast between the small tabletop Christmas tree decorated with simple handmade decorations (paper chains and ornaments, popcorn strings and the like) and the larger "real" tree that his family decorated for their living room each year. It wasn't until many years later, when he read his mother's wartime journal, that he understood why she always wanted to put up that smaller tree each season. Her journal recounts how she and her fellow Red Cross Girls set up a similar tree in Belgium in December 1944. 

For those that might not recall, the Germans launched a deadly counter-offensive (later known as the Battle of the Bulge) in mid-December 1944, and several Clubmobiles and their crews were unexpectedly caught behind or very near enemy lines. Even the crews who had been serving far back from the front in western Belgium were forced to trek back into France for safety. It was Christmas Eve before all the women safely reached their units back in France.

Though they were thrilled to mark the holiday with simple decorations and whatever food and liquor they could scrounge from supplies, the women were also mourning the loss of one of their own. A Red Cross Girl, recuperating from a mild illness in a hospital, was killed during a bombing raid on the hospital, and word of her death reached the others shortly before Christmas. 

Putting up this small simple tree was one of the ways his mom coped with stressful memories of her wartime service. Many Red Cross Girls, like the servicemen who fought, returned home changed in no small measure and continued to be affected for years afterward. His mother also nestled photos of "her boys" in the branches of that small tabletop tree -- that bitterly cold and uncertain Christmas of 1944 lived powerfully in her memory for the rest of her life. 

My wish for 2025 is that we might all recall the selfless spirit of the Greatest Generation and be guided by the kindness, generosity of spirit, and optimism for a brighter future that motivated both the servicemen and servicewomen of that bygone era. Wishing all of you a festive holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and New Year filled with health, happiness, and love!

You can buy my books on Amazon and learn more about me and my writing on my website.