AN EMBARRASING MOMENT

 By Caroline Clemmons

For me, today is when Fall begins. No doubt about it, this is a holdover from my school days. I loved school, especially English and history. Over my thirteen years (counting kindergarten), I had many amazing teachers and a few incidents I remember with pleasure.

 

Image by Christelle from Pixabay

One of my most embarrassing moments came when I was a junior in high school. My best friend, Iris, did everything she tried well. In spite of the fact she didn't cook or sew, she worked in the home economics office for one credit. Iris assured me this was a great way to get an easy A because there was little to do and I could get some of my homework done. 

This was a highly sought-after spot. With Iris’ recommendation to Mrs. Carter, lead teacher, I was approved. But Mrs. Carter eyed me with concern. She had taught me the year before in her cooking class, in which I did well. Probably, she wondered why a brainy girl like Iris would be friends with a dork like me. 

I signed up for the next semester, and was given the period just before lunch. You cannot imagine my horror when I learned that the slot I’d landed was feeding time for the lab rat.  Remember the scene in the book 1984 when Big Brother’s agents threatened the man with hungry rats on his face? That’s the image seared in my brain. And I was afraid of the small rodents even before I read the book. 

Okay, so it was only one rat, and he was in a cage. But to me he looked as if he were sizing me up for dinner’s main course. I managed to feed the beast through the first week without disaster. I had never had pets and had no rapport with animals—not because I disliked them, but because I didn’t identify with them as I do now. 

Feeling a bit more confident, I breezed into the tiny home ec office the second week. The rat was primed and waiting. The moment I unlatched his cage to add food, he leaped out and ran into an empty classroom. I was lucky he hadn’t chosen the opposite direction leading into  the high school hallway, but I didn't realize it at the time. All I knew was I was in big trouble. I chased him around the room and finally cornered the poor rat so I could grab him. 

Ohh, good gracious, I was holding a rat!

I’m not sure which of us was most frightened. I managed to get him back to the cage only to find Mrs. Carter waiting for me in the office, having witnessed the last part of my debacle. Actually, she was nice about the whole thing in a slightly severe way. We agree that I would feed the rat when she was in the office in the future until I “became more comfortable with that duty.”  

I feared my blunder would reflect badly on my friend Iris, but it didn't seem to do so. I suppose Mrs. Carter’s opinion of me as a dork or a scatterbrain or whatever explained everything. Needless to say, I did not seek to work in the home ec office the following semester.  Iris and I have remained good friends all these years.

WELCOME MAY!

By Caroline Clemmons

Welcome, May! This is one of the months I especially enjoy—it’s not yet too hot to be outside and it’s no longer too cold. Lawns are green and flowers are in bloom everywhere. If you saw the production of the musical Camelot, you heard the song I love about May. That song gets stuck in my head for a few days around this time of year. I wish I could remember more than the first two lines.

It's May, it's May in Camelot

My family and I love attending musical theater and watching movie musicals. At least, some of them. We’ve been watching a slew of musicals lately. The latest was Guys and Dolls, but the others include Flower Drum Song (we are great fans of the late Jack Soo), My Fair Lady (we adore Julie Andrews), Annie—in which Carol Burnett is a deliciously heartless villainess, Some Like it Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Music Man (one of our favorites), and Bye Bye Birdie (Ann Margaret has remained beautiful even after all the years that have passed).

L'il Abner, a movie we have NOT

been able to locate for rental.

That’s not all we watch, but we prefer streaming movies to watching most others with commercials. Of course, we do watch new movies and new and syndicated series shows like Vera, Will Trent, Midsommer Murders, Murdoch Mysteries, Agatha Christie movies, Alfred Hitchcock movies, Morse, Dateline, and Lewis. Lately, we’re especially interested in classics that our daughter has not yet seen or she saw when she was too young to remember them. She chooses most of them, borrowing many from the library. We enjoy seeing these again and always find something new in each viewing. An example is The Godfather, phrases of which have become part of modern vernacular: Go to the mattresses, a deal you can't refuse, etc. (As with so many movies made from books, you miss so much of the story if you haven't read the book.)

                                 

An ordinary day, but I

wear glasses, drink tea or 

Dr Pepper, and don't 

wear pearls at home

I don’t mean to imply that all we do is watch television. Most of the time each of us is busy with his or her projects. Since we combined households with our daughter, we find it pleasant to spend time together and watch television while we have a small snack and soft drink or iced herbal tea. The pets join us for a cozy evening. That is, it’s soothing for Hero and me. I’ll be taking time from writing, Hero from doing projects and chores around the house that aren’t prohibited by his Parkinson’s.

On the other hand, if Darling Daughter 2 is home and can join us, she's up and down and up and down caring for pets (and parents). Our dog chases her cat because he wants to play tag but the cat doesn't. Her dog chases my cat when the cat is frightened by his attention and hisses at him. Same cat, Sebastian, doesn’t want any other pets to drink from his water dish. Ad nauseum.

Baxter, looking like an 

innocent labradoodle. Sure.

He is sweet, but full of 

energy and mischief.

Although we sprinkle in action adventures and mysteries, we try to select movies or series which are uplifting. Don’t think we’re avoiding reality. They’ll have heard the evening news before beginning the movie or series, and life brings a dose of reality. A cheerful distraction is always welcome. 

Covid zapped a lot of us

in a variety of ways.

Before Covid zapped me and left me with parting gifts that affected my breathing and eyesight and energy, I would spend a few hours writing after our television time. Now, I talk to Darling Daughter 2 a bit and then toddle off to bed with Hero, our labradoodle, and grumpy cat. 

Sebastian, age 16

Please understand I’m not complaining. Our sweet and very talented Sherri Easley lost her son to Covid.  Joan Reeves' daughter fought it. I’m grateful to be alive and able to enjoy this lovely time of year! 

.

VACATION OOPS!

By Caroline Clemmons

We are still on an endorphin high from having author Jacquie Rogers and her husband Mark visit. Their stay was short, but we packed in a lot of chatting (and eating). Mark was here on his birthday, so we had a modest celebration. They parked their Casita trailer in front of the house. We don’t have a guest room, so they had to sleep in the Casita. We have a gazillion cats and dogs, so they probably prefer their own space. They are always a lot of fun and we enjoyed seeing them!

Casita like the Rogers have.

During their visit, we talked about some of our vacations. Hero and I have had some wonderful visits to a variety of great places. Don’t worry, I’m not going to show you all my photos. You would probably rather hear about the odd things that happen on our outings.

Hero used to travel to White Sands Missile Range to test the rockets his company builds. On several occasions, our daughters and I went with him. Keep in mind that the girls and I are “incident prone.” On one trip we went through a rose garden, where we topped to smell the roses. Then, we went to a cactus garden, and Darling Daughter #2 leaned over to smell a cactus pear. Cactus spines in her nose were not a fun experience for her!

Beware of spines!

Ever since she could hold a child’s fishing rod, Darling Daughter #1 has loved to fish. In Corpus Christi, Texas one summer, Hero took her fishing on the motel pier. He had already been real, actual fishing before the girls were awake, so this time was just for her. She was only three, but already loved fishing and had been several times. This day, she was happily fishing with her dad when a woman came up and lectured him on how selfish he was to make his child go with him so he could fish. The crabby woman went on and on about how cruel he was. Hero was brought up never to argue with someone older than him and to treat women with respect, so he tolerated the woman’s ranting. Too bad he didn’t “accidentally” push her off the pier. Splash!

One year for his birthday (which fell on Father’s Day), the girls decided they would take Hero for a canoe trip. As soon as we got to the canoe, Darling Daughter #1 fell into the water. Getting her out of the river and seated in the canoe brought a lot of water with her that collected in the bottom of the canoe. As it turned out, there were only two seats, so Hero ended up sitting in the bottom of the canoe—in the water. He is a good sport and didn’t tell the girls how uncomfortable their “treat” was. He did appreciate the thought and enjoyed spending time with them.

On a trip to California, we stopped at the Petrified Forest. Unfortunately, it was high noon and very hot. Hero took the girls on a walking trail. About halfway, Darling Daughter #2 became so over-heated she was about to pass out, so Hero had to carry her the rest of the way. That’s when we learned she gets ill if she gets too hot, and she still does.

One summer we went to the Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas. The girls and I absolutely loved Bandera and the Mayan. Hero, not so much, but again he was a good sport. The Mayan staff were so nice and the facility very pleasant. Seeveral evenings they had outdoor entertainment on the patio. Part of the show was the college-age waitresses dressed as the theme for the evening. When it came to the Mexican fiesta night, they attempted the Mexican hat dance, but none of them knew the steps. Darling Daughter #2 showed them the correct way she had learned in school.

Trail Ride at the Mayan Ranch

We had decided to go to the Mayan because Darling Daughter #1 wanted a horse. We thought we would “cure” her of that idea. Yes, we were delusional. Near the end of the trail ride, several teen-age boys were cutting up and decided to race to the corral. Darling Daughter #1 couldn’t control her horse and it took off following the boys. The head wrangler raced after her, but came back alone. He said he was going to rescue her, but she was having so much fun she didn’t want to be rescued. As you can guess, the trip only increased her desire for a horse. She was in junior high when she got her first horse.

Books 1 - 3

Bandera and the area have remained a favorite part of Texas. I’ve used it in several books, including my latest sweet historical western romance series, Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides. I hope you’ll read the books. The first in the series is about rancher GENTRY AND THEMAIL ORDER BRIDE. Heidi Roth came from Bavaria to marry Gentry McRae's partner, but the partner died a few days before she arrived. The partner left Heidi to Gentry in his will. What?

Second is about the sheriff, JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Sheriff Jesse Cameron from Scotland is well liked and respected for his firm but fair policy and the  order he's brought to the county. When he orders a bride, he has no idea he's getting a beautiful pickpocket and a young boy she's rescued, or that her former boss will chase her.

Third is about Gentry’s younger brother, QUINN AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Quinn McRae is the easy going, gambling, drinking brother of Gentry McRae. His bride is a very proper Priscilla Bradford, descended from William Bradford of the Mayflower. Quinn has a terrible secret that haunts him, but he wants to be a rancher like his brothers.

 Books in the series are stand alone. All take place in or near the fictitious town of Harrigan Springs in fictitious Harrigan County, which I squeezed in between the real Bandera and Medina Counties.

The latest in the series is about a blacksmith who’s an entrepreneur, LEVI AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, and is now up for preorder for April 21 release at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZDT6Q1J. Maeve Kelly refuses to marry the man who sent for her--and that's a wise choice. Levi Iverson gets tangled in Maeve's troubles.

Stay safe and keep reading! 

 

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

By Caroline Clemmons

The holiday season is officially here! 

I confess to being a Christmas enthusiast. Yes, I know the reason for the season. That fact does not keep me from thinking of gifts I can give and decorations I can use. I’ve been a Christmas nut fan as long as I can remember.

Although when I was a small child, the thoughts of what Santa would bring filled my mind. Since then, I’ve been consumed with the excitement of what I could give, display, and see. Darling Daughter 2 and I enjoy adopting an angel or two from an angel tree. Choosing gifts for others is fun.

She and I love to drive through neighborhoods with a lot of lights and other displays. One neighborhood nearby has a contest, and almost every home in the large neighborhood has elaborate decorations. A couple of policemen keep traffic flowing. There’s a special lane for residents to use so they don’t get stuck in traffic with looky-lous like us. We go every year to admire the Christmas and Hanukkah displays. This year, Hero has decided to go with us and see what the attraction is.

At home, we’ve our own outdoor display—a big deal for us, but modest in comparison to that mentioned above. This year, Darling Daughter 2 bought me a nutcracker to go on the front porch. I’ve wanted one for years, but never got around to purchasing one. This one is perfect in size, and is brightly colored. Of course I love it. We also have a couple of lighted deer forms, an angel, and candy canes for the front lawn. A large door wreath and garland completes or decorations.

One year (when we lived in a different town), our wreath was stolen. What a surprise that was. Hopefully, our current neighborhood won’t be bothered by such things. So far, we’ve not had a problem from petty theft. Our next-door neighbor doesn’t decorate, but is excited that we are.

Are you decorating for the season?

 

FAMILIAR SAYINGS

By Caroline Clemmons

Do you ever wonder where some of the little rhymes about life originated? This is the sort of thought that pops into my head when I’m trying to go to sleep at night. Yeah, it’s annoying. 

Sure, this is how I look.

Here are some of those I recall:

"Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning." 

Although she knew nothing about sailing, my mother-in-law used that saying to predict storms.

 

There is so much good in the worst of us

and so much bad in the best of us,

that it should remind all of us,

not to criticize the rest of us.

 

Another one my mother-in-law must have heard. In all the time I knew her (since I was 12) I only heard her criticize someone once, and come close to criticizing three other times. 

"Red and black, friend of Jack.

Red and yellow, kill a fellow."

We had to learn this in Girl Scouts, even though I never heard of a coral snake in West Texas. However, this is important to remember if you live where there are coral snakes! Though rare in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (favoring farther east), they’re here—and have red and yellow bands touching. The scarlet king snake, red rat snake, and others have red and black bands touching. 

Coral Snake
 

"If you can’t fight, flee

If you can’t flee,

Go with the flow."

 

When Hero was having too much stress at work, our youngest daughter made him a little sign of this and told him to flow. He thanked her and told her it wasn't at home he needed the sign, but at work. She made him another sign.

"Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Now, wait a minute! Hero has followed this lifestyle when working conditions permitted. He is the most intelligent person I've ever met, but he is neither healthy nor wealthy. What's wrong with this picture?

George Bernard Shaw is credited with this saying, which I've heard many times:

"We don't stop playing because we grow old.

We grow old because we stop playing."

Benjamin Franklin said, "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days."

Fishing photo by Tom Fisk

"Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime." Lao Tzu

What are some sayings you've hears?

If you're hankering for a great sweet historical western romance to read, let me entice you to get the first two of my new Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides Series. 

Book 1 is GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Gentry's late partner willed his mail order bride to Gentry.

https://www.amazon.com/Gentry-Texas-Country-Order-Brides-ebook/dp/B0B6YN6QHK

Book 2 is JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Rosalin Arnold risks a daring escape from evil by becoming a mail order bride to a Texas sheriff.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD64JC1D?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

Stay safe and keep reading!

HOW OLD IS OLD?

How old is old? How much a part does genetics play in longevity? What part does attitude play in our longevity?

When I was a girl, I remember there were two ages of adults. If they weren’t gray, they were old. If they were gray, they were really old. Now that I’m … not so young any longer, I have a new perspective on age. Wow, do I ever!

In fact, a friend who is my age and I were discussing that this morning. We wondered how many more years we had to write. I figure I’ll write as long as my fingers move and I can string together at least semi-coherent sentences. My husband’s cousin died sitting at his desk with his fingers on the keyboard. Now, that’s the way to go.

On the other hand, a friend lived to 105. When she was 90, her doctor told her she had less than three months to live. She outlived the doctor who gave her that news. In fact, she had a new home built at 90, where she lived the rest of her life. (Word to the wise: she had cancer insurance and had home hospice every day for her last few years.) Several of her siblings lived to be in their late 90s.

We all know similar stories. There’s no figuring the guy who is a health nut and dies at 40 and the chubby, sedentary person who lives to be 95. No one said life was fair, right?

So what are we to do?

My personal opinion is that we should live every day to the fullest. Do something kind for someone else. Look on the bright side. Every day is a gift. Give thanks for each day because it’s a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. No I didn’t come up with that, but it’s true.

As Joan says, the take-away truth is: Attitude may not add years to your life, but it will add life to your years.

Go forth and make today a day worth living. 

A DOUBLE CELEBRATION

 By Caroline Clemmons

Happy Independence Day Weekend!

In addition to celebrating the independence of the United States of America, we celebrate another occasion.

One year ago a neighbor called our youngest daughter to ask her to please come get a dog off her front porch. You have to understand that our daughter has a way with animals that borders on magical. When she went to the neighbor’s home, she found a toy poodle mix in a corner, shaking from fear. Fireworks were going off within hearing distance in spite of a light rain.  She took the dog home with her.

When she told me about Baxter (yes, she’d named him), I said I wanted him. She took him to the vet before she let him around her animals. Baxter did not have a chip, but was healthy. The vet estimated he was just over a year old.

Baxter

He was not well behaved, in that he barked/bayed at inappropriate times. Each of the dogs we’ve had over the years has been a rescue, but each has already been housebroken and fairly well-trained. We were at a loss with Baxter. Our solution was to sign him up for a training class at PetsMart.

He was expelled because he bayed at the other dogs trying to play with them. Can you imagine how embarrassed we were? The trainer scheduled us for private lessons. They helped. Baxter loved them, I think because of all the special treats the trainer gave him.

Here we are a year later. Baxter is still rambunctious, mostly due to the breed part of him that is not toy poodle. He never tires of playing fetch—we do. Baxter is a good companion and sleeps on our bed with us and our two cats. Good thing we have a king-sized bed, right?

Hero gets up first each morning, but Baxter waits on our bed until I get up. Then he rushes to sit by Hero's chair. Baxter is a sweet and loving boy. I'm glad we have him in our family.

Help us celebrate a year with Baxter as well as Independence Day weekend.

Have you rescued animals?

  

ODE TO SPRING

By Caroline Clemmons

Isn’t spring wonderful? I love the bright flowers, greening lawns, and budding trees. Spring is second only to Fall for my favorite season. In spite of the sneezing, itchy eyes, and scratchy throat, we are adding plants. We’d love for our yard to look like Beth Trissel’s (who wouldn’t?).

Armed with lists and visions of Beth Trissel’s luxuriant garden, we sally forth to the plant shop. With our trowels raised, we vow we will have the prettiest flowerbeds in the neighborhood. We expect great things.

Forgotten are the failures of the past. Forgotten are the blisters, aching back, and sore limbs. We collect rose bushes, petunias, geraniums, zinnias, decorative grasses, and seeds.

We forgot one other thing—there’s about zero to three inches of soil over limestone in most of our property. Occasional pockets of soil host trees--like those of the neighbor whose trees shade our raised garden beds.. Nevertheless, we won’t be defeated so easily.

We have neither the time nor skill to add more raised flower beds in sunny areas. We gather planters for our plants. We’ll have a potted plant garden. (Potted plants should not be confused with pot plants.)

We scour nurseries and garden shops and gasp at prices. We move on to yard sales, thrift stores, and the Next Door online column. It matters not that our planters don’t match. We are victorious!  

Stay safe and keep reading! 

WHEN I GROW UP--- by Caroline Clemmons

When you were six, what did you plan for your future? Is it anything like the reality?

When I was six, I wanted to ride the range with Roy Rogers. I’d have a horse as pretty and as smart as Trigger so I could ride side-by-side with Roy while we rounded up all the rustlers and bank robbers in the West. As I grew up, Roy would magically remain the same age so we could marry. In my six-year-old mind, I thought he was probably really old, like maybe 25.

Roy Rogers 

King of the Cowboys

I was crushed when I learned Roy had long since married Dale Evans. She stole my man! I remained an avid fan of Roy, even if he loved Dale. 

TIME OUT, LADIES!

by Dale Evans Rogers

Later, I learned Dale was a lovely woman filled with compassion for others. I read one of her books, Time Out, Ladies!, and used it as a devotional. I read Angel Unaware, but it was too heartbreaking to read a second time. Spoiler alert: I hate when books include a child’s death. Dale wrote many more books, but I  haven't read them. I do own an autobiography of Dale and Roy.

While I was still fascinated by Roy Rogers and cowboys, at age nine I discovered Nancy Drew books. Like many girls, I was hooked and wanted to read each book of the series. I dreamed of becoming Carolyn Keene, not realizing there was no such person. The Secret of the Old Clock was the first Nancy Drew book and is now available in a special 80^th anniversary limited edition at a very precious price. I first read this book from the library. Now I own a copy—no, not the limited edition!

The 1st Nancy Drew book

I didn’t get to ride the range with Roy Rogers, but I did become a writer. I don’t write children’s or YA books. I write romance and mystery for anyone who loves the West. And, pardon the plug, I’ve released the first of my latest series, the Zoe Wilder Cozy Mystery Series. Book one is DEATH IN THE PERFECT HOUSE. This is a sweet, lighthearted cozy mystery with humor and romance. I can’t help putting mysteries in my romance novels or romance in my mystery novels. I hope you enjoy the type books I write. DEATH IN THE PERFECT HOUSE is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RY7G2NW

Book One

Book two, DEATH IN A GRAVE YARD, is on preorder for an April 29th release at https://www.amazon.com/Death-Grave-Yard-Wilder-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09T99CR9C/

Book Two

The books are not Nancy Drew. Zoe Wilder soon has a guy, Caleb McBride, later Sheriff McBossy. In addition, she has a group of quirky friends to entertain you. At least, they entertained me as I wrote about them. If you haven't read book one, what are you waiting for? 

Stay safe and keep reading!

  

I WISH YOU LOVE by Caroline Clemmons

 

Happy month of love! Well, love is welcome in any month, but we hear more about it in February. I hope you share romantic love with another and the love of friendship with many.

As a writer, I sometimes write love at first sight. Many people don’t believe that can happen. It can. It happened to me.

The first time I saw my Hero is still clear in my head. I remember what I was wearing, what he was wearing, what his sister was wearing, and where his mother stood in the doorway from the living room to the dining room. The occasion was at his sister’s thirteenth birthday party. He was fifteen and I was six weeks shy of thirteen.

Needless to say, I did not date him until years later. I feel eternally grateful that he and I have been wed for many, many years!

That’s my story. Also the story of several couples I’ve known through the years. See, love-at-first-sight does exist!

But not for everyone ...

For some, love grows from a long friendship. For others, dislike or competition slowly turns to love. However you find it, I wish you true and enduring love.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

P.S. Candy for Valentine's Day is nice for us, but it can be fatal for cats and dogs. Protect your pets from chocolate!

ANY GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR?

By Caroline Clemmons

Happy New Year!

Are you making resolutions for 2022? I prefer to think of mine as goals, plans. As always, one of them is to lose weight. This time I intend to have more success. Our two daughters and I intend to support one another in this goal.

Like other authors, I plan projects for the coming year. This year I’m branching out to include cozy mystery and light women’s fiction with my romances. Writing a variety of genres works for Nancy Frasier, and I’m hoping it works for me—even though I don’t write as fast as she does.

This past year, we acquired a new dog, a toy poodle/mystery breed that showed up on a neighbor’s porch on July 3rd. The neighbors know our youngest daughter rescues animals. This neighbor called our daughter to ask if she would get this frightened dog off her porch.  Early fireworks had terrified the poor dog cowering in a corner. Our daughter is like the pied piper with animals and she was able to charm the dog into coming with her. He had no tags and wasn’t chipped. The vet estimated the young dog was about eighteen months old. Our daughter named the dog Baxter.

Baxter

In the past, twice we have had a toy poodle as a pet. Hero had mentioned that the next time we got a dog, he wanted a toy poodle.  When our daughter texted me Baxter’s photo, I asked her to save him for me rather than look for another home for him. She did and now he has joined us with our approximately eight-year-old Shih Tzu/terrier mix, Chloe. The two get along well. Baxter gets along with our two cats, Sebastian and Jasmine. On the other hand, Chloe is moody and varies in her cat tolerance.

Chloe

On New Year’s Eve, both dogs were terrified. I suppose having survived as stray dogs, they were reminded of the time they spent outdoors in who knows what conditions. Unfortunately, the family behind us had a New Years Eve party and set off fireworks until the wee (2:30 am) hours of the morning. Guess who didn’t get much sleep!  Both dogs were scared, but Chloe was so frightened and shook so badly that I was afraid she’d have convulsions. Poor Chloe stuck so close it was if she was trying to climb inside me to escape the noise.

This long explanation is to say that one of our goals for the coming year is to get Chloe to tolerate cats even when she isn’t in the mood. For this, we plan to have a trainer come to the house and show us what we’re doing wrong.

Do you have pets? If so, have you ever used a trainer for them?

     

WATCH CHRISTMAS UNFOLD

By Caroline Clemmons

This is my favorite time of year. Looking forward to Christmas turns me into a kid waiting for Santa. Not that I’ve been especially good—but it’s never made any difference. <grin>

Don’t lecture me about the meaning of Christmas. I’m deeply religious, but—for me—Christmas is like two events. Of course the most important is observing a day set aside to honor Christ’s birth, even though no one knows real date. The other occasion is the fun of giving (and getting) gifts, decorating, baking, and seeing and hearing from friends and family.

One thing I enjoy is the variety of Hallmark Christmas movies. Yep, and I like them all year. I see the flaws in them, but mistakes in continuity or script don’t spoil the pleasure I receive from watching the story unfold. I'm not put off by the fact that the main characters are from a small pool. Two nights ago we watched a movie in which the villain starred as one of the main good guys in last night’s movie. The “as you know” information dumps amuse but don’t annoy me. I. Don’t. Care.

For me, watching a romance or romantic suspense movie is an extension of reading. You know I LOVE reading! A few of my author acquaintances have sold the rights to their romance books to be made into film. What great feeling that must be!

Given the choice between movies or books, I prefer reading. Some things can’t be squeezed into a movie—like a character’s internal dialogue or lateral story threads. This is especially true the longer the book. Have you ever watched a movie of a book you’d read and thought they had to omit too much?

On the other hand, sometimes seeing a story I enjoyed brought to screen is fun. Did the producer cast the right people as characters? An example that pops into my mind is Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle. The late actress and philanthropist Doris Roberts was perfect in that role. Many other actresses could have done a great job in the role, but Doris Roberts really nailed it. I even enjoy re-watching that movie.

Doris Roberts

What about you? Has one of your favorite books been made into a movie? 

If you're looking for a Christmas story to read, MAIL ORDER GLORIA, An Impostor for Christmas book 7, will be released on Friday, December 3. Grab it here: 

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Gloria-Impostor-Christmas-ebook/dp/B09GQLXMVL/

AMY, Angel Creek Christmas Brides book 25, will be released on December 10. Preorder it here:  

https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Angel-Creek-Christmas-Brides-ebook/dp/B098GK1PCH/

Stay safe, keep reading, and have a Merry Christmas!

People watching TV graphic from freepik.com