Downhill to the Holidays

On this downhill slide to the end of the year, I feel as if I'm on that boulder that chases Indiana Jones down that tunnel. 

So many things are happening all at once as I try and get the first three books of the new series ready to release in a row. 

And then there is family and the holidays coming. 

Also keeping the momentum going on the advertising and promotion of my main series. All of this is a must to keep my writing flowing and building, but it also cuts into the family and holiday time. 

I have managed to get my grandkids' "Grandma" gifts made. I like to make them something for Christmas. I feel that shows my love and gives them something unique. This year it is pillowcases with fabric that has something on it that each grandchild likes. 

I need some gifts for my brothers and hubby's sister and their spouses. And then there's my dad and mother-in-law. The kids and spouses gifts are done. We're having Christmas at our house for the first time since we built it, so this is a big thing for me. I LOVE decorating for holidays and this will be the first Christmas in 5 that I can pull out all of my decorations and go crazy! I will have pictures when that happens! 

What are you doing for the holidays this year? Are you going crazy decorating and having people over or are you staying low key with decorations and maybe staying home or going to someone's house? 

Halloween Week

I have always loved Halloween! It's a time when we can dress up and act crazy. As a child I was expected when out and about in the public to be unseen, and unheard. My grandmother and parents expected to hear what a good child I was when we went places.

But Halloween, all dressed up with a mask or paint on my face, no one knew who I was and I could talk and have fun walking down the street, knocking, on doors and politely thanking people for the goodies they handed out. It was freedom to me.

My parents would drive my brothers and I into town. They would have coffee and visit at my mom's best friend's house while we walked around the neighborhood filling our bags. No parent watching, but we still behaved ourselves. Giggling and laughing we would race each other to the next house.

Bend Writer friends Halloween lunch 2017

When our children were small, we took them to town and walked a few blocks with them. They entered grade school and the school had a Harvest Festival or carnival on Halloween to keep the kids there instead of out wandering the streets and not knowing where the treats came from. There were booths that parents ran. My husband had a walking floor trailer at the time. We'd decorate it up as a haunted house and when people went through we'd make the floor move and had older kids inside dressed up to scare. I always dressed up as a witch and dared people to enter the haunted trailer. It was a lot of fun!

Now as a grandparent, I enjoy putting out Jack-o-lanterns and decorating for fall, but I've long since tossed the cackling witch, scary spider and spider webs. 

How do you feel about Halloween? Like it, love it, or don't care for it?