It’s the week of Christmas, and I’m looking ahead to enjoying time with family, and to a new year, with ideas to “perk up” this blog.  I have posted a lot of help type posts for writers, authors and publishers, but have been a little short on book reviews lately, resolving to do better at that in the coming year.

With Christmas, like many of you, I’ve been receiving many offers to view gifts, and offers to buy gifts.  One of those was something that caught my eye, because I had just passed a couple of policemen stopped at a telephone pole along the road…they were attaching one of those “things” that measure how fast you’re going…I didn’t know the official title for them until I visited a site about police radar.  As you drive by, you see how many miles per hour you are driving, and the hope is that you’ll adjust your speed accordingly.

What if something like this could be used for something fun, like police radar guns that can be used to measure not just serious things like how fast people are driving past your home, but how fast your son’s baseball is going when “in flight”? There are uses for any sport imaginable…and more serious uses as well. As I looked at the site, I saw gift potential…I’m going to have to explore again and see if it’s still possible to get something for Christmas, but more likely, this might be something to consider for some of the birthdays that are coming up in the next few months if it’s for fun. If it’s for more serious reasons, then any time would be a good time, and there is something for every pocket book…great news when the economy is challenging.

Well, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, and lets look ahead to the New Year and all the opportunities that it will bring!

July has slipped away so quickly, and the phrase “Christmas in July” became real to me as I shopped at a neighbors garage sale and purchased a little manger scene, something I’ve wanted for a while, and some new Christmas table cloths.

It’s really never to early to think about Christmas, and since we are a site that focuses on the written word, thought I’d share a site I was introduced to that sells some beautiful christmas cards, cards that you can have personalized. Personally Christmas has special meaning to me as it is the time our family remembers Christ’s birth…the reason we have the word “Christmas” in the first place…so I really liked the card with the lion and lamb lying together. There were many personalized with pictures of children and pets…so cute.

So if you missed Christmas in July, get a taste of it now by visiting this pretty little card site using the link above.

I know my Yorkie, Aspen, would like me to post this on her blog, but I got the lead first, so I win and I’m posting it here:-)

We may talk about books a lot of the time on this blog, but they are entertainment, and so is this adorable movie. Did you see “The Beverly Hills Chihuahua”? I visited the official site today, and watched the irresistible video, and couldn’t get over all the cute Dog Costumes. As a matter of fact, the costumes featured in the movie are from fivestarfido.com, so very cute for anyone who wants to dress up their dog and sit down with some popcorn (our dog loves popcorn) and watch this movie, which is now available on DVD and fun for the whole family…even the family dog!

How many of you authors that stop by to visit this site have written love stories? Please let us know in a comment! Have you read a good love story lately? Do tell!

February will be here soon…I hope…especially today when it is so bitterly cold in the Northeast and I want to hurry the months until Spring. But not so fast as to skip over that romantic date on the Calendar, Valentines Day. It’s a day that plays on the imagination of those who have not yet met “Mr. or Mrs. Right”, and brings back memories for those of us who have…and hopes of making new memories this year.

I have had the pleasure of indulging in reading some extremely romantic World War II letters written by a man to his wife while he was overseas. I picked them up at an auction about a year ago, and have just started to delve into them. I have over 100 letters left to read, he wrote a letter every few days over a period of almost 2 years, and all at least 2 pages long. I can’t help but think that these letters would make a wonderful book. The letters are a testament to the love and devotion this man had for his wife, and reading them is a lesson in romance itself.

As for my love story, well, that’s a story for another day, not quite as dramatic, but our marriage of 3 months shy of 30 years shows the commitment and love that my husband and I share for one another. As for Valentine’s gifts this year? Well, finances are challenging this year for us, and for many others, I’m sure, so gifts will be simple, yet nice. I’ll be looking online as usual, giving my husband ideas, and thinking of ideas for him. It helps inspire ideas to browse sites, like the Valentine’s section of redenvelope.com, for example…browse as much as your “heart” desires and do a little dreaming…and maybe take a lesson from my WWII gentleman, take some time to write a romantic letter to go with your gift…it will be treasured, I promise!

I have not written a book yet, sticking with the short bits of information I can post to my blogs is enough writing for me at present, and sharing information I find about writing so I can learn and be ready when the time comes to write my first book.  Time goes by so quickly, though, that I’m realizing I’d better get to it.  Thought I’d just have a little fun with this post.

I often hear of a condition among writers called “writer’s block”, and I have a solution (don’t take this TOO seriously, it’s really all in fun.)…doodling.  When I have a piece of paper that I’m taking notes on while I’m listening to someone speak, or deep in thought, I’m often doodling.  I’m posting my most common doodle, I did this right online at a website I was invited to look at that offered a Medieval Building set.

One thing lead to another…I went to “Roseart”, then I went to “108 piece art set” then to the “try it” tab…I found fun-to-do things like this all over the site. I love line drawing, maybe that’s why at my age I still have one of my now-grown children’s “etch-a-sketch” toys sitting nearby my favorite place to sit in the living room. So take a little break from writing, and become a child again.  Or if you have a child sitting or standing nearby who is the cause of your writers block…a bit of a distraction…and you’ve already given lots of love and attention and they are still begging for more, send them to this site to play…they’ll love looking at the things there, and playing in the “Family Fun” section.  Your children may be taken with MagNext toys at the site…toys really have changed since we were young! Then maybe, just maybe, you can get back to your writing.