“… all snug in her bed…”
Kimber: Mom just called me in from the yard. ‘Bout time. That big yellow ball in the sky is starting to spread across the horizon like a giant egg yolk. Temperatures are dropping. The Powder Puff just sauntered past. Why that canine lets her owner deck her out in that green and red jacket + reindeer antlers, I’ll never know.
Anyway, when Mom opened the porch door, I caught a whiff of Something Warm and Wonderful inside. She says, “Kimber, dinner! Come!”
Mom and I have cooked up something short and sweet for you today. Well, actually we cooked this up last year. But who’s counting? Besides. Ya see, one of us is being a lazy slug today (Hi, Mom). Come to think of it, I, Kimber, am a bit tuckered, too.
Mom says solitude can be hard to come by in our rush-rush, hurry up, instant everything society. Grabbing a few quiet moments to refresh and recharge can be a challenge any time. But it’s particularly tough during the holidays, huh?
So if holiday merry-making has you ready to tear your hair out or your festive feathers are a bit ruffled, this is for you.
Slow down. Grab a hot cuppa. Plop in a peppermint stick. Sit down. Put your feet up. Give Manheim Steamroller’s Stille Nacht (Silent Night) a listen. Five quiet minutes. You’ll be glad you did.
Know someone who could use a yuletide boost? Don’t forget to share!
Snowy field image credit: Public domain
Every year on this day we pause to remember and pay tribute to one of the best friends we ever had.
She was the most beautiful Yellow Lab ya ever saw.
We post the following reflection every year in Eve’s honor.
Kimber: You know I’m a happy camper, right? I mean, hey. My middle name is “merry and bright”! So I don’t quite get all this barking about “holiday stress.” Mom says it’s a thing. So it must be a thing.
Well. You also know I’m a helper. I help going out on walks and hikes. Cleaning up kitchen spills. Guarding the house. Especially from menacing deer. Lurking Fed Ex drivers. Sketchy-looking plastic bags.
Being a world class helper and all, I figure I better help with this holiday stress thing. So here are my top ten tips for reducing holiday stress. Ready? Okay. Here goes:
Yo! Wazzup?
Kimber: The ‘Ole Curmudgeon (TOC) can’t come to the blog right now. She’s hunting up the nearest plate and fork. So I’m gonna take over for a min, okay?
Now. You know that the OC is like, super-duper opinionated. On Pretty. Much. Everything. Especially books. We don’t apologize for that one bit. In fact, it’s one of Mom’s best features. (I can’t remember the other two at the moment. Can I get back to you on that that?)
Anyway, Mom’s been whaling away on the last few Kristin Hannah novels she read. Cuz they were like, lousy. Lookin’ at you, The Women. Distant Shores. Summer Island. The Four Winds. Barf-o-rama x4.
So Mom and I are diving into that “Christmas reading” thing. With both feet. And four paws. I’m not quite sure what ‘Christmas reading’ means. But if Mom likes it, then so do I!
We have some perennial favorites. Like Richard Paul Evans’ The Christmas Box. Earl Hamner Jr.’s The Homecoming. The Polar Express. That green dude, Whoville, and his dog Max. Luke 2.
We also grab some new titles every year. That’s how we found Dear Santa. By Nancy Naigle. I’ll let The ‘Ole Curmudgeon fill ya in:
‘It’s not easy being beautiful and brilliant. But someone’s gotta do it!’
Thank you for joining us for a year of gaining new friends, discovering new authors, and savoring good books!
For those who’ve taken the time to read Pages and Paws, share links, like a post, comment, submit guest articles or recommend Pawsome titles new and old, THANK YOU!
It’s been a great ride. We’re looking forward to more in 2024!
Please join us as we celebrate today with one of our favorites. By Matthew West:
“Wherever you are, no matter how far,
Come back to the heart, the heart of Christmas.
Live while you can, and cherish the moment.
The ones that you love, make sure they know it…”
And today:
Mom and Kimber
Mom’s in her kerchief and I’m in my cap. We’ve just settled down for a long winter’s nap. We’re waiting for some dude to show up. He has a little round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowlful of jelly.
No idea what that means. But if Mom likes it, then so do I.
Anywho, we’re talking about Christmas books today. And one of our favorite authors popped up. Richard Paul Evans reigns supreme as “the King of the Christmas novel.” Evans perches high on our Favorite Authors List. We’ve read just about every title he’s ever written. And Evans is a prolific writer, if ya know what I mean. Mom’s been reading his books ever since 2003, when she nabbed the Evans book that started it all: The Christmas Box. It’s a perennial fave. And if you haven’t read it, you should. Cuz it’s really really good. (Mom re-reads it every holiday season. Since 2003. That must be some kind of a record. And yes, she has it pretty much memorized.)
Anyway, today we’re bringing you an Honest to Goodness, Tail-Waggin’, Bow-wowin’, Bark-worthy Mom and Kimber Blue Plate Special. Also known as a “Richard Paul Evans Twofer.”
First, we recently re-read an Evans Christmassy novel called If Only. One of us didn’t realize we’d already read it until she was about halfway in. But you know Mom. (It was previously published as Grace. That’s what threw us off. So there!)
Anyway again, If Only isn’t Evans’ typical Christmas novel. Those usually center around love found. Love lost. Hopes dashed. Lives ruined. But then…. Redemption. Rescue. Love rediscovered. Forgiveness. Grace. Strong undercurrents of faith, hope, and love swirl throughout the typical Evans Christmas novel. And although there’s All of the Above in If Only, it marks a dramatic departure from Evans’ typical Christmas fare.
That’s cuz If Only touches on a difficult topic: child abuse. Not exactly the stuff that makes for chestnuts roasting on an open fire or Jack Frost nipping at your nose. But Evans’ handling of the topic is so sensitive and poignant and understated, he pulls it off. One powerful page after another. Like this:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen… But do you recall the greatest reindeer of all, Kris’s closest friend and protector, Cedric? He didn’t have a shiny nose, but Cedric shines bright in the pages of this expertly crafted blend of magic, myth, legend, and a betrayal that changed everything.
‘Tis the season, folks! For merry-making. Decking the halls. Fa-la-la-la-laing. Snuggling up with a hot cuppa. Plopping in a peppermint stick. Curling up with a Christmas-themed fave or binge-watching some good ‘ole Christmas movies.
‘You gonna eat that?’
Mom and I were gonna do our version of Best Christmas Movies Ever today. You know. George Bailey and Bedford Falls. Pine Tree Inn, Vermont and lots of snow. The Grinch. Then we thought about some “lost,” lesser-known Christmas movies worth watching. Made a list. Checked it twice.
Here ’tis (in no particular order):
Pages & Paws 