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Category Archives: Christmas


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Serve Up a Savory Slice of Christmas With ‘The Grapefruit Dish’

The Grapefruit Dish: Imperfect Moments Revealing the Meaning of Christmas

By Nancy A. Foran (Indie author, 2026)

Genre: Non-fiction/Holiday, Seasonal

Pages (Print): 92

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.

Kimber the Magnificent here. I know it’s early to be barking about Christmas. But Mom and I? We’re like, World Class Christmas Lovers! We L-O-V-E Christmas! The music! The lights! The trees! The decorations, greetings, singing, baking, gift-wrapping, parties, merry-making and Glory to the Newborn King! And don’t get me started on the food!

So, when Nancy Foran approached us about this new Christmas book thingy, we were like, yeah, baby! As in, “Move over, Rudolph and Frosty. There’s a new Christmas treat in town.” And I didn’t even have to steal it off the kitchen counter to enjoy it! But then I was like, “What does a grapefruit dish have to do with Christmas?” Tip: Keep reading and you’ll find out.

Truth: I usually judge a dish by how fast I can lick it clean. But The Grapefruit Dish is a heartfelt, heartwarming Christmas-ish book that serves up something even better: gentle reminders and reflections that imperfect, messy Christmases are often the ones we remember – and treasure – most! Using examples, stories, and memories from the author’s own life, this warm and nostalgic read shows you how focusing on holiday connections matters more than perfection. And that a Christmas doesn’t have to be flawless to be deeply meaningful.  Like this:

The book has a total of five parts. Each part has two or three themed chapters. Each chapter is headed by an appropriate quote and a Norman Rockwell-ish illustration. (The illustration on page 41 and Chapter 5, One Foggy Christmas Eve? Well. Who can resist that?)

Some chapters wrap up with a question for further reflection. Page by page we see enduring lessons emerge from moments when even the best laid plans go awry. (Kimber: Like that time, I “taste-tested” the Christmas ham. Well. Someone had to do it. But I think Mom has almost forgotten about that. Almost. Don’t remind her, okay?)

Also included: the great “popcorn pirouette.” The Dollar Store Christmas. Christmas during COVID. Advent calendars and candles. Sleigh bells and “ho, ho, ho.” Treasured Christmas memories steeped in love, laughter, and family warmth. Re-thinking gift-giving. Finding expressions of love in unexpected places. Chapter 3, The Grapefruit Dish, reminded us of one of Mom’s old favorites: O. Henry’s The Gift of  the Magi. There’s also lonely Christmases. Tense Christmases. Simmering grudges at Christmas. How a manger became a king-sized bed.

Kimber: As a certified expert in cozy, cuddles, and fireplace naps, I can tell you that this warm and gentle book pairs perfectly with a fuzzy blankie, a hot cuppa, some peppermint sticks and a hooman who’s easily distracted from her snacking. Like a warm mug of cocoa for the soul, The Grapefruit Dish blends the author’s own tender memories to unwrap a softer, sweeter side of Christmas. (Isn’t that a great line? It was my idea. Well, Mom helped. A little.)

Indeed, The Grapefruit Dish offers a beautifully intimate look at the season that feels less like reading a book and more like catching winter’s first snowflakes with an old friend. Expert writing and pitch-perfect pacing thaw the frost off holiday expectations, dial back the seasonal pressure, and invite you to slow down. Relax. Take some deep breaths. And enjoy the season rather than just trying to survive it.

Part festive fireside chat, part personal scrapbook, The Grapefruit Dish unwraps the Christmas magic you forgot you were looking for. It’s an intimate, eye-opening invitation to experience the holiday season anew as the author skillfully sketches a fresh perspective on Christmas, one personal story at a time.

So even though it may seem a bit early to be barking about Christmas, don’t worry and don’t wait. Grab your copy of The Grapefruit Dish today so you can savor it all winter – and beyond!  (Batteries not included. Accessories sold separately.)

We LOVED it!

Our Rating: 4.5


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The Best Gifts of Christmas

“… 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!”

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A Five Minute Festive

Merry Christmas Dear Readers!

 

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?

This One’s For You

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

 


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Honoring Eve

Every year on this day we pause to remember and pay tribute to one of the best friends we ever had. 

Her name was Eve.

She was the most beautiful Yellow Lab ya ever saw.

We post the following reflection every year in Eve’s honor.

This is her story: Remembering Eve.

 

 

 


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10 Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress

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:

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‘Want Some Ketchup With That Crow?’

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.

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Why ‘Dear Santa’ Needs Rudolph

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:

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The Heart of CHRISTMAS!

‘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:

Our best wishes to you and yours for the merriest of Christmases and a Happy New Year!

Mom and Kimber


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XMAS BOOK BASH #3: Evans Twofer

1. If Only

By Richard Paul Evans (2015)

Genre: Fiction – Christmas/Young Adult

Pages: 288 (paperback)

Via: Library

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.)

Blue Plate Special

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:

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XMAS BOOK BASH #4: Will New Xmas Story Go Down in History?

The Greatest Reindeer

By Greg S. Paris, Indie author (2023)

Genre: Fiction/Children’s Christmas Tale

Pages: 199 (Paperback)

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.

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