We had planned a 12-hour winter solstice drumming event for today. The food was bought, the space organized, the drums and percussion instruments all set out. We also have 6-8 inches of snow expected by tomorrow morning. Oh well. I’d rather my friends be safe at home than on the road. It’s better the storm hit us now than on Tuesday for our party.
I have to say, the prospect of deep snow tickles the little kid in me. Must go buy bread, milk, and eggs to prepare. 🙂
Today is the darkest day of the year, the day with the least amount of daylight. People have marked this moment and done so for tens of thousands of years. Tonight, turn off your electric lights and immerse yourself in the long dark. Light candles and reflect. Share the stories of your lives with your loved ones. Tell them how thankful you are that they are in your life. The return of sun is a good time to take stock, a time to be thankful the sun will rise in the morning and you’ll live to see another day. Because of this, the winter solstice is a time to mend relationships and renew your hope and goodwill. And come tomorrow, you’ll find the day just a little bit longer, a little bit brighter. Spring is around the corner.
“The simplicity of winter has a deep moral. The return of Nature, after such a career of splendor and prodigality, to habits so simple and austere, is not lost either upon the head or the heart. It is the philosopher coming back from the banquet and the wine to a cup of water and a crust of bread.”
~John Burroughs, “The Snow-Walkers,” 1866
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Love Waits in Unexpected Places – Scorching Samplings of Unusual Love Stories
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/333971
Sample my love stories for free!
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If you’re here for the first time, 
my husband and I arebuilding a vintage holiday postcard scrapbook one card at a time. I’ve been posting one or two post cards each day and plan to keep it up from now until January.
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Here’s another party recipe from the mountain of files…
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Spread
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened.
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 jar (7.5 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Spread cream cheese onto bottom of microwaveable 9-inch pie plate. Mix spinach, artichokes, mozzarella and garlic powder until blended; spread over cream cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Microwave until heated through. Serve with pita chips, French bread slices, or tortilla chips.
Amazingly good.
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Author Renee Vincent’s blog day.
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/
RB4U is participating in author Nikki Barrett’s READER APPRECIATION GIVEAWAY — Lots of prizes. Enter today!
https://www.facebook.com/NikkiLynnBarrettauthor/app_228910107186452
Our December contest has approximately 30 prizes for one winner, including a $75 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. I’m adding a free book from my backlist to the loot. Read the pages and find the dancing Santas.
http://www.romancebooks4us.com/
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Several promotional opportunities for romance authors can be found on my Exquisite Quills group blog.
Tomorrow: Set the Scene in Six
http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/
First Kiss Wednesday ~ share your best 300 word kiss.
Set the Scene in Six ~ share your backdrop or lead-up on Sundays.
The Genesis of the Story ~ share the spark that ignited your novel
Author Interviews ~ We’re booking 2014 now.
Coming January 2014
A place for your old stars to shine
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Exquisite Quills presents A Holiday Anthology Vol. 1
Many holiday short stories in several styles written
by more than a dozen authors. And it’s FREE!
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374815
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calliopeswritingtablet.com 
I’m sorry about your event. Maybe some solitary drumming while thinking about each other will send good spirits into the world. 🙂
The one and only time in my life that it has snowed more than an inch here (Houston) was when I was little and had the flu 😦 I remember staring out the window at the snow watching my older sister make a snowman. The next day, she made snow ice cream that was yummy. I would have been happy with the snow and snuggled in your cozy house for drumming 🙂
Were it not for the bad roads we would have done the solstice drumming anyway. But my friends all have their own holiday things to see to and wouldn’t want to spend the night. I love them far too much to chance it. We’ll drum like crazy before New Years. 🙂 I’d invite you to drum if you weren’t so far away.
Happy Winter Solstice! Drum a little at home anyway…
Thanks. 🙂 We’ll drum later this week.
Never thought of the first day of Winter as being the “Long Dark”! Is drumming a tradition for you?
We’ve drummed in the New year for thirteen years, but every time we try to plan a solstice event, we have a winter storm. It’s like washing your car and then it rains. lol