BOOK: Space Dragon, A Love Story by Carol Ann Kauffman

 

Twelve of Earthfleet's finest starships are floating in space unmanned. The ships are intact with no visible damage, but no life signs or bodies are detected. 

Earthfleet Council decides to send cadets out to fly the spaceships home, despite rumors of carnivorous space pirates.

Is it a rescue mission? There are no life signs.

Is it a recovery mission? There are no bodies to recover.

It's more like a space parking valet mission. Locate and board spaceship. Bring it home.
What could possibly go wrong?

Amazon Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B8MCN26N

But wait! Space Dragon, A Love Story is also available on Amazon's new episodic reading platform, Vella. On Vella, you can read the first three episodes free before deciding if you want to buy the ebook, paperback, or continue reading on Vella.

Vella Link:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09GMVRQT3

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ENTERTAINMENT: *The Night Sky (Prime)

 

Are you ready for a little “weird”? 

The critics hate Night Sky, the story of an elderly couple who has a secret portal to another planet in the basement of their garden shed. 

Superbly acted by Sissy Spaces and J.K. Simmons, this slow-burn senior citizen science fiction for old people reminded me of a Stargate-type of adventure, except geriatrically slow. 

I liked it.

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Winter Travel: Vienna, Austria

Well, as you can tell, Vienna, Austria IS on our Travel Wish List. And we hear it is a stunningly beautiful experience in any season. 

We used to travel exclusively in the summer because I was a teacher. 

When I retired, Autumn became our favorite travel season. The weather is still beautiful, the crowds are gone, and prices are lower. 

So now we are looking at winter travel, and Vienna is high on our list. 

These highlights from Trip Advisor all look enticing, except for that Segway one. That one is not for me. 

- From Condé Nast Traveler and Caitlin Morton

Christmas Book: Twisted Family Holidays Collection by J.R. Wirth

 

Twisted Family Holiday series takes us through some new classic tales for American holidays. The antics in the Christmas books (1 & 5) are particularly entertaining for the whole family, filling us with the literary, Christmas magic we’ve come to love.

Most Helpful Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 starsJR Wirth Does Not Disappoint

By Carol Ann Kauffman on January 20, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

This anthology of "Twilight Zone" type tales, written in Charles Dickens fashion will keep you guessing until the very satisfying endings. Contemporary, solid, warm characters, concise writing with riveting storylines and situations, each has a message that will touch your heart. JR Wirth does not disappoint. I highly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves a collection of unusual tales told by an excellent storyteller

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Family-Holidays-Collection-Wirth-ebook/dp/B019G6CQBE/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453674315&sr=1-8&keywords=JR+Wirth

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SCHEDULE: December 26- 30, 2022

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a lovely holiday

🎄 And a Happy, Healthy 2023. 🎄

Mon., Dec. 26 - ART:

Yugoslavian Artist

Stjepan Ivanec

Tues., Dec. 27 - CHRISTMAS BOOK:

Twisted Holiday Family Collection

by J. R. Wirth

Wed., Dec. 28 - Winter Travel:

Vienna, Austria

Thurs., Dec. 29 - TV TIME:

Night Sky

(Prime Video)

Fri., Dec. 30 - BOOK:

Space Dragon, A Love Story

by Carol Ann Kauffman

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CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS 2022: Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic

Merry Christmas!

If your parties are like ours, you need a mixture of beverages to suit your guests, including kid friendly drinks. Here are a few tried and true favorites. 

1.  GREY GOOSE® CHERRY NOIR

BLACK CHERRY COLA

For an intensely flavorful take on a favorite, GREY GOOSE® Cherry Noir Flavored Vodka unites with cola and a splash of grenadine.

DIFFICULTY

Easy

GLASS

Tall Glass

OCCASION

Brunch, Entertaining

Ingredients

1.5 parts	GREY GOOSE® Cherry Noir
3.5 parts	Cola
0.5 part	Grenadine

Method

1. Fill glass slightly above rim with cubed ice.Pour ingredients in order listed to 1/2 inch from top of glass and stir.Add soda straw and garnish with a cherry.
2. 
   
3. 2. My personal favorite cocktail is the Peach Bellini.  I first had one in Venice long ago.  I don't know how THEY made it, but I use equal parts Prosecco and peach juice.  I have used white grape juice when I couldn't find peach juice.  Frozen grapes make good ice cubes in this version.  Try one.

These are from FREE-N-FUN Christmas, a part of the Oriental Trading Co.  This site holds a 

plethora of ideas on decorating, homemade gifts for crafters of all ages, and recipes. If you are 

not familiar with this site, you still have time to acquaint yourself

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,

Carol

Link:

http://www.bing.com/search?q=FREE-N-Fun%20Christmas&pc=cosp&ptag=A316A5D3C6E4B4B068EF&form=CONMHP&conlogo=CT3210127

3.

4.  Pink Peppermint Party

1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream

1 scoop Peppermint Candy Cane Ice Cream

   Mix in blender.

5. Green Mint Party

1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream

1 scoop Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

   Mix in blender.

6.

 

6. 

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CHRISTMAS MOVIES: The Christmas Chronicles

This was the best Christmas movie and sequel I have ever seen!  The first one was the better of the two and Kurt Russell is the coolest Santa ever. If you haven’t seen this one, add it to your Christmas Traditions and Activities List.  

Winter Travel: Rovaniemi, Finland

Continuing with the Condé Naste Traveler article on winter travel, I think Northern Norway has the distinction of being the perfect place to view the Northern Lights. Remember, upper Norway is dark most of the day from late September until late March. And the Northern Lights play across the sky for those hardy souls who rent small, glass igloos set up high in the mountains to watch the light show. My Norwegian friends claim Norway in winter is the most beautiful place on earth. 

However, I have Finnish friends who beg to differ. The Tree House Hotel in Rovaniemi, Finland is on many travelers Winter Must-See list. I hear it’s Santa’s official hometown! Here you can watch the Northern Light with a hot drink in your hand, snuggled up in bed covered with blankets, hygge-style. 

Photo and paragraph from Condé Naste Traveler article written by Caitlin Morton.  

 

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS: Glitzy Popsicle Stick Ornaments

 These are cute! In school, we made them with cardstock. I precut the colored strips for the tree branches. We only used a popsicle stick for the back of the tree for support. The popsicle sticks need to be painted in advance of the happy assembly session, which must include Christmas music and snacks. Make sure your snacks look VERY different from your stick-ons! 

A variety of flat back stick-on jewels and little stickers allowed for some creativity and choose. I bought puffy star sticks for the tree toppers, but some children opted for wildlife stickers or drew their own topper.

I added the yarn ties when they were all completely dried. 

The original idea came from Pinterest.

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CHRISTMAS# 5 - I Need Christmas, An Oakville Family Christmas

 

After a depressing year of sadness, loneliness, and self-doubt, successful civil engineer and former All-American basketball star Elizabeth (Betsy) Curry returns home to Oakville, Ohio, for the Christmas holidays a depressed and broken women. 

Reeling from her bitter divorce from the handsome, charming, but morally decrepate Tommy DeMalio, her college sweetheart and first big love, who left her after two years of what she thought was a good marriage for a stripper he met at an office bachelor party for her co-worker, Betsy feels lost and empty

Not exactly anticipating the happy holiday with her family and their multitude of joyful Christmas customs and long-time storybook-like traditions, she knows she needs them in order to heal. 

Once comfortable at home and feeling somewhat better about herself, Tommy shows up and claims he wants a reconciliation, throwing her back into the self-destructive cycle of doubt, hostility, and suspision she is trying so hard to escape.

She discovers her father has set her up with his protégé at work, the tall, handsome, athletic red-haired Patrick, who, try as hard as she can, she can’t find a single thing she doesn’t like about him.

So, what’s the problem? Betsy feels it’s too soon for her to love again. How can she love anyone again when she doesn’t like herself or what she’s become since the break-up. Also, she fears she will hurt the sweet, gentle Patrick.

Will the love, joy, and goodwill of the holiday season coupled with the many long-time holiday customs and Curry family traditions help Betsy to find herself again? Will she be strong enough to lift herself out of her self-induced prison so that she can take another chance on love ? 

SCHEDULE: December 19- 23, 2022

 Mon., December 19 -  CHRISTMAS BOOK:

I Need Christmas

by Carol Ann Kauffman

 Oakville Family Christmas Series

Tues., December 20 -  CHRISTMAS CRAFT:

Glitzy Popsicle Stick Ornaments

Wed., December 21 - WINTER TRAVEL:

Rovaniemi, Finland

Thurs., December 22 - TV TIME:

Best Christmas Movie

The Christmas Chronicles

Fri., December 23 - CHRISTMAS:

Christmas Cocktails 2022

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CHRISTMAS CRAFT: Snow Globe Gift Tags

These adorable snow globes are so cute! 

And they make perfect gift tags or tree ornaments. 

They’re easy enough to make to be a whole family activity. 

From Handmade Charlotte.

Found on Pinterest. 

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ENTERTAINMENT: *Moonhaven (AMC)

Okay, this was a little hard to follow. But there was something about it that drew me in. 

One hundred years in the future, Earth cargo pilot Bella finds herself stuck on this moon colony artificial paradise run by artificial intelligence. She finds a sister, discovered another sister just died, and learn the mother who abandoned her on Earth fled to the moon had a new family on the moon.

Meanwhile on Earth, the planet is on a fast track to destruction.

Can Bella and a local detective figure out what's going on and stop the destruction of Earth?  

 

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Winter Travel: Prague, Czech Republic

 

Okay, I’ll admit it, Prague is not on my list of places to visit before I die or end up on a walker and in Depends. 

Yes, yes, it oozes Old World Charm. 

Yes, yes, it looks like the Christmas village under the Christmas tree. 

And, yes, yes, their Christmas marketplace is second only to Germany.

I haven’t met anyone who has actually traveled to Prague in the winter yet, so I haven’t hear any personal stories of travel nightmares, food intolerances, bus stop aggravation, etc. 

We’ll have to wait and see.

CHRISTMAS ARTS & CRAFTS: Ornament Wreath

 

From Pinterest

I love this blue and white theme. In my Dining Room, I have a white stick tree with blue and white ornaments and I just love it. I would make one of these wreaths, but I don't have the space between the front door and the storm door. It would get crushed. If you make it, send us a photo. 

That's my sweet Lily Rose under the tree. 

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