A Lot Can Sure Happen in a Year!

One year ago today, our middle son married his Preciosa.  It was an extraordinarily beautiful day, and the start of an extraordinarily beautiful life.

These two kids are perfect for each other, in every possible way.  Both have happy dispositions.  They are both the type of people who make friends easily and love to plan fun outings.  They are both passionate about college football (and live in a house divided, with Preciosa rooting for her beloved Seminoles, while son #3 wonders what ever happened to the luck of the Irish!).  They are fiercely devoted to whomever and whatever they love...and more than anything, they love each other.

I'm so proud of these two young newlyweds, who found each other on CatholicMatch.com--because out there in the post-college world they just weren't meeting the kind of people with whom they felt they could share their futures.  They were looking for faith-filled mates who shared their love of the Catholic Church and its teachings, and who would take seriously the sacramental aspect of marriage.  And what's especially refreshing in this day and age is that they wanted to put themselves 100% in God's hands, knowing that He alone is the perfect "family planner" and would send them children when they were ready.  Well...

Less than two months after they recited their wedding vows, they got the joyful news that their first child was on the way.  And this absolutely adorable little guy was their reward for their trust in God's will for their marriage.

Is that not THEE cutest face you've ever seen?  (Tied with three other faces, actually--said this proud Grammy.)  He often seems to be the spitting image of his dear old dad at that age; but other times, we can see his mommy in that expressive little face.  He's part dad, part mom--but he's ALL G-Man!  And like all of God's creations, he is utterly one-of-a-kind.

A lot can sure happen in a year's time, can't it?

Happy anniversary to my sweet boy and his sweet girl.  You have made a beautiful start on what I pray is a long and happy life together, and I couldn't love you more or be more proud of you. 

(Now kiss that little boy's cheeks for me, and tell him Grammy can't wait to see him in a few weeks!)

Advent Activities (and a Giveaway Reminder)

I love Advent. 

I get excited when it's time to pull out our oversized Advent wreath each year, and to light a new candle each Sunday--something my hubby and I used to do with our boys, but which we now do together (unless he's off on a trip to somewhere else when he'd rather be home with his favorite girl; then I have to do it alone).  It sits atop a coffee table that's 36 inches by 36 inches, and it fills up most of the tabletop.  Go big or go home; that's what we always say.

I love this wreath.  We made it ourselves, many years ago.  My husband used his jigsaw to cut out a huge plywood "doughnut" shape, which I then painted green.  I glued lots of faux greenery to the wood, leaving room for four round glass discs--which I found on the cheap at Wal-Mart to hold the pillar candles, and glued onto the wood as well.  We ordered our large 7-day-burning candles, which we keep lit throughout the week, from a Catholic church supply company.  A few years ago, I added a straw-filled "manger" and Baby Jesus to the center of the wreath.

We love to pass by the darkened living room at night and see those Advent candles glowing, a constant reminder of the true reason for the season.

I finally got the tree all decorated--which is a massive feat, if you know how many ornaments I have!  There are more ornaments per square inch on that 9-and-1/2-foot artificial tree than the law allows.  (I actually ran a "guess how many ornaments I have" contest here at String of Pearls in 2013, and I gave away a hand-painted Santa ornament as a prize.  The number then was 439.  And it's grown.)

 

Not to be outdone by Mrs. Excessive, my husband (a.k.a., "Clark Griswold") has increased the number of lights on the tree.  When we succumbed to the ease of an artificial tree a while back, after years of going to a local Christmas tree farm with our sons to cut down our own, it came with 1,000 white lights on it.  When partial strands started to go out, we painstakingly removed all the attached lights and added our own.  This year, there are 2,500 lights on there (a combination of white and colored), and it looks magical.

I have acquired two new daughters-in-law since last Christmas, so I needed two more stockings.  I was all set to go out and buy them, but then I remembered my stash of lovely fabrics and laces, which I found in my dear late mother-in-law's attic (a treasure-filled place--piled to the rafters with material and other notions--that could have been a satellite store for JoAnn's Fabrics.  And that's not an exaggeration!).  I was pleased that I had some lengths of cranberry-colored velveteen, as well as a half-dozen linen and lace napkins that are way too beautiful to let my family wipe their gravy-stained mouths on them at holiday dinners.  So I used the lace parts of two of the napkins to embellish a pair of identical stockings, one for son #4's bride Braveheart and one for son #2's bride Ginger

Both stockings are lined with off-white satin, remnants from the three dresses I made for the older flower girls in Ginger's wedding party.  So there's all kinds of nostalgia sewn into these stockings, which makes them that much better in my book.  I just have to write my new daughters' names on them, above the intricate cutwork, with fabric paint.  (I KNOW, professional embroidery would be so much classier...but there's nothing like that homemade touch, right?)

Well, I have to go...because I'm in the middle of a big project--some gifts I've been working on for my boys.  I can't show you yet; some of them actually read this blog, so that might ruin the whole surprise.  But I'll show you after Christmas.  :O   (That's my excited face.)

Before I go, don't forget to leave me a comment, for a chance to win a signed copy of Erin's Ring.  (If you want to learn more about this Catholic YA novel, click on the image of the book's cover there on the sidebar.)  I'm taking comments until midnight on December 8, and I'll announce the winner on the 9th.

Happy Advent to you and yours!

A Visit from Santa?



My boxes of books arrived Monday!  

Why, 'tis me books, that it is!  Faith 'n begorrah!

I love you, UPS man!  Your big brown truck looked like Santa's sleigh to me, it truly did!  And those three cardboard boxes you dropped off might as well have been covered in shiny paper and tied up with ribbon! 

Woo hoo--Erin's Ring is now in print and available for sale!  (Wow, I've used a lot of exclamation points in this post, haven't I?  Can you tell I'm pumped?)


Right now, Erin's Ring is on back order at Amazon, but hopefully that will change soon.  :)

In the meantime, you can read what my dear blogging "pen pal" Tiffany had to say about the book on her blog, Life of a Catholic Librarian.  Tiffany has been a loyal friend, always supporting my work.  (Her review of Finding Grace was so sweet, thoughtful, and generous.)  I love it that her endorsement of ER appears on the back cover of the book.  How fitting!  There is a dear Catholic librarian who plays a vital role in the story--so who better to have associated with it than Tiffany, who is a Catholic librarian IRL?

Don't forget that there's a giveaway over at Goodreads.  Enter before December 15 and you could win one of 3 signed paperback copies.  Or you could just leave me a comment before December 8, because I'm giving away one copy here at String of Pearls, too.

(This is a very link-filled post.  If you find that annoying, my apologies!)

Twinsies

You probably figured that this post was going to be about my identical twin granddaughters (now three-and-a-half).  But I tricked you, it's not.  It's about my #2 son and me.

My second-born has always had a strong resemblance to his dear old mom.  Back in July of 2013 I blogged about it here at String of Pearls, and I showed you this side-by-side photo comparison.  Kind of eerie, isn't it?

I used to dress my two oldest boys like twins, as you can see.
(How do you like the athletic shorts & dress shirt combo?)
But this little guy looked more like me than his older brother!

We could indeed be twins here.  Put my chin-length, sponge roller-curled hair on him, and he's pretty much me; or cut my locks off, and I'm pretty much him.  Am I right?

Well, that smooth-faced little boy grew up, and the resemblance between us seemed to be a thing of the past.  For instance, today he sports varying amounts of facial hair (which I don't, thank goodness...YET, anyway!).  His soft boy face has morphed into a rugged man face.  I'm a shrinking Grammy with fragile bones, and he's a big, strong ex-offensive lineman.  How could we possibly still look alike? 

Well, check out this mother-son picture from his November 2014 wedding.

I'd say the resemblance is still going strong, wouldn't you?  Take some hair off his face, and put a lot more on his head (and I mean A LOT, because I'd had the volume pumped way up on mine, thanks to a salon treatment that was gifted to me by my new daughter-in-law), and he's pretty much me again.  Can you see it?

While you're at it, notice that we even dressed up in a similar shade of gray. Awww...and we didn't even plan that.

I used to think it would be interesting, after Bonny Babe and Cutie Pie get a little bit older, to ask what it's like to look at another person's face and feel like you're looking in a mirror.  Never mind.  I think I know!

Book News

I'm very excited, because a big box filled with copies of Erin's Ring is supposed to arrive today!  I can hardly wait to hold the actual finished book in my hand.  I have this copy, a print-out of the final galley...

...but it's not the same thing!  I'm dying to hold the real deal in my hands, and to see that beautiful cover my publisher, Cheryl Dickow, created--using an illustration that so perfectly brings to life a favorite scene of mine from the story that it's positively uncanny!

I've heard that those who've ordered already from Amazon have been informed that it's on back order, but hopefully they won't have to wait too long before they receive their copies.  And I've also been asked by several would-be readers if the book will have a Kindle version.  The answer to that is yes, but not right away.  For now, the publisher and I have decided to go "old school" (my favorite way to go in most things!) and offer Erin's Ring in paperback form only.  But all you hip, modern eBookers out there can rest assured that eventually, there will be a version you can read on your Kindle or iPad.  (Is the term "hip" still in use?  Or is it completely un-hip to say "hip"?)

I have been so blessed by this book already, because several Catholic authors were kind enough to read it in pre-publication manuscript form and then endorse it--among them Nancy Carabio Belanger (author of Olivia and the Little Way, Olivia's Gift, and The Gate).  Nancy also recently wrote a blog post about a special Christmas offer from Bezalel Books that includes my new book, and here's a link to Nancy's post: http://nancybelanger.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-christmas-mother-daughter-special.html.  (Thanks so much, Nancy!  I will never be able to repay you for your help and support--not to mention your enthusiasm!)

Readers, you've probably heard of Nancy, whose wonderful works of YA fiction are popular with Catholic schools and homeschools. What thrills and humbles me is that she believes Erin's Ring is also the type of book that would enhance school curricula. It is part historical fiction, part modern YA lit, and it is filled with a deep love for the Faith.  If you are a Catholic educator or homeschooler, it might fit perfectly into your reading, history, or religion syllabus.

My husband and I have ordered extra copies (which are supposed to arrive today, in that big box I mentioned!  Woo hoo!).  If you'd like a signed paperback copy, I can offer them here at the blog for a limited time, for $12 a copy--and that includes shipping and handling.  Just contact me via email (There's an "Email me" button on the side bar on the right side of this page), and I can get your order processed.

Before I go, don't forget about the Christmas giveaway here at String of Pearls.  Just leave me a comment before December 8, and you could be the winner of a signed copy of Erin's Ring.

Now I'll just sit here and wait for a big brown truck to rumble down my driveway, carrying that special box...

A Mother-Daughter Christmas Offer from Bezalel Books

The power went out at my house on Wednesday during a snowstorm, and even though it was restored on Thanksgiving afternoon, I haven't been able to get the Internet up and running.  And my IT specislist (a.k.a., my husband) has been in Europe, working an airline trip.  So in case you were wondering where I was...

ANYWAY--

I decided to try something I've only done once or twice before: to blog from my cell phone.  (This thing is my lifeline, I'll tell you!  When the house was cold and dark and the telephone land line was dead, this little gizmo was my lifeline!)

My publisher Cheryl Dickow sent me a link today that she wanted me to share.  She's offering a special holiday "mother-daughter" deal over at Bezalel Books, which includes her inspirational novel Elizabeth, a Holy Land Pilgrimage and my new YA novel Erin's Ring.  One for the moms and one for their daughters--but really both books can be enjoyed by women of ALL ages.

Quantities of this special bundle package are limited, so hurry on over and check it out!

Moms of young girl readers, this could be you:

Or this:

Well, you get the picture.  It could be a beautiful thing.

(Full disclosure: I'm at my sister's house and just hopped on her Internet, so I was able to finish this post up on my laptop--thank goodness!)

Erin's Ring is Out, Just in Time for Christmas Gift-giving!

Erin's Ring is now available for purchase!

If you're Irish (or even if you're not), you're going to love this book.  If you wear a Claddagh ring (or even if you don't), you're going to love this book.  If you're a history buff (but even if you're not), you're going to love this book.  If sweet, wholesome love stories make your heart go pitter-pat (and if they don't, what's wrong with you anyway?!), you're going to love this book.  I don't mean to sound big-headed about my own book; but that right there, folks--that's called "marketing."  (How did I do?)

The Amazon page for Erin's Ring is up and running, ready to receive your orders; and if you head on over there soon, you'll be able to have a copy tucked under the Christmas tree, all wrapped up with love, for your favorite young (or old!) reader.

 

If you do check out the Erin's Ring page on Amazon, you'll see that this YA novel has already received endorsements from some respected names in the Catholic fiction world, including Nancy Carabio Belanger, Rosemary McDunn, Amy M. Bennett, and Kay Murdy, as well as a blogger with whom you might be familiar (Tiffany, who blogs at Life of a Catholic Librarian).

I am a huge fan of Belanger, whose popular Olivia books are beloved by many and widely used in school curriucla; therefore I was especially humbled by her words: "Highly recommended for Catholic classrooms, Erin's Ring is a Catholic novel that weaves Irish-American history with the present.  This wholesome novel had me shed tears of sadness and joy, and these brave young Irish-Catholic women from different generations drew me in.  Lovingly and tenderly written, Erin's Ring is a story of true friendship, sacrificial love, and above all, the God Who is never bound by time or space."

Cheryl Dickow (president of Bezalel Books, the publisher of both Finding Grace and Erin's Ring), wrote a beautiful blog post today about not only the book, but about the kind of strong, courageous women you'll find in its pages.  If you'd like to read Cheryl's post, click here.

My publisher believes in this book.  My husband believes in this book (big surprise there).  And I believe in it, too.  I would love nothing more than to get it into the hands of as many young readers as possible.  Therefore--

I'm hosting a Christmas giveaway here at String of Pearls.  I'm going to send one lucky reader a signed copy of Erin's Ring.  Just leave me a comment between now and December 8, and I'll put all the names in a hat and choose one.

Okay then.  I look forward to hearing from you.  And may you have the luck of the Irish.