Remember the Old Good News/Bad News Jokes? Well...

If you do, you'll understand this post right away.

If you don't, I'm going to introduce you to them with this post.

Now all the facts are true. I'm just telling them to you in a different way.

It all started on Tuesday night when Timothy texted me. One of the older workers at our complex was out snow blowing. It was about thirteen hours after he'd been at our townhome installing a new dishwasher (ours broke down a week ago, yes before Christmas).

Around 9:30 p.m., I went downstairs for some water to take with my medicine. Here we go.

Me: So I stopped by the picture window to check on him, you know, to be sure he was OK.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No it's not. When I turned away from the window, I caught my right pinkie toe on a box. The toe went one way, and I went another.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, It's not. It really didn't hurt so I hobbled to the kitchen to ice it right away, just in case, to prevent swelling.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. As soon as the ice touched my toe, the zero pain went to thirty on a scale of one to ten!

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it isn't. I've done this to my pinky toes more than once over the years: I'm running to catch a rebellious toddler, or I'm rushing into a room to get ready for work. I know the signs of a sprained toe and how to buddy tape it.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. I can't do a proper job of buddy taping by myself.

You: That's terrible.

Me: No, it's not. Rebekah lives with me, and she is very good at buddy taping.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. She was hanging out next door with Timothy, and my phone was upstairs, forty-four miles away from the kitchen.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. I was able to hobble upstairs and call her. She came home right away.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No it's not. I kept catching the tape on the blankets all night, and the resulting pain would wake me up.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. By morning, the toe didn't hurt at all.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. I had so much numbness in the buddy toe that I was concerned about its circulation. Also, I had numbness and tingling in about half my foot. It didn't feel like a simple sprain.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. We kept an eye on it and decided to go to quick care right after lunch. Timothy had no problem taking me and kept distracting me with talks of buying a new car all the way out to Minooka.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. I have a phobia of having my blood pressure being taken. I flip out just by being in the same room as a blood pressure cuff. Plus, it's the holidays, and we're in the middle of a pandemic and flu season. The last place I want to go is quick care.

You: That's terrible.

Me: No, it's not. The waiting room was empty, and I was taken to a room in less than five minutes.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. The certified nurse assistant immediately started taking my blood pressure, and the nurse started asking me questions, so I couldn't practice my relaxation techniques. I did warn the CNA that I'm "white coat extraordinaire."

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. The CNA simply kept taking my blood pressure until she got a normal reading. She inspired so much confidence in me that I immediately relaxed and stayed that way.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. I quickly went to X-ray where a second technician had to hold my toe waaay apart from the rest of my toes to get the proper imaging. It HURT!

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. The X-ray showed only a sprain. The nurse practitioner said someone would call if the radiologist saw a break. I was re-buddy-taped and out the door in less than an hour for the total visit.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. When I got to the car, Timothy told me he had done a "silly thing." Always frugal, Timothy had shut the car off to save gas. But he had forgotten to turn off the headlights. The battery on the car had died, and it was cold and windy outside.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. He called a brother in Morris who's very good with cars, The brother came out immediately to jump the battery.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. This brother has a medical note because he gets claustrophobia wearing a facemask. And he got in the car with me a couple of times.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. I had my facemask on, and he didn't stay long, just to check gauges. He offered to help Timothy buy a battery at an auto supply store and change it on the spot. The battery that died was the original one with the vehicle, so it's five years old.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. The cheapest battery for that car cost more than going to shop for a better battery and installation.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it isn't. The "jumped" charge lasted all the way home, and Timothy paid his older brother for his time and expertise.

You: Aw, that's wonderful!

Me: No, it's not. The brother is broke and wasted the money on lobster. In the meantime, quick care called back and said the toe was fractured at the base.

You: That's terrible!

Me: No, it's not. We got safely home due to the brother's generosity. When Timothy took the battery to the shop, the mechanic couldn't believe Timothy had been driving it. He said the battery was one hundred percent completely dead. So the mechanic quickly installed the new battery. The battery and installation cost less than the cheap battery at the parts store, and no one had to crawl around on the cold ground to install it.

You: That's wonderful!

Me: It really was.

This is why yesterday was a wonderful day.

I still felt good about checking on an older person who was outside in the cold, windy, snowy night with a snowblower, even if it cost me a broken toe in the process

I had the opportunity to face my fear about blood pressures - and I had a determined CNA who believed me and saw for herself how the BP eventually came down.

Timothy didn't get stuck in a terrible place with a battery that would have eventually died anyway. And another brother got to feel good about himself to help (and wound up with a lobster dinner).

Now here's another blessing.

You see, I have this list of miscellaneous projects I'd rather not carrying into 2021. Except I've spent a lot of time with my family this Christmas vacation (which I wanted to do and should do), and my time is running out for getting these projects done.

Well, between the snow and the toe fracture, I won't be talking ten miles a day this week, that's for sure. So just like that, the walking time has turned into project time. Isn't that marvelous how things work out after all?

Finally, I supposed you're wondering what my calico Faith has to do with this post.

The answer to that is - nothing. She jumped up on my lap while I was attempting to write this blog.

"White Christmas" as sung by Jim Chuporak

Two Feast Days, One Celebration: Several Weeks Late

 Rebekah and I have a lovely tradition every December.

We share a share a feast day that's celebrated on two different days: December 8 and December 9.

When I was growing up Roman Catholic, I made my First Communion on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

That year, our parish church (St. Bernard's in Joliet) had decided the children would make their First Communion based on readiness.

We were given little books to study. And then we had to pass a test. So my mother the Sisters associated with the school to dinner at our house around Thanksgiving.

And then my second grade teacher, Sister Bartholomew (later renamed to Sister Rhea) and I went down to our finished basement. She went through the little booklet and asked me questions. Then we went upstairs, and she told my parents I had passed.

I was the first to make my First Communion in my class. The following Sunday, another girl (Mary Fitzpatrick) made hers.

Rebekah's middle name is "Anne." In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Conception of St. Anne (the counterpart to the Immaculate Conception) is celebrated on December 9.

So for years, I would take Rebekah to Cracker Barrel for a special lunch and time to browse the retail story, which we especially enjoy during the pre-Christmas holidays. In fact, Christmas isn't Christmas to Rebekah without our annual December trip to Cracker Barrel.

When Rebekah was younger, it was easier to schedule that lunch date on December 8 or December 9, depending on my freelance deadlines.

But once Rebekah was in college, and I was the features editor at The Herald-News, hitting the 8th or the 9th became challenging due to our conflicting schedules. So we'd shoot for the nearest weekend that I wasn't on call.

This year, between the pandemic and the fact I was in training that week (and then using up the rest of my vacation time between Christmas and New Year), the feast day passed us with scarcely a notice from us.

Yesterday, we remedied that as we continued with our film festival.

And she even brought home some of the soft center candy canes she especially enjoys. 

When You're NOT in Hot Water (and really want to be there)

After a really engaging three hours last night at the 5amwritersclub Virtual Holiday Cocktail Party, we (my family) wound up with a hot water emergency - at midnight!

Clue number one: When you jump into the shower with the settings just right (because you have turned those knobs exactly the same way thousands of times) and the water pelts you like sleet.

So it's definitely a late rising today - although it was so dark outside, it certainly didn't feel like it.

Fortunately, I'm off work until 2021, so a slow, slightly groggy day isn't impeding anything except a fluid list of personal projects I'm hoping to cross off my to-do list before I cross into the new year.

If you haven't checked it out (yes, I'm back with it), I'm running a special holiday promotion on BryonySeries books to help give back to a local independent bookstore that has supported local authors for decades and partnered with WriteOn Joliet for the last few years.

For details, visit bryonyseries.com/promotions.

For the reason why I decided to offer it (which has little to do with capitalizing on the holidays), read this post.

And if you're not certain you wish to participate and want to browse excerpts from my fiction, go here.

And have a wonderful Monday! :)

Photo by Timothy Baran

A Christmas Gift for Ed Calkins

I like chocolate way more than candy canes at Christmas or any time. But if I am going to eat a candy cane, I want a traditional cane in a traditional size.

But when I was a child, I typically only receive the miniature ones, always to my dismay.

So as a parent, I only dispersed the "regular-sized" candy canes to my kids - and usually only for St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6), about the one day of the year that I eat an actual candy cane. True to form, I've eaten just the one this year - I have more still tucked inside my stocking.

I became a fan of candy canes on that day years ago after reading a blessing prayer for candy canes on St. Nicholas day in a book my mother sold in her Christian gift shop.

It was called Prayers for the Domestic Church (originally published in 1979), and I longed to own that book. My oldest kids were very young, and I was building up our home prayer life at the time and seeking ways to seamlessly weave that into our ordinary lives.

My mother gave it to me at Christmas one year. We used it so much, most of the pages split apart from the binding. The book was lost in one of our many moves.

The blessing prayer for St. Nicholas candy canes is here.

But now, I also like miniature candy canes all though December, especially if they are cold. And that's because of Ed Calkins.

When my family and I delivered newspapers in the middle of the night, and when Ed Calkins was my supervisor for one of those routes, he always distributed miniature candy canes with our route books. And he did this every day throughout December.

I believe that an ordinary gift, when given sincerely and with well wishes, becomes more than an ordinary gift. 

I'd usually eat that candy cane while we were actually out about in the middle of the night, windows down, heat blasting on high. We had nearly a thousand papers (not counting Ron's papers), so we were out there about three hours every night.

This year, when Ed and Nancy Calkins dropped of the artwork for Ruthless, he also dropped off three round peppermint balls, apologizing for the lack of actual candy canes since they were in short supply this year. Because COVID and candy canes go together, I guess.

Last week, Rebekah and Daniel shopped for our Christmas Eve food. Rebekah spied a box of miniature candy canes. She checked the expiration date: 2023. 

So Rebekah bought it and placed it under our tree for Ed, whenever we see him again (hopefully before 2023). 

In doing so, Rebekah became part of the chain of giving a taste of something sweet to weary people working in the cold dead of night when more sensible people are sleeping.

Merry Christmas, Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara!

An Old-Fashioned Christmas Sing-Along

"And a little child shall lead them"

My head has an interesting mix of ideas this morning.

It's Christmas Eve, and my two of my adult children are already hard at work (I shall soon join them - maybe - for I might be banned from the kitchen in favor of their bonding) preparing our traditional twelve course, Eastern European Christmas Eve dinner.

In the BryonySeries world, it's the day dedicated to werewolves.

And last night, Timothy did an extremely imaginative photo shoot with Bertrand for his first cookbook that Rebekah put together: she prepared and shot all the recipes and formatted the book. I was the taste-tester.

In fact, Timothy staged, and then took, such an interesting mix of photos that we can use most of them (with a few more) for another Bertrand the Mouse book.

Yes, I am going somewhere with this.

During the editing process of "Bryony," the first book in the BryonySeries, my publicist (back when I had a publicist) complimented me on how "in touch" I was with my inner child.

Last night, Timothy showed off his creative inner child, a child he once thought he'd lose.

During this time of year in our newspaper delivering days, we listened to Christmas music as we delivered, including recordings of my favorite albums growing up.

One of them included this version of this song. 

Except we rarely listened to it because it made Timothy sad. I shared a memory of my thoughts when I was eight and trying to picture what that meant.

Fortunately, it didn't come true for any of us; the borders are still there, and we can go in and out whenever we wish. And it showed last night.

So Christmas Eve, BryonySeries werewolf day, Bertrand the Mouse, childhood and childlike attitude - all of these made me think of this verse: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb...and a little child shall lead them." Isaiah 1:6

However you worship and wherever you are in your faith journey and approach to life, may you always retain a sense of wonder, awe, and good-old fashioned playfulness.

Now, here is a sampling of Bertrand's culinary adventure. For who else to lead Bertrand through the experience than a professional chef?

Christmas 2020 Film Festival

For some people, a cherished part of Christmas/holiday season is watching and rewatching the old holiday favorites.

For me, these TV specials and movies were part of my childhood - and there's still a few classics I've yet to see. But none of them were part of my adulthood.

How can that be, you may wonder.

Well, when I was a stay-at-home mom when my oldest children were young and before the advent of home VHS, you could only catch them on TV. And my children's father wouldn't give up his shows for children's Christmas specials. 

But by the time we had home VHS, I had three children under five. So I could pop in a VHS for them to watch while I caught up on housework.

As they grew, God blessed us with three more children. By the time number four arrived, I was already a homeschooling mom. Now anyone who's had a house filled with children and has home-schooled knows there's always one child (not always the same child) who doesn't get his or or her work done, with reasons ranging from overall slothfulness to not grasping the concepts.

So I would spend extra time to make sure the work was grasped and completed. And then I caught up on housework while the kids watched holiday specials. Next year, I would tell myself.

Then I became a single mom and worked two jobs (and for a short time, three jobs). Then I became a married mom who worked two jobs, as did my husband Rob. Then we became a home-schooling family again. You can do the math: two parents plus four jobs taking care of six kids equals little free time.

Those were glorious years, by the way. And they passed very quickly. Watching holiday films was not on my top any number of list things to do.

We were talking about this the other day. Somehow, my kids have memories of me watching with them, most likely because I popped in and out of the room on the way to another room and sat for a few minutes.

But to sit down and watch an entire Christmas show or movie? Nope!

This year I have the time and no family get-togethers, which sounds dismal, right? 

Quick rabbit trail.

Remember back in the 1970s (well, maybe not, if you're a young person reading this blog), when people proclaimed that women could have it all? Well, I believe anyone can "have it all," although the right time for "all" is often not in the same time frame.

Scripture says "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." And that is true with our lives.

I've had big traditional Christmases, new calendar Christmases, old calendar Christmases, Christmases full of cooking, and baking, and gift buy, and gift wrapping, and running around town to visit family and friends.

I've had two-parents Christmases and single parent Christmases, and house filled with people Christmases. I've had Christmases where work usurped our traditions. And last Christmas morning, I walked a hot chocolate and my little Christmas tree to AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet where a friend from high school with lung cancer was spending Christmas. This year, that same friend is spending Christmas in heaven.

This year, we'll be "zooming" part of our Christmas. 

Also this year, I'm catching up on Christmas movies.

Here's my roster:

Wednesday night: It's a Wonderful Night.

Thursday night: Alastair Sims' A Christmas Carol (my favorite version).

Friday throughout the day: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and (if I can find it) Charlie Brown Christmas. (all favorites from my childhood).

Saturday: Reginald Owens' "Scrooge."

Sunday night: Not sure. I do have a virtual Christmas party with the 5 a.m. writers group that sounds waaaay more put together than anything I did for WriteOn Joliet. Time for me to get my act together.

The rest of the time between then and January 2: I have seen none of these (although I've seen part of the second and clips of the third).

White Christmas

Christmas in Connecticut

Miracle on 34th Street

And everything I didn't watch on the original list before I ran out of time (see above).

By the way, I'm running a special promotion on BryonySeries books in order to help out The Book Market in Crest Hill. 

I've already sent the first batches of coupons (THANK YOU to all who supported this special sale). Find details here: bryonyseries.com/promotions.

You thought I'd forgotten to spam you today, didn't you?

Photo by Timothy Baran

The Resulting Flyer

 After yesterday's long post, I have just a couple words to say.

Support the Book Market. 

Buy BryonySeries books now. 

For directions, visit bryonyseries.com/promotions.

BTW, what do you think of the resulting flyer?

And feel free to share!

If you want an electronic, copy, email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com, and I will send you one.

The Evolution of One Simple Flyer (And a Tour of My Space)

Good Monday morning!

I am back with another spammy promotion of my BryonySeries/The Book Market Holiday Book Sale.

Late Friday afternoon, Rebekah decided to design a flyer to go with the promotion. She did several versions and then showed them to Timothy.

Timothy, who had to design weekly menus at a previous job, got in the game later that night. Each version you see on my bedroom floor probably underwent no less than thirty tweaks in terms of layout, selection of graphics, font size, font shape, font shading, font color, the view on black and white versus color, and so forth.

Now a quick view of my room. Behind me is an antique dresser that belonged to my maternal grandmother, who died suddenly when I had just turned seven. I used to sleep in the double bed with her in a very small bedroom in their two-family bungalow on the southside of Chicago. That room had just enough space for the bed and that dresser.

To the right is a lamp with shelves for my books from Timothy. The bed is simple and monastic. Daniel bought the metal frame ($50 from Amazon) a couple years ago to get me off the floor. The mattress is new, as the old one had fallen apart right before the pandemic, so I'd been sleeping on an air mattress.

Everything on the bed are gifts from my kids: from the pillows to the quilts to the mattress covers. The two exceptions are the quilt with the fringe and the Bible verse (from my grandson Ezekiel) and the white quilt with the cat prints (a gift from Jasmine), which the cats, of course, have claimed.

In front of the bed is potting soil and a large planter for Chloe "Lucky" Hawk, my office plant (gift from a job shadower a few years ago), the only plant that has stayed alive under my care. Timothy bought all these gifts for Chloe, and he will transplant her - again - when he has a few moments and isn't designing flyers.

Chloe is sitting on top of my fake fireplace (a gift from Timothy last year), which is always on at night and in the early morning. Next to Chloe is all the artwork for Ed Calkins' upcoming novel "Ruthless," was still not scanned into my computer as of Friday night. Ed's wife Nancy created the cover and did all the interior artwork, too. She doesn't want any credit, saying it's all Ed's project. I'm ignoring her and giving her lots of credit.

The antique dresser next to the fireplace belonged to Ron's mother, who died a year before I met Ron. That dresser and the tall one across from it are two pieces I kept when we lost our home in Channahon after Ron lost his job due to dementia. 

The tall dresser was sitting under the attic stairs when we moved into the home and has been glued back together many times. Some of the items on top of it include two antique tea cups (gifts from Timothy and Sue Midlock), two different purple roses (gifts from Cindy and Jasmine), rose pot pourri (gift from Rebekah), and a handmade BryonySeries music box that plays real music (although not the "Bryony" theme), which was a gift from BryonySeries artist Christopher Gleason.

The tray below the dresser contains items from my bedroom in Channahon because I haven't figured out where to display them (yet).

On the dresser next to the fireplace I am burning new incense (gift from Timothy) and displaying the beautiful little tree (gift from Joshua and Timothy).

Next to the dresser by the little closet is a nightstand (gift from Daniel) that I'm using for work paperwork, my office files, and my mailings. Next to that is a laundry hamper (gift from Rebekah, who offered to do my laundry with hers back in 2013 when we lost the house and has continued to do so ever since, even folding it and putting it away).

The computer set up, including desk, larger screen, and desk lamp, along with the bookshelves to the left are all gifts from Timothy, who is sitting at the computer, back to the camera, working on the flyer. On the day we moved, I went to work. He bought the desk, assembled the desk, and set up my computer, printer, and entire office area before any other items were brought into the townhome.

By the desk lamp is a clear bulb ornament with a battery operated tealight from St. Nicholas one year. The battery finally died. Timothy bought me a new one.

Above the computer and to the left is a good deal of the artwork local artists have created for my series. Timothy has framed quite a bit of them and hung them on the walls. A stack of artwork is still stacked on my grandmother's dresser, ready for hanging.

The organizer hanging off the door is a gift from Rebekah, who has even bought organizers for my drawers, too. 

The little stuffed Woodstock on the carpet was St. Nicholas' gift to me one year. But Faith, my calico claimed it, and she drags it all over the place. My royal blue St. Nicholas stocking hanging off the door knob was a gift from Ron. It's a little bedragged, but I don't have it in my heart to replace it.

What you can't hear is that Christmas music is playing in the background from the new speakers that Timothy just bought me because the wires on the old speakers he had bought me weren't working right. And he installed them, too.

What you also can't see is all the hard work Rebekah has put into formatting and reformatting books this year past year and the work she's put in designing a second website for me since I've done some editing projects for clients this year.

While Timothy was working on the flyer, he commented on how cozy the room was. Well, how can it not be? It's filled with reminders of love everywhere you look. I spend the majority of time in this space, including most of 2020.

I'll post the flyer tomorrow in another spammy post.

In the meantime, you can access the details about the BryonySeries/The Book Market Holiday Book Sale by visiting bryonyseries.com/promotions.

Ed Calkins on "Ruthless"

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Dec. 12 through Dec. 18

Last night as I switched from work to WriteOn Joliet's very nice Zoom Christmas party (with pizza!), I thought, "Well, it's been a light week for features."

The Herald-News website has a new look and we switched into new processes yesterday. Also, I wound up covering the first shipment of vaccines into Will County, a humbling unexpected assignment for such a significant part of history. So I figured all these "extras" explained it.

But as I put this blog together this morning, I saw seventeen stories to share (with three that hasn't even gone online yet and two more to be written). That, and the fact I write two newsletters as well - let's just say it was a pleasant surprise to the morning.

And here the marketing "spam" I promises earlier in the week. I'm promoting this fairly heavily (well, heavy for me), because the goal is to give Janet Staley at The Book Market in Crest Hill $100 in gift certificates as part of this promotion. Can you help that make that goal? 

For details, visit bryonyseries.com/promotions.

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

Will County hospitals hope to receive a shipment of COVID vaccines this week: Morris Hospital is not included in this first round of distribution

An Extraordinary Life Ed Jones was 'classical all the way': Music library to be dedicated to longtime music educator in Plainfield, Crest Hill 

Joliet Catholic Academy hires director of diversity and inclusion

Joliet museum puts new meaning to shopping local

LocalLit book preview 'Flutter' by Gina Linko

Pets of the Week: Dec. 14

American Gold Eagle coin dropped into red kettle in Plainfield: Donation will benefit the Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center

This Romeoville restaurant is thinking right inside the box: McWethy's Tavern offering select menu items as frozen TV dinners

'We always make sure to treat people with dignity and respect': NHBW – #Joliet Chapter expands outreach in 2020 

Plainfield Fire Protection District only wants to see red: District raises awareness of holiday fire safety with special lights, safety tips

Plainfield teen lands lead role in Christian 'Nutcracker' ballet 

Photos: Joliet photographer captures Hill-Top drive-in before its fall

Photos: Joliet photographer returns to Hill-Top drive-in after 2020 derecho

Silver Cross, Bolingbrook hospitals see small decrease in COVID patients: Number of COVID inpatients at Edward, St. Joe's rises slightly

Edward Hospital discharges 44 COVID inpatients over past 72 hours: COVID cases at Will County hospitals decrease

No major change in COVID numbers for Will County hospitals: But South Suburban region still under the 20% threshold for ICU, medical/surgical beds availability

COVID cases at Will County hospitals holding steady: But number of available ICU, medical/surgical beds in the South Suburban region decreased

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Good News in the Community, Three Ways to Make the Holidays Brighter

Good morning!

Few things can fill one with holiday spirit during a pandemic than making someone else's life a bit easier.

Below are two ways you can help now.

Joliet Catholic Academy student council organizes Adopt a Family gift card drive

Troy 30-C school asking for public participation in food drive

And at the risk of coming off as spammy, here's a third. My goal is to bring $100 worth of business to The Book Market. Can you help me reach that goal?

And here are some other pieces of uplifting news happening in and about Will and Grundy counties:

Students from St. Mary Nativity Catholic School in Joliet participated in academic bowl 

Midewin NTP date planner for 2021 features nature dates and information

D. 202 Plainfield, Aramark serve 1.2 million free meals during pandemic 

Heartland Bank in Minooka names recipient of Heart of our Community Award

Troy 30-C adds preschool classrooms

Teacher at D. 202 in Plainfield receives Award of Meritorious Service by ISBE 

Students at D. 202 in Plainfield named College Board National Recognition Scholars 

O-Cedar makes these Catholic schools cleaner: Diocese of Joliet Catholic schools receive donation of 600 mops

Plainfield Lions distributes $36,000 in Jewel gift cards to 212 families

Photo by Timothy Baran

My Christmas Card to You

Do Three Good Things At Once

Anyone who has accompanied me on any part of my writing journey knows that, when it comes to book marketing and sales, I'm rather soft in my approach.

That's going to change a bit over the next few weeks. And then I'll return to soft.

I'm running a special BryonySeries holiday book sale in conjunction with The Book Market in Crest Hill. I wrote why I created this special sale yesterday.

But by participating, you will do three good things at once.

1) You will have an opportunity to try out a piece of my fiction by purchasing a book.

2) You will help out an independently owned and operated bookstore during this COVID pandemic.

3) If you give away my book, or if you give away the store credit you earn with the purchase, you will also promote the cause of literacy.

Details are here.

Thank you for considering a purchase and for reading this blog.

Photo by Timothy Baran

Instead of WriteOn Joliet's Author of the Month...

 ...I bring you the BryonySeries/The Book Market Holiday Book Sale.

This is what we're doing and why.

For the last three years, WriteOn Joliet has hosted its annual, open-to-the-public anthology release party (with free, chef-created food) at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

And for the last two years, we've featured an "Author of the Month," with our WriteOn Joliet authors, which has included a book signing, also at The Book Market.

This year because of COVID, some of our monthly author signings were canceled - including the one in December. And the anthology release party didn't happen at all.

Now The Book Market doesn't rise and fall on sales from WriteOn Joliet authors (I wish!). But we do generate SOME sales, and the store's owner Janet Staley always feels that our release party generates enough sales to make it worth staying open late on party night.

So Timothy, Rebekah and I put our heads together last week and devised this plan.

From now until January 7, you will receive a $1 credit to The Book Market for every $5 worth of books you order directly from me. I have approximately twenty titles of books for nearly every age, so perhaps you might find something that interests you (or will interest someone you know).

Timothy even generated some beautiful coupons that we will email to you. A draft is below. I am paying the credit forward to The Book Market, so money only flows toward the store, not away from it.

This year has been a tough year for many people and businesses, especially small businesses and their owners. By working together, we can bring some holiday cheer to this indie bookstore in Crest Hill.

For step-by-step instructions on how to participate, follow this link: bryonyseries.com/promotions.

Ed Calkins Sings "O Tidings of COVID-19"

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Dec. 6 through Dec. 11

 Good morning!

I hope everyone reading this blog today is having a good week - and if not, my hopes/prayers/thoughts/wishes is that a sweet blessing comes your way today.

Below is a few resources on where to find me and my writings. Below that are eighteen links to my features work in The Herald-News this past week (with several more stories yet to be added to the web - so please check back to The Herald-News website).

A few BryonySeries updates:

One last Bertrand the Mouse will still be released this year - hopefully over the weekend. So if your child is a Bertrand the Mouse fan (or wants to be one), this is an extra special book with some extra special opportunities for fun between its pages.

If the weekend doesn't go sideways, I should have The Phoenix ready for my editor before Monday. This new novel is the first in a new BryonySeries trilogy called "Limbo."

Ed Calkins continues to read through my edits, answering questions and approving any changes. His first novel (BryonySeries and otherwise) will be available by Calkins Day 2021 (Feb. 13).

I'm also finishing up a non-fiction project and am working on projects for three clients.

And the Christmas tree should go up tonight! 

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com.

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

An Extraordinary Life: 'I don’t have my protector anymore'

Boxing program at #Minooka gym may improve symptoms of Parkinsons disease: 'I’m stronger, steadier, and it makes my mind work,' Helen Honiotes said.

2 simple ways to help MorningStar Mission in Joliet this year 

Joliet 2-year-old gets pre-holiday gift: tests that show he's cancer-free

Mystery Diner: Chicken-N-Spice in Joliet – best chicken in town

'These are people who can’t get help anywhere else': Joliet woman seeking donations to give 136 kids holiday gifts

My weekly roundup of dogs and cats who need homes.

Baran-Unland: Most popular pet names for 2020 - Did your dog or cat make the list?

LocalLit book preview: 'Fiona's Guardians' by Dan Klefstad

And it's review is here.

Joliet Catholic Academy senior Isabelle Egizio earn a perfect 36 ACT test 

Family medicine doctor joins EMG in Plainfield: EMG reminds the community to keep up with regular medical care

Feeling well? Consider donating blood this holiday season: Here are upcoming opportunities in Will County

COVID NUMBERS AT WILL COUNTY HOSPITALS (in no particular order)

COVID cases decline slightly at 2 Will County Hospitals over the weekend: Edward Hospital and St. Joe's both saw slight increases 

Edward Hospital, Silver Cross see small increase of COVID patients: No change in COVID inpatients at AMITA Health hospitals in Joliet and Bolingbrook 

Will County Hospitals see increase in COVID hospitalizations — except St. Joe's: AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center sees small decease in COVID-19 inpatients

No surge in COVID cases seen at Will County Hospitals: Cases holding steady, slight deceases in some instances

COVID cases at Will County Hospitals continuing to decrease: Silver Cross is up by 5 from yesterday but less patients are in the ICU and ventilators

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Seventeen Pieces of Good Community News

One thing COVID-19 hasn't taken away in 2020 is the ability for people to strive for their goals and do good to and for others.

Here are seventeen local examples of that - along with two of your COVID-19 questions answered.

Have a most blessed day!

Joliet resident snaps winning opossum photo 

JCA's 'Operation Take Out' supports local restaurants 

Vicar general for the Diocese of Joliet appointed

Local artist painted San Damiano cross for Joliet church

Hybrid cath lab opens at AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet

ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery donates 100 laptops to local charitable organizations 

D. 86 in Joliet honors students of the month for October 

D. 86 in Joliet honors students of the month for September

Providence Catholic High School announces students of the month for October

Joliet Catholic Academy announces students of the month for September and October 

Joliet Central High School announces its November students of the month

Joliet West High School announces its November students of the month

Joliet Junior College fine arts to host virtual winter concert on Dec. 11

Joliet churches and organization hosted food distribution event 

AMITA Health provides free assistance for health care insurance enrollment 

Administrator at Dirksen Jr. HS in Joliet earns doctorate degree 

District 202 in Plainfield joins lawsuit against electronic cigarette makers 

I need a COVID-19 test, now what?

Edward-Elmhurst Health answers the question: I have COVID-19, now what? 

Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him at artworkbytopher.com.

James Onohan 2018- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Piano Cover)

Throwback Tuesday: Five Minutes on Christmas Eve

I wrote this post a decade ago and posted it on Christmas Day 2010 and thought you might like to read it today.

Many of us (my family and I included) won't be celebrating Christmas this year the way we've celebrated it in this past.

But that doesn't mean the celebration won't have equal (or greater) value than celebrations in years past.

This particular Christmas Eve a decade ago was rather bleak. And then I did something that changed the bleakness and made this particular night one of my most favorite memories.

May this post help inspire you to stretch your creativity and make this holiday season the best so far.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Five Minutes on Christmas Eve

As I'm writing this, I get a phone call from my nearly seventeen year old daughter Rebekah. She and her fifteen year old brother Daniel and my husband Ron are done rolling newspapers and are heading home. Communion bread for this morning's Divine Liturgy is rising in the oven, and soon I'll be out in the van throwing newspapers.

This is not how we used to spend our Christmases.

Years ago, when my six children were very young, Christmas Eve meant getting together with my first husband's side of the family and enjoying a special Christmas Eve dinner of twelve traditional dishes, that represented the twelve apostles. We continued that tradition up until this year when the timing of Christmas as per the newspaper schedule and everyone's work commitments made such a gathering impossible.

Then the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder as I was getting ready for bed last night, at the ungodly hour of seven o'clock (It's ungodly when you rise at midnight). I hollered down the stairs for Daniel, but he had left with my oldest son Christopher to pick up my daughter-in-law Cassie from work. So, I phoned my twenty-year-old son Timothy, who was still stuffing Sunday inserts for their customers with Rebekah.

After making sure they were near each other, I asked Timothy to put me on speaker phone. He did, and I read from the Gospel of Luke, beginning with Gabriel's appearance to Mary and ending with the shepherds. When I finished, there was a chorus of excited voices. My kids were not alone in the warehouse.

A number of other carriers were spending their Christmas Eve there, too, preparing for Sunday so they could spend Christmas Day with their families and had been touched by the reading. Timothy said, "Now it feels like Christmas. Thank you for reminding us of the reason for the season."

Whatever the reason for YOUR celebration this day, have a blessed and merry Christmas!

The Rebirth of Twenty-Six Letters

I'm always amazed at the ability of writers to weave messages and stories by rearranging just twenty-six letters.

And I was amazed on Saturday night when I was scrolling through The Phoenix - not because the story is amazing (although I hope it is), but because I'd accomplished far more on the novel than I'd thought.

So except for the following tasks listed here, the rest of the book is written, edited, and ready for my editor. And I think this list is do-able by the end of the year.

This is what remains of The Phoenix, which is the first book in the new BryonySeries trilogy Limbo:

About a third of chapter 21 needs writing.

A few details in chapter 23 needs adding.

One scene in chapter 26 that I wrote a few weeks ago, which did not save, needs rewriting (bah, humbug!).

A party scene in chapter 27 needs writing.

One dance (not an event, just a single dance between two people) in Chapter 28 needs writing.

A few details in chapter 29 needs adding.

It's a good feeling on a Monday morning, for sure. Hope the start of your new week is even better than mine.

For Writers - Or Anyone Struggling to Believe in Their Abilities

I had reserved Thanksgiving weekend to do a hard edit on Ed Calkins' Ruthless. The novel is part of the BryonySeries world and harkens back mostly to the original "drop of blood" trilogy.

As outrageously entertaining Ed's novel is (a mixture of the real Ed's back story, the back story of his fictional Ed, the fictional Ed I further fictionalized for the BryonySeries, and the further fictionalization of all that in Ruthless), are some real gems.

I'm sharing just four short paragraphs of it. I had hoped to share it with WriteOn Joliet Thursday, but we ran out of time, which s just as well because now I can share it with more people. Our topic was "And the winner is..." and as I'm listening to the pieces WriteOn Joliet members shared, I suddenly remembered this excerpt I'm sharing today.

To put this in context, the main protagonists in Ruthless are Ed and a woman named Trudy - a bipolar alcoholic police officer and former best friend, and "once or twice" lover of Ed Calkins who is convinced she shot Ed. She's brilliantly crafted, and I think readers will like her.

But at other times, the real/somewhat real/completely fictional vampire Ed breaks the fourth wall and talks in first person. This is what's happening in the excerpt I'm sharing. It sounds like the end of the novel, but it isn't. It's simply the last time Ed speaks in first person.

BTW, Ed really is terribly dyslexic and only wrote this novel with a great deal of prodding. It wasn't my idea either; one of my super fans really wanted me to write it, and I felt only Ed could and should.

And he did.

May you be encouraged today.

             

My dear spy…er literary genius, we must now talk of endings. This well have to be my last chapter writing to you directly in first person. I’ve done everything the future requires of me except meeting my best friend in a field of battle. It’s not the combat I fear any more than the result. It’s you, I fear. I fear you will think badly of me for something terrible that I did while I was still alive with my own damaged soul.

              The day I won the lottery…I behaved badly. Maybe you should skip the next few chapters and just read the ending. If you did that, you’d think better of me.

              Whether or not you do, I must thank you. I know I was a jerk when you first started reading, but I didn’t really believe that I could write anything worth reading. But you kept on reading, and I started believing. It’s believing in you that helped me believe in me. Isn’t it strange that a novel that asks both writer and reader to believe in wood sprites, leprechauns, and brownies and all sorts of other myths sound find the hardest belief of all is ourselves? I find myself at the end of a story I thought I would never tell. I find myself finishing a story that is actually worth reading…expect of the next part. Thank you for believing in me when I could not believe in you. Now, with your skills as a reader, a world of brownies, rainbows, clovers, lovers, and leprechauns are just one good dream away and maybe if you so grant it…one good laugh.

              Fare thee well, reader. May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Nov. 28 through Dec. 5

Today I'm honoring the memory of author Ravina Thakkar of Plainfield, who died in 2019 from complications of her cystic fibrosis, because it's her birthday.

Thakkar was just fourteen when Sourcebooks published her middle grade novel. The publishing company has since created an internship program in her honor.

Her career/life goal was writing and editor. I hope that generations of children will find her book and enjoy it, so her words and goal live on for many years.

For more on her book, read this.

For anyone new to my blog: each Friday I post a roundup of my feature stories for The Herald-News. It's been a tradition ever since I started the blog more than a decade ago.

This week, I have a dozen to share (not bad for a first week back), along with another six or so that haven't posted it.

I also include links to other places of interest, such as social media, writer resources, and where to find my books, such as those you will find directly under here.

Have a terrific Friday!

WRITERS

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to join WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

If you'd like to officially join WriteOn Joliet, we have two tiers of dues. We also have a marketing arm that's getting longer every year, well, except this year. Check us out at writeonjoliet.com.

ARTISTS

If you need an artist for a project, I offer these recommendations.

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide and Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story and Book Review Newsletter at https://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times by emailing us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. The newsletter still isn't official yet, so we don't have an actual link on the website - but we are working on it! 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily updates: I do post the briefs on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

BRYONYSERIES BOOKS

For books and more information about the series, visit bryonyseries.com

BRYONYSERIES EVENTS

A full month of virtual events can be found at bryonyseries.com/calendar-of-events-1.

QUESTIONS

Email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

FEATURES

LocalLit book spotlight: 'Abyss of the Fallen' by Diana Estell of Romeoville

And its review

Joliet Walmart is transitioning to curbside pickup of self-administered collection kits: Mobile testing sites also available in Will and Grundy counties

Pets of the Week: Nov. 30

An ExtraordinaryLife: 'I guess you would say helping #Channahon is my only hobby': Stephen M. Rittof's efforts endure 25 years later

New outpatient protocol for COVID-19? DuPage Medical Group uses aspirin, supplements for COVID-19 treatment

LocalLit book review: Images of America - Joliet

'The need is very large. And we don’t see it going away any time soon': Spanish Community Center in #Joliet available to help all people in need

COVID AT WILL COUNTY HOSPITALS

Here's the COVID situation at Will County hospitals after Thanksgiving weekend

COVID cases drop slightly at Will County Hospitals on Tuesday: Only AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook has seen a small increase in cases

COVID cases at Will County hospitals holding fairly steady 

Will County hospitals see slight dip in COVID cases over past 24 hours: But Region 7, which includes Will County, is still under 20% threshold for medical/surgical bed availability

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Raise the woof! First Christmas song for dogs

Cat Stands for Russian National Anthem

Cheesy Promotional Post: Five Ways to Make Readers Happy This Christmas

 Do you have friends or family who like to read?

Then buy them a WriteOn Joliet anthology (you thought I was going to recommend the BryonySeries books, didn't you)?

WriteOn Joliet is a welcoming, diverse group of writers of varied skills, interests and experience. The group includes professional journalists, fiction novelists, bloggers, screenwriters, musicians and poets.

A local writer approached me in 2011 and asked me to start this group with her. After telling her "non," multiple times, she found a core group of half a dozen writers and reapproached me with all of them.

She has since moved on (married, children, single mom, and now a nurse, yes during COVID - she's awesome), but Tom Hernandez stepped up, and we've continued to grow, although WriteOn has met on Zoom for most of the year.

Because of Tom's suggestion, WriteOn Joliet has published an anthology every years. This is the first year we were not able to host a release party (complete with free chef-created food), so I'm pushing a little harder to let people know about us.

The anthology is a fundraiser for WriteOn Joliet, and all proceeds stay within the group. We've used the money for speakers, workshops, and marketing our writers.

Except for the "baby cheetah" special edition anthology, all of our anthologies are called "Write Where We Are." That means all the pieces are where we, as writers, currently find ourselves in our respective writing journeys.

Readers will find poems, essays, short stories, novellas, novel excerpts of varying styles. Any reader should be able to find at least one piece to enjoy. Those who purchase the book can have the satisfaction of knowing they've helped writers become more effective in communication, whether they seek to inform, inspire or entertain.

And, yes, you will find excerpts from some of my books, too. 

The only anthology not yet on our website is the newest one, released in the last couple weeks. You can find it here.

For the other WriteOn Joliet anthologies, go here.

And if you want to buy all of them, message us writeonjolietgroup@gmail.com, and I'll work out a discount with you.

Still Thankful

I'm looking forward to a challenging week.

I have some major work training this week.

I'm working this weekend.

I have an ultrasound on Wednesday.

I have a family member who's sick and waiting for the results of a COVID test - and several more family members who were exposed.

I just spent almost all the time I was off work doing a hard edit on a manuscript that's (so far) 145, 531. The author is very dyslexic, so you can just imagine...well, let's just say I'm heading into a long work week being a bit screen blind.

And I'm working on two more side editing projects, too.

Soon, we'll be unpacking the Christmas tree, etc. But for now, I'm basking in serenity, gratitude, and a really nice cup of coffee.

I love my God, my family, my friends, my work, my projects, my life.

Challenges come and go. But some blessings don't change. And some challenges are blessings masqueraded.

For all of these, at least this morning, I'm thankful.

A Sneak Peek at the Art for "Ruthless"

This week I had a text from Ed Calkins.

I was super excited to see it and told him so. Ed usually communicates by email, unless I pick up the phone.

But then the next text said, "No, this is his wife because I'm sending you pictures for each chapter."

Nancy Calkins, Ed's wife, designed the cover and chapter headings for the prologue, epilogue, and each of the novel's twenty chapters. She started texting them all to me, wasn't happy with the lighting, and decided she and Ed will drive out to Joliet and bring me the originals next week.

In the meantime, here's a pictorial glance at the illustrations Nancy sent so far for Ed's book. I'm doing a hard edit on the manuscript over the Thanksgiving weekend. 

Just so you know, "Ruthless" is longer than "Staked!"

Release date? Why Calkins Day 2021, of course (Feb. 13).

Here's the cover, and yes, it looks crooked because of the way the images came through over text. Some of the illustrations follow it, so keep scrolling.

And now, eleven of the interior illustrations:

First, the forward.

Chapter 1: Backward

Chapter 2: Pigs Don't Plow

Chapter 3: Mirror

Chapter 4: Road Trip

Chapter 5: The Why Chromosome

Chapter 6: On Being Ruthless

Chapter 7: Suspect

Chapter 8: The Naughty List

Chapter 9: Happy Hunting

Chapter 10: A Government Of, By, and For Ed Calkins

Chapter 11: The Divine Refrigerator