Why We Almost Kept Our Christmas Tree Up Until May 6

The short answer is because we had hoped to celebrate Christmas with Sarah when she came out to the area for Timothy and Daniel's graduation (master's degree) from the University of St. Francis in Joliet the first weekend of May.

The long answer is more complicated.

As I've previously written, our family has journeyed through a couple of very challenging years - and 2025 (as Timothy said) arrived like a wrecking ball.

Still, we were foolishly hopeful 2025 might be a big gentler on us.

Now we could not have known that in December 2024.

But by December 2024, the boys were finishing up master degree classes, Rebekah was hearing rumors of job layoffs, and I was moving from health issue to health issue.

All of this dumped our holiday spirit on the chopping block.

Timothy had put his tree up early so Midnight could enjoy it for her last few days.

Rebekah, who normally loves decorating for Christmas, couldn't muster up the desire for it.

So I put up the tree, starting December 26, my first day of the last few vacation days I still needed to take for 2024.

And I also got sick with whatever respiratory virus was buzzing around at that time.

In a haze of unwellness, and interspersed with playing and napping with Tiny, I put that tree up, the first time I had decorated a tree in years because my work and life schedule gobbled up the time for it.

It took three days that felt like three years. But the tree went up.

I was still sick by New Year's Eve, when I finally put my little tree up in my room.

I was still sick by our family Christmas on January 7, although the virus was on its way out the door.

And I was disappointed at losing the full enjoyment of the Christmas beauty in my house after a blur of months laced with disappointment.

So we made plans to leave Christmas intact, so we could enjoy it with Sarah on her birthday weekend - and she was excited about that, since we haven't spent Christmas together in years.

And then Sarah learned her son's senior prom is that weekend, so she won't be coming out after all.

And then we got hit with a string of more emergencies until we realized all the trees and all the Christmas decor still needed packing up.

So Rebekah and I did that on Friday night.

For as much as we'd like to finally enjoy Christmas, Christmas has moved on.

But memory is a funny thing.

We took few Christmas photos this year because the holiday season was so hard we forgot to take photos.

But I did snap this photo once I finally got the tree done and my mother's old nativity scene in place on top of one of the bookcases, along with puppy Tiny (who's gotten so big since then), all tuckered out.

The scene looks lovely, peaceful, serene, homey.

Looking at this photo, I realized I was completely wrong about missing Christmas.

Christmas had arrived just the same, even if no one felt the full enjoyment of it.

For the spirit of Christmas is true, even if we are not perceiving it.

Some things just ARE and are not based on our perception.

Christmas, for many people, symbolizes love, joy, peace, and - most importantly - hope for a weary, weary world.

May the true spirit of Christmas rest in our hearts today - and may we share that same spirit with all we meet as we venture forth into a new week.

Happy Monday!

Still No Ornaments On That Little Christmas Tree - Yet

At the beginning of December, full of resolve, I brought out my little tree to decorate so I could enjoy it all month.

But I'm not very good at assembling things. And since I felt under the weather, I asked Daniel for help. He even unwound all the fairy lights Timothy bought for the tree last year and rewound them.

Well...

I've made no further progress on that little tree.

It's been a month full of obligations, tight work deadlines, a couple BryonySeries book events, a few emergencies, and plenty of COVID, for my family and now for me.

But I still have time, right? After all, we're just a couple days into the actual Christmas season. We won't even celebrate our family Christmas until January 7.

And it's not like I haven't enjoyed this little tree all month. It's still pretty, even though it's a little bare, for now.

Besides, even a little bare tree has a couple of fun stories behind it.

Yes, I'm going to share them.

In December 2019, Timothy and Joshua surprised me with a little Christmas tree with lots of blue ornaments (my favorite color) and other ornaments, of course, for my bedroom.

On Christmas Day, I stopped at the gas station near my house to buy a cup of French roast coffee and a large hot chocolate. I was planning to walk to the hospital near my home and surprise my friend Sue from high school.

Sue and I had recently reconnected. Sue had lung cancer and was in the hospital for Christmas. Before I made it to the register, Timothy walked in and asked where I was going so I told him. He offered to pay and walk with me.

I told him that was fine - and added I needed to make two trips anyway. You see, I was bringing her the hot chocolate and then heading back to my house for the tree. 

Yes, I was going to walk the Christmas tree from my townhome to the hospital and up to her room.

This is how it looked on my dresser at that time. 

So Timothy ended up carrying the tree, and I carried the drinks. She was so surprised to see the pretty little tree and texted me all day that people passing her room commented on her beautiful little tree. She kept that little tree in her room until the day of her discharge.

I was humbled God gave me the opportunity to bring some happiness to her last Christmas on earth. She died in hospice in March 2020.

Last year, Uncle Barty and Bertrand the Mouse "decorated" that little tree.

And they enjoyed opening their presents on Christmas Day.

So perhaps today, now that the COVID symptoms are easing in the household, including my COVID symptoms, perhaps today will be the day to add the ornaments to the tree.

And if not today, perhaps tomorrow.

I still have time.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Nov. 12 to Nov.18, 2022

Good morning!

I have a just nine features and news stories to share with you and more to be posted over the weekend, since I'm working almost straight through to Thanksgiving (and working on a few larger projects in teh background_. So do check back on The Herald-News site: shawlocal.com/the-herald-news. 

First of all, please send up good thoughts/prayers and so on for Rebekah. 

Rebekah is the behind-the-scenes driver of the BryonySeries. She oversees its all its financial aspects, handles all book production, manages two social media accounts, and is the go-to person at events. Plus, she's a wonderful person. We need her to feel much better soon.

She's been seeing specialists and undergoing tests since August. Every abnormal test means more tests, which is really kicking up her anxiety. She's also working odd hours through all of us this, and she's already tired from not feeling well. We are waiting for the results of just one more test. Hope we get that soon!

WriteOn Joliet's sixth anthology is live and you can buy it here on Amazon. Or you can purchase it on Dec. 8 at WriteOn Joliet's annual anthology release party, which will be held at the Joliet Public Library, one of our community partners. Details are here.

One the fiction side of things, I plan to release the first three books in the new "Girls of the BryonySeries" subseries  at WriteOn Joliet's anthology release party on December 8 are now available online on Amazon.

Jennifer Wainright (frontispiece artist for Lycanthropic Summer) created the portraits for all three books (and is currently working on a fourth). Rebekah designed the cover art.

These first three books are Julie and the Too-Hard Homework,  Summer Sisters, and Katie and the Big Fear, which are all now available on Amazon. And when Timothy has time to update the website, these three books, as well as Call of the Siren, will also be available in the BryonySeries bookstore.

I'm also currently working on a new Adventures of Cornell Dyer story: Cornell Dyer and the Hounds of Basketville. You can find other titles in the series here. Timothy has not yet added our latest titles to the BryonySeries bookstore. But all titles are also on Amazon. 

Next up in the series: a Sherlock Holmes parody (the main character is Sherman Homes), which has a solid outline. Sue Midlock is already working on the cover and the interior art: Sherman Homes and the Howls of Basketville.

I'm currently outlining the final book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy: House on Top of the Hill. 

I'm also working on a guide book to the series called: Welcome to Munsonville: the People, Places, and Things of the BryonySeries.

And I'm also working on a novella. But I'm not sharing any details yet. 

Rebekah is also slowly updating the BryonySeries YouTube and Pinterest accounts, so watch for those. 

Now back to the stories. Simply click on the link of the story that looks interesting to you. Happy scrolling!

But before the stories, I have a list of additional resources and information. Please check them out, too -

Finally, if you'd like to find more kindness in your life, consider this book.

And have a great Friday!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Sue's Diner is a fictional restaurant in the fictional Munsonville that only exists in the BryonySeries.

Each Sunday, we post a new recipe. The recipe is either featured in one of our cookbooks or will be featured in an upcoming cookbook.

Check out the recipe here.

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.

I also suggest this book: Little Book of Revision: A Checklist for Fiction Writers. It's exactly as it says. Each page some with one suggestion for revision. The rest of the page is blank, so you can add your own notes. All proceeds benefit WriteOn Joliet.

If you need support in your writing, I highly recommend this Twitter group: #5amwritersclub. I  joined it last year. Writers support each other on Twitter and meet every three weeks at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. CST - needless to say, I am often late!) on Zoom.

If you need editing or help with self-publishing, check out dmbaranunland.com.

ARTISTS

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

NEWSLETTERS

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 on Twitter at @BryonySeries and assorted related content at facebook.com/BryonySeries, youtube.com/user/BryonySeries, and themes of each book in the BryonySeries at pinterest.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.

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

Silver Cross and Premier Suburban Medical Group breaks ground in Orland Park: Premier Suburban Medical Group is affiliated with Silver Cross. 

Lockport Homer Area Ministerial Alliance hosting Interfaith service on Sunday: Donations collected for Lockport Resource Center

Plainfield family donates their tree for Joliet’s 2022 Christmas tree: Megan DeCristoforo: ‘It’s a dream come true’

3 ways to help Will County residents in need enjoy Thanksgiving" This includes a food drive and meals before and on Thanksgiving Day

Flu season may impact blood donations: here’s where to donate in Will, Grundy counties: Attend a donation event or schedule a donation.

March held in front of District 86 office in Joliet on Monday: No one authorized to speak on their behalf was present as of 4 p.m. Monday.

JCA student earns perfect ACT score: Marissa Corsi is the daughter of David Corsi and Linda Corsi. 

Pets of the Week: Nov. 14, 2022: Will County rescues have dogs and cats for adoption.

5 Things to do in Will County: Christmas market features nearly 200 vendors: Plus, four opportunities to enjoy the arts this weekend.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage"

What I Did for Two Days Instead of Blogging

I didn't start out not intending to blog, but as time slipped away, I did let it go.

I started Saturday off with scheduling some social media and an early breakfast with my brother and sister-in-law that was so relaxing, it extended into most of the morning.

And then I spent part of the afternoon working. I still had a couple stories to write since I had taught the monthly fiction workshop on Friday night.

Afterward, Rebekah and I worked on a surprise project for Christmas that's been on my idea list since the Channahon days. Timothy put up the tree, and it's a beautiful tree.

On Sunday, we watched two movies that's been on our "must see" list for awhile: Crazy Rich Asians and Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic. I enjoyed both, but the first was Americanly predictable, and the second, although it started off slowly, was very well executed.

Note to writers: At least twice, Book of the Atlantic stops the motion for back story and "info dumps." And guess what? Both times it works! It only goes to show: context, context, context.

Sunday night I had the house to myself, so I cleaned said house in preparation for today, walked a bit, and scheduled some social media.

We did not cook this weekend so the Thanksgiving recipes will remain on Sue's Diner for the coming week. If you're tired of rich food, I suggest trying the roasted vegetable recipe on the page, it's very good: https://www.bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner.

If you'd like to try other recipes, simply buy the official BryonySeries cookbook here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/bbbs. All proceeds are donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties, so the cookbook has two benefits.

What about the books?

Rebekah has to finish the cover for Cornell Dyer and the Necklace of Forgetfulness, and that one is ready to go, two proofs later.

She also has to finish the cover for Before the Blood: John Simons, check my formatting, and order a proof.

These are not her favorite things to do. Please give her some encouragement. ;)

Photo courtesy of Timothy Baran