Open Mike Night 2016: Sharon Houk

Art Gala, Paint Night, and Writing Assessments

I was recently invited to join the following event:

"Join us for a Paint night and Art Gala at Nelson’s Furniture. This is a Free event to see local artists of all media outlets. Some artists will be offering art to purchase, others will be displaying their talents. We will also be offering a Painting session, that will be instructed by The Acrylic Zebra it will be $30.00 dollars per person. We do ask you pre-register with Nelson’s Furniture for the paint night."

The event will  be from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 12 at Nelson's furniture, 209 Bridge St. in Wilmington. Matt Coundiff, the illustrator for Visage and Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," will also be there selling his art.

At the event, I will have copies of all three books in the BryonySeries trilogy (Bryony, Visage, and Staked!), as well as the first book in the children's Bertrand the Mouse series. Alas, Cornell Dyer and Missing Tombstone won't be available for purchase, but I'll have the proof copy to flip through and, hopefully, an update on the release date,which should be this month.

Basically, I just need a few minutes to fix formatting errors, LOL.

Also for sale will be copies of Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from Bryony. All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

I will also be offering writing critiques at $5 per fifteen minutes of time. Bring any writing sample, and I'll assess its strengths and weaknesses. I don't keep any of the money, FYI; all is donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

For more information on registering for the paint night, visit visit https://www.facebook.com/events/357742544583421/

No registration is necessary to attend and browse.

For more information on the BryonySeries, visit www.bryonyseries.com.

Thank you and have a fantastic day! :)

Just For Fun: BryonySeries Characters Make New Year's Resolutions

I don't make New Year's resolutions and neither do the BryonySeries characters in any of the novels.

However if they DID make resolutions, here's what some of them might say:


Melissa Marchellis: Make John Simons forget Bryony forever and love only me.

Brian Marchellis: Study harder and learn to make a smooth béchamel sauce

Frank Marchellis: Take sensible care of my health

Darlene Marchellis: Become more organized

Snowbell: Go back in time and stay at the slumber party

Steve Barnes: Find ways to be a better man

John Simons: Attain the international status of premiere piano player

Dr. Rothgard: Find a permanent cure for vampirism, no matter the cost to human life

Henry Matthews: Acquire enough wealth to pursue hedonism forever

Kellen Wechsler: Find and destroy the redheaded "angel"

Julie Drake: Get into Harvard University's psychology program

Jack Cooper: Catch a bigger walleye than my father

Ann Dalton: Catch Jack Cooper

Katie Miller: Go steady. Any boy will do

John-Peter Simotes: Rescue the princess

Karla Dyer: Master crystallomancy

Ed Calkins: Make Ed Calkins Day a national holiday

Clancy the Clurichaun: Expand my farm

Eicheard: Breed, wantonly

Marvin Simotes: Expand my tomato garden

Carol Simotes: Start a career in home decorating

Lisa Harding: Stay away from men wearing all black

Grandma Marchellis: Throw away the music box

Support My Charities?

My approach to selling my works is so soft that many fellow writers don't even know I've self-published works.

Today, however, I'd like to be more bold.

Ish.

Over the past few years, I've created products that support two Joliet-area organizations. One is a cookbook that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. The second one is a series of three art therapy books for clinical use by the bereavement counselors at Joliet Area Community Hospice.

Just so you know, I make no profit on either.

For more information on the cookbook, visit http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2015/12/looking-for-unique-christmas-gift.html.

To purchase the cookbook, visit www.bryonyseries.com. To purchase a signed cookbook, message me at bryonyseries.com.

Now the art therapy books are not for sale, but I am raising money so JOHA can purchase them for their clients. I'm happy to report I have raised enough money so far for the purchase of a hundred of these little books. 

Donations can be sent directly to hospice (the preferable route). Just mention the donation is for the art therapy books. BTW, JOHA doesn't order the books from me, either, but directly from Lulu at cost through a special link not available to the public.

For more on the art therapy books, visit http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-bit-about-my-other-non-writing-project.html.

Feel free to share any of this information with anyone who might be interested.

And if supporting either of these projects isn't for you, then please do this in the new year: reach out and life someone up, be the means to someone else's end, be a helper.

Not a bad way to live 2017, methinks, no matter what else these next twelve months bring.

New Year's Eve in an Irish country pub

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Dec.25 through Dec. 30

Bylined stories are scant this week. I opted to run a few wire stories as it's the only way to open my time to address projects I sidelined during the past few months, the busiest features time of the year.

That said, I'm really, really thankful for an upcoming long working weekend. I'm still not caught up, and I can use the time.

Today is super full. I have a story for Tuesday not yet written, a student job shadower hanging out today, and two in-person interviews (one is coming to me, and I am going to one). Wearing coffee and positive thoughts on my right and left respectively, for sure.

First, the non-bylined work: the health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars. Three of them can be found at the link below. http://www.theherald-news.com/lifestyle/ Gotta Do It, runs each Sunday and often stays on the home page throughout the week.

Feature briefs for Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (Arts and Entertainment), and Sunday (People) are also edited (texted and photos) by the lady of this blog, but only the stories have bylines.

I also have a list of Santa Sightings in the Joliet area at https://goo.gl/Hq06Hr.

Also, a few weeks ago, The Herald-News began a weekly Mystery Diner feature, a goal of mine that was finally approved. I had promised to post those links this past Monday, which I didn't, so I promised to do so this past Monday,and the Monday after that. Sooooo...with being light on bylined stories this week, I posted them here.

You're welcome.:)

Another option: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61. And of course, I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries.

Just an FYI: On free days, holidays, and Sundays I'm not on call, I only post the blog to my "real" Twitter account, as my company insists we do take time off. I'm less reasonable, so unless I'm on a real vacation, I still post to the BryonySeries accounts. I won't be posting to my personal Twitter account this weekend, only to BryonySeries.

FYI: videos have not been attaching to my Herald-News stories, although they do run for a time on the home page. If you'd like to watch a video, and it's not showing up for you, message me, and I'll manually attach it. No worries for this week, though, although I will have videos for Sunday.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News.


Mr. and Mrs. Claus hop a fire truck to surprise a struggling Shorewood family  (VIDEO EXTRA)

Claus couple deliver Christmas magic to single father and his 7 children

This wasn’t a random visit. Jeff Otte’s oldest son, Brandon Otte, has Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Otte’s 2-year-old son, Noah Otte, has autism and is nonverbal.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/21/mr-and-mrs-claus-hop-a-fire-truck-to-surprise-a-struggling-shorewood-family/a9ccpa1/

An Extraordinary Life: Joliet contractor treated everyone with honesty and fairness

Richard ‘Dick’ Berti grew his contracting business in Joliet area

“We’re known for doing good-quality work and for being honest with people. He [Dick] definitely was that way,” Rich Berti, Dick's son, said. “He always went out of his way to do good work and do the right thing, even if it was harder for him.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/22/an-extraordinary-life-joliet-contractor-treated-everyone-with-honesty-and-fairness/ajup02b/

Mystery Diner: Morris Chop Shop seriously good food in downtown Morris

The candied bacon was the perfect sweet and tasty option, with its brown sugar and chipotle glaze, to set us up for the main course. It was crispy, sweet but not too sweet, and perfect to bring home some for another treat later.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/09/mystery-diner-morris-chop-shop-seriously-good-food-in-downtown-morris/agnohp2/

Mystery Diner: Tom Kelly’s in New Lenox will make you want to stay awhile

I’ve had reubens. I’ve seen and eaten reuben rolls..

But I had never had a reuben burger. So I had to try that, with sweet potato fries.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/13/tom-kellys-in-new-lenox-will-make-you-want-to-stay-awhile/aze9267/

Mystery Diner: Chicago Street Pub a festive place to eat, drink downtown

Now back to the tacos. I was pleased with my opening choice (two chicken, one pulled pork). For sure, they were a little messy. But I knew I was going all in on this. So I poured on a little hot sauce, ordered some wings for later and dove in.

When the wings arrived, it was immediately clear they don’t skimp on sauce.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/06/mystery-diner-chicago-street-pub-a-festive-place-to-eat-drink-downtown/altmoz9/

Mystery Diner: Al's Steak House & Banquets in Joliet consistently delivers great food

I was so pleased with my first steak, I returned several more times and ordered the same entree.

The restaurant also hand cuts its chops, has fresh fish delivered daily, and offers a variety of specials, an elaborate salad bar, and Sunday brunch, the website states.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/11/28/mystery-diner-als-steak-house-banquets-in-joliet-consistently-delivers-great-food/a2ljw9h/

Mystery Diner: McBride's on 52 a blue-collar place to call home

As I drank my Oskar Blues Old Chub Scottish-style ale, I enjoyed the bacon-wrapped jalapeño appetizers and waited for the main course while watching hockey as the bar prepared for bingo night.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/11/16/mystery-diner-mcbrides-on-52-a-blue-collar-place-to-call-home/af33lia/

Mystery Diner: Arrowhead Ales in New Lenox much more than the beer

The soup was fulfilling and the combination of potatoes, beer, bacon, cheese and scallions was done just right to ensure a hearty enough soup that wasn’t just filled with chunks.

As for the IPA-marinated chicken, it was exactly what I was hoping for. And this time I chose right, enjoying it with Arrowhead Ales’ FMLR Triple IPA, which is mildly sweet with a 68 IBU in the International Bitterness scale.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/11/15/mystery-diner-arrowhead-ales-in-new-lenox-much-more-than-the-beer/agupnov/

Mystery Diner: Plainfield's Tap House Grill offers seriously good eats and variety of beers

I went after the Sprecher Root Beer-braised Beef & Gouda two-handed sandwich. The menu claims it was honored by another media outlet as being one of the best, so I figured this media outlet should try the sandwich for itself.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/10/28/mystery-diner-plainfields-tap-house-grill-offers-seriously-good-eats-and-variety-of-beers/absnmyk/

Mystery Diner: Chicken-N-Spice in Joliet is 'Home of the Breast Chunk'

Signature George and Eddy is restaurant’s most popular item

The chunks are amply cut and served up hot, tender, juicy and wrapped in a cliched “melt-in-your-mouth” batter. I passed on the sauces (the chunks don’t need ’em), so I didn’t catch the variety, but my companions swore by the ranch.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/11/08/mystery-diner-chicken-n-spice-in-joliet-is-home-of-the-breast-chunk/aucmlj7/

Mystery Diner: Moe Joe's offers Cajun escape in downtown Plainfield

I opted for the fried catfish, which was tender, flaky and well-seasoned. It was served with two sides of my choice, and I selected sweet potato fries, which came with a cinnamon coating, and Brussels sprouts with bacon, which added saltiness and crunch.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/10/25/mystery-diner-moe-joes-offers-cajun-escape-in-downtown-plainfield/atbmh4z/

Mystery Diner: Syl's Restaurant & Lounge is Rockdale's 'hidden gem' of a steakhouse

Both entrees arrived precisely as we ordered them. The burger was served on a French roll. My friend proclaimed the burger as the best he’d had in the Joliet area and one of the best ever: tender, juicy, well-seasoned. The fries were crispy and golden on the outside and hot and fluffy on the inside. The coleslaw had the perfect meld of sweet, salty and acidic. It left my friend wanting more.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/10/10/mystery-diner-syls-restaurant-lounge-is-rockdales-hidden-gem-of-a-steakhouse/ae9c233/

Mystery Diner: TRUTH, a cozy, yet elegant, Joliet restaurant

My salad arrived with my entree – a pleasant surprise, as I prefer it that way – and was a simple, but delicious mix of greens, diced cucumbers and grape tomatoes, artfully arranged on my plate. The steak was a perfect medium rare.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/09/21/mystery-diner-truth-a-cozy-yet-elegant-joliet-restaurant/aa5fgfg/

Mystery Diner: MORA brings urban sophistication, Asian flavors to Plainfield

The California roll was cool, clean and refreshing, with crab, masago, cucumber and sesame. The salmon roll, on the other hand, offered crispiness and a little heat with its house-made tempura crumbs and spicy mayo paired with Scottish salmon and avocado.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/09/13/mystery-diner-mora-brings-urban-sophistication-asian-flavors-to-plainfield/a12meek/

Mystery Diner: Fresh fare, funky atmosphere makes Tin Roof a winner for area diners

The salmon was cooked perfectly, a healthy portion of my favorite pink fish with the edges a little blackened. The basil sauce had an earthy aroma and hints of pepper and mint, and was a perfect complement to the fish.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/08/30/mystery-diner-fresh-fare-funky-atmosphere-makes-tin-roof-a-winner-for-area-diners/ai2ydjy/

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: Just an Excerpt, Just Because

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Just an Excerpt, Just Because

So this is a small portion of what I do on weekends, from Before the Blood, Kellen's Story, Chapter Nine: The Sweet Life.

But Kellen also had a mischievous side, and he allowed it to play when John was occupied playing piano. He crawled through the sewers of Paris until he reached the neighborhood known as Montmartre on the Seine's right bank, seeped through a crack in the road, and stepped through the front door of le Café de l’Enfer (shaped like the hungry mouth of an angry demon) and bumped into Satan.
           
"Welcome to damnation!" the man in the devil's suit shrieked.
            
Before Kellen could reply, the man shrank back, eyeing Kellen's soiled clothes and holding his nose.
            
"I'll drink to that," Kellen agreed.
            
Still holding his nose, the devil led Kellen past rows of Paris underbellies occupying wooden tables in the long, cavernous cafe. Stone gargoyles spread their wings and emerged from the rock ceiling, their clawed hands hovering above the clueless and innocent. 
           
The devilish host and Kellen passed into a second, darker cave and to an empty table near the back, where the other patrons could not smell him.
            
"Coffee?" the devil asked in a nasal voice through tightly clamped fingers.
            
"Coffee...and cognac."
            
Twirling his tail, the devil scampered to the kitchen screaming, "One vessel of mortal sins, with a squirt of molten brimstone!"
           
Cackles replied from the back of the house.
            
The patrons seemed unaffected by the bizarre atmosphere, and they were too far away for Kellen's stench to bother them. They talked and smiled to their companions  or read the day's news. Most wore black. None of the women had red hair. 
            
But everyone smelled good enough to eat.
           
Another devil pranced to Kellen's table with the bubbling brew.
           
"Choke and die!" The devil slammed the mug before Kellen and then just as quickly pranced away.
           
Kellen sipped, relishing the coffee, drawing out the moment. Should he start with the customers or the wait staff? He pondered as he sipped and sipped. Decisions, decisions, decisions...
            
 He picked up the mug for another sip, and his hand froze in mid-air. Horrified, Kellen lowered the mug and peeked inside.
            
It was empty.
            
He tossed a bag of francs on the table and fled. 

A Writing Break (Of Sorts)

To be clear: I don't think writers ever completely take a break from writing. Our minds are always absorbing and creating.

But starting in September and continuing almost until Christmas, the amount of features work I compile and manage rises A LOT, mostly because of the extra community events that need processing in The Herald-News in some way.

While doing all the holiday stuff one does during this time. Especially, but not exclusively, when one has a family, etc.

This means I shelve quite a bit of non-timely work.

It also means an increased need to exercise my creative side. And I've truly had a productive few months.

So for the next couple of weeks, I need to address the items on the overflowing virtual shelves. And while our managing editor is on vacation, and our associate editor is assuming his duties, I'm assuming some of hers.

And the holidays aren't quite over. At least not for moi and mine.

I'm also the weekend/holiday editor for New Year's Eve and beyond. So I won't have another day off until Jan. 6.

But it's all good.

I'm catching up, and I'm looking forward to returning to Before the Blood with renewed energy and a fresh perspective, especially since my current chapter took off in a direction I hadn't anticipated before it sucked me in.

Oh, and I still need some time for fix the formatting errors in Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone. And I have an event in January. And I have some photos to take for next year's Bertrand the Mouse Christmas story.

See what I mean?

Commentary on "The Dark Side of the First Christmas" by Robert Arakaki

On Christmas Eve, I read an article that really resonated with me: "The Dark Side of the First Christmas" by Robert Arakaki.

Arakaki began by describing the elements many associate with Christmas: the scent of pine, happy songs, children excited with anticipation, Christmas shopping, eggnog, candy canes, twinkling lights, etc.

There's nothing wrong with these elements, although some people do feel out of step if they aren't "feeling it."

But maybe the people feeling "less merry and bright" have more in common with the nativity than those full of Christmas cheer.

Arakaki elaborates on the each of these: Joseph's doubt, Mary's illegitimate pregnancy and its potential scandal, Jesus being born into occupation territory and having no rights as a Roman citizen, his political refugee status (flight into Egypt), Herod's paranoia, the slain children,

Jesus is born into a dark world bringing a promise of resurrection. So maybe the ultimate Christmas message is this:

"So evil murderous rulers, political refugees, grieving mothers, brave fathers are all part of the Christmas story.  They represent the dark side of Christmas often overlooked.  Let us remember that our suffering and the sufferings of the world are among those “light affliction” which God even now might be working for great and unimagined Glory."

 Arakaki's article reminded me that we don't pack Christmas away with the tinsel and lights; we use them as props to welcome the True Light into our hearts and then carry Him with us into a weary world.

Read the full article here: http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/orthodoxbridge/the-dark-side-of-christmas/#comment-28498

Christ is Born! Let us Glorify Him!

Shelving Today's Post

It's too nice a day to stay inside and write. The sun is shining, and it's nearly sixty degrees, not a typical Dec. 26 in the Midwest.

I have about an hour's worth of "work" work to finish today followed by a little housework, and then getting outside for some serious power walking.

Here's hoping your cup of Christmas cheer doesn't turn into humbug (raising coffee mug).

Merry Christmas, vampire fans! :)

One Good Quote For Christmas Day

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Irish Christmas Eve Melody

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Dec.18 through Dec. Dec. 23

It's funny how God works things out when one listens to the Holy Spirit.

September through December are the busiest months of the year, mostly because I assemble the event calendars and briefs, and the number of event submissions dramatically increases during this time.

Several weeks into this busy season in 2014, my assistant left for a different job and was not replaced. So the managing editor at the time temporarily increased my freelance budget to see me through it.

Last year, it was not increased, but decreased by a third. And I got through it.

In May, it went away for good. And I got through it again.

Until this past week.

Drowning in story pitches (a good thing!) and way, way behind in educational briefs (and was already behind this summer), I did the thing that, for me, is tantamount to a mortal sin when it comes to filling my pages.

I ran wire.

And I will, most likely, do so again for part of next week.

It's the only way I can buy myself some time at a time when many people won't be reading the newspaper (or only giving it a cursory glance) and rightly so, as time with God, family, and friends rises to the forefront.

Now this is where it gets interesting.

As I was wrestling with this decision, I received an email that I would have no more (and now it's less) than two pages for features on Sunday, Christmas Day, due to tight staffing. At this point, my Sunday cover had already fallen through, and now I had no room to run some really nice Christmas event pieces in print.

So much for asking for more pages!

After some discussion, a decision was made to run the briefs and the calendar. The pages were designed early and done. It personally stung not running a main story on Christmas, but I felt I made a good choice.

But then...

The story I ran last Sunday did well. And an opportunity for a follow-up appeared. And the news cover for Christmas Day didn't take shape.

You can see where this is going.

I'm certain I could not have taken on this extra assignment if I had not listened to that "quiet voice" inside me first. I acquiesced...and received in return "my heart's desire."  God is good all the time.

Lofty rambling complete. Here's the tangible work I did produce this past week.

First, the non-bylined work: the health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars. Three of them can be found at the link below. http://www.theherald-news.com/lifestyle/ Gotta Do It, runs each Sunday and often stays on the home page throughout the week.

Feature briefs for Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (Arts and Entertainment), and Sunday (People) are also edited (texted and photos) by the lady of this blog, but only the stories have bylines.

I also have a list of Santa Sightings in the Joliet area at https://goo.gl/Hq06Hr.

Also, a few weeks ago, The Herald-News began a weekly Mystery Diner feature, a goal of mine that was finally approved. I had promised to post those links this past Monday, which I didn't, so I promised to do so this past Monday, which I didn't. Definitely for sure this Monday.

This week's Mystery Diner is below.

Another option: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61. And of course, I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries.

Just an FYI: On free days, holidays, and Sundays I'm not on call, I only post the blog to my "real" Twitter account, as my company insists we do take time off. I'm less reasonable, so unless I'm on a real vacation, I still post to the BryonySeries accounts. I won't be posting to my personal Twitter account this weekend, only to BryonySeries.

FYI: videos have not been attaching to my Herald-News stories, although they do run for a time on the home page. If you'd like to watch a video, and it's not showing up for you, message me, and I'll manually attach it. No worries for this week, though, although I will have videos for Sunday.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News.

Shorewood single dad of 7 juggles firefighting with caring for sons with cancer and autism

Community supports firefighter Jeff Otte and his seven children during his son’s cancer battle

In August, Jeff created a Go Fund Me page with a goal of $10,000. As of Thursday, the amount was raised was just $3,395.

Jeff said his main financial need is not money for medical bills – he has phenomenal insurance, Jeff said – but to pay his full-time and part-time nannies, so Jeff can continue working his job and keep the insurance for his kids.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/14/shorewood-single-dad-of-7-juggles-firefighting-with-caring-for-sons-with-cancer-and-autism/aws9tko/?page=1

An Extraordinary Life: New Lenox man excelled in many areas and shared the fruits with others

Donald Tolen packed two lifetimes into one

He did it all, from the Peace Corps to donating platelets to hunting mushrooms.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/13/an-extraordinary-life-new-lenox-man-excelled-in-many-areas-and-shared-the-fruits-with-others/amp7r9a/

Pets of the Week: Dec. 19

Click on the caption of each photo to find out about that pet, including where he or she can be adopted.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/15/pets-of-the-week-dec-19/auwhqhu/

Tom Kelly’s in New Lenox will make you want to stay awhile

Opening up the menu, it didn’t take me long to decide what to order. The beer menu, however, was more difficult.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/13/tom-kellys-in-new-lenox-will-make-you-want-to-stay-awhile/aze9267/

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: The Only Ornament I Need

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Only Ornament I Need

Rebekah confessed to me the other day that she really is not in the Christmas spirit, an interesting comment, because Timothy and I had recently discussed our high level of Christmas spirit this year, quoting Dr. Seuss' "The Grinch," about how, for us, Christmas will be coming without "boxes and bags" and how Christmas is "a little bit more."

Being a wise and discerning mother (wink), I immediately sized up Rebekah's plight. We kept very little when we lost our house, as we could take only a few necessities to my mother's and, thus, stored anything else we wanted to keep in a 10 x 10 storage unit, which we purged further when we rented the apartment last spring and consequently let the unit go (for financial reasons). 

So, basically, the lifelong possessions of four people are in a two-bedroom apartment. Anything Christmas went to Joshua's, Complaining? Hell, no. We still have what's important, our family in all its two and four-footed members.

This year, Timothy even bought a four-foot tree, on sale and with lights that were supposed to blink and don't but he was too "meh" to take it back - especially since Midnight is thoroughly enjoying climbing the darned tree. We have a couple presents under it from my mother, and that's it. The children and I celebrate our family Christmas on January 7, and it will be a stretch for all of us to fill even those traditional St. Nicholas stockings at a $20 limit per person. But that's not why we celebrate, and we rarely go nuts on gifts anyway.

But Rebekah is finding it harder to bear because she liked all the wonderful Christmas-y things we had done in the past. The boys would go to extremes in decorating - inside and out - we did tons of cooking and baking, for church, for us, for gifts. To her, this year appears bleak.

So I challenged her.

Now that she's off work and school for a couple weeks, it's her turn to play 1940's housewife and make Christmas happen for the rest of us. She objected that she had no money. I knew that, reminded her of all the warm and fuzzy Christmas stories of poor people we had read in the past, and added a few conditions to the challenge.

No trinkets.

No presents.

Nothing, except inexpensive raw materials and what's inside these four rooms.

It kept her mind busy yesterday, and we talked last night and made some lists. Her plan will definitely keep her busy today. I can't wait to come home from work tonight and see the results.

So back to the ornament, the title of this post.

On Sunday, one of the women of the church approached me. Nearly a decade ago, Timothy, Rebekah, and I consistently and regularly prayed for three addicts (Matt, Frankie, and Jerry), two at our church and one for whom I was a medical and spiritual advocate. Two have since died addiction-related deaths, and one struggles with recovery.

The woman at our church is the mother to one of the three that had died. In the time we had known him, he had gone to prison twice (and we had attended his court hearings, Timothy, Rebekah, and I, and they were young), and we had the youth group write to him. Occasionally, he wrote back.

And his mother, on Sunday, gave us a homemade ornament with his photo on it, which she was distributing to people she felt were important in his life. And we were one of the recipients of these ornaments.

WOW!

The simplicity of our little tree is not depressing. Without all the extras (and trust me, I love a beautifully decorated tree with all the treasured ornaments from years past adorning it as much as the next person), this "Jerry" ornament really stands out, a stark reminder of why we do this whole Christmas thing anyway.

Truly, it's the only ornament I need.

"An Evening With Rich Koz" at the Museum of Broadcast Communications

The Research Before the Writing: Creating a 19th Century College Town

So I have an entire section of the very long chapter I recently wrote for Henry's story in Before the Blood, that takes place in Jensen, home of, if you've read Visage, Jenson College of Liberal Arts, which is older than Munsonville by decades.

Jenson in 1976, done.

 Jenson in 1881, um, I don't know?

As I outlined this section, here's what I needed to know:

1) The scope of the town. The college was prominent in 1976 Jenson, so I decided it should dominate the 1881 version and make the town revolve around it. but... did college towns event exist in the late 19th century? I researched but couldn't find a clear answer to it and went with it, anyway. Jenson could always be the first, I reasoned.

2) Population. Well, that would be the students, professors, and anyone that established a business catering to them. I'd need a few representatives from "His Majesty's Row" (previously created in Visage). Some personalities were already established in Bryony's portion of BTB; this chapter provided an opportunity to see them in their natural habitats. However, I'd also be bringing to life four characters only previously mentioned by name, as well as two brand-new characters, each with his and her own role to play. Their importance (to the story, not the town) dictated the level of their development.

3) Other venues: One church (researched churches in Michigan in the time period and went with Catholic) one hotel, a photography studio, and various shops: butcher, cigar, cheese, hat, tailor. These are appropriate for the population and the types of elements I wished to show in this chapter. That included further development of Henry's character, advancement of the plot, and even a foreshadowing a very different Henry as he is portrayed in Bryony. And while I'm creating these venues, let's not forget architecture of the time. What WAS used in Jenson? Ah, needed to figure that out.

4) Entertainment: So what DID these college town residents do for fun? Important to know, as adolescent Henry is hanging about for a fortnight. (Yes, a fortnight). The entertainment serves multiple purposes, so I must carefully choose. Not only do I want to illustrate the different facets of activity in my pretend college town, I'm introducing Henry to society. After much research, I chose these: poetry reciting contest, philosophy debate, Mass, Bible study, ball, music salon, and three events at Jenson College proper: a play, glee club recital, and an orchestral performance.

5) Hotel: Obviously Henry and his companion have to stay somewhere. They could have stayed on campus, but I'll assume any student housing is full. Henry's doctor lives in Jenson, but he's stayed there once, and I wanted to show something different. So I researched hotels of the time period, along with names, and went with the Wisten Hotel, a flint faced, multicolored brick building at the end of the street, inviting in its simplicity and attractive with its many-paned glass in the tall windows overlooking the busy street.

6) Jenson College: While researching student popular of the time period in Michigan, I learned that Hillsdale College in Michigan embraced progressivism, and abolitionisn. Furthermore, its charter banned all discrimination based on sex, race or religion. That type of mission statement perfectly fit the population and the environment of which Henry needed exposure to move the story forward, so I adopted it for Jenson. I already knew what the college looked like, thanks to Visage:

Tall, gothic, tower-like structures framed the street on both sides of Jenson’s college strip; the main building of the six-story school towered above them all. The complete campus spanned the entire street. Years ago, the townspeople had nicknamed this street His Majesty’s Row because the great castle-like structures once housed the area’s notable merchants, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and physicians. Most of those homes had long since been converted into businesses or apartments for upperclassmen and staff. Whenever the college needed more space, it simply bought another house.

So basically, for 1881, the six-story Gothic.

7) Picky details that aren't so picky: Ball etiquette. Street etiquette. Ball fashion. Walking fashion. Elocution lessons. Class auditing. A few peers (a black male student, a female transvestite, Bible thumpers, a debutante: all decided after researching these elements for the time period in Michigan). The entry poem (Got it...but had to be sure it had been published by 1881 first. It was). Types of meals served at The Wisten. A name for the church (St. Adelbert). Types of meals served in the college's lunch hall. The topic for the philosophy debate (and snippets of the arguments made). New character names. A fluffy salon (lighter fare ,musically and food-wise). Judging points for the poetry recitation contest. Who wins? (Got it) What's the prize? (Don't remember what I chose. Better check that).

Armed with all this information, the writing process becomes challenging. It's easy how overwriting occurs. I mean, having acquired truckloads of research that took hours and hours to amass, why waste it?

Unfortunately, one little detail used in one little line can take pounds of research. It's important not to overwhelm and bore the reader with all the information. The storehouse of knowledge is an author's tool for seamless world building. Don't lose the story in the minutiae.

I spent part of two Saturdays on this, or about twelve hours, until vague ideas took shape.

And now?

College over, chapter completed, and then some. I am now working on creating a company town.

Spent

I read the other day that it's not possible to write more than three or four hours at a time. Obviously, that person doesn't work in a newsroom!

Or perhaps that only applies to creative works, and that person can spend that amount each day working on fiction.

On Friday, I took my last vacation day in order to spend three days with my daughter-in-law and two of my grandchildren. But Zachariah was fighting a cold, and the weather turned crummy and hazardous, so we will reschedule.  Here's what I did instead:

Friday: Power walk, social media, errands, read, a little fiction (interrupted by errands), read through Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone and marked typos and formatting errors.

Saturday: Power walk, social media, twelve hours of writing fiction (Before the Blood)

Sunday: Power walk, social media, edited the previous day's fiction, calendars for work, a little marketing research, the prologue and beginning outlines for Cornell Dyer and the Necklace of Forgetfulness.

I'm happy to report for the first time in a very long time, I have "spent" my creative drive this weekend and am happy to return to work today.

In an ugly Christmas sweater (loaned to me by a friend since I don't own any)

Because that's the theme of this year's office party.

Happy cold Monday, vampire fans! :)

Roast Goose Stuffed with Mashed Potato Dressing

The Munsonville Times was so impressed by the spread John Simons served for his wedding to Miss Bryony Marseilles that the newspaper listed each item. Alas, we haven’t a recipe for the twelve-tiered wedding cake.

Adapted from Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy.

Roast Goose Stuffed with Mashed Potato Dressing

1 goose

Mashed potatoes

Salt

Pepper

Sage

Onions

A goose should be roasted in the same manner as a turkey. It is better to make the  stuffing of mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt, pepper, sage, and onions, to the taste. Apple sauce is good to serve with it. Allow 15 minutes to 1 pound, for a gosling, and 20 or more for an older one. Goose should be cooked rare.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.

Students & Exams

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Dec.11 through Dec. Dec. 16

The week began on a sad note and ended on one, too.

On Saturday, our family unexpectedly lost a good family friend, but thanks to a very understanding new boss, I was able to get to hospice, even though I was the weekend editor for two newspapers. Today is the funeral, and the weekend I had planned in a nearby town with my daughter-in-law and two of my grandsons will likely be usurped by low funds and a winter storm, not the way I wanted extra fiction time. But we shall see.

On a glad note, I made all deadlines early again for The Herald-News, but with no reserves of work. Next week will be most interesting trying to catchup.

Last night was the WriteOn Joliet Christmas party at Cemeno's in Joliet, and we had a wonderful time. The staff accommodated last minute, no extra charge dietary restrictions of several of our members (including me) and provided terrific food and service.

As for us, well, to prove we are truly the geek squad, conversations in all corners turned to writing, editing, publishing, and great story lines. Truly a fabulous evening.

And now...

First, the non-bylined work: the health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars. Three of them can be found at the link below. http://www.theherald-news.com/lifestyle/ Gotta Do It, runs each Sunday and often stays on the home page throughout the week.

Feature briefs for Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (Arts and Entertainment), and Sunday (People) are also edited (texted and photos) by the lady of this blog, but only the stories have bylines.

I also have a list of Santa Sightings in the Joliet area at https://goo.gl/Hq06Hr.

Also, a few weeks ago, The Herald-News began a weekly Mystery Diner feature, a goal of mine that was finally approved. I had promised to post those links this past Monday, which I didn't, so I will do so this Monday. This week's Mystery Diner is below.

Another option: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61. And of course, I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries.

Just an FYI: On free days, holidays, and Sundays I'm not on call, I only post the blog to my "real" Twitter account, as my company insists we do take time off. I'm less reasonable, so unless I'm on a real vacation, I still post to the BryonySeries accounts.

FYI: videos have not been attaching to my Herald-News stories, although they do run for a time on the home page. If you'd like to watch a video, and it's not showing up for you, message me, and I'll manually attach it.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News.

Joliet churches united last night for community Christmas singalong  (VIDEO EXTRA)

Churches United for Christ hosted ‘Sounds of Christmas Community Sing’ on Saturday

“Christmas songs have a tendency to do something to your spirit,” John L. King, organizer,  said. “They make you feel everything is not so bad, especially people who have suicidal or depressing thoughts around the holidays. We try to bring them out of that low spot. It’s a spirit of giving, the singing, the giving away of free stuff – like a desktop computer and a laptop – and the hot chocolate and the apple cider.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/07/joliet-churches-united-last-night-for-community-christmas-singalong/am240ry/

An Extraordinary Life: Plainfield teacher's lessons for good living immortalized in book
‘Trip’s Tips’ give young people 17 ways to live full lives

Jim  Brown said he’s probably given away more books than he’s sold, but he never intended “Trips Tips” to be an income source, which is why people can download the book for free on its website.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/02/an-extraordinary-life-plainfield-teachers-lessons-for-good-living-immortalized-in-book/a3jc4r8/?page=1

Joliet area churches, organizations address grief, loneliness during the holidays

Blue Christmas services, workshops and senior facilities ease loss during the holidays

But some people may feel isolated regardless of their life situations, Anna Walters, director of health services at Senior Star at Weber Place in Romeoville, said. This perceived isolation – feeling alone in a crowded room – also increases health risk, she added. Part of the solution in all cases lies in creating new opportunities for socialization and new life goals.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/12/joliet-area-churches-organizations-address-grief-loneliness-during-the-holidays/a10a11u/

Mystery Diner: Chicago Street Pub a festive place to eat, drink downtown

Now back to the tacos. I was pleased with my opening choice (two chicken, one pulled pork). For sure, they were a little messy. But I knew I was going all in on this. So I poured on a little hot sauce, ordered some wings for later and dove in.

When the wings arrived, it was immediately clear they don’t skimp on sauce.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/06/mystery-diner-chicago-street-pub-a-festive-place-to-eat-drink-downtown/altmoz9/

Joliet church premieres 'jazz-infused' cantata composed by 1 of its own

‘Advent for All’ is an original cantata with traditional choral as well as jazz elements

“First of all,” Ken Myers, choirmaster, said, “he’s a jazz guitarist and a very good one. Basically, he started with that jazz background and projected that with what he wanted to do with his music. It gives it very different rhythmic elements from a lot of things I might do. The tonalities of the piece – some are very traditional and some have very definite jazz/blues elements. It’s a neat mix of the two styles.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/13/joliet-church-premieres-jazz-infused-cantata-composed-by-1-of-its-own/agtklnf/

Bolingbrook dance company participates in Pearl Harbor 75th commemoration

Nonprofit dance company pays tribute to Pearl Harbor survivors

“Every day, the hotel was filled with people sitting around and listening to the stories of these heroes,” Emaley Losic said. “The gentlemen were very warm and encouraging of the girls to ask questions and talk about the fateful day in our history.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/12/15/bolingbrook-dance-company-participates-in-pearl-harbor-75th-commemoration/a84wil/

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: Joy vs. Misery

Monday, January 12, 2015

Joy vs. Misery

On New Calendar Christmas morning (December 25) over a cup of coffee, our pastor (who is 82 going on 40) made a comment about how his Christmas wish is for us to always choose joy over misery.

One member of our small church, who has been in therapy for years for depression, said, "Nooo, we're not getting into this."

But Fr. Boris continued," People often don't realize that they have a choice," and then he quoted, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life."

(Deuteronomy 30:19)

Then I said, "I think people often don't realize they have a choice because they confuse joy with happiness."

And Fr. Boris looked at me and grinned.

I have a writely friend who calls me an eternal optimist, to which I respond that I simply refuse to be miserable. While it's true that circumstances have occured in life that have, indeed, robbed me of that joy, those circumstances hae never done so without my permission, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. Once I realize it, my first job, before I work on the problem, is to fix my attitude on the inside. A joyful spirit is a better problem-solver than a miserable one.

Joy is not happiness. And misery is not unhappiness.

Happiness is transitory, an elated feeling when something goes well in our lives or when others connect well with us. The opposite is true about unhappiness. Joy and misery are independent of life circumstances or our relationships.

I once read that if one travels downward in an ocean, one will eventually reach a place of complete serenity, where any turbulance that may be above cannot reach it. I believe all of us have, inside, a similar place we can cultivate, a place of serenity and, yes, joy.

Looking at life through rose-colored glasses is not wise, but neither should we view it through lenses of smoky gray. Rather, I choose spectacles of faith and the confidence they are backed with a guarantee of love from its Maker.

We cannot always choose our circumstances and whether or not so and so likes us. We can not prevent all troubles, all unhappiness. But we can build a strong ship that will sail navigate them.

And these are my Monday morning musings as I embark upon another work week...

'Awake Arise Good Christians' an English Folk Christmas Carol.

"A Little At A Time"

When my oldest son Christopher (age thirty-four) was in first grade, "A Little at a Time" was one of his favorite library books (selected by him).

https://www.amazon.com/Little-at-Time-David-Adler/dp/0823417395

With a packed, upside down and inside out weekend, I had little time for anything Before The Blood related, except to read through the previous week's work and tweak some descriptions.

It's a funny thing.

When I get to the end of a long writing period, such as I have on Saturdays, and even looking back at the weekly, early morning snippets, I always feel as if I could have, should have, wished I had time for, more.

Until I read it back in one sitting.

These bits and pieces patched and pasted add up. We talk about growth bursts, and sometimes we do get that burst of creativity and ideas with pages of fantastic prose pouring out of us.

But mostly, the structure of a good story happens bit by bit, a little at a time.

Slow, if it's steady, really does win the race.

A Less Than Cheery Post

It was a strange weekend, busy with job duties, along with sorrow, frustrations, and blessings.

It began by receiving a message around midnight on Saturday morning that a wonderful family friend and neighbor for many years, who had been in remission for lung cancer and anticipated returning work soon, had taken an unexpected turn.

Within days, the cancer reappeared and spread everywhere; she entered hospice that evening. When dawn broke, I called my kids. After addressing some computer issues and getting the immediate work completed, I headed over to hospice. She died shortly afterward.

The day remained full since I also had a story to cover. Sunday we skipped church anticipating lots of snow coverage. I worked the news end and also the my features end in anticipation of a funeral this week. It's also a four-day work week for me anyway with extra meetings, so it will be a challenging week for me on many levels.

Anyway, by the time the snow actually did arrived, my phone started acting up like an erratic child. I can do some basic operations with it if I use the stylus so we're thinking it's a screen issue.

And the blessings?

A volunteer choir of 75 people braving the cold wild and snow Saturday night to sing Christmas carols in Walmart's parking lot (I was there filming clips).

The warmth and support of family and friends.

Reading Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone for errors and realizing my first book for middle-schoolers reads well.

Rereading last week's work on Before the Blood and realizing the same.

Catching a couple episodes of "W" last night with Rebekah before bedtime.

God is good all the time. A joyous Monday to you, vampire fans! :)

Fish Chowder

Served at John and Bryony Simons' Christmas Eve wedding.

Adapted from Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy

Fish Chowder

Fish (haddock and striped bass are best)

6-8 good sized slices salt pork

Split crackers

Black pepper

Red pepper

Chopped onion

Pounded cracker

Mushroom catsup (recipe to follow)

Port wine (optional)

1 lemon, juice and slices

Salt (optional)

Cut fish into pieces 1 inch thick and 2 inches square. Put salt pork in the bottom of an iron pot and fry them in the pot until crisped. Take out the pork, leaving the fat. Chop the pork fine. Put in the pot a layer of fish, a layer of split crackers, some of the chopped pork, black and red pepper, and chopped onion, then another layer of fish, split crackers, and seasoning. This do until you have used your fish. Then just cover the fish with water and stew slowly till the fish is perfectly tender. Take out the fish, and put it in the dish in which you mean to serve it; set it to keep warm. Thicken the gravy with pounded cracker; add, if you like, mushroom catsup and Port wine. Boil the gravy up once and pour over the fish; squeeze in lemon and garnish with lemon slices. If not salty enough from the pork, more must be added.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.