Need Some Christmas Cheer?
Christians look forward to the good news of the birth of a baby who, in the words of Douglas Adams, ‘…was nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change…’.
But what happens if you hate the commercialisation and enforced jollity that our various winter festivals have become? The pressure to conform, and the loneliness that can strike at this time of year is hard to avoid.
I’m posting some good news here to raise spirits while I can.
Good News!
There was good news for me at the fracture clinic yesterday. With luck, I’ll be in a lighter cast by mid-January. I have regained feeling in all my fingers, although movement remains very restricted in three of them. I keep telling myself that jazz genius Django Reinhardt managed well enough with only two fingers. Trouble is, I’m a writer, not a guitarist!
I’m typing this (with one hand) on 21st December. That’s the Winter Solstice, otherwise known as the Shortest Day. The sun rose this morning just after eight o’clock, and it will set shortly before four pm. It slips behind the trees at lunchtime here, which means part of the garden is in shade from around 1:30pm. Even so, there’s no stopping nature. These crocuses are in a window box outside my office.
The Winter Solstice is actually good news. From now on, the hours of daylight will increase by a few minutes each day. The days will start getting lighter, and longer. It means spring is on the way. People have been saying that to cheer each other up since they were building Stonehenge (right). That’s what you call continuity.
More Good News
I happened on this anecdote on Crazy Days and Nights, a site which is famous for its edgy celebrity gossip.The following story, and many of the comments about the kindness of Gary Sinise, Wendell Pierce, Will Rogers and others, raised my spirits. Here’s the story:
‘There is an A- list actor who has made it his passion the past several years to build as many low income single family homes as he can. Our actor made his name in iconic HBO show that has seen a few cast deaths in the past few years. The people get no interest loans and own their own houses. It was while he was doing this that he ran into several military veterans who were doing construction on one of the houses. They got to talking about other veterans who served and were permanently disabled and were having trouble getting work and therefore having trouble finding places to live. Many ended up homeless or in shelters. Our actor started meeting with veterans groups and also met with an actor that has been in this space before for his work with veterans. Our A- lister started bugging his producer friends to find jobs for the veterans. Our actor also got a group together to purchase two motels for the veterans to stay while they were saving enough to move into their own place. The motels each also have a coffee shop/diner where the veterans can eat, but also work and serve the general public.’
You can read the comments here.
And Finally…
Fancy a break from the hectic round of shopping and cooking? Then browse these selections of free books. They are a great way to discover the work of romance authors you may not have met before. You can choose from Free Steamy Romance I or Free Steamy Romance II.
That’s all for now. If I don’t manage to get back on here before 2024, have a peaceful, pleasant Christmas and New Year.
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There’s an extract of my latest book, Royal Passion, here, and to buy Royal Passion, click here.