Hello, and welcome to my post for the style: color;maroon>Happy Holidays Blog Hop! I decided to keep it simple, and post a short list of short (holiday-flavored) lists. That’s coming right up. I’ve also got a little Lou Sylvre news and info, and a prize drawing and teensy swag offer for Holiday Hoppers. For more holiday-style goodness, check out the other bloggers in the hop, listed right here at this link to the blog of our host, Nikki J. Markus..
Now to the lists!
My three favorite things about the holiday season (not counting being with people I love, because that goes without saying):
(The first list.)
- Lights! Or perhaps I should say “light,” because winter is soooooo dark. It would be different if I lived in the southern hemisphere, I suppose, and I don’t’ think I felt this way growing up in Southern California, where it never gets quite as dark in December as it is here, a mere thousand miles north in Washington. Our daylight hours here are pathetically short for the months bracketing the solstice, and the low-angled sunlight often hides behind cloudy skies. Holiday lights and candle flames truly “make the season bright,” and it’s a life-saver.
- Pajamas. No seriously. It’s a family tradition to gather on the day of our celebration for breakfast. The rule is pajamas. No one is allowed to be dressed in actual street clothes, even if driving many miles to get to the gathering. This is my rule, and since I’m the grandma, well, it goes. I’d make allowance for guests, but generally speaking, those outside our immediate family who have chosen to join us are perfectly willing to get into the spirit, and they wear pajamas too. In fact, they often wear the silliest pair.
- BreakfastWe have lots of food. I no longer have to cook it all. We all manage to squeeze in at the round table . Those are all good things. But my favorite part about the day is German pancakes—that’s what we call them, and they’re reasonably close to what I’ve seen called a German pancake in the few restaurants that have them on the menu. But this is a family recipe. Interestingly, my mother, who was from Germany and came to the US as my father’s bride when he was stationed in Frankfurt in the late 1940s, had never seen such a pancake in her homeland. She learned the recipe from her mother-in-law, whose heritage was a mix of Native and French Canadian. Regardless of whether they’re German, they’re darn good eating, a hefty version of a large crepe, which can be eaten with maple syrup, or rolled up with jam (or whatever) inside. They were always a treat when I was growing up, and now the big treat for me is to see not only my children, but my grandchildren devour them.
(The second list)
Three lists of holiday books (a list of lists in a list of lists):
- On Goodreads, “Best Gay Winter-ish Holiday Romance”. I love the title, and this is a great big list, with more than 250 books.
- M/M Holiday Delights.”This is more than a list, really. A long series of cover-blurb-link type posts hosted by Melyna on her beautiful Books, Coffee, and Captured Moments blog. Delight-full. (heh!)
- My own tiny list, right here:The Christmas Wager by Jamie Fessenden, Finn’s Christmas by Angel Martinez, and (yes, of course I’m going to put my own book in here!) Falling Snow on Snow by Lou Sylvre.
(The third list)
Four winter holidays, with a tradition and song to go with each
- YuleTradition: Bonfire. Song: “Solstice Bells” by Jethro Tull
Hanukkah Tradition: Menorah. Song: Maoz Tzur
Eid Milad un-Nabi Tradition: Mawlid (festival). Song: Well, I’m not sure, but here’s a great article instead.
Kwanzaa Tradition: Seven days, seven principles. Song: O Kwanzaa Christmas Tradition: Evergreen tree, decorated and lit. Song: Carol of the Bells”(this is the Pentatonix version, cool.
That’s it for my holiday bloghop entry. Comment by 12/21 with a tiny winter list of your own and enter win a $10 GC for the Dreamspinner Press catalog.
Some Lou Sylvre news: Falling Snow on Snowreleases 12/23 from Dreamspinner, available for preorder now, and I’m on a blog tour! Start here at MM Good Book Reviews blog for day one (yesterday), and get all the links for preorder and for the rest of the tour. While you’re there enter the blog tour giveaway, too! Here’s a review by Mt Snow on Rainbow Gold Reviews.
One last special thing. I’m giving away a litte, itsy-bitsy holiday Vasquez and James Universe vignette, available online at Love Bytes blog, or get a printed and signed copy. If you trust me with your mailing address (I won’t abuse it), write me at lou.sylvre@gmail.com, and I’ll mail you a copy.
Happy Holidays Lou! My family also insists Christmas Day be spent in pj’s….the whole day! It’s a fun family tradition and as we grow in numbers everyone has fun with it.
Yay for the traditional pajamas! Thanks for hopping. 🙂
Here is my little list – Fav Holiday drinks:
1. Peppermintini
2. Warm egg nog with Southern Comfort
3. Mulled wine
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
It has been such a long time since I had Southern Comfort in anything at all. I think that would be a good blend with the eggnog! My mother used to make mulled wine, good stuff. Great list! Thanks.
my list is fave foods for Christmas Day
German Potato Salad
Turkey
Ham
Fresh Fruit Platter (watermelon, mango, avocado, grapes etc)
Pavlova
Iced Coffee
Salads
probably different to most of you, but this is pretty normal fare when you live in Australia 🙂
That list would not have been out of place in Los Angeles, most years. Although it chilled down in winter, it seemed like right around Christmas we often had a warm spell, and we’d go bodysurfing/sunbathing at the beach during winter break from school. (And back in the “olden days,” hardly anybody, even the surfers, wore wet suits. 🙂 )Thanks for sharing, Lee.
Happy Holidays!
My favorite cookies for the holidays:
1. My family’s old fashioned cookies
2. Sugar cookies with a hint of lemon flavor
3. Spritz cookies
Spritz cookies! Yum. Great list, Jen. 🙂
My favorite thing about the holidays is the family meal, making candy, and sending cards
Ooh! Candy making. That’s something I’ve only done a couple times in my life (aside from fudge). Great tradition. Thanks, Cathy!
A list for you, for the holiday season we like to:
Eat popcorn and watch old film favourites together
Find simple gifts that mean something for each person or fur baby
Visit a few Christmas bazaars and eat hot roasted chestnuts
Convert a new recipe for a main meal (or desert) to suit my allergy/intolerances
Find time to catch up with my reading (almost impossible)
Thank you for the giveaway – I was wondering is the offer to send the Vasquez and James Universe vignette open internationally?
Thanks for the delightful list, Sula! Great traditions. 🙂 About the international mailing, let me get back to you on that. I need to check costs. If I can manage it, it will be yes. If not, would an e-format version do?
Some of the things I like about this season are:
– decorating the Christmas tree, I love to do that
– eating ice-cream when I can, lol (it’s summer here after all)
– meeting with friends I don’t see much or at all during the year
– helping my mum prepare the Christmas dinner
I look forward to your upcoming release. Thanks for the chance and Happy Holidays!
Cool list, Serena! BTW, Ice-cream is good no matter how cold it is outside, as long as you eat in a warm place. 🙂 Thanks for playing and for the holiday wishes! <3
My favorite things about the holiday are:
1) Seeing all the different Christmas decorations.
2) Holiday cookies.
3) Peppermint bark.
Holiday cookies are never a failure! I love them. 🙂 Thanks, H.B.! 🙂
Lee Todd is the winner of the $10 GC! Congrats Lee!