This is the loll before Christmas. A lot of people get started early with holiday shopping while others wait until December to tackle the gift buying. I try to be one of the few to shop ahead of time but somehow it’s always happens-come December 24. I’m out and about seeking last minute's gifts.

Along with the festival time for women is also the cooking. In the back of our minds, we are planning what to bake, what left overs, we want and what sweets are needed for different events.  

If the woman is southern, well that’s just "icing on the cake." I can’t speak about all females in the world, but to me, it seems that the ladies from the south tend to make an extra fuss. What is it about a southern woman and her quest to be the perfect “Miss Holiday Cheer?”  

Because I’m born and breed in the south, I can poke a bit about “us” southern women. Before we start pulling our hair, trying to please everyone or stressing over details we can’t possibly control anyway, let’s step back and smile. Take time for a little humor to smooth over the frazzle ends that lie ahead.

Here’s few sayings about us gals from the south:  :-)  

 Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions:

"Y'all come back!"

"Well, bless your heart."

"Drop by when you can."

"How's your Momma?"

Southern women know their summer weather report:

Humidity, humidity and humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:

The beach and the beach

 Southern girls know their prime real estate:

The Mall

The Spa

The Beauty Salon  

Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:

Having bad hair, heels and nails

Having bad manners

Cooking bad food

 Southern women are not perfect. No, seriously, we're not." –

She could start an argument in an empty house.

A whistling woman and a crowing hen never comes to a very good end. (be who you

Be like the old lady who fell out of the wagon. (You aren't involved, so stay out of it)


So smile, be happy and try not to stress over things. It all works out in the end anyway. One of my best verses to remember when I’m wondering why I get so tied-up in pleasing everyone is in Colossians chapter three. (KJV)  

23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.


From this ol’e southern gal to everyone, Have a great Christmas. Remember, it’s not about what we lost or the things we haven’t achieved; the reason for the season is Jesus Christ-our savior.

Watch for my new release. “The ring of Hope,” no news yet as to when the birthing process begins, but you know I’ll keep everyone posted. I wouldn’t want you to be caught with your pants down. (Surprised and unprepared)

 As the holidays approach we all struggle with situations.  Personal issues come to the surface, but other occurrences can create troubles.

Recently, a storm with tropical winds and rain tore through the east coast and spawned havoc in several cities. Millions of people have been affected. Numerous individuals still suffer from the aftermath of the disaster.  

People are brokenhearted. Homes have been destroyed, and dwellings  left standing in need of repair. In addition, folks are still without power.

The circumstances that have befallen parts of the country in the path of the hurricane bring sadness to us all. Many people, for various reasons can only offer prayers, but we all care and long to be able to reach out and help. 

Often I’m asked. “Why do things like this happen?  Why does God let bad things happen to good people?”

  First, my personal thoughts are that God doesn’t let bad things happen. They are part of this world we live in, only through believing can we see the light that’s offered. God never turns his back on anyone. Some situations come about because an individual doesn’t pursue the path that God would choose for them. It’s similar to our relationship with our children. As they grow up we want to keep them away from harm, but sometimes a younger person will choose to go somewhere or do something that we warned them against. At those times, all we can do is pray. Other instances, such as the natural disaster we recently experienced aren’t something we control, but we must endure.

 In the end, all I know is what God’s word says, “rain falls on the just and the unjust" (Found in Matthew five). We all have to tolerate the world’s trouble. 

Yes, bad things happen to good people-none of us are immune. The difference is how we react. Mankind can’t escape those conditions, but we can overcome. The saying “power of positive thinking” is so true. Keeping a clear head and looking toward a better day will certainly help someone climb out of misfortune. After all, they’re much to gain, nothing to lose by forging ahead. For a person that has faith and belief in the Lord, the prospect of a happy future is always there.

I look back over the years and remember the times when I didn’t walk with God and faced trials. Those days seemed dark; just finding courage to keep going. Now though, I have faith. I don’t claim to understand it all, but I know that by walking with God, I will overcome. The bad things of this world can’t overpower anyone, as long as they stay strong-rooted in the knowledge that something better lies ahead. One of my favorite sayings is, “a door is never shut, without God opening a window.”  For me, the Serenity Prayer has always offered hope and a booster shot for my fleshly doubts.          


The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Ok, you say, "What do all those things have to do with each other?” Well, a woman wears a lot of hats in a week’s time. One hour she may be the cook, the next a maid. By afternoon, women are juggling things like catering or chauffeuring. Organizing a lot of different responsibilities simply becomes common pratice.     

Then arrive the holidays, for a woman the festivities mean more work. Oh, we enjoy family and friends, and get-togethers, but admit it ladies we work hard during Thanksgiving and Christmas. What woman can honestly say she doesn’t clean, cook, buy gifts and play nice to make the season a good one. I have found that most women seem to make it their personal endeavor to create the perfect holiday. (For everyone else)   

Add to the mixture- the woman who is also an author. Just because turkey day is approaching or Christmas is creeping to the door, doesn’t take away that innate nature that a writer has. They must write!

 It’s ok to stuff that turkey, slap the twelve-pound bird into the over and get back to the keyboard. It’s fine if you forgo hanging the exact amount of lights to jot down a creative thought. After all, Holidays are about remembering our blessings and every writer thinks the ability to generate a fictional world is a blessing, part of what we live for. To a novelist putting the words down is a must. Come what may, thoughts still run ramped, wanting to find a home.

This year as the preparations are made for celebrations, remember to applaud the calling to write, regardless whether the rewards are extremely materialist or a meager pence. To a person who feels called to originate words-inscribing stories is about something else. What fulfills a writer are the benefits unseen by the audience.

"Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called . . . Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God." 1 Corinthians 7:20, 24, KJV