Falling into Winter (fun)

This time of year means an event that I enjoy. It's the All-Town Open House.

My home town is small (5000 people) and Main Street is three blocks long with 3 stop lights. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, they have the All-Town Open House, where every business is open for the afternoon, there are pony rides on Main Street, troubadours roam the town playing Christmas carols (in Victorian costume), and the movie theater has a triple feature of It's a Wonderful Life, Elf, and A Christmas Carol.

Across the street from the theater is Nature's Corner, a flower store and gift shop where you will find me busily signing books. The owner of the store stocks my books on site (because it's 40 miles to the nearest bookstore) so once a year, I'm in town to sign books, talk to people, hand out promotion, and generally have a good time. Friends of my family come to visit, classmates I haven't seen for a long time, and often it ends with a visit to the local bar where I end up having a drink with family and friends

My rule of thumb is that Christmas season starts on November 25, no matter what day Thanksgiving falls on. I want a month of build-up to the day, and I won't be shorted out of it just because of an overlapping holiday. So the Open House this year fell on exactly the right day. The day after, I was dragging out the Christmas boxes and getting ready to decorate.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season this year, and I hope you all enjoy the stories coming up in December from my talented co-bloggers (I don't write short stories, alas, else I would join them). See you all on New Year's Eve, when I'll be back to report in on my writing endeavors for the year. I'm aiming to finish my third book, and I have 6 chapters to go.

Wish me luck!

J L
jayellwilson.com