Happy 2014!

Happy New Year!! My husband and I celebrated New Year's Eve with a lamb roast dinner at home, served to some close friends. After watching the Breckenridge fireworks at 9 PM, we toasted the new year with champagne. And, I always eat two good luck foods for new year's: pickled herring on New Year's Eve and Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.

Now, on to the hard work of resolutions. Every year, I resolve to lose some weight and I usually succeed in losing a few pounds--the few I put on over the holidays, that is! I'd always like to lose more, but I least I keep on trying. So, I'm trying again. I'm also going to focus on my priorities in life and try to assure that the activities that are occupying my time are those that match my priorities. That likely will mean that I will post less often on my blog. Don't miss my mystery author guest on Wednesday, January 8th, though!

What are your New Year's resolutions? Do you make them? If not, why not?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

In the hustle and bustle of moving, Christmas traditions in the Groundwater household got kind of shoved aside. Now that we've unpacked most, not all, of the boxes in the house (the garage is a whoooole different story), I've had a chance to breathe in some of that holiday spirit.

The big tree and all of its ornaments are still in boxes, but I set up a miniature tree on the table with a few gifts around it. And I've got butter softening on the kitchen counter for a batch of Christmas sugar cookies. It just isn't Christmas Eve, in my mind, without a mess of dough, cookie cutters, and sugar sprinkles in the kitchen! And tonight we'll be attending a candlelight Christmas Eve service at the local Methodist Church. I feel like we're back on track, pausing for a moment to remember what the winter holiday is all about--peace, love, family, charity, and hope.

I hope that all of my blog readers who celebrate Christmas have a very merry one! For those who celebrate other winter holidays, may yours be special and cheerful, too. And for everyone, here's my wish for a very Happy New Year, in which all your dreams come true. See you next year!

PS. C. Goold, email me at my website, bethgroundwater.com. You've won something!