Christmas – robin maderich – write-brained scribbler and crafter-on-the-loose

And So, It Begins

(Jeez, I didn’t realize a certain repulsive had made this same comment about something else entirely right when I was putting up this blog post. Believe me, separate topic and no connection.)

Well, it’s November. Officially the start of the holiday season (for me, anyway). I have plans. Lots of them. Always do. The only thing I don’t have is enough time to implement them all, especially since I still have end-of-the-growing-season jobs outside to do and all the book signings coming up. So, I guess I must pick and choose.

I always dream big this this time of year. Dream big and wonder why I didn’t have these dreams in July instead of November, when there’s a little more time before Christmas. After all, the whole Christmas in July thing is going on then. Why don’t I jump on the bandwagon while the sun is still hot? To be honest, I do. I start thinking about Christmas then (sometimes I start in January—depends on my mood), but I don’t buckle down in July. Instead, I walk around with all these Christmas-y goals in my head, and my hands rarely implement a single one.

Sharing my excitement

[Apologies, all. I apparently tossed away a year, by putting 2026 instead of 2025 in all the book signing dates listed below. I have adjusted them now. One wonders where one’s head has wandered off to, for sure!]

I know I post about upcoming events on my News and Events page, but I figured I’d mention the below in a blog post, in case you never get as far as my News and Event page, lol.

This Fall is going to be a busy time for me (I’m hoping). There will be book signing events at multiple places, and not only at bookstores, so please check the News and Events page in the upcoming days. Meeting my readers, or just readers in general–whether they’re mine or not–is always an exciting time for me.

The signings are going to be taking place in Bucks County, Lehigh County, Carbon County, Berks County, and anywhere in that vicinity. So, if you have a hankering to meet little ol’ me, or to purchase a signed copy of any of my books, please feel free to stop by and of these events.

And if you need any further inspiration to do so, books signed by the author make great holiday gifts for the readers in your life!

Book Signing – Local Author Event at Quakertown Alive! October 18, 2025, from 10:oo a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Broad Street, Quakertown PA. I will be selling and signing copies of all four books in the Connor Falls Christmas series, Hurry Home for Christmas, I Knew in a Moment, and When the Heart Brings You Home. The fourth book, The Garland Ball, does not officially release until November 4th, but you will be able to buy copies at the event, as well! My fellow author, Autumn Jordon, will be sharing the table with me, selling and signing her books (romance and romantic suspense–and yes, they’re good!).

This is an outside event. In case of rain, the event will take place on October 25, 2025, same place, same time.

Christmas thoughts in May

Anyone who’s read less than half my blogs will still recognize how much I love the Christmas holidays. It’s May now. May 22nd, to be exact, and the temperature at 12:06 is still 49 degrees. I’m debating with myself as my fingers grow chill and I put tights on under my sweats, whether I should turn the heat back on. It is in the low 60s here in the house and the temperatures aren’t going to get any better outside over the next several days. And it’s raining. Did I mention that?

I’m thinking I wouldn’t be too off-base saying it’s darned chilly. In the meantime, my darling cousin Pattie is lounging outside in shorts and a tee shirt expecting a high of 91 (in Georgia, before you get too excited).

Christmas Tree Advent Calendar

I may have mentioned elsewhere that I love to craft. I used to try selling my crafts on Etsy, but because I love to do so many things I really didn’t have the focus I needed for my shop. One of these days, I might just pick one and get back to it, but in the meantime, I decided to start posting crafting videos on YouTube. As of this post, my most recent is about making a wooden Christmas tree advent calendar.

What the Dickens.

This isn’t actually a blog about Dickens, although, yes, I love his works. At least all that I have read. This blog is about a particular gift I received.

My youngest son’s fiancée, Lauren, gave me a beautiful wooden advent calendar several years back. The days leading up to Christmas are numbered on the front on twenty-four little drawers. She has filled the drawers in the past with chocolate and themed objects, the first year being Winnie-the-Pooh, which included snippets and quotes on small, rolled papers as well as adorable Winnie, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet charms and erasers. The next year was a Charlie Brown theme. Plenty of Snoopy and Woodstock, as well as Charlie and his friends. Each year’s efforts have reflected an obvious labor of love. Opening those little drawers to find out the items secreted inside has been a great pleasure.

‘Tis the season

I know, Christmas is still more than a week away. However, I made my video greeting a little early and posted it on YouTube, am getting ready to post it on Facebook shortly, and I have embedded it above. The video is (subtly, I think?) about how special Christmas is to me and for all who celebrate it, no matter who they are, where they come from, gender, age, skin color, background. It’s about respect, too, because even though the message is Merry Christmas, it doesn’t mean people who do not share the same faith are excluded from the significance of that message. It means we all care about humanity. Or should.

One thing to add about Christmas…

I know I talk a lot about Christmas and how much I love it…and I do. But the past couple years, despite grasping at enthusiasm and expressions to the contrary, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed. I suppose we all have. One thing I have noted though, and I take comfort in this, is the fact that as Christmas passes into the New Year a kind of peace settles into me, a belated spiritual cognizance, a harkening back to the way I felt in childhood. It is not a scream-in-your-face feeling, not one that would make me dance around the house and sing, but one that makes me feel rooted and warm and hopeful. I’ll take it. This is Christmas to me and if it’s not falling on the actual day itself, well, who am I to question how that ol’ Christmas magic works?

The point is that it does, despite one’s best attempts to lure it in. Like a faithful old dog, the Christmas Spirit comes because you need it, not because you’ve called.

10 Favorite Holiday Movies I’d Watch Any Time of the Year – Revisited

I know I posted this list last year (or was it the beginning of this year? I do believe I might have come in a little late with it), but I am re-posting and adding another. So that makes it eleven. Yes, eleven in a list of ten. What the hey, there aren’t really any strict rules in listing your favorite things, are there? I’ve already begun watching some of them, which might mean I’m a sap, but I’m really finding myself in need of cheer. As I said before, I would highly recommend all of them. If you have additions, let me know. These are not listed in any particular order except as they came into my head, so #1 is not lording it over the other ten.

10 Favorite Holiday Movies I’d Watch Any Time of the Year

This may seem a little late in the season, but as the title says–I’d watch them any time of the year. Does anyone care? Probably not. But I would highly recommend all of them. Here goes, and not necessarily in this particular order (and please remember, this is only my personal opinion, so no need to get testy if you don’t agree…:-)

Christmas Lighting – Don’t I Wish?

Check out the treehouse. My favorite of the bunch. Wish I lived there…

Here are some wonderful ways to light up your home for the holidays. Once again, I have borrowed a blog from another source and re-posted it here–just in time for holiday decorating. I must say, my favorite is the tree house! Enjoy and be inspired.

10 Ways to Decorate With Outdoor Christmas Lights