Thursday, July 18, 2013

Christmas in July Blog Hop

BWS tips button

Welcome to my blog! Escape the heat of summer with snowy thoughts of Christmas in July. Here’s your chance to win gifts, including a $100 or $25 Amazon Gift Card offered by Books To Go Now. That should help with Christmas gift buying! Eligibility requires that visitors comment on this post and include their name and email address. The more blogs you visit and comment upon, the greater your chances to win.

What’s your favorite or most unforgettable Christmas memory? I can’t remember Christmases as an adult without remembering my holiday wedding preparations. One of the things Harold and I thought we’d do was move some of his infrequently used belongings into my attic in advance of the Big Day. That would eliminate one to-do item from a long list of tasks that needed completion and would free us to enjoy our honeymoon afterward without thoughts of things left undone. Right? Well . . . .

Moving went according to plan until I was following Harold across the attic and he got really short really, really fast. “Harold!” I gasped and nearly dropped the box I carried in my haste to reach him.

He straddled a floor beam, one leg hanging down out of sight through a hole in my living room ceiling. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Images of a visit to the emergency room and a groom on crutches flashed through my mind. How had he not noticed where the attic floor ended and raw beams began? Even as we climbed the attic stairs, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind to mention the limited floor space.

It took a moment, but he assured me he was all right. Still shaken, we climbed down the stairs to inspect the living room. The hole in the ceiling was large. Falling plaster had wiped out the Christmas tree.

“What a big footprint you have,” I murmured in awe.

Our eyes locked.

“At least Santa won’t have difficulty getting in to leave presents,” I said.

The prizes:

What’s your most memorable holiday event or gift?

I’m giving away a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to one lucky winner, and gifting electronic copies of my science fiction novel Moons’ Kiss and the futuristic romance Fallout (co-authored with Jon Kohl) to a second lucky winner. Enter via rafflecopter to win one of these fun prizes, and don’t forget to comment on this post (and other participating blogs) for a chance to win one of BTGN’s great prizes. Thanks so much for visiting. And Merry Christmas!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

68 comments:

  1. I'm not sure, maybe getting a massive box of books from my friends :)
    naralee94(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe your friends will read your post, Nara, and get the hint. :-)

      Delete
  2. My husband and I always do a fancy meal and cook it together. I love that. Thank you for participating in the BTGN Blog Hop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for all the hard work you've done in organizing this event, Sharon.

      Delete
  3. My best Christmas gift ever was a commidor vic 20. It started my love for computer.

    Thanks for the giveway.
    giovannivalentino(at)Verizon(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your reply evokes memories for me, Giovanni. My first computer was an IBM PCJr to which I added a memory card in order to bring the memory up to 256K. That allowed me to save an entire book chapter per file. Computers have come a long, long way.

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the giveaway! My Christmas in July wish is for less stormy-rainy weather this summer. Kyla Patton- kamclauc AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm hoping your Christmas wish comes true, LhasalLuma.

      Delete
  5. My daughters first Christmas. She was lost in a sea of presents and all the family got together to celebrate!! It was amazing!!

    Nikki
    viajeradelmar@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like a remarkable day that everyone in your family was able to cherish, Nikki. How wonderful!

      Delete
  6. My husband gave me a shopping spree to the mall. A wallet full of mall gift cards.

    susanmplatt AT Hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  7. The best gift I ever got was when one of my sons made my extra bedroom into a computer room complete with cabinets, a wall to wall desk top for my computer and printer with shelves for my keeper books.. It also has one of those little television's that hang down from one of the shelves. i spend a lot of time in there and really appreciated the gift.
    JWIsley(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your story reminds me that one of the greatest gifts we receive are the individuals in our lives, especially those who help us make our dreams come true. You're so lucky, Joye, to have such a generous and talented son.

      Delete
  8. I got a Kindle from my girlfriend last Christmas, and she had decorated a case special for me. It was a pretty great gift.

    Thanks for the giveaway.
    jillynann(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That *is* a great gift. I love that she decorated the case. Makes it all the more special.

      Delete
  9. A laptop 5 years ago. Hopefully I'll get one again soon.
    magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's great that you've gotten five years of use from your laptop. It's also a shame that anything electronic goes out-of-date so quickly and has to be replaced. My dream is the invention of a computer that outlasts a pair of socks.

      Delete
  10. I love the memory of Harold falling through the attic while the two of you were moving things into it. I was laughing and imagining it just reading it! That was too funny!

    My most memorable holidays were the ones spent as kids doing all the things that can't be done again. You know, those traditions you did when you were young with parents, grandparents, maybe even great grandparents for some, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brothers (if you had them which I did not), etc. I can't pinpoint one exactly, but as the years go by and the family grows smaller in many regards (and perhaps larger for some), those memories become the special ones. The ones that you may begin to forget but they come back when you see an old holiday film or cartoon, hear an old jingle, smell a familiar holiday scent, or maybe you were lucky enough to have inherited the old holiday dishes or a small piece of the bake ware. Whatever it is, those are the memories that seem to be the ones that are the most cherished and when I read this, that is what stood out the most :)

    Thanks for the chance to enter and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas in July!

    Shelly H
    booski24@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed my true-life story, Shelly.

      Isn't it wonderful how an object, touch, scent or sound can spark a recollection? So many comments during this blog have recalled events in my life similar to something a commenter shared. This whole blog event has been a stroll down memory lane. How fun! I'm so grateful for everyone who's participated.

      Delete
  11. Christmas is always bittersweet to me. I miss all the loved ones no longer with us, but I also remember the great times we all had with the time we spent together at Christmas.

    blueshedevil32(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true, Sebella. Losing loved ones is one the hardest aspects of aging. But I try to remind myself that those people I loved and lost will always live within my heart and memory so long as I live.

      Delete
  12. Thanks for sharing these awesome giveaways. My most memorable holiday was when my daughter who was 2 1/2 decided to hide Christmas morning. When we finally found her she had piled up the torn wrapping paper all around this big box and hid inside the box. She was our Christmas present.
    evamillien at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for joining us, Eva. And as for your daughter: What a precious treasure!

      Delete
  13. My favorite Christmas gift ever was a ladybug necklace that my son bought me with his own money
    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. My most memorable Christmas holiday was when I was a kid and going to my grandparent's house Christmas morning. I always remember the house being warm, inviting and smelling like vanilla. We used to pick names and whoever got your name bought you and present and so on. So my aunt picked my name and actually got me everything that I wanted on my list. This was the greatest Christmas ever. Thank you for the amazing giveaway

    tinabrownsv(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What an amazing aunt. I can just imagine your reaction that Christmas morning. Thank you so much for sharing that experience.

      Delete
  15. My favorite Christmas present was a guitar I got when I was 8 (amazingly enough, I still don't play). My dad and my grandpa both played and I wanted one so bad. My dad had been laid off all winter (carpenter) and money was not to be found. Somehow my parents found a way to get me that guitar, my brother his first training wheels bike, and my youngest brother a red flyer wagon. It was the best and worst Christmas because it was also the Christmas where my uncle and his family were killed by a drunk driver on the interstate christmas eve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What an incredible and wrenching Christmas. I understand why the memories stay with you.

      Delete
  16. All the traditional swedish christmas eves with my extended family growing up.

    dreammie_angel at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now I want to research Swedish Christmas traditions.

      Delete
  17. I remember one year my friend had her dad buy me a talking parrot from Spencer's that said some not so nice things lol we had so much fun with it :)
    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
    dixiedukegurl2 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh, what an amazing gift. My wicked mind can imagine some funny scenarios with such a pet. You've got me chuckling.

      Delete
  18. My most memorable Christmas was going to my grandparents and all my cousins were there. We had a lot of fun. Thanks for the giveaway!
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Note - I hope this comment counts toward the giveaway, as I do not Tweet, so could complete that entry on the Rafflecopter (I'm assuming that opens up more ways to win points in the giveaway).

    So anyway, what’s my favorite or most unforgettable Christmas memory?
    I recall when I was young, after opening gifts at our house, we'd go to my grandparents' house along with other relatives and their kids who were younger than me. One time, 'Santa' came to visit us there in person. (Years later found out it was an uncle who'd dressed up as Santa.)

    Thanks for the contest/giveaway.

    Lea Ellen {night owl in IL}
    borg_66@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're most welcome, Lea Ellen. Thank you for visiting.

      Your blog post enters you for a chance to win one of Books To Go Now's grand prizes. The rafflecopter enters you in my blog giveaway, so sounds like you're entered in both giveaways. Good luck!

      Delete
  20. Thanks for the hop!

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Donnas, for participating, and good luck in the drawings.

      Delete
  21. Favorite memory, actually New Year's Eve -being together with friends at some chic party and watching fireworks outside, sipping some fine champagne :)
    swordlily_girl(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ohhhhh, fireworks! Sounds like the perfect evening no matter the occasion.

      Delete
  22. My fav Christmas memory is waking up to snow for the first time!

    My hottest Summer night involved a bottle of wine, a game of truth or dare and skinny dipping!!!
    Thanks for being in the hop!
    grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first snowfall or the fiftieth snowfall, they're all magical to me.

      I'm chuckling over your hottest summer night. I can just imagine . . . .

      Delete
  23. My most memorable Christmas was the year, everyone in our family got slippers under the tree & a horse in the pasture. Not sure why we needed a horse, since no one rode before or after his arrival, but taking care of that Arabian was a stress reliever for dad. It was a very common sight to see my father out in the pasture hugging Pinky (named because you could so easily see his pink skin beneath his white coat).

    drainbamaged.gyzmo@gmail.com
    @drainbamagedgyz
    Kathryn Merkel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's Christmas year 'round, Kathy. I love your story. How touching.

      Delete
  24. My favorite Christmas gift is a shirt that my friend made for me.

    Thanks for being a part of this FUN blog hop.

    jmesparza821 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Handmade gifts are the best.

      I'm glad you're having as much fun on this blog hop as I am. Thanks for coming, and Merry Christmas.

      Delete
  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you've got a strong Christmas tradition taking place at your house. How nice.

      Delete
  26. My favorite Christmas was the one when my boyfriend proposed marriage! It was so romantic!

    amberdaulton86@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! What a gift! And what a romantic man. How lucky you are.

      Delete
  27. That's definitely one to remember! My favorite holiday memory is the year we decided to have a Christmas cookie bakeoff.

    dancingcelt at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Cookies!!! Yum! You're right, Mer, that's a fabulous event.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I remember helping my mom make divinity. I can still taste it.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How Yummy! Christmas is full of one-of-a-kind tastes. For me, the aromas and flavors of Christmas are things that really help "make" the whole holiday. Ahhh, you have my mind working overtime now! I'm salivating!!!

      Delete
  30. My best christmas was when my hubby proposed....

    tigerfly139@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm learning about so many romantic men during this hop. They just can't be replaced.

      Delete
  31. Last year, after my father had passed away, we were all setting up our Christmas decorations and when we got to my father’s Christmas village everyone disappeared upstairs and left me to do it alone (not hard to be alone in my family, I think there are 4 of us left). I got increasingly agitated and after I got done everyone came back down. Later my mother took me aside and said my cousin had said the village was something that I had done with dad (it wasn’t) and we all had a good laugh about it.

    elizabethingleerichards at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One little rumor and look what happens. How funny!

      Delete
  32. My best Xmas was when I delivered my twins on Xmas Eve.
    farmaki(at)live(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How incredible. That truly is the gift that lasts a lifetime.

      Delete
  33. Hi! My most memorable, wasnt very nice. There was lots of fighting and we ended up walking away from dads side of the family for 5 years. Sad time. And because of it, we dont celebrate holidays with family anymore. Its just us. And we dont do presents. Instead, we make a big thanksgiving type dinner, buy tons of junk food and movies. We stay up all day and night, watching movies, playing board games and just having fun! Thank you for the fun hop and giveaway! :)
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your new holiday celebration sounds cozy and stress-free, although I don't think I'd be able to stay up all night. I'm such a party pooper. By midnight I'm yawning and ready to conk out.

      Delete
  34. I have a memorable Christmas every year....tons of family and a huge dinner on Christmas Eve!

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

    ReplyDelete
  35. What a fabulous combination . . . family and food. That's why so many of us have New Year resolutions to lose weight. :-)

    You're welcome, Elizabeth. Thank you for visiting.

    ReplyDelete