I LOVE the Christmas season for so many reasons–family, lights, food, giving–but most of all, I love it for the wonder and joy I see in my children’s eyes this time of year.  Though my son recently confessed that he “hates” Christmas time, most specifically Christmas Eve.

“Hate?” I asked him in mild alarm.  “That’s a very strong word for a time of year I thought you loved.”

“Well, I do love the presents…” he hemmed.

“And time with family and friends,” I added for him.

He nodded.  “But I can’t stand the waiting!  Especially Christmas Eve.  It’s so hard.”

I smiled, relieved there wasn’t anything more sinister at play.  I placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “I know, honey.  It’s hard for all of us to wait.  But think of the opportunity.  It provides a great lesson in impulse control.”

“What?”  He gaped at me in disbelief.

Instantly I wondered if perhaps this wasn’t the best time for engaging him in instruction on the finer points of growing up.  After all, he’s only in third grade.  Maybe I should just give him a pass on this one.  “Well, would you rather Santa not come?  Would that make it easier for you?”

“No!” he exclaimed immediately, as though I’d lost my mind.

“Well, then.  We have no choice.  We just have to wait.  But we can keep ourselves busy so we don’t notice the time so much.”

He peered at me.  “What do you mean?”

Now I had his attention.  “We can do fun things, like drive around and look at the lights, bake cookies for the neighbors, go see a movie.”  His gaze narrowed.  “Or…you could go next door for a playover.”

He brightened.  “Can I right now?”

Hm.  Almost dinner time but there was about half hour of light left.  “Sure.  But don’t forget your please and thank yous,” I called after him as he high-tailed it out of the house.

Staring after him with a sigh, how well I remembered the days spent counting the hours until Christmas.  Back then I couldn’t believe how slow a day could move, but now?  I can’t believe how fast they pass!  One minute I’m putting the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven and the next I’m realizing Christmas is in a week and I haven’t even begun my shopping!  Egads–how did this happen?  It’s Mistletoe Madness!

When I was young, I used to wake up early in the morning for a sneak peek at the tree.  Crouched by the corner, so as not to be spotted by Santa (in case he hadn’t made it yet) or my mother, I would gaze at the gifts piled high and wide (I come from a family of four children).  It was an incredible sight and one I couldn’t wait to dig through! Then suddenly my little brother would appear by my side and we’d exchange a look of delight, hardly able to contain our excitement.  “Should we wake up Mom, yet?”

Not at five a.m.–not unless your life depended on it!  She was barely functional by seven, let alone five.  And now as a parent, I understand.  Wrapping gifts is a daunting task and can reach well into the early morning hours of Christmas.  Each year I think, this is crazy.  Next year we’re going to go smaller, less stuff and more meaning.  Christmas isn’t about the gifts, it’s about the spirit of Jesus!

But then I think about what that means.  Jesus was a messenger, a gift from God.  We talk about him and his lessons all year long.  Would he really want me to take away the wonderous joy and thrill my kids experience at Christmas?  The sheer delight and thrill they savor and look forward to every year?  We have enough challenges as it is and when they get older, they’ll assume the burden of this responsibility.  Why ruin this special time in their lives?

Soon enough they’ll realize how fleeting time is and how difficult life can be.  And they’re learning the value in giving by using their allowance to buy toys or one of these board games for the kids that don’t have any.  They bake goodies to share with neighbors and friends so as to bring a smile to their face and I believe they understand the spirit of Christmas. 

In fact, one day my son clarified the reason we exchange gifts quite succinctly: “Mom, Christmas is the day Jesus was born and the Wise Men brought him gifts.  Now that he’s gone, God doesn’t want us to forget about him, so Santa brings us gifts to celebrate Jesus’ birthday every year.”  He beamed.  “Just like my birthday!”

Who can argue with that logic?  Certainly not this mother so if you’ll excuse me–I’ve got a birthday to celebrate!

And you have prizes to win.  Simply leave a comment to this post and you’ll be entered to win a copy of my current release, LUST ON THE ROCKS, ebook or paperback (paperback US & Canada only, please) along with some of my custom made seed saving packets, garden tip bookmarks and recipe cards!  Also, don’t miss any of the wonderful authors involved in the Mistletoe Madness Blog Hop.  You can find them all listed here as well as your chance to win the Grand Prize of a new Nook loaded with books!

Good luck and Merry Christmas! :)

Who are Bloomin’ Warriors, anyway? 

Women who love romance, believe in happily ever after, but are savvy enough to understand that it doesn’t happen overnight.  “And just why not?” demands that spit-fire from the back. 

Always was my first question!  Because personal growth takes time.  We have lessons to learn, wisdom to share—and that’s what my novels are all about:  a woman’s personal journey in overcoming the trials and tribulations of life as she blossoms into her own. 

“Given the proper care and feeding, a woman will bloom in time; her own sweet time!” 

Why the garden analogies?  Because I LOVE my organic garden–but also because in spending time between the rows, I’ve learned to reflect on life in the most simple of terms.  We plant a seed, we give it the proper care and feeding and watch with awe as it matures into the most amazing produce.  I realize “awe” may be a strong word for some of you experts out there but for me, every potato, onion, squash and tomato is a hard-won victory to be celebrated!  Between Jack Frost and Mother Nature, I never know what to expect.  He’s a tad harsh while her sense of humor can run a bit dry at times, if you know what I mean.

But I digress.  Like my fruits and vegetables, my flowers and herbs, women mature at varying rates.  They come in all sizes and shapes, colors and scents.  Some sway in the breeze while others tuck themselves away in the quiet of shade yet no matter how you slice them, women share common challenges.  We carry the children, hold the emotional power and despite the fact that we work outside of the home, we remain primary caregivers to our children in the home as well.

These are but a few issues we face, but face them we will.  (There are no shrinking violets in these parts!) And then we will handle them in our own way, on our own terms and in our own sweet time.

As a woman, as a mother, I find these topics fascinating.  I could write about them all day long (and do!)  But I couldn’t do it without you, the reader.  So Team Bloomin’ Warrior was started as a way for me to give back to you and a way for you to help spread the word. 

Members will receive a free Bloomin’ Warrior T-shirt (my tag line runs across the back), sneak peek at my books before anyone else as well as promotional items like recipe cards from my garden, garden tips & seed saving packets (just to name a few!).  And as an added thank you, you’ll also receive special discounts on my novels and short stories as they release, plus unique gifts throughout the year. 

So what do you say?  Join Team Bloomin’ Warrior today and help me spread the word about my novels!  Simply subscribe to my website (be the first to know!) and then watch your email inbox for FULL details. :)

Welcome to Blog Tour de Troops. You should have joined me from Mercy Loomis’ blog.  The next stop on the tour will be at D.M. Kenyon’s blog.

It sounds a bit crazy to connect gardening with Veteran’s Day, but for me it’s a natural fit.  It’s the very reason I started a garden, you see, mine one of the many Victory Gardens started several years back.  But what began as a reaction has blossomed into a passion, one I can share with people of all ages.  In fact, I volunteer at my kids’ school garden and you want to talk passion?  The kindergarteners can be the MOST passionate group of gardeners out there! :) (Check them out at BloominThyme.com)

However, being outdoors on a beautiful day with energetic and enthusiastic children is only one reason I garden.  Fact is, growing your own vegetables offers a very tangible reward–a good thing–especially when you’re a competitive, goal-oriented positive reinforcement seeker such as myself!  (But don’t we all need a little positive reinforcement now and again?)

And while I’d never trade my stay-at-home-mom job for the life of a farmer—I will admit my current gig doesn’t come with a lot of praise–or recognition.  You know, there’s no “Employee of the Month” or “Hey Dianne, gold star for a job well done!”

Perhaps it’s just me and I’m raising a couple of wild banshees, but my kids never seem to say, “Great job with the laundry, Mom!”

“Wow, do those floors really sparkle!”  Then there’s my personal favorite:  “Fish for dinner?  AGAIN?” (Can you hear the whine?)

My response is always the same.  “Yes, dear.”  (Learned this from my husband. :))

Fish again, because it’s my job to see that you’re healthy (and your father’s arteries don’t clog).  It’s my job to see that you’re well-cared for and on your way to becoming respectable contributing members of society.  Besides which, macaroni and cheese does not constitute brain food.  I don’t care what the label says.

Then I listen to my kids beg for the Wii or the latest and greatest video game, and it occurs to me that we take so many things for granted. 

“Well Joey has one—why can’t I?”

“I don’t know—because it will rot your cerebellum?  You’ll turn into a video zombie?”

We seem to want what we want, when we want it. 

Crazier still, there are those among us who seem to feel they deserve it!  From the latest and greatest gadgets to the food on our table, we seem entitled to have it all.  Much like strolling through the produce section at our local supermarket, choosing from an abundance of gorgeous fruits and vegetables we give little or no thought to the work that went into delivering the goods.

But let me tell you, when a child learns to plant a seed, feed and water it through to maturity and then experience the thrill of harvesting their favorite vegetables (yes, veggies never tasted so good until you grew them yourself!) and take part in preparing them for the family meal?  An impression has been made—one that won’t soon be forgotten.

And while enjoyment can be found in many things, I believe true JOY comes from the process.  From the spark of an idea to the realization of its outcome, the greatest joy we experience is in the doing.  Something we in America reserve as a right—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

While we may dance to a different tune—my family sure does!—the one thing we share is our ability to live life as we see fit and for that we can thank a member of our military troops.  Without them, life as we know it could be drastically different.

But don’t get me wrong.  No one wants to engage in war.  As a mother, I particularly don’t want to see our sons and daughters lost in battle.  But I realize that civilized people will disagree, sometimes to the point where one must reign victorious.  Human nature is what it is.  From playground disputes to international relations, when diplomacy fails, battle erupts and only one side will prevail as victor.  One side will determine the rules going forward.

Today we are the land of the free, home of the brave, and there’s no place I’d rather call home than America.  People from all over the world seek our shores, because this country represents the land of opportunity, the land of hope.  And why?

Because our military is willing to do the hard things, to make the sacrifices so that we as a whole may live free. 

On this Veteran’s Day, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to the troops—for their service to this country, for their dedication to a cause greater than themselves and for the simple pleasure of kissing my children goodnight every night—something I may be unable to do otherwise.  Without the peace through strength provided by the men and women of the armed forces, I shudder to think how my life could change.

Have you ever wondered?  Do you have a personal story to tell?  Perhaps a victory garden experience you’d like to share?

I’d love to hear from you! 

And thank you for stopping by.  For those commenting, be sure to add your email address in the body of the comment.  You don’t want to miss out on receiving your copy of LUST ON THE ROCKS!  (Samantha Rawlings is a feisty one!)  Also, if you’re on Facebook or Twitter, by all means let me know–I’d love to connect!  You can find me at http://www.facebook.com/DianneVenetta and Twitter @DianneVenetta