Snow! After hoping for it — and in my daughter’s case, praying for it since winter began — the white stuff finally fell…and fell and fell. For a good 24 hours, we got snow — enough to rival Seattle-land records since we took up residence here 27 years ago. All that snow translated into three snow days = no school = another reason for my kids to be happy. I know that you Midwesterners and Northeast Coasties think snow is a strange thing to celebrate, but here in Puget Sound, it’s rare enough to warrant a shout-out. ‘Twas very pretty while it lasted. (Shown: Showing off my nifty Canuck mittens gifted to me on my last trip north of the border.)

Hacksaw Ridge. I never would have believed I’d love a war movie, but there it is. Hacksaw Ridge was perhaps the most redemptive film I saw last year. My husband and I went with another couple to see it in the theatre a few weeks before Christmas. Going in, I was skeptical. A war movie weeks before Christmas? Seemed destined to spoil my holiday cheer. Friends, I was wrong. As terrible as parts of it were — and they were ghastly, rated R for a reason {I planted my eyes elsewhere for many of the battle scenes} — the story itself is shatteringly beautiful. Based on a true story of faith, love, and sacrifice in action. Actually, the perfect movie to see a few weeks before Christmas. Highly recommended. I like the soundtrack too.

Podcasts. I am officially hooked on podcasts as a means to constructively fill otherwise dead-time, when my hands are busy {preparing meals, folding laundry, chauffering kids, getting dressed} but my mind is not. I have come to anticipate these windows in my day when I can tune in to a spend a half-hour or so with women who feed my heart, soul, and mind. I feel like I’m in the company of  good friends. I’ve already mentioned on this blog my discovery of The Open Door Sisterhood podcasts, hosted by two of my favorite people, Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall. To this I’ve now added Susie Davis’s Dear Daughters, and Communicator Academy, hosted by Kathi Lipp and Michele Cushatt. Every time I listen, I come away enriched and encouraged, always feeling more hopeful and happy than when I began. {I’m willing to expand my playlist. Recommendations?}

Candles. Though in another month we can begin to hope for spring, we are still in the thick of winter, which means short days and long nights. This season has taught me that if I’m not careful, the pressing darkness can exact its toll on my soul. And so I light candles. Not just when the sun goes down and the house gets dark, but in the morning too, when I settle in to work. Surrounding myself with candlelight never fails to lift my spirits.

Turns out I haven’t discovered anything new: Northern Europeans have been onto this for years (no doubt centuries). When our family traveled to Scandinavia a few years ago, I noted that many innkeepers kept big, fat, white pillar candles lit all day long — even in sunniest July. I since learned that this is a part of a lifestyle practice, what the Danish call hygge {“hoo-gah”}, which means coziness. But it’s really more about attitude: embracing the positive and finding happiness in everyday life. I’ll gladly light a candle to that.

Overwhelmed influencer box. Something you may not know about me: I win prizes — a lot. Giveaways, raffles, drawings — my name is often the one drawn from the hat. Which leads me to my latest winning. As blog giveaways go, with this one I struck the mother lode. First, I have to thank Blogging Bistro for hosting the giveaway. {Blogging Bistro is, by the way, my #1 go-to resource for my social media needs and questions. I visit their site weekly.} Next I must thank Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory, co-authors of the newly released book Overwhelmed, for putting together such a fabulous influencer box and sending it my way.

What is an influencer box? It’s a package of goodies authors may send to their influencers — writers, bloggers, others in the industry who help to get the word out about a new book. In Kathi and Cheri’s influencer box, I found not only an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of Overwhelmed {which you will be hearing more from me about in the next week or two}, but a couple of handy list pads; a packet of artful Bible verse cards; a jar of California sunshine from Kathi’s backyard, a packet of beach sand from Cheri’s, plus an ocean-scented candle to top off the assembly; a beautiful hummingbird pendant; and the pièce de ré·sis·tance, a lovely hourglass with sand that gorgeously matches the color of their cover. {To see these in more detail and to learn more about how and why Kathi and Cheri put together this influencer box, click here.}

Anyway, it made my day. Even better, I’ve already dived into the book, and I can see that it promises to make my life feel less, well, overwhelmed. Can’t wait to share more. Stay tuned.

And finally…

Something new…a newsletter. This is all still in the works, but in the coming weeks you will have the chance to subscribe to my new newsletter. When you subscribe, you’ll receive a free gift, a lovely downloadable designed by the same talented artist who created the cover for my debut novel, HER MEMORY OF MUSIC, due out this September. Yes, the cover is done! And it’s beautiful. Can’t wait to share it with you… Which leads me to what you’ll find in the newsletter. In this first edition, you’ll be the first to catch the cover reveal. There’ll also be one of my favorite go-to recipes, some bookish and family news that doesn’t make it into my blog posts, and a fun giveaway. Be on the lookout for it.

So that’s it for me. What are you into this winter?