Merry Christmas, lovely friends! 🎄

I do love the Advent season, so much more than Christmas Day itself, which comes and goes in the flash and rustle of discarded wrapping paper. I love that Advent arrives just as we are living the shortest, darkest days of the year. Christmas is the joy of celebration, but Advent is the joy of anticipation. I relish God’s good gifts in this season — the lights, the friends, the food, the warmth — right when our souls crave them most.

I’m relishing these goodnesses more than ever this year, given the year it’s been. More on that in a minute. For sure, emerging from a tough year primed me to enjoy the carols and candles and twinkle lights that brighten the darkness — such a lovely daily reminder of the Light of the World who came to save us. I pray that you, too, are finding much to savor.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ✨Jesus (John 8:12)

Family update

Y’all, it’s been a year. 2022 goes down for me as one of the hardest on record. Lots of loss, including the deaths of my mother and a beloved cousin, as well as significant family stress. All of which has challenged me to celebrate beauty in the midst of brokenness. Am thankful to find myself where I am today, grateful for God’s great faithfulness throughout. In the midst of dark times, here are some of the brighter moments we celebrated (from top to bottom, left to right):

• Last high school homecoming
• Graduation
• As Ice Magic in British Dancing Academy’s Frozen
• Snoqualmie Falls getaway

• Alki Beach 5k
• Paris!
• Boy meets girl
• Two college kids

What I’m Reading

• Gluing the Cracks: Reflections on Motherhood, Disability, and Hope by Katie Blackburn (pictured above). Katie is one of the loveliest writers I know, and this is a collection of her essays written with tenderness, vulnerability, wisdom, and hope. Seriously, if you’re not subscribed to her monthly e-letter, “let me tell you,” do yourself the favor and sign up today. Katie’s work is unfailingly poignant, interesting, and authentic. Her book, easily consumed piecemeal in the small crevices of time, would make a thoughtful gift for teachers or moms of kids with disabilities. Katie’s particular gift is rendering her experiences universally relatable, whether or not her experiences are yours. If ever a slim little volume celebrates beauty amidst the brokenness, this one does. 
• Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter. Last month I mentioned I’d soon be reading this Christmas romance. While I wouldn’t count it as one of Denise’s most finessed (I think her writing has since matured), it was nonetheless an enjoyable seasonal read. Loved the Christmas-y setting in its rugged Maine surroundings, the slow unfurling of mystery, and the gradual tightening of romantic tension. As a side note, it was a little startling to discover uncanny parallels between Falling Like Snowflakes and my Her Memory of Music, to wit: a single mom running from a traumatic past with her 5-year-old son (named Jack!), plus the mention of a Langley–though Denise’s is a person, mine a place. 
• I wish I had more books to report on this month, but the lot I’ve been reading have been advanced copies of novels due to release in the early part of next year. I will be sharing more about these titles in the coming months, but for now, suffice it to say that I enjoyed all three of them (and especially loved one in particular). If you’d like to preview coming attractions, check out Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer, Double the Lies by Patricia Raybon, and Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem.

What I’m Listening To

• A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid (narrated by Mark Bramhall).  This little gem of an audiobook came recommended to me by a good friend (thanks, Cam! 😘), and I absolutely loved it. I listened to it one happy Saturday while I trimming the tree and preparing for the Christmas party we were hosting that evening–the perfect accompaniment to my festive preparations. The book is only a little more than three hours long, and I pretty much swallowed it whole. Heartwarming, wholesome, and beautifully narrated, I highly recommend it.  
• 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie (narrated by Emilia Fox). Previously published as What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! This book on audio has become a tried-and-true seasonal favorite of mine. Though not at all Christmas-y, the mystery does occur in the days before and after Christmas, sometime after the second World War. There’s something very comforting to me about the way Miss Marple, guided by village experience which forms her morally astute intuition about people’s characters, doggedly pursues justice and always gets her man (or woman). Deftly narrated by Emilia Fox (Georgiana Darcy in 1995’s Pride and Prejudice). 

What I’m Watching

Might be stepping on some toes here, but I’ve decided that of all the Jane Austen books-on-screen, the 1999 version of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet is my favorite. One recent evening, needing something familiar and comfortable, I cued it up, and goodness, even my husband, who meant to just keep me company, got sucked in. Thompson’s screenplay is brilliant, the acting superb, and Austen’s story pure genius. 

Book News

My publisher and I are currently working on a relaunch of both Her Memory of Music and Shadow Sister in the new year, including an updated cover for Shadow Sister, which you can get a sneak peek at here!

Around the Table

This hearty and wholesome soup continues to be my wintertime go-to. I love getting it going in the morning and setting it to simmer on the stove in my big red Dutch oven. Gives us something to look forward to all day long. I think the can of Rotel (of all things) is the secret ingredient here. And either of these easy muffins provide the perfect accompaniment. Best Blueberry Muffins really are the best, and homey Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins are a hit every time I serve them.

Just for fun

You guys, in these wintry days, as temps have hovered consistently around freezing and snow showers have come and gone, I’ve discovered the joys of an old-fashioned hot-water bottle! And have become addicted to this plush-covered version. I fill it with boiling water and settle it on my lap as I work or read. The heat lasts for hours and warms me through and through. 

Soul Care

Because “You must feel the fullness of your own pitcher before you trust the outpouring of yourself.” (Ann Voskamp)

• Our pastor has begun a sermon series for Advent entitled, “The Hope of Ancient Times: How Jesus Fulfills God’s Promises.” This past week, he preached on The Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:1-17) and why it matters. His message was so moving — so filled with fresh insight and so unexpectedly relevant — that I found myself at times moved to tears. Minutes afterwards, I got a text from our daughter away at college. Because of snowy roads, she hadn’t been able to get to church in person and so had tuned into our service instead. She was texting to say how good the message was.  Check it out if you’re curious! 
• The holidays provide us with extra opportunities to practice healthy boundaries. Lysa Terkheurst’s new book, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are, is one I hope to find under the Christmas tree. Meanwhile, this Proverbs 31 resource, and this podcast and this one provide sound counsel on the subject.  

That’s it for this month, friends.

What do you love about Advent?

May you savor the rich joys of the season!

❤️💚 Katherine xo