Starting off my holiday season with a Chinese Lantern Festival. Our second year, and I think we’ll make a tradition of it. So pretty!

I'm blogging with IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) today, and we're talking book reviews. Do you write them? If so, are you writing them for the writer? Or for other readers? https://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-perils-of-book-reviews-iwsg-post.html #CoSoReaders #CoSoWriters

Much Ado About Nothing is probably my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays. Last night I took Sweetman to a fun production that set the story in the 1940s. Love the trend of ignoring actor gender and letting anyone play anyone. Beatrice and Benedick really sparked!

It's only a few days till Chanukah and in our mixed household, we'll be doing Christmas, too. Honestly, I'm not feeling any of it. In the past, holiday reads and watches have helped me "get in the spirit." Any recommendations? #CoSoReaders #CoSoMovies

Yesterday, we bought Sweetman a new car. You'd think the place getting so many thousands of dollars out of us would want to create a good experience, but instead we feel hollowed out, like we barely survived. If only this car would just last forever and I'd never have to buy a car again.

For Open Book blog hop today, we're talking about favorite bookstores. What's yours like? Big Box? Indie? Online? https://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/2023/11/my-favorite-bookstore-open-book-blog.html #CoSoReaders #CoSoWriters

Y'all, I'm to the end of my five-day-holiday weekend, and I think I need a day off to recover. Instead, it's back to the salt mines tomorrow. At least these salt mines are less corrosive than my old job. Anybody else feel like this at the end of a few days off?

Cleaning out Sweetman’s car in preparation for getting his new one and found this relic of less technological days. Frankly I don’t miss them. GPS has saved my lost bacon many times. How about you?

Scene from #todayswalk Felt like I rounded a bend and ended up back in Kansas. (This is a farm park in Hillsborough North Carolina)

#throwbackthursday This was my first box of books, when my first novel was published for the first time, in 2015. I still smile like that every single time--three novels and more than twenty publications later. #CoSoWriters

Whoosh! You hear that? It’s 2023 speeding by. I had mixed results on my goals, but I blew my reading challenge out of the water. Did you set one? How’s it going? #CoSoReaders

We’ve had a bit of a rough time of it lately with the youngest. Chronic pain and fatigue. If you’ve ever been through the diagnosis-capades for something like this that I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about. And if not, I hope you never have to.

But, yesterday, the kid had enough wherewithal for a short park walk and we were rewarded with a visit by a baby deer and his mama. We stood watching each other for a long time, two mamas and their babies. Lovely.

Back in that “sticky muppet phase of getting my hair done. The bright colors feel even better on a gray, gloomy day.

Reminder that small, local elections are where change begins.

My family has been participating in #extralife since 2009. #cancer is a scourge on society and we believe in doing what we can to help families going through it. We set our goal a little higher this year, but we’re almost there. If you have a little space in your budget, please consider sponsoring us. https://www.extra-life.org/participant/513627

Trying something new with Book promotion. I sponsored a superhero movie as part of the retro series at a nearby nonprofit theater, and got to advertise my book on the big screen and give away bookmarks and things. I don’t know if it will help the sales, But it was a lot of fun to do. #CoSoWriters

I'm finally home and settled after all my travels, and the Monday blog hop topic was Writing while Traveling. How apropros! https://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/2023/10/writing-from-road-open-book-blog-hop.html #CoSoWriters

My evening entertainment tonight: I Married a Monster From Outer Space, 1958. I don’t think I’ve seen this one before, but I’m a fan of these late 1950s monster alien flicks. #movies

From Bellevue to Bellevue. Back in the Eastern time zone again after a great visit with my sister. Still feels like coming home even though I live in North Carolina now. Do you still live near where you grew up?

Went on such an explore today. Over 20,000 steps according to my mothers Fitbit. Not sure what was my favorite part. Was it the Gothic desolation of Rattlesnake Lake during a dry patch? Was it the damn fine cup of coffee at Twede’s café? Was it the bird watching and marshlands at Marymoor Park? I don’t think I can choose. #cosotravel