The Elusive Golden Threshold

One of our Christmas Eve traditions is to stop preparing for Christmas.

That may seem like an odd thing to most folks. And, in truth, our way of stopping is very energetic. But consider what is going on Christmas Eve, all over the country.
People are frantically racing about making those last minute purchases. They are assembling bikes, swing sets, or any number of things with insufficient instructions. Preparations for a feast are underway in most homes. And everyone is in turmoil facing the impossible deadline of FIVE GOLDEN RINGS! Oh, wait, that's 5am on Christmas Day.

It's as if we've all lost our minds! Gift giving is an awesome way to celebrate the birth of our Savior. But it is only part of the celebration. By January first, many of those gifts will be broken, returned to the store, or forgotten. There is no Golden Threshold volume of gifts that will make the day magical. And there is no satisfaction in rushing about for days preparing for a half hour of ripping paper off of presents.

So we celebrate starting on Christmas Eve. At the chosen time, we quit preparations and anything not done can simply wait. We gather for a special feast … this dad makes Reubens for everyone. Then we have a “Night Before Christmas” poetry contest.

That may sound a bit aggressive, but it is neither a contest, nor is it restricted to poems. I write multiple poems for Christmas Eve each year. Some of the kids also write poems. We have also had Karate demonstrations, photo slide shows, songs written and performed, songs interpreted in sign language, and I'm sure more that I am forgetting at the moment.

There is no scoring or judging. We just share our creative offerings and laugh and share some more. It turns out to be a great time and the memories are priceless.

Maybe I'll get a chance to share some more of our eccentric traditions. Meanwhile, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

An Alaskan Christmas Tradition to Avoid

This is as much a calendar reminder as anything.

If you are intending to purchase Boathouse Mouse, or any of my other books as Christmas gifts, it is better to order sooner than later.
If you delay too long, you may need to pay for special postage and handling.
Or, you may get the gifts after Christmas. In Alaska, our gift packages came to us as late as February. It really stretched out the festivities, which never really bothered me. But younger readers may not appreciate that so much.

Order by clicking the links below.

Boathouse Mouse Series

Kingdom of the Falcon Series

Become A Christmas Legend

I don't send Santa a Christmas wish list. Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with being naughty or nice. It's just that I'm pretty satisfied with the stuff I already have.

The trending culture of material gluttony is really sad to me. The notion that more and more and more stuff will make people happy when they are dissatisfied with all they already possess seems so pointless. It's all vanity and grasping at the wind, as King Solomon recorded all those years ago.

But the thing that really amazes me is the self-shopping trend. I overheard a lady talking about spending umpteen hours in line on Black Friday. Her conclusion was that it was worth it because she got the computer she wanted and her husband got the big screen he wanted.

Once upon a time, we shopped for that perfect gift to bless someone else. I guess that era has passed into legend. Only it has not passed! It may have died in our society, but I refuse to let it die in me!

So, if you want to be a living legend in a culture that is self-absorbed, here are a few ideas.

1)  Forget the dollar value. Buy gifts for the people on your list that will add value to their life. Other than your budget limit, the dollar amount is irrelevant. If twenty bucks gets your kid something that makes their life better, go for it. If it is a hundred dollar item for another kid and they squabble over the dollar value, you should have raised your kids better. (That was tactful.)

2) Look out. There are lots of people out there that could benefit tremendously from a boost. I'm not talking about the guy on the busy corner with a cardboard sign. My experience is most of those folks are faking it or just want drugs. (Don't believe me, offer one a job.)
I'm talking about the marginally-employed person at the local grocery store, or the cart shepherd at the big box store, or the cleaner at your work place, or the barista that makes your coffee for you.
These folks are all over the place. Some are working their way up. Others are working at their capacity. They may not be very marketable, but they are your neighbor.
A gift card can go a long way with some people.

3) Give time. For many people, material needs are not the issue. Some folks just need someone to spend a little time with them. This may look like an elderly person living alone or it could be the new people in town that don't have anyone to be with during all the Christmas fun stuff. Use your imagination.

These are not difficult things to do. The main thing is to decide to do something. Then do it.

Shop Local Saturday

I wish every day was shop local day. I'm not a shopper, but when I do shop, I like to look the person in the eyes when I purchase stuff. That is probably a characteristic of my demographic. In other words, I'm getting old.

The point being, I like the idea of specifically shopping at a local store when possible.

So, you are wondering where to buy my books locally. It's pretty easy.

1) Go to your locally-owned book store. (Most will be in the program.)
2) Ask to order the book, or books, by name or ISBN, or both.
3) Pay and pick up your books in a week or ten days, or whenever they tell you.
4) Wrap the books for their intended recipients and presto - you are a hero!

To make it simple, I have included the titles with their ISBN's below.
Happy Shopping!

A New Adventure, A New Name
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781682730140

Blood Trail of the Falcon
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781620307731

Ascent of the Falcon
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781633183131

Gepetka, Prince of Gypsies
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781633187054

When Amazon Came Begging

It was quite the stir when the helicopter hovered over our home. The trees are too thick to allow a landing, so the occupants rappelled into the yard. That was when I remembered to mention to my wife that we were getting visitors.

A security guard came down first, then the CEO of Amazon, then another security guard. When the guards had looked around and confirmed border security, someone in the helicopter threw down a duffel bag.
I figured that must be the money.
After a half hour or so of intense negotiations, which consisted mostly of them begging me to put my books on Amazon, we settled on an amount.

That was the point when I woke up from the dream.

The reality is slightly less spectacular, but still very exciting news. The Kingdom of the Falcon Series books are now available through Amazon!
Not only that, we are able to offer them at a better price! My hope is that this improves the accessibility. The links are below.

Blood Trail of the Falcon    Book 1

Ascent of the Falcon    Book 2

Gepetka, Prince of Gypsies    Book 3