This year we thought we would be by ourselves for Christmas, but plans fell through and now the kids are coming for the Christmas Eve dinner and I’m so happy. We missed Thanksgiving because we were sick, and although we are all meeting for New Year to celebrate my birthday, I’m looking forward to tonight.
Some years ago, I mentioned to Gordon that one year I wanted to do a themed tree, where you pick a couple of colors and stick with them. But usually we decorate with ornaments we had for years, because it’s tradition. After we survived Thanksgiving and managed to drag the tree out of storage, Gordon looked at me and said, “You know, the kids are not coming. If you wanted to color coordinate, this year is it.”
Me, thinking: I have a ton of red and gold: What color would you like?
Gordon: Blue.
Me: O_O
It’s blue, silver, and gold technically, but I think it turned out. Gordon informed me it looked like a Hallmark TV movie, and I am ridiculously flattered.
Everyone’s Christmas Eve present is wrapped and ready to go under the tree at the end of the dinner.
I think I might be getting yarn. I am so excited.
The menu is simple. We are doing the hobbit ham from Rhubarb and Lavender, stuffing, roasted potatoes with that awesome Wagyu lard Grace Draven gifted me, mac and cheese, and fried oysters, because they are Kid 1’s favorite. We usually have lobster tails for Christmas, and we splurged on some. I need to soak them, because although I thawed them in the fridge, I’m pretty sure they’ve turned into a small iceberg.
I might make Olivier salad. Nobody will eat it, including me – I will take two bites and be done – but I’ve been craving it this year. Gordon’s cousin sent us a charcuterie board and it will be perfect to set out while we are finishing up cooking. Kid 1 requested a banana cream pie on behalf of her boyfriend and I’ve never made one, so that will be an adventure.
Oh, I have to tell you about my awesome gift. I’m a fiend for mushrooms. There are some foods that will forever be marked as luxury for me because of my childhood. Oranges, bananas, and also mushrooms.
One of the simplest comfort meals for me, which I make when I don’t feel like making anything, is the imitation crabmeat or shrimp, stir fired lightly with broccoli, Korean rice cakes, canned Polar Straw mushrooms, and lobster sauce, which actually has zero lobster in it and is just thickened broth. It warm and delicious, and the rice cakes are chewy. If I feel spicy, I throw gochujang in there.
Recently, the straw mushrooms vanished from the grocery shelves. So I can’t have my favorite dish anymore. I tried adding regular mushrooms, but it’s not the same.
A few days ago, Grace Draven came over and dramatically set a massive gift wrapped in candy cane striped paper on my kitchen table. It was hella heavy.
Guess what I saw when I tore the paper?
12 cans. She bought me 12 cans. Best gift ever.
This has been an exciting, but difficult year. The work is a mountain climb. Not the horrible Sisyphus kind of mountain, but more like a really beautiful hike. You love the scenery, the air is fresh, and you keep climbing, but it is tiring. Gordon and I have kept up the pace, but I have to tell you, getting the dining room table clear was like excavating a dinosaur fossil. It was covered with all the special edition signing sheets. I’ve been wrapping the signed sheets in butcher paper and hiding them in boxes. I keep being paranoid that one of the cats decides to ruin them.
Kid 1 has gone back to college to finish her degree – it makes every older adult in her life deliriously happy – and despite being diagnosed with a math disability in high school, she not only finished all of her college math classes, she has 4.0 for the semester. We have conversations about philosophy and politics.
Kid 2 has promised to deliver a complete manuscript next year. Her father and I are a bit pissy at the moment, because the 2/3 of the draft we’ve read was good and we want the rest. We are being told to w*it. The nerve. She also has been trying to help us with the workload. Check this out.
Is this not sick? She just threw it together.
Maggie 2 has crossed 90,000 words. It is NOT done. Not at all. We know where we are going, but getting there is taking a lot of words. It will be another brick.
Without promising anything, we are hoping to invite you to a wedding next year. It will have fangs, weapons, and former mothers-in-law who are in serious need of comeuppance. And there will be an Augustine novella at the end of January, hopefully. I wish I could show you the cover, but our agency is insisting we wait until we have a firm pub date.
I can’t tell you anything. I’ve turned into CIA. I can neither confirm nor deny…
Well, it is time for me to clean the house and start this mac and cheese. I wish you the best holidays: calm, boring, peaceful, and warm. Whether you are spending this season with family, friends, or alone, I hope it will restore a little bit of happiness for you. ::hug::
Thank you for the wonderful year.
I can’t help it, I like blue. I always have. Given that we were to be abandoned by the children this year, I reckoned we could do as we pleased. Also, I have very reliable intelligence, from the imaginary Irish Intelligence Agency, that you are mostly likely getting yarn. And possibly tea.
LOVE blue as a Christmas color, but when I get blue or purple wrapping paper and ribbons, no one else in the family uses it – just me! You go, Gordon!
It has always been blues at our house to celebrate that half our family is Jewish. I think it conjures images of snowy icy nights – very pretty!
My year was an absolute clusterfuck except it got better because I kept my job and then randomly got the Maggie Arc because Tor was giving out Arcs at Dragonsteel Nexus Convention.
I’m so glad we could help, even a little. Yea for job. It’s been a tough year all around I think.
Thank you ….your posts are so lovely. Have the most wonderful feast!
Be still my beating heart, but it seems you just teased us with a much needed Innkeeper follow up🎉
GASP former mother in laws!!!! I was trying to place who that could be and if it’s Maud and hers I will DIE OF GLEE
A brick? Wonderful!
The writer becomes the w*iter! 😈
The GASP I GASPED at the wedding news. I’ve been doing a re-listen to the GA editions and yesterday started a list for Innkeeper 5 bingo!
Thanks for giving us a little peek into your holiday and personal life.
The tree is lovely! And look at all the presents you’re getting the BDH [next year]! We promise to love and cherish them!! <3
Merry Christmas, y’all.
The tree looks Beautiful! I may be biased because I love blue, but I agree that it looks like one you would see in a Christmas movie.
Thank you for the worlds you bring to life.
Wishing you the best holiday in return. Hope it is full of warmth, calm and peaceful joy with family.
It sounds like a very full and fun holiday for you all.
I’m going to have eggnog and home made mushroom soup, and read quietly, probably with a cat in the small of my back. I have weird cats. This one wants to be wherever I am but doesn’t want to be a lap cat. He likes best to be squashed between me and the sofa cushions.
Merry Christmas. I read your blogs to my husband, and we chuckled over the iceberg in the fridge. We are having Cornish Game hens and forgot to defrost so he is filling deep pots with cold water on and off today to hasten the process. Going to Harpoon Larry’s for lunch – crab legs, etc.
Our neighborhood “loop” did luminaries last night so we got to visit with neighbors. By ourselves but feel very blessed.
Thank you again for the pleasure you give through all your writings.
“I’ve turned into CIA. I can neither confirm nor deny…”
thank you for the giggles.
wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday.
What a nice Christmas gift from Grace Draven. It stinks when the grocery store stops selling stuff you’ve always bought.
The tree looks really nice. I was able to put my tree up and put a few ornaments up. I’m slowly getting myself to decorate for Christmas. I collect Christmas ornaments. When I visited family in Indiana, I bought really nice blown glass ornaments. A friend of mine and her husband got me an ornament from Tiffany! It’s so pretty.
Congratulations to Kid 1! Also, go Kid 2!
Thank you, Ilona and Gordon for keeping the Horde updated with everything. Enjoy the time with your family.
Onward to the new year and more goodies!
I cannot believe that your daughter used the w word to you. Did she escalate and use the P word? This might deserve using her middle name…
Merry Christmas to you & your family 🎄🎅! thank you for all of your wonderful books over the years ❤️
I had saved The Inheritance audio book for my east to west coast flight yesterday. It made my airplane time much better. Thank you for writing books that cheer me. Wishing all of House Andrews a beautiful holiday together.
Merry Christmas! I hope you get some beautiful yarn and time to knit.
Aaaaw, happy holidays to you too, House Andrews. Thank you for a wonderful year from Slovakia
wish you a wonderful holiday..
we are getting many wonderful news. The bigger the brick happier we are. And the wedding, are we finally gonna see the evil former mother in law???!!
And agustine is backk…yaay
I love y’all’s updates they make me giddy with happiness. Thank you do much .
May you have a Merry Christmas and I love the tree
Christmas is great. I’m glad I’m not getting an apocalyptic one like some characters.
the tree does look good- and I’m glad family will be there after all!
I hope you both, along with the rest of the family, have a wonderful Christmas and rest of the holiday season!
I’m looking forward to all your projects to come!
Thank you for everything, happy holidays to everyone!
It’s lovely to know there are new stories coming. That alone is a gift. Your tree is amazing. Merry Christmas!
PS: Do the wedding guests need a new suit of armor or will the everyday suit do? I need to go shopping. I need to go to Baha-char. I need things and money!
Merry Christmas!! Love the tree! All our trees are themed- one is cream, gold, & crystal, another is burgundy and deep pink, and the third is red and cream. Have a wonderful holiday, enjoy family time, and know how much your fans love your creations. You are both so talented- it is truly an honor to read your stories and dive into the worlds you have created. Thank you!
Happy holidays!! Thank you for all the amazing words this year. Wishing your family health and peace.
Thank you. Just a simple thank you for all that you write for us. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
“invite you to a wedding next year. It will have fangs, weapons, and former mothers-in-law who are in serious need of comeuppance”
Be still my beating heart!!!💗
Best present 🎁 ever…..
(Even though it’s not official.)
Merry Christmas! I wish you joy and laughter today and always.
Merry Happy and thank you for the updates!
What a beautiful tree ! I wish you a very nice Christmas eve with your family ❤️🎄🎅🏼🤶🏼
love the tree. didn’t manage to do cards or much decorating but we will enjoy the holidays
Merry Christmas and happy New Year
You are so good to us. Be extra special good to yourselves, and those you care for.
The adventures of life – lol
The tree is beautiful, the food sounds festive, and spending the time with family is magic.
Enjoy!
have a wonderful Christmas ❤️
Merry Christmas to you and yours!🎄✨️ thank you for always keeping us updated about your writing projects. It’s been a tough year but here’s hoping that 2026 will be much better than 2025. Looking forward to your new releases next year 🌟
Wishing all of you the best for the holidays and for all of 2026 too!
I understand the chaos of Christmas presents and pets. No cats here. We have 1 very good dog who is almost 3. My 2 boys each have 2 dogs and we end up dogsitting fairly often. So 5 dogs running around becomes a chaos party.
I cannot wait for the Maggie books. I love that they will be bricks, so that I can curl up with them for a week and be spoiled.
A friend of mine buys dried Shitake mushrooms in a big container and takes them out as needed. I don’t know if you can find those near you or if they would help your mushroom needs.
Thank you HA for everything!
The best Christmas gift “former mothers-in-law who are in serious need of comeuppance” thank you.
Thank you so much for all you do! Loving the fact you have Christmas with the family! Sending energy to all! Can’t wait to read everything, including Kid 2’s book when finished. And kudos to Kid 1 for going back to school!
Also, your tree is amazing!
Merry Christmas, House Andrews!
It’s sad to say, but I think it was a difficult year for many of us. I want to say a big thank you to Ilona, Gordon, and Mod R for bringing us little bits of joy and making all of the BDH’s lives a little bit better with you blog updates and content. It’s always the highlight of my day when I see a new post. And thank you also for continuing to share a bit more about your own lives. You feel like family to me, and I celebrate your successes and feel your trials and tribulations as strongly as I do my own loved ones.
To the BDH, I wish you all a wonderful holiday! I love this community!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you so much for all you share with us.
My neighbors all went away for this week but their dogs are at our home. I make all my dog food so we are their favorite. Marley (minidoodle) who is picky at home is a member of the clean plate club here. Abbey (elderly beagle) is also picky but eats almost everything here. My Lulu (chihuahua mix) who normally eats is so excited by having her friends here to play with her, she isn’t eating as much. They are good girls and all enjoy walks and naps.
cute!!! happy puppers!
Enjoy your family and the gorgeous tree! Thank you for sharing all the worlds and words with us.
E_
You tree is absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for all you have written and for all you share with the Book Devouring Horde.
You tree is absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for all you have written and for all you share with the Book Devouring Horde.
Happy Holidays! Thank you for inviting us into your imaginary worlds and helping us escape this mundane one when we really need a break from it.
Happy Holidays! Thank you for inviting us into your imaginary worlds and helping us escape this mundane one when we really need a break from it.
Our first tree after our oldest child was silver and blue. It was incredible. The next year guess what my mother-in-laws tree looked like! Did I get any credit from her dozens/hundreds, no I did not. Anyway, merry merry day!
And we have a greenhouse/nursery operation, our dining table is covered with bags and envelopes of seeds, a special label maker for outdoor labels and assorted stuff. So we know your effort to clear it.
Happily hyperventilating at my desk (and scaring the cat) at the mention of possible but not promised weddings next year…especially for the former mother in law in need of comeuppance… Brick #2 is great future news and excited about Augustine, but House Ervan has had it coming for years
Wishing HA, ModR, and all the Horde a wonderful holiday!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! The tree is beautiful 😍 And it is HILARIOUS that Kid TWO told you to wait lol. I wish you, your family, and all of BDH a peaceful holiday season
Im glad the kids are able to make an appearance. This is the first year that we no longer have to put out cookies for Santa, the baby of the family is 12 and he informed us he knows, and was playing along for us for the last 2 yrs. He still wanted to decorate and eat his ginger bread house though!
Happy Holidays everyone!
thank you for the insight into your holiday traditions – lurve the blue too. and thank you so much for the hints for upcoming Innkeeper and Legacy books. happy christmas to all – be safe. I am groan at work but get off a bit early.
I love a themed tree. yours turned out beautiful! congrats, kid 1, on an amazing semester! OMG, I am sure Kid 2’s book will be really good if y’all need to have p*tience. Maggie, Augustine, and possibly the next Innkeeper, best Christmas gift! Grace Draven is an awesome friend (and excellent writer). hope you can rest this holiday before continuing that uphill climb. happy holidays!
what a great, happy, pre-Christmas post – thank you.
I am seeing the sun for the first time in weeks and the creek is not ravaging my yard. I will be having my kids home for Christmas and my heart is full. I am so looking forward to reading adventures from HA.
Wishing everyonea safe and healthy holiday!
Merry Christmas. Have a wonderful New Year. May words flow into both your minds live a river.
Merry Christmas! Thank you so much for sharing your joy with all of us!! I’m going to go squeal with extra holiday joy now
Oh my gosh!! You have just given the BDH the best gift. Wonderful things coming!! Love the mushrooms, Grace for the win! Your tree is beautiful. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Being out of state working through the holiday, this was a wonderful slice of holiday home life! Thank you, because my family is currently marking time until next Monday when we will bury my last grandparent, my grandmother. her last two weeks were hard, so as much as I will miss her, I am relieved that her suffering has ended. She lived past 100 and lived a full life, and I was blessed to know her my whole 50 plus years of life. But it is just not real joyous for us at the moment, so read a slice of Christmas Joy and chaos was a blessing that lightened my heart today.
Hugs.
Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
And thank you for the little tidbits of news! I would love to see the former MIL get her just desserts after everything…
Merry Christmas! Im happy for you the you get to celebrate with family. It’s been a tough end of year for me this year. But me, my husband and kids just had a wonderful low key Christmas Eve together. (Im in Sweden so evening here right now). My daughter (3) is asleep next to me and I squealed a the most quiet squeal I could manage at the book news.
Merry, Merry! And, mushrooms…what a great friend. I’m finishing decorating our animal tree. Been collecting the ornaments for more than 50 years. Your tree looks elegant and Hallmark movie ready. Wow! Gordon had a great idea. I’ve got miles to go and need to finish wrapping gifts. I want some of that pie….Enjoy it all and thanks for my primary escape from reality.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Thank you for being awesome Author Lords. Your BDH wishes you a healthy, happy new year.
Happy holidays to you and all of the hoard. Maud is my favorite, I have read her book more than any other in the innkeeper series. Please let us witness the x mother in law take down. We want ripper cushions!!
A lot of banana cream pies use banana pudding mix. There are two kinds, instant and baked & chances are good, you want the instant. Speaking from experience, check the box very carefully to make sure it’s the right one.
Thank you House Andrews for the (possible) upcoming Augustine and Wedding creative soul gifts -squeeeee!
Yay for blue and silver trees (blue is my favorite color)! Yay for solid friends having your back with mushroom inventory! Yay for creative and motivated offspring! Yay for gifts of yarn!
Thank you, Ilona , Gordon, ModR and the Horde for reminding me regularly with each post that this corner of the internet (and this subset of humanity) is safe and positive and wholesome! The space each of you ‘holds’ for others is PRICELESS. I am truly grateful for you all!
Sending peace, health and safety to all!
Merry Christmas! May it be both joyful and restful!
Thanks for sharing with us and looking forward to the possibility of the things you can’t promise yet . . . Because we will do bizarre things with that info. 🙂
Happy Holidays to the Horde!
So glad you are having a precious Christmas, filled with family, love and yarn.
Thank you for the lovely, happy post! The best present is having family about!
The blue theme tree turned out lovely, I think it was a very nice color choice, especially with the colors of the rest of the house.
Many banna cream pie recipes say to do only one layer of banana slices. I think it is much better with two or three layers of banana slices.
I agree that K2 should hurry up with her writing. I am hoping that once she tops the best seller list a few times that you will share her pen name as I am worried about missing out on a great new author.(I’ve read the bits you’ve posted. She is definitely take my money good.)
Congrats to K1 for tackling college again. That is a hard challenge to start again. And 4 point- Yeah!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy Everything!
Thanks so much for the book news. What a wonderful Christmas gift. And then laughing at the shoe being on the other foot and having to w*it..
Also – the recipes at Rhubarb & Lavendar look really GOOD! My DH makes White Chocolate Bread pudding but now I want the Eggnog Bread Pudding with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce they have!
Just want to say thank you…your books, posts, all of it…they are always a bright spot in my day. I hope you find rest and have a wonderful time with your family this holiday season.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. It’s snowing! It’s exciting. It won’t be a white Christmas because some science nerd has some dumb requirement of an inch or so to be on the ground but the way I see it, it’s snowing and I won’t need to shovel it. Ambience is everything . I’m going to light the wood stove and hum “the weather outside is frightful”. It’s going to be a wonderful Christmas Eve snuggled with coco and then tomorrow it’s back to work. Peel and cook the potatoes and butternut then show up for family dinner. Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful time.
I’m so excited about an Augustine novella and possibly Maud and Arland’s vampire wedding from Innkeeper.
Such a beautiful tree! Thank-you for sharing! Now I must hunt for the wonderful canned mushrooms. On banana cream pie, I’ve never made one but my sister- in-law made hers with chocolate pudding. If the bananas turn brown it supposedly doesn’t show. I think she just loved chocolate!