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.
That Kingdom art looks amazing. No lying, I’d love a special hard cover edition like that, with the old timey clasp, the thick, slightly warped covers, leatherbound spine and general epic library vibe (I know it won’t happen, but one can dream).
Wishing everyone happy, relaxing holidays and lots of love!
+100 agree
Merry Christmas to one and all! The Hallmark tree is beautiful 🎄
Wishing you and the BDH a day of calm, beauty, laughter, a nap or a walk or both 🙂
Woke up to sunshine when I was promised (and prepared for) rain — not gonna lie, I’m more than a little annoyed, but hopefully caffeine will kick in soon and I will adjust to reality. ✨
Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, joyful Christmas! Your tree is indeed gorgeous, and I’m deliriously happy at the possibility of new Innkeeper. You guys give the bestest gifts! I’m making Christmas crack for my lovely 83 year old neighbor, and making homemade lasagna (with bechamel sauce!) and tiramisu for dinner.
Happy, Happy Holidays!
thank you for your wonderful stories and merry christmas to you and your family
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Wishing blessings of joy, peace, good health and love on you and your loved ones in Jesus name ❤️
So excited to hear about the alleged 😂upcoming books for Maud and Augustine🎉
Happy Christmas and I’m so glad things are going relatively well for you all! (Gorgeous tree.)
May you find Joy and Peace in the season and the coming year!
Thank you for the wonderful gifts of the coming year. The tree looks amazing!
Your tree looks amazing 🙂
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Happy New Year!
Re Themed Trees.
One year, Mom will have a Red/Gold tree. Next year it will be Blue/Silver/White. And some years she’ll do Purple/Teal, but she claims she doesn’t have enough stuff for that yet.
This year was a Red/Gold year.
Ilona, thank you for the HA update. I love hearing about how things are going and how you persevere through trials and tribulations and also share the humor and joy of life! Being part of the BDH keeps me sane.
It’s great having the best of friends that buy what you need. For future reference, have you tried shopping on Weee (https://www.sayweee.com/en ) for mushrooms? I haven’t purchased from the site but it’s recommended by family and friends.
Merry Christmas! The tree is beautiful. Yay for mushrooms and the bestie’s that gift them. Glad all the critters are healthy and the kidlets are coming!!! I’m definitely going to make hobbit ham for our next party!!!
Hugs from mine to you and yours! Merry Christmas.
Thank YOU for the wonderful year <3 and for your open and generous sharing of your own lives. I appreciate reading each of your blog posts.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Your books make everything better
The tree turned out beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Wishing you more rest and relaxation in 2026!
Merry Christmas! Thank you for the lovely holiday blog post!
Thank you very much for the well wishes and happy holidays to you and your family as well!! I love that picture she created, it looks amazing and the book looks great in it!
Joyous greetings to the BDH and HA. I hope everyone has a safe and happy time and a blessed and prosperous new year.
The tree is beautiful. I’m envious! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!!
OMG Arland and Maude!
There will be ripper cushions!
also merry whatever you celebrate 🎉
Oh squee! I want the wedding with fangs and evil ex mother-in-laws!
Thank you for all you have revealed to us this year, as well as the teases of things to come. We are blessed to be part of your worlds.
Happy Holidays!
That tree is so beautiful! Agree with Gordon: Hallmark movie good looking.
Have a wonderful holiday with the kids. So happy you get to spend it with them.
Our kids are home also for the holidays. And my sister is visiting us. Some family fell ill but this is so much better than last year when I, hubby and both kids were sick 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
Love the blue and silver tree, did a red and silver tree for my women’s club here in Virginia. I was especially impressed with your lovely wrapped presents.
I love the tree and blue is my favorite color so to me it was the best choice! It looks so elegant. I agree, it’s like a Hallmark moment for sure. And I am so excited about the Augustine novella. He and Diana have me intrigued for sure. Of course, I love everything you write! I am so glad you are feeling better, the kids are coming and that Santa is probably bringing you yarn for Christmas! Merry Christmas!
I think today is the actual start of the 12 Days of Christmas, right?
If any of you are in search for a gift to others that may also increase the numbers of the BDH, I noticed the 1st part of the Tapas Innkeeper graphic paperback is $2.38 on Amazon today.
I know this is off topic, but I just got the second graphic novel for clean sweeps for Christmas. Is tapas planning to make more of the innkeeper chronicles as a WEBTOON or graphic comic? I figured it wasn’t super likely since they finished the adaptation in 2023, but wanted to know for sure.
Just wanted to let you know Polar stir fry straw mushrooms are available on Amazon, $36 for 12, 15oz. cans. The packaging is different but the description reads as the same.
Your tree looks very festive! I love glass ornaments and snowflakes! And the little feathery guy was really cute!
We’ve passed the Solstice, so days will be getting longer.
Augustine…a wedding…and Maggie! Wheee!
A Very Merry to you, your family and BDH!
Thank you so much for the wishes Ilona. Our holidays were all that and it was great. I hope yours were all that as well. Reading these little tidbits always brings a smile to my heart (and face), so thank you so much for letting us in like that.
Happy family Christmas time! I hope you all had fun and delicious food and quiet cuddles and kitschy music and bad jokes and made wonderful memories 💜
Your tree is beautiful! Seasons blessings to you and all your family! And the furkids!
It was a touch to warm for us yesterday for Christmas Day. At 42C we were sweltering!
Former mother-in-law needs some serious Rippercusions!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Your tree is gorgeous! I am sitting here in a food coma of my own making (literally…I am the resident cook!) Herb roasted brined pork tenderloin, butternut squash in browned butter and sage with goat cheese, apple rum raisin pie and way too many cookies are some of the highlights. It’s a lot of work but I love cooking for my family, especially on holidays. 🥰💕
Congrats to Kid 1 on going back to school…it’s never too late. At almost 67 I am going back for an Associates in Liberal Arts just because I want to. (I’m not planning on doing anything with it, but I love learning new things so why not?) I hate math too, but Kid 1 has given me hope! 😂
Here’s wishing everyone (HA, Mod R, BDH, etc etc) a wonderful holiday week and a Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for all you do! The blue tree is gorgeous. You’ve made me very happy with the possibility of that wedding invitation. I’m now even more hopeful for 2026. Happy New Year! May 2026 be your best ever (so far). 💛
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The tree is gorgeous.
We’ve had a wonderful Christmas here and hope HA and Mod R had the same!
Thank you for giving us Panthercakes, Innkeeper and Maggie to look forward to for next year!
Your tree is lovely. It sounds like you are having a wonderful holiday. Sometimes the best gatherings are the unplanned ones. I am very excited to read this coming year’s stories from you.
Your tree is beautiful; it does look like a holiday movie come to life. Thank you for sharing your plans and stresses. I want you both to know how much your work means to me. It is truly magical and uplifting. I read and re-read your collected works all the time, including listening to graphic audio in the car (because you know accidents…). Anyway, your work is like finding new friends and revisiting old ones whenever I can. I see how much you put into everything despite all life’s challenges, and I want you to know that I am truly grateful for everything you do. Thank you so much. I wish you the very best holiday with your family.
Your tree is beautiful and blue is my favorite color. I look forward to the unconfirmed possibles in the future. Thank you.
Thank you so much for The Augustine novella! Hope your Christmas was everything you wished for.
Merry Christmas to you all!!
And OMG, I am sooooooo excited for those teases!! Woop woop!!!
The tree is very much a Hallmark tree! It came out beautifully!
And apologies if this has been answered already. I went through the Maggie tag but may have missed it! Has it been announced where signed editions can be ordered from?
Thank you and Happy Holidays to your household and family.
Wedding! I kept going thru the various series trying to figure out where there was a congruence of fangs. weapons and former mothers-in-law … the penny finally dropped. So excited. Good thing there is a convenient door. Squee!
Oh that tree is a dream, a royal dream, all blue and gold. so beautiful. Merry Christmas!
All the BEST to all of you. 🎉
Wedding teaser *squeeee*
AND
augustine???
2026 is coming in FIRE(positive fire only pls and ty)
HAPPY HAPPY MERRY MEERY HOGFATHER HO HO HO
Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too!
I wish you all (and I mean all of you) a great holiday season surrounded by loved ones and at times alone. (Who does not need a bit of alone time to dily daly). Rest, energize and next year we keep going.
How terrible that you’re being told to w*it
It’s so cruel that anybody would even consider saying that…
Beautiful tree, the blue reminds me of the winter wonderland!!
So glad you got your canned mushrooms, I’m the only one in my family that loves mushrooms so I can understand what happiness is getting your favorite mushrooms.
Happy Holidays!!
I have also been looking for straw mushroom! Ended up just using cremini . What an awesome gift!
Your tree looks spectacular. And thank you for a year full of fun and adventure stories. I can’t wait for what you’re giving us in 2026.
Wow, such a beautiful tree – I agree just like a Hallmark movie.
Congrats to Kid 1 & Kid 2 – it’s amazing watching adult children’s journeys to becoming wonderful people 🙂
2025 was a tough year for me too; this blog – BDH, Mod R, Ilona and Gordon bring sunshine and light to a hard day or week. When I see a new post, I smile and the sun shines 🙂
2026 is going to be an amazing year!! Maggie, Maud (maybe) and Augustine. January and March woohoo I can’t wait!!
Thank you Ilona, Gordon and Mod R for encouraging/ creating the Book Devouring Horde family. I am blessed beyond measure to consider myself part of the BDH. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays – let’s kick the dust from 2025 off our feet and make 2026 ROCK!
Love y’all
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE WEDDING, I AM DOING THE BAD WORD AND W*ATING EAGERLY!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
(takes a breath)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
And I was so excited I even misspelled the bad word!
your tree is lovely.
heh. my dad is getting several boxes of raisin bran with cranberries for christmas because they don’t sell them near him anymore. it took 6 grocery stores, but my guy found them!
hope your christmas was amazing!
the real question: how do you have bows on your wrapped gifts when you have cats? my whole family has given up on ribbon and bows because ALL of our cats (5 different houses worth) will not allow bows or ribbons to survive and the packages are usually collateral damage.
That art of “Kingdom” is incredible. I would totally frame that.
OOOOH!! I’m so excited!! I cannot wait to see this comeuppance!! It couldn’t happen to a more deserving vampire b-word.
Happy holidays to all, and may your 2026 be better than you could have ever imagined. Wishing peace, love, and resilience to everyone!!
Merry Christmas and thank you so much for all the books you write. Your books are a happy light, a wonderful respite and a little square of joy.
❤️❤️❤️ Agree that tree is gorgeous & very Hallmark! I have also wanted to have a coordinated tree & one day I shall!
Also love the updates on kids 1&2, on awesome friendship presents with Grace Draven (you turned me onto her work earlier this year), and surprise Christmas gathering! Sounds wonderful.
And as always, so inspired by your writing work together & grateful for it!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great New Year in 2026!
Thank you for your artistry with words. I ran across Kate unwittingly and read the series. I then found The Legacy series and have read them all. And some twice. They are my comfort books. I just stumbled on all your books and then sought out more. I’m about to re-read The Inkeeper series. Thank you again from a fan. Happy New Year
For the former mother’s-in-law I hope there will be serious ripper cushions.
Indeed!!
OMG…I sooooo want to read about Matilda’s ex-mother-in-law getting her cumuppance…
I want to read Augustine’s novella…March will be here very quick, so Maggie is on the horizon…2026 is looking good!
Its been about one or two books a year from my favorite actors to look forward to each year. So far You guys are still on that list! Thank you!
Merry Christmas all! Love being part of the BDH, even if it means w*iting sometimes and I have to practice my p*tience. Hope your coming year brings you all as much joy as I’ve gotten from each of you this year!
My biggest mistake was challenging Death to a pillow fight.
I was NOT prepared for the reaper cushions
thought everyone here would appreciate this dad joke
:hug: back! Thank YOU house Andrews and Mod R for this wonderful year! Happiest of Holidays and restful days!
Thank you HA for all the love and family that you share with us. I think the tree is spectacular. My little tree is gold, silver and white. It makes me happy; it’s so sparkly.
I am a senior so p*atience is no longer my forte, but I will contain myself while w*iting for all the exciting surprises in 2026.
Happy New Year everyone!
Such a lovely update. Thank you for sharing. The tree looks great, so happy the kids are doing so well, congratulations.
We are in our first house and I wanted to do hardcore decorating for all the holidays. I started decorating for Halloween in July. Then it was Thanksgiving, which we hosted. By the time December rolled around I was a bit worn out. I got the mantle and the console. Then we put the tree up and I ran out of steam. We had trouble with the lights. And after a couple tries to fix it, we gave up. It was good enough. Then we looked at the ornaments and thought, we’d put them up, then have to take them down again. So… we opted out since we weren’t hosting.
We had a lovely holiday and have minimum decorating to clean up. Next year I am scaling back.
Your blue tree has made my heart ridiculously happy. Thank you!!!!
I understand the dilemma with Christmas ornaments. I finally spread everything and sorted. 2 bins of blue/silver/white with touches of pink and 2 bins of red/green/gold. The special kids and sentimental ornaments are sorted by colour too so they get seen every other year. At least my kids are old enough so that I no longer have the yearly sacrifice of broken ornaments.
I used my convection oven for my duck this year. The duck was not overcooked – the dressing was. There was also roasted veggies and scalloped potatoes and other stuff I didn’t eat – and my daughter got me a bottle of Dragon’s Milk stout to have with dinner. I don’t mind white wines, but the offspring prefers red which I don’t like at all, so I mentioned I was yearning for some stout. It worked.
I got her a couple of cookbooks (two kids who can also follow recipes if they want to eat) and two featuring Edward Gorey (which haven’t arrived yet – she’ll get them for New Year.
A WEDDING!!!! I AM SO BLOODY EXCITED!!!! Thank you thank you! I cannot wait!!!!
Ps merry christmas and a blessed new year ❤️😋😁
I am a librarian with the Chicago Public Library. Your books have helped me escape the stress during a stressful year. I couldn’t be more grateful for your imaginations and storytelling. Wishing you both a happy and healthy New Year!
Cheers,
Annie Ayres
Many blessings and joy to your house and family in the coming New Year.
Hmm…wedding, fangs and weapons, former mother-in-law needing comeuppance? Now who in the Universe???
I kid, I kid. I shall be p*tient. I shall be chalant. I will w*it for the official announcement.
OH MY GOD!!! The wedding of the millenium. You have just made 2026 worth staying up to welcome in. Thank you 10,000 and Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays, House Andrew and Mod R! Thank you for lifting spirits for the BDH – you all are MUCH appreciated! Happy early birthday, Ilona! 🙂 May we all enjoy a bright, happy and calm (read: boring, which is vastly underrated IMHO) 2026! Cheers, all! 🙂
My Christmas tree also is blue, gold, and silver ornaments! My husband is read green colorblind so we have a snow flocked “white” tree and blue ornaments so he can see all the colors!
Just, thank you. You are wonderful in so many ways.
Happy Holidays! And may you have rest and joy between all the chaos.
Happy belated birthday!. I hope you and your family had a very merry Christmas and a most happy New Year. The Innkeeper Chronicles are the best books I’ve ever read, and it brings me great joy knowing the series hasn’t ended. Thank you for keeping the story going.
I love that word….COMEUPPANCE.
There is another word I love…..UPPITY.
is anyone out there at all surprised that my voracious brain of book nibbling has decided to combine these two word?
No?
Huh. Me neither.
Friends, allow me to present
COMEUPPITANCE
THIS is what happens when a Very Bad K**** gets too big for her britches…shortly to be followed by Dire Pronouncements Regarding A New Place To Live If Things Do Not Improve.
Hey…this just seemed like a whimsical sort of place to introduce a new word