~Cindy
Happy hump day everyone, and thank you Cindy for
lending me your place in the sun! Just so I can talk about one of my deepest,
darkest places...
You see, I live in Northern Europe where, now that we're past the autumnal equinox, the days grow shorter fast. Soon they're all just dimly lit nights until winter and snow arrive to brighten up things. You bet you start reaching for every light switch in the house and in the garden plus thinking up excuses to throw a party, get juiced and stuff your face. Have some fun and put on a little padding to help you get through the harsh winter months.
You talk to your friends overseas and try to concentrate on what they're doing since all you're doing is feeling miserable, but what they're doing only makes you feel worse. And so it starts to sneak up on you. That odd sense of being an outsider. That nagging feeling you're missing out on all the action. That childish urge to stick your fingers in your ears and drown out the festive crowd that is North America. What am I talking about? In a word, OK two: holiday envy.
Columbus Day. Halloween. Veterans/Remembrance Day. Thanksgiving. And don't even get me started on RomantiCon. I don't want to hear about them. OK, I do want to hear all about them, celebrate vicariously, on my long journey to the light at the end of the tunnel: Christmas. That is all we have to look forward to up here in the northernmost north. The local Mad Men are doing their best to sell a carnivalistic Halloween to nations used to more sober All Saints' Day celebrations on November first, I'll give them that. And it does seem as if Halloween is getting brighter and louder by the year, but to some loath locals it's still nothing but a bunch of bah humbug, an evil plan to sell stuff people only need once a year. Which is exactly how those of little faith view Christmas, come to think of it...
Anyhow, having no dress rehearsal such as Thanksgiving puts a lot of pressure on poor Christmas. I know some think that starting preparations early ruins the party, that once you get there it's all a blah since you've been setting it up for weeks and reality can never live up to fantasy. I used to think so, too. Then one year, a year when I needed all the light I could find, a year when I needed to remind myself of everything I had to be grateful for, all the things I had to look forward to, I gave it a try. And found out it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It didn't kill the Christmas spirit. I kind of glided into it one present, card, decoration and recipe at a time, slowly but steadily, and when it was finally time to start celebrating everything was done, everything was ready, well in advance, and all there was left to do was to enjoy the moment.
So if you hear me talking about Christmas way too early to your taste, please try to understand. If you're telling others about your holidays and Ms. Parker is the nosiest parker on the thread, please try to have patience with me. It's a bad case of holiday envy, a terrible affliction, and I'll be the first to admit I suffer from it. So happy holidays, everyone, and my apologies in advance.
What about you? Would you rather the holidays go away and leave you be or are they a much needed breather in your busy schedule? Big fun and happy times with friends and family or big fuss gobbling up time and money with all the decorations, candy, cooking, gifts, travel...?
You see, I live in Northern Europe where, now that we're past the autumnal equinox, the days grow shorter fast. Soon they're all just dimly lit nights until winter and snow arrive to brighten up things. You bet you start reaching for every light switch in the house and in the garden plus thinking up excuses to throw a party, get juiced and stuff your face. Have some fun and put on a little padding to help you get through the harsh winter months.
You talk to your friends overseas and try to concentrate on what they're doing since all you're doing is feeling miserable, but what they're doing only makes you feel worse. And so it starts to sneak up on you. That odd sense of being an outsider. That nagging feeling you're missing out on all the action. That childish urge to stick your fingers in your ears and drown out the festive crowd that is North America. What am I talking about? In a word, OK two: holiday envy.
Columbus Day. Halloween. Veterans/Remembrance Day. Thanksgiving. And don't even get me started on RomantiCon. I don't want to hear about them. OK, I do want to hear all about them, celebrate vicariously, on my long journey to the light at the end of the tunnel: Christmas. That is all we have to look forward to up here in the northernmost north. The local Mad Men are doing their best to sell a carnivalistic Halloween to nations used to more sober All Saints' Day celebrations on November first, I'll give them that. And it does seem as if Halloween is getting brighter and louder by the year, but to some loath locals it's still nothing but a bunch of bah humbug, an evil plan to sell stuff people only need once a year. Which is exactly how those of little faith view Christmas, come to think of it...
Anyhow, having no dress rehearsal such as Thanksgiving puts a lot of pressure on poor Christmas. I know some think that starting preparations early ruins the party, that once you get there it's all a blah since you've been setting it up for weeks and reality can never live up to fantasy. I used to think so, too. Then one year, a year when I needed all the light I could find, a year when I needed to remind myself of everything I had to be grateful for, all the things I had to look forward to, I gave it a try. And found out it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It didn't kill the Christmas spirit. I kind of glided into it one present, card, decoration and recipe at a time, slowly but steadily, and when it was finally time to start celebrating everything was done, everything was ready, well in advance, and all there was left to do was to enjoy the moment.
So if you hear me talking about Christmas way too early to your taste, please try to understand. If you're telling others about your holidays and Ms. Parker is the nosiest parker on the thread, please try to have patience with me. It's a bad case of holiday envy, a terrible affliction, and I'll be the first to admit I suffer from it. So happy holidays, everyone, and my apologies in advance.
What about you? Would you rather the holidays go away and leave you be or are they a much needed breather in your busy schedule? Big fun and happy times with friends and family or big fuss gobbling up time and money with all the decorations, candy, cooking, gifts, travel...?
Dita Parker is the author of a death-defying
love and lust triangle set in the Big Easy titled Alex Rising, and PerpetualPleasure, a hot and heavy novel starring a commitment phobic immortal and a
stunt performer bent on showing her everything she’s missing out on (Ellora’s
Cave Publishing). Dita lives in Scandinavia with her striking Viking and their
children. She believes that sex is a positive life force, that love can last a
lifetime, and that in 2014 Brazil will once again win the World Cup. To see how
it all plays out, visit Dita’s Den.
5 comments:
So glad to have Dita here! And no, I don't know why there are white spaces above and below the picture, but I can't get them to go away, so there you go.
Dita, Love your book cover and great interview.
Cindy, I know why it's white. Email me if you want help. sharon.kleve@yhaoo.com
Hello Dita! Your books sound wonderful! I love the BIg Easy.
I have family in Brazil and I can tell you they are ready, willing and waiting to take the 2014 World Cup by force!
XXOO Kat
Thanks for having me, Cindy, and forget the white spaces, just enjoy the view...
And thank you, Sharon! I've been very lucky in the cover department, did you have a look at my Alex?
Katalina, I hope to be there in 2014, or for the Olympics in 2016, or both if we can afford it, we'll see. It's my childhood home, and where am I now? Freezing my butt off in the Arctic. Life is a hoot!
Just hopping by, in the Alpha Male Blog . I love Alpha male. DebP
r.d1@myfairpoint.net
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