Hi everyone! Well, believe it or not, there is not much time until the holidays are here, and this year, with Thanksgiving being later in November, Christmas will be not even a full month later! So today, I wanted to write about holiday surprises, and for some of us, those wonderful “Wish Books” from Penney’s and Sears, and even those Christmas lists we were so excited to make and have ready for Santa.
Of course, this was looooonnnng before the computerized age came along, and long after my parents were children. My parents were raised in the Dustbowl/Depression days of Oklahoma, both of them born not even a quarter century (both born in 1922) after Oklahoma became the 46th state (1907). Both of them were the eldest in their large families, and very little money, there was no need for them to make a Christmas list of any kind. Mom told me that she and her little sisters got a new doll at Christmas, and that was QUITE a luxury. Dad never talked about his Christmases, and I wish I had asked more questions, because he loved our Christmas time celebrations when I was growing up. He was always handy with the Super 8 camera and the blinding light bar on Christmas morning when we all stumbled out of bed, but it didn’t dampen our spirits at all as we hurried for the tree! (I can still hear my mom saying, “Wait, Fred, I have to put on some lipstick!”)
Remember those yellow legal tablets? THAT was what I made my Christmas list on! Pages and pages and pages of what I wanted, after those Saturday morning cartoon ads started, and of course, when the Christmas catalogs from Sears and Penney’s arrived. By that time, my sisters were older and I pretty much got the “Wish Books” to myself, since they were off at college and soon married. I wore those pages out, and wrote down detailed instructions on my lists of what page the item was on, what color I wanted, and so on. I remember Mom saying cautiously, “Well, Cheryl, now you know old Santa can’t bring ALL of this. So mark which ones you really like best so he’ll know…”
Were you ever extremely surprised over a gift, either pleasantly or NOT so pleasantly? One year, I asked for a Suzy Smart. She was a BIG doll–and she had her very own desk she sat in, AND a chalkboard easel, since she was SMART and in school! When I saw her sitting in her desk with the easel close beside the Chistmas tree on Christmas morning, I was so surprised. I think because my mom always like to buy me baby dolls and so on, and that was a departure for her, but I really did love that doll.
When I got older, (this was in the 70’s) I wanted a leather “fringe” jacket. I knew which one I wanted. I took my mom into the store when we were shopping at the mall in Oklahoma City, and I showed her. BUT…on Christmas morning, she had found one that she thought was a better value for the money, more “dressy” (which was not the way I wanted to wear it!) and a finer grade of suede rather than split cowhide. It was hard to hide my disappointment, and I don’t think I did a very good job, being my 13-year-old self. But I did wear it, and it did last. It just taught me a valuable lesson that I used with my own kids. The heart wants what the heart wants!
This is one of my favorite Christmas paintings of all time! It’s by Jack Sorenson, and it’s called The Homecoming. According to him, the father had to be gone the week before Christmas but he promised his daughter he’d be home for Christmas, and here he is! Complete with a new doll for his little girl’s Christmas surprise! I’m sure his homecoming was what brought that joyful smile to her face, but the new doll will be the “icing on the cake” for her. 
I have a new novel coming on November 30! NOELLE’S CHRISTMAS WISH is Book #5 in our Petticoats & Pistols series, CHRISTMAS STOCKING SWEETHEARTS!
This was a VERY fun story to work on, and I know you are all going to love this entire series! My story is about Noelle Cutler, a woman who has to start her life all over with an aunt she barely knows, and Kellan Montgomery, a Texas Ranger who isn’t sure what life holds for him, either. But we all know MAGIC happens at Christmas, right?
You can pre-order it NOW at this link: https://tinyurl.com/3et8d29p
OR, you can do me a huge favor and jump over to BOOKFUNNEL (here’s the link!) https://bookhip.com/PRVJANM and grab one of 25 FREE COPIES I’m giving away in exchange for a review! This offer will end on Sunday, November 24, and is limited to the first 25 readers, first come, first served, so jump over NOW and snap one up. A pretty darn good deal for the price of a review, right? Ho ho ho!
The launch date is Dec. 3rd, and I’ll be back that day to post here with more information!
For now, here’s a blurb! (Noelle has a good chance at getting HER Christmas wish–something she’s wanted a long time!)
What was your best Christmas surprise? Someone coming home unexpectedly? A newborn on Christmas? A special gift you’d longed for and didn’t think you’d get? Or giving a gift to someone who didn’t expect it?
Did you have a memorable “worst” Christmas gift or experience?
