Holiday Season by Margot Justes

With the approaching holidays we’re all scurrying to get ready, we shop for food, we shop for gifts, we clean and cook; all the accoutrement that go with the season

I wonder, if amidst all that clatter, do we really take time to spend with family and friends. That marvelous dinner that we shopped for, cooked and prepared, do we spend it together or are we eating and listening for the latest sports scores.

Is the TV on so that no one will miss the latest and greatest, is it simply turned on for noise? Or is it turned off, and an actual conversation is taking place at the dinner table?

Who knows what world problems you can solve...of course it won't go beyond the dinner table, but you'll feel so much better having voiced your opinion about what is wrong with the world today.

You can discuss the latest scientific thrills coming from CERN, and the capture if only for a brief moment of an antimatter proton, that is certainly exciting, of course you have to understand it first, for me all of that is magic and beyond comprehension, but I recognize that it is a magnificent discovery, and brings us one step closer to an understanding of our beginning.

By the same token, that TV being on, and everyone listening to whatever game happens to be on, isn't that in itself a tradition? A form of relaxation and togetherness as family and guests gather around the TV and discuss the latest events, while nibbling on goodies.

This time of year is for family and friends and a slowdown from out every day lives, we certainly work hard all year and deserve this release during the holiday season.

I’m just curious how we enjoy celebrating it. How do we spend that precious and short time we have during this season? What do we do that is different from the rest of the year?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Till next time,
Margot Justes
A Hotel in Paris
www.mjustes.com

Heavenly Saturday by Margot Justes

What a blissful Saturday, I've been up since six, drank a few cups of coffee, and had a delicious slice of Panettone (a big slice of Panettone) and I will spend the rest of the day writing. It doesn't get much better than that. Panettone and coffee are perfect together.

If you don't know what a Panettone is, I'll be happy to tell you. It is a delicious cake, not overly sweet, aromatic filled with raisins and orange peels. The one I just bought at Costco is made by the Bauli family in Verona, Italy. There are many brands readily available in the US.

For me just smelling the Panettone evokes the approaching holiday season, and after all we are a mere three weeks away from Thanksgiving.

All in all, other than my paying job, it was a good week. Thanks to my critique partner June Sproat, I will take my short story and included it in my novella-and voila, my novella will become a novel. It was such an obvious thing to do and I missed it until June said, 'why don't you just include it in the novella?'

And dare I mention it, I received the most wonderful rejection letter ever. I knew Amanda (an editor) didn't handle my genre, but since I pitched it to her at RT, she was gracious enough and asked to see A Hotel in Bath. She warned me it would take a while for her to respond. And respond she did. She offered advice on the conflict between the hero and heroine and then said, "with some revision and refining, this story could be a strong contender for NY Publishing houses." She urged me to pursue an agent.

To complete a great week, I received another batch of Eyvind Earle posters from Guy.

Till next time,
Margot Justes
www.mjustes.com
A Hotel in Paris