Bah, humbug!
I’m having trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year.
There are a lot of reasons for that. For one, I was in Germany on Thanksgiving–a wonderful trip, but no Thanksgiving celebration, of course. Thanksgiving always feels like sort of the holiday season kickoff, so I think that threw off my equilibrium.
Then there’s work. This week and next are hell weeks for professors (and students), leaving me with very little time for any preparations. I haven’t even begun gift shopping. Which is problematic because my family celebrates Hanukkah, which this year begins on December 18–only 10 days from now.
On top of that, my husband and I are now basically empty nesters. Older kid lives 100 miles away. Younger kid is in college 700 miles from here, and because of her other obligations she won’t come home until December 26.
Oh, and don’t forget my neighbors. I love Christmas lights and other decorations. But my neighbors–across the street and two doors down–have installed a music and light show. One of those ones with the lights synchronized to Christmas music. Very festive. But also VERY LOUD. We can hear the music indoors, all the way at the other end of our house. We’d complain, except the volume level is also wildly uneven. Sometimes it blasts, and just when we’re ready to march over there in a high dudgeon, we can barely hear it. It’s making me cranky.
Maybe my mood will improve once my grades are in. Together with some family, I’ll be taking a trip to Austin, TX, which sounds like fun. Or maybe I just need to go eat some of the elisen lebkuchen I brought back from Germany.
How do you get yourself in a holiday mood?
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Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.
After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her family and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.
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