My kitchen calendar is flipped to the last page. Which means it’s December, and the holiday season is upon us.

How do you celebrate? Do you make cookies? (I don’t.) Do you hang a Santa-wreath on your front door? (I do.) 

What about gifts? Do you, my dear readers, have a favorite gift? Maybe a gift you received years ago, but one that is no less vivid in your memory? Or, a gift you regularly receive, but still eagerly anticipate each year?

That’s how I feel about my kitchen calendar.

Have you started your holiday shopping?

May I offer a suggestion? 

If you, or someone you know, enjoy reading heartwarming, holiday-themed, non-fiction stories, I highly recommend Chicken Soup for the Soul: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – 101 Tales of Holiday Love and Wonder. 

And, if you turn to page 140, you will read “A Timeless Gift” — written by me! It’s my story of our family calendar and its place in our holiday traditions. 

Here’s the first paragraph:

“My sister and I each received a new calendar every Christmas. And even though we shared a bedroom and could have shared a calendar, too, we always got our own.” 

I’m so proud to say I have a piece published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. And I hope this charming book will help you get into the holiday spirit and maybe even inspire you with “new plans for family fun, gift ideas, and recipes.”