Become A Christmas Legend

I don't send Santa a Christmas wish list. Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with being naughty or nice. It's just that I'm pretty satisfied with the stuff I already have.

The trending culture of material gluttony is really sad to me. The notion that more and more and more stuff will make people happy when they are dissatisfied with all they already possess seems so pointless. It's all vanity and grasping at the wind, as King Solomon recorded all those years ago.

But the thing that really amazes me is the self-shopping trend. I overheard a lady talking about spending umpteen hours in line on Black Friday. Her conclusion was that it was worth it because she got the computer she wanted and her husband got the big screen he wanted.

Once upon a time, we shopped for that perfect gift to bless someone else. I guess that era has passed into legend. Only it has not passed! It may have died in our society, but I refuse to let it die in me!

So, if you want to be a living legend in a culture that is self-absorbed, here are a few ideas.

1)  Forget the dollar value. Buy gifts for the people on your list that will add value to their life. Other than your budget limit, the dollar amount is irrelevant. If twenty bucks gets your kid something that makes their life better, go for it. If it is a hundred dollar item for another kid and they squabble over the dollar value, you should have raised your kids better. (That was tactful.)

2) Look out. There are lots of people out there that could benefit tremendously from a boost. I'm not talking about the guy on the busy corner with a cardboard sign. My experience is most of those folks are faking it or just want drugs. (Don't believe me, offer one a job.)
I'm talking about the marginally-employed person at the local grocery store, or the cart shepherd at the big box store, or the cleaner at your work place, or the barista that makes your coffee for you.
These folks are all over the place. Some are working their way up. Others are working at their capacity. They may not be very marketable, but they are your neighbor.
A gift card can go a long way with some people.

3) Give time. For many people, material needs are not the issue. Some folks just need someone to spend a little time with them. This may look like an elderly person living alone or it could be the new people in town that don't have anyone to be with during all the Christmas fun stuff. Use your imagination.

These are not difficult things to do. The main thing is to decide to do something. Then do it.

Shop Local Saturday

I wish every day was shop local day. I'm not a shopper, but when I do shop, I like to look the person in the eyes when I purchase stuff. That is probably a characteristic of my demographic. In other words, I'm getting old.

The point being, I like the idea of specifically shopping at a local store when possible.

So, you are wondering where to buy my books locally. It's pretty easy.

1) Go to your locally-owned book store. (Most will be in the program.)
2) Ask to order the book, or books, by name or ISBN, or both.
3) Pay and pick up your books in a week or ten days, or whenever they tell you.
4) Wrap the books for their intended recipients and presto - you are a hero!

To make it simple, I have included the titles with their ISBN's below.
Happy Shopping!

A New Adventure, A New Name
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781682730140

Blood Trail of the Falcon
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781620307731

Ascent of the Falcon
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781633183131

Gepetka, Prince of Gypsies
By RV Hodge
ISBN 9781633187054

When Amazon Came Begging

It was quite the stir when the helicopter hovered over our home. The trees are too thick to allow a landing, so the occupants rappelled into the yard. That was when I remembered to mention to my wife that we were getting visitors.

A security guard came down first, then the CEO of Amazon, then another security guard. When the guards had looked around and confirmed border security, someone in the helicopter threw down a duffel bag.
I figured that must be the money.
After a half hour or so of intense negotiations, which consisted mostly of them begging me to put my books on Amazon, we settled on an amount.

That was the point when I woke up from the dream.

The reality is slightly less spectacular, but still very exciting news. The Kingdom of the Falcon Series books are now available through Amazon!
Not only that, we are able to offer them at a better price! My hope is that this improves the accessibility. The links are below.

Blood Trail of the Falcon    Book 1

Ascent of the Falcon    Book 2

Gepetka, Prince of Gypsies    Book 3

Big News

Turn down all sources of noise! Turn off all squeaking equipment! Turn off all the so-called "News" channels: NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX, etc, turn off NPR, even turn off the BBC! There is a huge news story about to break and this is the exclusive source!

Well, so much for my attempt at sensationalism.
But, now that you are reading, please stay tuned for a *big announcement. I'm pretty sure it will be ready to post on the day after Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, don't forget to simply enjoy your Thanksgiving day. Also don't neglect the people around you. There are, undoubtedly, forgotten people in your life. You may be the one to give them a little hope and love.

*It seems big to me anyway.

Should Have Seen That Coming

It's like the starting gun went off and I was still busy getting my shoes on. Preparations for Thanksgiving always seems to begin before my brain is ready. Maybe I am too busy. That is undoubtedly so, but I don't think that is all of the reason. Part of it is, I am not really ready to give up on summer.

Now I realize that much of the country is blanketed with snow. But, we are not. This is the South, and I moved here as a refugee from the northern climate over a decade ago. I am just now getting through the defrost cycle.

Interestingly, when we lived in the north country this was not an issue for me. Thanksgiving came about the same time in my mental calendar as it did on the calendar hanging on the wall. Probably because after sixteen consecutive months of snow, I was ready for a break. (Okay, sixteen months may be a slight exaggeration.) Anyway, as it turns out, I still prefer to deal with the rush to preparation for Thanksgiving rather than the long season of cold and snow.

The good news in all this is, that other than the food and traveling, Thanksgiving preparations are really easy. In fact, we should all be in a constant mind set of thanksgiving. That makes the Thanksgiving celebration exactly that: A Celebration of Gratitude. It becomes a time to pause and look back over the past year and count our blessings.

I suspect that none of us do enough of that.

So I invite you to join me in a pause from our busy lives to recount the joys, the blessings, and even the rough times from this past year. All of those experiences have brought you to this point.

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving celebration and a good rest this week.