Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Everything from the Phoenix desert.
It is Christmas Eve, and I am still finishing Christmas preparations. I’m never this late! But our palm tree is lit up, and the weather is tourist-perfect, sunny with temperatures in the mid-70s, (sorry Chicago!) Tourists pay for this weather in travel costs. We locals pay for it by enduring the long summers. These are no-burn days (wood fireplaces) due to smog precautions. I love the gorgeous hiking weather, yet still secretly bemoan the sweaters it’s too warm to wear. And if it’s this warm in December, how hot will next summer be? But the desert is still cold at night, mirroring the cold desert nights of the original Nativity in Bethlehem (now located in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem). Stage cue – portable gas firepit, hot mulled wine, and friends.
Blessings and speed bumps.
Like an EKG or the stock market, life has its ups and downs. This fall I spent an unexpected 18 days in the hospital. I’m fully recovered, and all is well now. Three other family members had hospital stays (none as long as mine.) But from that low, two days ago I still made it to the top of Camelback Mountain for a picture with Santa, one of the hardest hikes in town. I was slower than in previous years, but I still made it. I am a blessed woman in many ways and grateful to the people in my life.
Words are special gifts.
When you send your words and thoughts out into the world, you never know who they will impact or how far they will go. Vice versa, every time a reader reaches out or reviews a book, it’s a special gift to the author and fellow readers. This is why book reviews are one of the easiest and nicest gifts to give to an author. For me – it’s about the connections.
Last week I received a special email from a new reader.
My great-grandparents came (or fled) to the US from Silesia in the 1890’s. Unfortunately, my grandpa never asked his parents about their life in “the old country”. Your book helped give some context about Poland and has ignited a desire to visit the country of my ancestors.
Thanks again!
This fall I received another curious email from a reader. In my book, I have a picture that Henry Zguda found at the end of the war. It is somewhat grisly, a staged photo taken inside the Dachau crematorium at the end of the war. Imagine my surprise to hear from a reader about that photo. Her father is one of the men standing in the photo. I connected her with another version of the photo located at the National Archives in Maryland. The trope ‘small world’ does apply.
So, what’s coming in 2025?
Stay tuned. I bought my new planner for 2025 and will be sitting down for some serious goal-setting after Christmas. Some goals are harder to measure than others.
Did I laugh enough? No.
Do the people around me know they are important? I hope so.
Have I made a difference? I hope so, but do we ever know all the ripples in a pond we have initiated?
I have more years behind me than ahead of me. Life has a certain urgency to make my remaining years count. How long before the hips and knees give out, even though I exercise regularly? What books are in my future?
Like a vintage car, my parts still run but the maintenance is higher and more frequent. Compared to many peers, I have fewer dents and all original parts. Still, I carry the invisible scars and memories of living. If, like wine and collector vehicles, an older vintage is worth more, I’ll keep the comparison, thank you very much.
Life isn’t fair, but I’ve had more wins than losses. And you, dear reader, are a definite win.
Wishing everyone a joyous, healthy, and peaceful holiday, whatever and however you choose to celebrate.
Wesołych Świąt / Szczęśliwego święta Chanuka / Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
Fröhliche Weihnachten / Fröhliches Hanukkah / Frohes Neues Jahr
Joyeux Noël / Joyeux Hanoucca / Bonne Année!
Feliz Navidad / Feliz Jánuca / Feliz Año Nuevo
Buon Natale / Felice Hanukkah / Buon Anno
In friendship,
Katrina
