Happy New Year, Everyone
December had been a whirlwind. There were report cards, interviews, holiday activities and concerts, shopping, scheming surprises, lots of cooking, and savoring my two-month-old grandson’s smiles. It was exhausting but well worth the chaos.
I can’t help but smile as I looked through my journal reliving the crazy fun. All of my daughters were home–the best gift. My three-year-old granddaughter and I squeezed cookie dough through the garlic press to fashion a hairdo for the gingerbread cookies. Watching the little ones squish their noses on the window searching for an early Santa sighting was precious. And snapping the traditional Christmas couch picture was a fun adventure.
It was not all Currier and Ives Christmas scenes. The ceramic Nativity’s shepherd lost an arm. The anxiety of keeping the peace, enduring temper tantrums, dealing with over sugared and sleep-deprived children of all ages, and the laundry made the holidays feel 
like Gene Shepard’s Christmas Story. These nuggets define family. I wouldn’t trade it in. The stories will become new stories to tell around the table.
Now that 2018 begins, I am re-tooling Stories Served Around The Table. I have enjoyed talking and writing about my stories, but this year I would like to invite My Everyone to share their stories. Winter is such a hard time to get anything done. It’s dark. It’s cold. Football tumbles to a close (Jets and Giants couldn’t be more disappointing) and the baseball season feels far away. It’s too early to think about uncovering boats or stocking the shed with yard and garden supplies. World events remain troublesome and scary. Hibernating under the weight of heavy blankets and binge-watching the Walking Dead seem to be the best way to spend a winter day.
This winter I propose for My Everyone to tell me their winter stories. Let’s shed the blankets and turn off the TV to share our stories. Here are some suggested prompts to get you started.
- Was there a snow storm adventure or cold snap to endure?
- What did you play with your siblings and neighborhood friends during the winter? What did you read?
- What did your kitchen smell like when you came home from school or your grandmother’s kitchen?
- Were there memorable high school dances, basketball games, school plays? What did you do on cold Saturday afternoons on campus?
- Was there a personal life-changing event that happened during a winter such as a birth, a death, a loss, a win, or a decision? Was there a world event that directly influenced your life?
Send me a draft of your story and a short bio. We can collaborate, and I will share your story in Stories Served Around the Table.
On to Other News.
It is time to get back to promoting Hug Everyone You Know. I’m putting the final 
touches on my West Coast Book Tour and Florida Book Tour. Check out my confirmed dates.
January 29th Pam Kurey’s Book Club in West Chester, PA
February 18th Gatsby Book Shop Long Beach, CA
February 20th Tara Triolo Cooper’s Book Club in Long Beach, CA
Stayed tuned for more dates.
I am also available to Book Club readings and talks either in person or via virtual FaceTime. Contact me to set up a date with your book club. There is a special prize for the host!
Thank you My Everyone. I look forward to reading your stories and bringing them to Stories Served Around the Table. Perhaps you will invite me to your book club, too. Let’s make winter a warm season of sharing.
Be well and be sure to hug everyone you know.
Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.
Stories Served 
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