I’m BACK and ready for 2023! December whirl-winded through with all the merry and happy family chaos. Writing took a holiday. Pour your brew. Let’s catch up.
If we were having coffee together, I would tell you the holidays were fun, busy, sweet, exhausting then fun, busy, sweet, and exhausting again. My house and heart were full of kids, Christmas decorations and occasional burnt cookies. We celebrated Christmas Eve, Italian style with lots of fish and seafood (exceeding the required seven), Christmas pajamas, Santa Claus and too much chocolate. My nephew announced his engagement (we love his fiance who wants to join our tribe), and the kids practiced ninja moves and looked out for signs of Santa’s sleigh. After Christmas, we had a week of visiting friends, the Aquarium, and the Fire Island Lighthouse (always a terrific outing).
The Christmas week was also filled with wedding arrangements. My daughter Robyn, is getting married in April! We are so excited for her and her fiance,Tommy, my son-in-law-to-be. Robyn wanted to keep the tradition of celebrating her wedding in my parents’ backyard. Have I mentioned the backyard looks over the Great South Bay, creating a stunning venue for the joyous occasion. Her wedding will be the seventh wedding in the backyard. I will devote a lot of blog space for the upcoming nuptials.
By New Year’s Day, the house emptied but the Christmas clutter remained. No time for cleaning up since I traveled with my mom and her cat, Paris, to Florida. The snowbirds need warm weather to get through the winter. We endured a rental car debacle but persevered and made it to the condo safely. Paris complained all the next day making sure we knew her travel displeasure. The condo underwent a re-do over the summer and fall. The contractors had leveled the floor, installed hurricane proof sliding windows and doors overlooking the Intracoastal seaway, and replaced the swinging closet and bedroom doors with sliding barn doors to save room and improve accessibility. My brother and sister-in-law oversaw the project. Mom was so pleased! Cousins live nearby, so we visited and had visitors during my few day stay.
If we were having coffee together, I would report that now that I am home, it is time to get the house in order and return to writing.
The Becoming America’s Stories series is officially complete. I must admit, I miss musing about my spunky Lily Taglia, her family and friends. So many familiar people I knew, learned about and loved live in the stories. Perhaps I will tackle another book. 😬
There are several local school visits and Author-Illustrator Night scheduled. I can’t wait to show off my books to young readers and meet teachers and parents who love books.
I am especially excited to show off Famous Seaweed Soup’s Advance Readers Copy. I can shamelessly announce that the book is beautifully illustrated and designed and I am so proud to revive this beloved story – a story for all beach bums and landlubbers of all ages. The horizon holds a bevy of events, activities, and special offers. Keep in the know by joining the News to Nosh Newsletter.
I also joined the Storystorm challenge. Tara Lazar has taken the Picture Book NANO challenge to an attainable goal—a daily picture book story idea during the month of January. By the end of the month, children’s picture book writers will have a notebook full of story starters. I am eight days in and have lists of ideas I think are viable enough to create a …book.
If we were having coffee together, I would ask about your start to the new year. How are you? Let’s make it Funtastic!
Great BIG Thanks and appreciation go out to Natalie the Explorer who keeps the Weekend Coffee Share percolating.
Enjoy ❤️. Like 👍. Share 😊.
Work for Peace
Stories Served 
Congratulations to Robyn on her upcoming marriage. That makes for an extra exciting start to 2023. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Donna. It is very exciting. This is the 7th wedding in the backyard. Mom says we know what to do.!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Antoinette, It’s great to have you back and ready for 2023. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you for your weekend coffee share. I look forward to continuing our blogging connections this year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Natalie. Looking forward to a productive year.
LikeLike
Aw, how exciting!! So awesome to have what sounds like an amazing traditional family venue. And congrats on your books! Did the title change on Daily Bread?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Katheleen. Yes, Daily Bread is re-titled The Heart of Bakers and Artists, followed by The Dreams of Singers and Sluggers, and The Wishes of Sisters and Strangers. Enjoy!
LikeLike
Hi Antoinette and congrats on the upcoming wedding.
Only one of our three kids is married but we have an interested gal for youngest son and we love her so hopes are already set. The middle daughter is in med school, first year of four is half done so she has a ways to go before she’ll have much time to notice if any of her peer students get interested. She’s worse than me about such things. I was thought to be taking too much time by my parents for not getting married until I was 24. Our girl is almost 28 and the med-school-math may leave her past 30 by the time she can make time for a date.
We’ll see.
It’s all going to be hard work and fun regardless so we’re of the, just let life unfold, mindset.
Blessings
LikeLike
THey are all on their own timeline. Robyn is my youngest and getting married at 34, my eldest turns 40 this month, unattached and happy about it. Middle child got hitch at 28, her spouse is 11 her senior. Such a contrast-when my parents asked on a daily basis when is the engagement and I am the ripe old age of 21.
LikeLike
What a lovely place for family gatherings & wedding traditions. Happy New Year! Nice meeting you though the Weekend Coffee Share. Karen
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Looking forward to a funtastic 2023.
LikeLike
Antionette, I gave a set of your books to a book charity over the holidays. I love Lilly.
LikeLike
Oh, I am so touched by this! Share the love.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh how I wish sometimes that I lived closer to family and could celebrate more “italian” traditions with them all. How fun. So exciting about your books. Love the cover of the seaweed soup book. How cute.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I call it exciting chaos
LikeLike