Seven years ago, Lily Travis was only too glad to see her hometown of Petal, Georgia in her rearview mirror. Thanks to her father running off with a twenty-year-old, though, here she is, trying to pick up the pieces. First order of business: meet with her brother’s teacher in a quest to pull his grades out of a downward spiral.
Nathan Murphy is pretty much resigned to his bachelor status—until he looks up from his desk to see an all-grown-up Lily walking into his classroom. Of all the women who turned out to be totally wrong for him, she’s the only one who felt right. At least until his foolish, immature mistake drove her away.
Lily has to admit that time has been more than kind to gorgeous, sexy Nathan. Except there’s no room on her full plate for another complication. Especially with a man who broke her heart once before.
With a little help from his friends, Nathan has a plan to rekindle the flame. It isn’t long before they’re burning up the sheets. Winning her heart? That’s another matter.
Warning: Hot, sexy high school teacher in denim and boots. Strong-willed females abound. Bad words and naughtiness, too. Come on, you know you want to read it.
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Anyone who’s read a few of my books may notice food is a big part of the story. It’s not just because I love food, though I totally do (as anyone who’s ever seen my butt could attest to). Mainly it’s because I think food is a way for people to communicate.
When I was growing up, my grandmothers taught me how to cook. I can still remember the boiling hot kitchen when my maternal grandmother would can. The tiny space would be filled with my aunts and girl cousins along with my grandma and some of her sisters. We’d be washing tomatoes, peeling, slicing, cleaning up strawberries for the jam. All while the space hummed with chatter.
This was the world of women and it was their job to raise up the next generation who knew how to feed their families, especially in the lean times. I really can’t do justice to how wonderful this is to me, what these memories have given to my life.
I didn’t only learn how to put food up for a rainy day (or winter), I learned how to be self sufficient too. I stirred the gravy while my grandmother got the pork chops ready. (and yes, smothered pork chops are real and they are ridiculously good) Oh and I still, sadly, suck at making gravy, though I can make a mean biscuit.
So when Polly Chase makes food for her boys, or for the women they’re courting, it’s not just a fun thing to fill a scene. Polly is old school, she’s bonding with them, caring about them. She’s not just bringing over a casserole because that’s what people do, she’s feeding her people. She’s making them better. Comforting them, strengthening them. And it gives her a chance to visit with people, to talk and commiserate.
When the Murphy siblings come over to Tate’s house, it’s to find comfort. Not so much in a sandwich or some meatloaf, it’s about knowing there’s something who knows what you like. It’s about eating a cookie someone made for you, knowing you like yours with walnuts. Or how my mom always made four enchiladas that were just cheese because that’s how I liked them best.
This is why I write books about family. Be it a family of rock stars and tattooists, or a family in a small town in the south – connection through the rituals, kindnesses and traditions with those you love is the glue that holds us together.
What about you all? Do you have any rituals or traditions passed down from your elders?
I’ve got two different prizes to give away: 1) A digital ARC of ONCE AND AGAIN to one lucky winner chosen from the responses to this post.
2) And then from all the comments to all the guest blogs and posts I’m doing for Once and Again, I’ll choose THREE winners of a complete set of the CHASE BROTHERS books in digital or paper – winner’s choice. International entries are absolutely welcomed.
O wow, what a great giveaway! I’d love to win the whole series. Thanks for your blog post Lauren, I enjoyed reading it. I also love eating, and I am teaching my boyfriend what is good 😉 all kinds of things he has never tried before, and the result of all that is visible (which is a shame, but I love him all the same).
Can’t remember my mother or grandmother really teaching me something about cooking besides the daily stuff you need to know when you move out on your own. Nowadays, it is my father who is the cook at home, my mother never liked cooking or baking.
I did love going to my grandparents home, and help with harvesting berries or beans and stuff.
My grandparents lost over a million dollars during the great depression. They had 10 kids, and my grandmother was really amazing. She never gave up. After that they bought a chicken farm, that still exists today.It never made anywhere near the amount of money they lost, but it was still successful.
I think I learned alot of my being frugal from her. I learned to can, grow grapes and so much else. But, one of my favorite was her cure for fevers, colds,etc. Make a very strong cup of catnip tea. I always added sugar and lemon to make it taste better. It will make you sweat out whatever you have. It really works.
I would love to read this book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I love to eat too but I eat all the wrongthings. They taste alot better. I would love win the whole series in paperback it sounds very good. I would love to read this book about a hot school teacher. Sounds very interesting. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
I would LOVE to win this book! We always have a pot of chili on Christmas Eve and all the children make sugar cookies for Santa. It has made memories for generations.
I rarely do it anymore just because I don’t have a huge family to feed them to, but when I was married I used to make kolache from scratch during the holidays. My ex-husband’s Czech grandmother had a family recipe that went back who knows how many generations and she taught me how to make them – it was an exhausting all-day event to get them absolutely perfect and they’d all be eaten by the end of the day.
Thank you so much for the giveaway! I’m really looking forward to the next Petal book.
I know one thing I did NOT inherit my gram’s green thumb!! Holiday cooking though that is a different story….I was raised by her and my dad…values & family stories mostly but when holidays roll around you go “whole hog”!! Thanks for the great contest Lauren…just started to read the Chase series and loved Maggie & Kyle’s story, LOVE the Brown series and can’t wait to continue with both of these!!
Good Morning Lauren!
Every year we make each other home made Birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day greeting cards. It’s a fun activity we can do together and it’s the thought that counts. Once and Again sounds terrific, I can’t wait to read it. This is a great giveaway and I’d love a chance to win your books. Thanks for the opportunity!
jcross719 at yahoo dot com
One of our favorite traditions is opening one gift, but not more than one, on Christmas Eve. When I was a child, I was always so determined to guess exactly which gift would be the best to open that night…somehow, it always was the best gift, most likely because of the excitement of the holiday.
Your book sounds terrific…nothing like a great lookin’ guy in jeans and boots…that’s how I like my husband. If you tell me the hero has stubble, I might just swoon….
librarylady1105@cox.net
You are absolutely right! I do want to read it! I enjoyed your interview… I love food too… a bit too much also. Thanks so much for your fantastic giveaways! I haven’t read any of your books… but would enjoy doing so now! :-)))
lindalou(at)cfl(dot)rr(dot)com
All of my traditions or rituals passed down usually surround the holidays. One that comes to mind is that every year we go out for Black Friday… I know it’s crazy, but it’s the fun kind of crazy:)
yadkny@hotmail.com
My family loves to get together for big meals. We love hanging out just talking and spending time together. Once and Again sounds great. I love the cover.
Lauren, these are a terrific series, and I can’t wait for your latest! As for traditions passed down, food is always a big part of our family get togethers. There are a few recipes that my mom and MiL use that I’m trying to learn; what I’d love is for them to teach my kids directly 😉
love lauren books. my cooks my fav food but mostly just for the family bu t it fun
congrats on a great sereis of books
My family is not very close and what parts of my family are still in touch, have no traditions to pass down. I can honestly say that no member of my family would move to help anybody else in need… May seem sad but that is just how our family rolls- everybody for themselves. Maybe that is the tradition passed down? — And this is one of the reasons I read so much, and follow all of my favorite authors and blogs. The romance community is close! 🙂
Can’t wait for Petal’s new story!
I love the role food takes on in your books and I tend to write it into my stuff too. My family has “the best” recipes handed down. My grandmother’s chicken and dumplings were THE thing to try and emulate, though no one can do it as well. And yay for more giveaways!
Allstarme79@ gmail DOT com
The Boudreaux family tradition:
I grew up in Louisiana. My best friend’s Me-Maw, aunts and Mom had me sleep over just to learn me some cookin’ on account ‘a I wasn’ perty to be lookin’ at and I waz needin to git myself a marryin’ man somehow. Translation: that poor child is so homely we better teach her to cook or she will never hook a man and will be a lonely spinster FOREVER!
So we were woken up at 5:00 am taught to cook a roux (base for gumbo) then they let us keep stirrin’ till we burned it (forty-five minutes of stirring later). When I had the nerve to ask. how come ya’ll made us do dat?” They replied, “so ya’ll know the smell and understand we had to throw it out and start again when that happened,” which they were sure we would.
So 10 (yep, ten) hours of cookin’ later we were made to go get dressed up with heels, make-up the WHOLE thing and then SERVE all the men folk in my friends’ family. I did not bring a dress for the sleep over so I had to wear one of Aunt Mert’s who was six inches shorter and two sizes smaller. SO at the ripe ole’ age of twelve – dressed essentially like hookers we served cornbread, gumbo,jambalaya, crawfish boil, collard greens, and peach pie. The men clapped every time I had to bend over and naive child that I was had no idea my white cotton panties showed each time I did.
The moral of the story is that I really did learn to cook by some master chefs and to this day actually love to cook. I did get the hell outta the south and found myself a meat and potatoes guy from the Pacific Northwest… we are living happily ever after. He does love gumbo and he occasionally asks me to “dress up” when I serve, it but that ladies is a whole other story…
Oh Lauren this brings so many great memories back. We would visit both sides of the family on weekends when I was growing up. One grandmother was the country Nanny, canning, gardening, and cooking good old fashioned food. I loved going to her house to eat. My cousins and I sit around remembering all the get togethers with all the amazingly simple foods that she and my aunts and uncles cooked. I wish my daughter could have experienced that. Thank you for the wonderful chance to win your fabulous books. Good Luck with ONCE AND AGAIN.
Most of our family traditions are for things around the holidays… I love having some of my grandmother’s recipes… it is wonderful to follow traditions that have been in the family for years…
I will start off by stating that I had two great people trying to teach me to cook but I am just horrible in the kitchen.
Now when I was little, I got to spend a year with my paternal grandparents who were of irish-english background. The food, the traditions are so much like the Chase family it brings back tons of memories for me. Cook in great times, cook for bad times. Whenever I was sick, Oatmeal porridge sweetened with honey.. My maternal grandmother was a true southern belle and she reminded me alot of polly chase. She could cook like A DEMON. My most favorite dish “lousiana cornbread cake”. I always got that for my birthday and for christmas…
Whenever I read the Chase books, it takes me back to that place in time where life when I was kid was great.
I cannot wait for Once and Again to come out…Congrats on another winner
While I love this giveaway, I am very sad to say there are no traditions passed down from any of my elders. My grandmother died before I could get all her homemade recipes I loved so much.
my mom is a great cook she did try to teach me but i cant cook like her 🙂
great giveaway and i cant wait to read once and again
I have lots of family traditions that my grandma passed down to me. She taught me how to make homemade strawberry pie, all of the cookies I still make around the holidays are from her recipes. But the best that I remember, she passed away four years ago was when her and I made the cream cheese mints for my wedding reception. We talked while we did it and watched old black and white movies. I will treasure that memory always. I have two boys so I’m hoping to have some granddaughters someday my kids are still little, that I can share all of that stuff with. Love your books, and I do love the closeness of the families in them =)
Loved the Chase set. Have them all on my Nook. Now I’m ready for the Petal, GA books!!
What great prizes. I love that you make us feel like a part of their family.
My family has alot of traditions that we have been passing down through the generations. We still get together at the end of the summer and can our tomatoes – the kids love it and everyone gets involved. We also make our own wine – where we own a barrel and pick the grapes each year. We have designed our own lable too! That’s the best part of family – having something that you can share and that is special to everyone.
My mom and grandmother taught me that when you have a party or get together and there is strife or infighting between parties….don’t get caught in the middle, invite them all and let them decide if they want to participate in the family event. If you decide not to invite a person then you will look like the bad guy.
My granny passed along her love of books and romances in particular to me. I can remember many a summer nights at her house laying in bed listening to her snicker or curse her romance books. She was a great cook but didn’t like to as was my mom. lol. I guess that’s why what I cook I do good but otherwise I dislike cooking. And I love these books and especially Polly.
What wonderful answers and traditions you all have! Chris I’m still laughing about the hookers comment!
I love that you’re continuing your books in Petal, GA. I fell in love with the Murphy’s because they remind me so much of my family. A hodge podge of characters so intertwined because of their love of each other. My mother definitely passed her need to comfort others through company and food to me. Whenever I get the chance, I open my home to my friends and family, inviting everyone to come over for tons of food, booze and board games. To me, that is the holy trifecta of a good night with the right people =) I cook and bake and love when I can hear people enjoying my food and each others company. That’s usually a weekend-night tradition =) Thanks for the fabulous books!
Both of my grandmothers were avid gardeners and, although the Air Force kept my family on the move during my childhood, summertime meant visits to Minnesota and lessons in planting, watering, and weeding (one of my earliest memories is standing in a strawberry patch eating berries and learning how to tell a weed from a plant). Both women raised large patches of flowers in addition to fruits and vegetables – I think the beauty of their irises and lilies reminded them to take a deep breath and enjoy the world every now and again; after both women passed, I had a large iris tattooed on my ankle. My dad caught the gardening bug and wrested plots out of suburban and military base backyards wherever we ended up – when we moved into a new suburb in San Antonio, us kids had contests on how many rocks we could dig out of the soil where he planned on putting the garden. I caught the bug, too and spent long teenage summers pulling suckers off tomato plants and counting the days until peppers would be ready to eat – then talking to my grandmas about how and when to plant the next summer. As an adult, I have only rented a house once and I promptly put $80 worth of tulip and hyacinth bulbs into the gravelly, postage-stamp yard; next year, I will be supplementing my apartment living with a space in a community garden, where I hope to scratch the gardening itch I have whenever I visit the farmer’s market.
I lived with my grandmother growing up and learned to cook, bake, and can from her too. She taught me how to be frugal. We would make soup from Sundays leftovers. Nothing went to waste. I am still like that today. In fact the hubs says Imake the best soups, chilis, and stews.
She’s 96 and in a nursing home 2 states away. I go se her at least once a month and bring her some home cooking. It makes her so happy.
Thanks for the lovely post and giveaway.
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
My Irish Mama fell in love with an Italian boy from Brooklyn. The first meal she ever cooked for him was macaroni – not pasta – and “sauce,” which was made with Campbell’s tomato soup. The Brooklyn boy managed to choke it down, and they managed to laugh about it later.
Eventually my mother learned to cook my father’s family gravy – luscious pork ribs slow cooked with onions, garlic and ripe tomatoes. Meat balls lovingly made by hand were stood over and browned just before dropping in the sauce. There was always a loaf of Italian bread by the stove just for dipping into the deep red for tasting.
For special occasions, it is tradition in my family to make “rigs” and sauce – rigatoni and Mama’s sauce, baked with ricotta and mozzarella. My brothers have changed it up a bit, adding Italian sausages, different spices. I’m a traditionalist, though, and still prefer to keep it simple, like Mama used to make.
Such lovely memories, thank you for sharing them. I wish I had family memories like that but I don’t, that’s not to say I don’t have good memories. I’m not much of a cook but I love to bake.
Most of our traditions centre around Christmas and I must that since having my kids (I have 3 little monsters) it’s something we have been discussing more. From our handmade Christmas cards and tree decorations, to Twas the night before Christmas at bedtime. We are even thinking of cutting our own tree this year 🙂
Can you tell it’s my favourite time of year? I hope that years down the line we have made many new traditions and accompanying happy memories!
I adore reunion stories! Even better it’s set in Georgia and what sounds like a sweet little town.
There are not many rituals and traditions that have been passed down. Rather it’s a shared love for reading and this is evidenced by all the bookshelves in the house lol. We do celebrate our birthdays and anniversarie 🙂
I have several traditional Chinese traditions and rituals that I’ve learned from my mom, like going to the cemetary every year to visit deceased relatives and how to prepare a prayer meal.
Growing up we were a family that ate together. My mother cooked sunday dinner every week without fail,it was something her mother did and it was common knowledge that if you were in area that the door was open and you were welcomed,
Fast forward many years and all grown up,now with children of my own, I now make the same Sunday dinner every week. My Husband , children, sibilings,parents and friends all know that the door is open every week . I never realized the importance of carrying this on until after I had children.
I love the memories I have from our weekly dinners from when I was younger and that has continued even as an adult. I hope that my children carry this on and will make their own memories when the time comes from them to leave the nest.
Great Question!! Makes you recall great memories.
We follow very few traditions in my family. We do have food recipes that have been passed down from my grandmother however.
We follow very few traditions in my family. We do have food recipes that have been passed down from my grandmother however.
My mother always tried to teach me how to cook. Some things I remember, but most of the time, it was just a waste of time, because she would always be around. Or at least that’s what I thought. She still is with us, but after having a lot of medical problems, she no longer can cook. So, now it’s my job to feed my family. And I try to remember what she tried to teach me. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes not. Wish I had listened more when I was younger.
But she did teach me how to make cakes, orange balls and sausage balls for parties. We would always make my dad a coconut cake for his birthday. I think of us making these and the talks we had during that time.
Elizabeth
Well I come from a Scottish family and my Grand Aunt is still around to make sure we observe the few rituals left. One of which is a new years eve ritual.
Right after midnight after everyone’s kissed and hugged and wished a happy new year we grab a dark haired man hand him a loaf of bread and some silver coins and shove him out the back door. He then has to go around and enter through the front door so he is the first person into the house in the new year and brings good luck.
He has t be dark haired so he was considered family or a neighbor, and male because of marriage, carry bread for food and silver for wealth. If someone else appears they are not allowed in until after the dark haired male turns up.
My family isn’t that traditional so can’t really think any rituals or traditions passed down from any elder relatives.
Food is a great family tradition. I’m glad you explained that, though I do love that people eat in your books, together, as a family. It reminds me of mine. I own the Chase brothers books (but would be happy to win them to pass them along) and would love an ARC of Once and Again!
Im reading the last of the Chase books and I love this series so much. I wish there was more. I am buying once and again next, unless I win a free copy 😉
We have alot a traditions and alot involve food and special recipes. I am already teaching my son to cook so I can’t wait to teach him these special recipes that go w/ our holiday traditions. One other tradition we have is that we put our Christmas tree up on Christmas Eve. Since we get a live tree and keep it up till after the Feast of the Three kings we always waited as long as possible to get our tree so it wouldn’t dry out.
I can’t wait to read Once and Again.
A holiday tradition that we still do is open one gift on Christmas Eve.
Also,my mom gave me her mom’s recipes for holiday cooking.for years now I’ve been the one to do all the baking.Soon I will pass it along to my niece.
Well… We really don’t have a tradition… I am kinda depressed after reading some of these wonderful comments. All I can say is that I have started with my daughter though… They can start at anytime!
Congrats on the book! The cover is wonderfully done!
My family tradition is sunday lunch.. Every sunday my greatgrandmother cooks lunch, it was something her mother did to keep our widespread family together at least for one day of the week.Now its something she does and when she is no longer with us on this planet my nana will take over, and so fourth. I was my greatgrandmothers 1st grand child and now my son is also like me, a 5th generation grandbaby so this is something that when he is my age can look back and say” my family might be few and far between but on one day its like we all never left”. Its our one thing in life we can count on to remain the same in our busy lives, its our “coming home”. I know one day that will be me and my home where everyone comes to remember what life is all about, family, love, and hope for a new day.
My mom was not much of a cook and she was pretty happy when I was old enough to take over for her, especially since I actually liked to cook. She did have a few simple but good recipes that she passed on to me. Now that she’s gone, anytime I make them it’s always kind of bittersweet.
I’m looking forward to reading Once and Again and would love to win a copy.
No strict traditions just family cooking get together.I love your books i find my self re reading your books over and over again i can’t help it i just gravitate to them. Please keep up the great work i will forever be a follower.
Helen
I was thinking about this just recently. My family used to have lots of traditions but over the last 10 years we have let a lot of the slip away. It’s sort of sad. I was trying to think if I wanted to try to start my own. No decisions yet but I am working on it. Thanks for the giveaway. I am so excited about Once and Again. And for the chance to win The Chase Brothers books.
The one main tradition i can think of is Christmas. I have a very large family. My mom has 10 brothers and sisters and everyone has at least 2 kids, and now my cousins have kids. We have to rent a hall for Christmas and have been doing this at the same place for 30 years now. Now I have children now and love to take them to this. It is a family tradition for us all to go and have only missed 2 years out of 30 years.
Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win. This book looks great and would love to read it.
Sounds great. Cant wait to read it. Ours mainly revolve around food. Traditional meals on Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas. Birthday cake on birthdays, etc.
I am so looking forward to Once and Again…I can hardly wait for it to be released!
We seem to gather as often as possible as a family…holiday, birthdays, or any thing that we can think of. We tend to all get together and we all bring something to help make a big meal and then we spend hours eating, chatting, and sometimes playing games. It is hard to believe that we all eagerly look forward to these times as we (my parents, siblings, and my children and their families) all live in the same town and see each other daily.
Thanks for the great contest and I am keeping my fingers crossed!
I learned to cook, bake, and make candy with my grandma and mom. We made things like homemade enchiladas, split pea soup, and potato salad. However, she didn’t write anything down and measurements were in “pinches” and “dashes”. My mom and I are trying to recreate them and write actual recipes to pass down. Baking and candy making was a little more exact. We made black bottom cupcakes, crackle cookies, mexican wedding cakes, rocky road, and english toffee!! Our biggest tradition is if we cook and make a mess, the guys in the house clean the kitchen!!
My family were all good cooks. Most are all gone now sad to say.
My aunt would do a wonderful Christmas Eve meal with antipasta, meatballs, lasagna, manicotti, etc.
Dad made a wonderful turkey stuffing.
My mom is 91 and is a wonderful cook; she can make a great meal out of whatever is in her fridge. She still cooks for herself and enjoys it. I take her food shopping and bring her some surprise goodies from my fav food store.
I remember my grandma’s wonderful spag and mbs meals served on her off white plates with a little orange design – sauce blended in nicely on these plates.
Lots of great aunts and close family friends all were great cooks too. I remember my Aunt Annie had a garden and we would just show up and she would pick stuff from her garden – make an omelet or take frozen chopmeat from the freezer and chop away at it, til it was defrosted and somehow get a wonderful pot of meatballs and gravy for us to enjoy.
Another great aunt had another kitchen in her basement and would whip us a pizza or spag and meatballs – which if you get my drift is a big fav of mine. My uncle always had Frosty Root Beer for us which I loved because it had a foamy head. Each of these people’s mbs were diff and all were yummy.
As I get up there in years myself I remember all these wonderful people and all the great memories and FOOD.
patoct at yahoo dot com
Our Christmas traditions used to be pretty much set in stone, but my parents have loosened up a lot in recent years… Maybe because we’re all adults now…and lazy! *g*
Growing up traditions always included breakfast at my Grandpa’s on Christmas morning, I can still picture him in my head standing at the stove making sausage gravy…growing up in a rural area we never went trick-or-treating as kids but my mom always mad it fun, we’d rent spooky movies and the my siblings and I each got to choose 2 food/candy items to have at our “party” and we’d get to stay up late and eat tons of junk….Now with my own family its breakfast out on Sunday mornings, board game night on Mondays and each day starts with everyone snuggling in our bed (my kids are still little 6 & 7, gonna enjoy the snuggling while it last
My father’s mother passed away when he was 7, and my mother’s mother passed away when I was around 7… But I got my love of cooking from my mother and aunts who are all fabulous cooks. And each has their own speciality where everyone will say they make it best. So growing up, I’d spend hours with them learning how to make different curries and breads. Since I was so diligent I’d try to write the recipes down but would get frustrated when my mom and aunts would tell me add a pinch of this or that instead of giving exact measurements LOL. But having practiced and having a few disasters… I’ve learned to make those same dishes and am passing them on to my cousins and brothers. Food is a big part of all our family traditions… if we’re not spending hours around the table eating we’re talking about what we want to cook for the next meal. Another tradition my mom passed on, is that you always cook enough in case you might have some one drop by… because if they do of course you have to feed them.
the only tradition i can think is the one gift on xmas eve…thanksgiving its at whoever wants to cook (usually me & my girls) i have one sis her husband and her 3 kids that usually come by…everyone else lives spread out in different states…
thank you for the give-a-way would Once & Agian but fell in love with the Chase Bros…after the first one…now i need the rest
seachele71 at hotmail dot com
We have traditional Friday dinner
We don’t have any traditions or rituals in our family that has been passed down. We are pretty boring people actually. Hubbie and I are trying to start our own traditions with our kids. Thanks for a chance to win.
My Dad always did the cooking and I have to say I did not appreciate his efforts. Now I wish he had time to make fresh bread and Swedish pancakes.
My grandmother always prepared Thanksgiving dinner. The whole family would be there and we all had a great time. After she passed away, no one really wanted to carry on the tradition, too many sad memories,no time, too much work, etc.
After I returned from school, I decided to carry on the tradition. Yes, it’s hard and a lot of work (and money) but it’s all worth it. My place is small so we are eating all over the place, even the floor but we are all together and having a great time.
I know my grandmother smiles down on us each Thanksgivng.
Thanks for the generous giveaway.
we have family traditions that will probably disappear with my children’s generation.: like kissing an elder’s hand when you greet them, titles of respect for older siblings, etc. some of the “rites” somehow turn the younger kids off although some do follow it for formality’s sake.
I strive to create traditions, because I grew up with out them. A few thrown together here and there, but when you don’t belong there it’s hard to relate. Throw in 20 years as following my Sgt around the world well, you get my drift. Luckily my better half is from a huge family full of them, we’ve taken some of his and some I really admired from friends over the years and incorporated them into our family. Food is a huge one, and I have to say the most fun.
This was a great post, I can’t wait to read Ms. Dane’s new release, I have to say I love all of her work. Thanks for the opportunity to imput my opinion. Have a great day!