HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL from Reggi Allder!

What do Cameron Diaz, Bruce Willis, Kate Winslet, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer have in common?

 

I’m excited because my Sierra Creek Series is complete with all four books available on Amazon. Though I’m working on the fifth Dangerous Series Book, Dangerous Sisters, I’m taking the time to watch a few favorite movies with the family. I like old movies. Some of the films are for the holidays and others are definitely not. 😊

I asked, what do Cameron Diaz, Bruce Willis, Kate Winslet, and Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer, have in common. Well, all of them have been in a holiday movie.

I’ve loved movies since I was a kid. One of my fondest memories is staying up late to watch classic movies on TV with my mother. My dad went to bed early. His favorite saying: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Sometimes on a weekend night, Mom and I would make a big bowl of popcorn and turn on a movie channel, then switch off the lights, so it felt as if we were in a theater. I stayed up until midnight watching movies on the small screen.

Now I have a large flat screen TV, but my family still enjoy films of all kinds. Black and white classics or new films. For me, the story is the thing.

Here are several holiday films I’ve enjoyed. Please note, I mentioned the writers involved in making the movies. Most of these films can be found on Amazon.

Please leave a comment with your best loved movie. Any film, it doesn't have to be a Christmas or holiday one.

Holiday movies:

The Holiday, 2006 Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet star with Jude Law and Jack Black. Screenplay Nancy Meyers. A woman from the UK and one from the US swap houses for the Christmas time holiday. They find romance but know they must soon return to their own countries. If you are looking for fun and romance, this delivers. This movie should not be confused with the old film with Kathryn Hepburn and Cary Grant.

Christmas in Connecticut, 1945 Barbara Stanwick and Dennis Morgan. Written by Lionel Houser, Adele Comandini, Aileen Hamilton (story). It is a fun comedy romp from the 1940's. A career woman leads her boss to believe she is married and has a baby and that she's a gourmet cook and lives on a farm in Connecticut. None of which is true, but the fib keeps her employed as a popular magazine writer extolling the virtues of being a homemaker. Trouble ensues when the boss wants to visit the farm during Christmas.

 Miracle on 34^th Street, 1947, John Payne and Maureen O’Hara. Written by Valentine Davies, a classic and beloved film. Edmund Gwenn plays Kris Kringle / Santa Claus and Natalie Wood plays the little girl he befriends. There’s a sweet love story between the girl’s single mother and a man she meets. This film was remade made in 1994, but I like older version best. Great for kids.

White Christmas 1954 is a flashy musical about two army buddies, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, trying to help their old commander, now retired and running a lodge in Vermont. Entertainers, the two men put on a musical show. Lots of silliness and fun for the whole family. Vera-Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney, who is George Clooney’s aunt, round out the cast. Written by Norman Krasna, Melvin Frank, and Norman Panama.

 Borrowed Hearts. 1997 Roma Downey and Eric McCormack.  A TV movie written by Pamela Wallace and Earl Wallace. This is a sweet holiday romance suitable for adults and kids. A young woman with a seven-year-old girl is trying to save money for a down payment on a home. A company executive has led an important business client to understand he has a family, he doesn't. The client is coming to visit over the holidays, so the executive agrees to pay the woman and child to pose as his family for Christmas, complications arrive.

A Christmas Carol 1951 British. Called Scrooge in the UK. Charles Dickens' famous tale, there are many remakes of the story, but this is my favorite. Alastair Sim's Scrooge is wonderfully creepy. Written by Noel Langley.

 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1944/1948) This is the classic cartoon and can be seen on YouTube. I like this for any child who might be teased and for the mockers in the group, hope they will see that everyone has value even if they are different. The song was written by Johnny Marks. 

 The Angel and the Bad Man 1947 John Wayne and Gail Russel, if you haven’t seen her, she will be a pleasant surprise. Written by James Edward Grant. This isn’t a Christmas movie. It’s a wonderful romance about a wounded bad man and a Quaker woman who nurses him.

Love this one 😊

  For something completely different and not for young kids:

Die Hard 1988 Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, and Alan Rickman. Christmas in L.A. and there’s an employee party on the 30th floor of a corporate building when it is taken over by ruthless terrorist. Everyone at the party is held and only NY cop Bruce Wills is there to save the day. There are several enjoyable sequels, but for me this is the best one. Action galore and snappy dialogue, written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza.

 If you’re looking for a feel-good holiday read check out my Sierra Creek Series, Her Country Heart Book Christmas Edition 1 of 4 of the Sierra Creek Series.

Downsized, Amy Long lost her apartment in the city and returned to the small-town of Sierra Creek to find a fresh start. However, she's in the way of cowboy Wyatt Cameron’s plans, and as executor of her grandmother’s estate, he has the power to send her packing.

What can she do to change his mind?

-If you are tired of the holiday stuff, how about a chilling suspense?

When the past returns to threaten Emma’s present, is the key to her safety the man offering protection or will his secrets put her in greater danger?

“5.0 out of 5 stars will hold you on the edge of your seat as you follow Reggi’s real-to-life characters.” “Romantic Suspense from beginning to the thrilling end!” “The characters take you away!”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XXNBDXV

  Happy New Year!!

Remember to share your favorite movie. Click on comments. Thanks for stopping by! 😊

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Christmas at the Hidden Cabin

Christmas is my favorite holiday, and the reason is simple: people are friendlier, kinder, and more giving. Even with all the hustle and bustle and even stress, our hearts fill with joy, and we want to spread that magical feeling with others. Many of my stories end with Christmas chapters. This one that I am sharing with you today is from my New Release “Sister Witches of Bridelridge Farm.” The children's parents have gone to fight in the war, and Ellie, ten years old, and Peanut, eight years old after accidentally using magic in front of their neighborhood find themselves alone in the hideout cabin in the woods, with no idea when their parents will return. CHAPTER TWO Their first Christmas alone was especially hard for them. One day during homeschool, Peanut asked, “Ellie, how can we have Christmas with our parents gone? Will there be no presents this year?” Ellie thought a moment, “Well, Christmas will come whether they are with us or not. I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we pretend they are here, and celebrate Christmas like they would if they were here?” “We don't know how to do all of that stuff.” “Sure, we do. It is easy; we helped our parents for years. First, we will decorate the cabin. And it will be fun to make homemade gifts for each other. On Christmas Day, I can make a special dinner for us, and you can help make Christmas goodies,” Ellie replied with joy in her voice. She wanted to convince Peanut that they could make it work together and enjoy the holiday, whether their parents were home or not. It wasn’t easy because she did not believe it herself. “Okay, I guess we can do it, but what about a tree, and will Santa find us out here?” Peanut asked. “Silly girl, we live in a forest. A small tree will be easy to find; we will drag one into the cabin and decorate it. As far as Santa goes, I am pretty sure he will find his way to our cabin. C’mon, this will be a fun adventure!” Ellie answered, hoping her words rang true but knowing that their parents would not make it home for Christmas. “Can we start decorating now?” Peanut asked, with a bright smile and excitement in her tone. “As soon as we finish our studies,” Ellie said, trying to be firm and stick with the daily program, determined that they would not fall behind, so her parents would be proud of them when they returned. Peanut’s eyes lit up and asked, “Ah, can’t we count the decorating as an art project?” Ellie saw her sister smile for the first time in days and decided Peanut needed some cheering up. So, Ellie rearranged their schedule a little for her sake. “Yes, absolutely! That is a great idea, Peanut.” Truthfully, Ellie needed cheering up, too. It wasn't easy being an adult with the responsibility of raising her sister. After all, she was only ten years old. “Yay, I will go get the art supplies!” Peanut said, jumping up from her chair and running out of the classroom. Ellie felt a spark of Christmas cheer growing inside of her as she remembered the last Christmas when their parents were home. Next, she started writing a list of things from the forest they could use to decorate with and things they could make with the art supplies. She hummed the Christmas classic, “Oh Christmas Tree,” as her list grew in length. Peanut returned with her arms filled with colored paper, glue, and scissors. She brought a ruler for good measure. Ellie grinned, knowing Peanut planned to make paper chains to hang around the cabin. She was excited to help. They spent the rest of the day making enough for the entire cabin, taking turns cutting the paper and gluing the red and green strips together. They talked and giggled and planned a field trip into the protected part of the forest the following afternoon. They discussed what they could gather to add to the decorations. The sisters decided they would string holly berries and popcorn to decorate the tree. They would gather pinecones and use cinnamon to make everything smell good. The next few weeks, they kept busy secretly creating gifts for each other in their spare time. Ellie, a gifted artist, drew a portrait of Peanut and made a wooden frame out of popsicle sticks. She also carved four little wooden dolls to represent their small family. She dressed them in hand-sewn clothing and painted the faces. She used yarn for the hair. With each stroke, she remembered her hours spent with her mother learning how to sew. Her father taught her carving skills. Ellie loved doing both. Peanut loved art more than any of her other studies. She especially loved working with clay. Knowing Ellie’s love for games, she created X’s, O’s, and a square flat board to play Tic-Tac-Toe. After baking and cooling the pieces, she painted them in Ellie’s favorite colors, sage green and sea blue. The board she painted white and used a soft brown to make the four lines. Then, remembering how Ellie loved to make lists and notes, Peanut used the ruler to draw two lines through the center of a piece of paper, making it four squares that she cut out. Then, she made and decorated a cardboard box to store them. As a final gift, Peanut retrieved a box of leaves she had flattened and dried in early November. She selected enough to make a strip to hang above Ellie’s bed. She hodge-podged them before gluing them onto twine. “I thought today for cooking class we could make some goodies for Christmas treats,” Ellie said a few days before Christmas. She grinned, knowing Peanut would jump for joy. Peanut leaped out of her chair, as Ellie expected, and shouted, “Yay, can we make sugar cookies first?” Her voice filled with excitement. “That is a great idea, as long as you understand we will follow mom’s tradition and not decorate until Christmas Eve. Okay?” “I know, but we can still eat some undecorated cookies for dessert.” Ellie giggled and nodded in agreement. They made sugar cookies first. Then, Ellie made chocolate no-bake cookies while Peanut made honey, peanut butter, and chocolate balls. They were yummy, and no baking was involved. On Christmas Eve, they played board games, had a dance-off, and decorated sugar cookies. Lastly, they hung their stockings and wrapped their tree with popcorn strings and holly berries before going to bed early. They both hoped their parents would make it home in time for Christmas. In the dark of night, each girl crept out from their bed and hid their gifts under the tree. Each sister made a small gift for their parents, too, keeping their hopes alive. On Christmas morning, they woke at dawn and ran downstairs. They were not worried about gifts from Santa; they hoped the jolly elf had delivered their parents instead. Sadly, they were still alone. Ellie hugged Peanut and cried. Ellie was tearful, too, but said, “It’s okay, Peanut. Maybe our parents got delayed, but they are on their way to us now. Let’s treat this day as we do every Christmas. Who knows, they might arrive later. We will wait to open our presents until this afternoon. Okay?” “Will you make us pancakes for breakfast?” Peanut asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Of course, if you set the table.” “That’s a deal,” Peanut said, producing a smile. While stirring up the batter, Ellie glanced outside the kitchen window and noticed it had snowed overnight. Happiness brewed inside of her. She would surprise Peanut with the news, and, after breakfast, they would go outside and make a snowman. When the sisters finished eating, Ellie said, “Peanut, I think Santa, with some help from our Maker, left a big gift for us outside.” Peanut’s eyes snapped up, and she asked, “What do you mean?” Ellie grinned, “Why don’t you slip on your coat and boots and go see for yourself?” Peanut hopped out of her chair and ran for the coat rack, as Ellie followed, giggling all the way. After slipping on her coat and boots, Peanut pulled the door open and stood in awe at the white wonderland. Recovering seconds later, she turned to Ellie and asked, “Do you want to build a snowman?” Ellie giggled and showed her sister the bag of snowman essentials she gathered while making breakfast, “Let’s get to it.” They spent the morning building snowmen. After lunch, they went sledding. As the afternoon slipped away, they sipped on hot chocolate, ate goodies, and opened their presents. Both girls were excited to see what thoughtful gift the other had made. For dinner, Ellie made canned ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans. She added a small can of cranberry sauce for good measure. For dessert, they ate the sugar cookie they had made especially for each other. After dinner, they played Tic-Tac-Toe and played with the new wooden doll set. As they prayed at bedtime, they thanked their maker for a fantastic day and asked that their parents would be home soon. Ellie secretly thanked him for the snow. It was a prayer they prayed for years. The sisters raised each other with no outside help. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter from when the sisters were still children. Soon they will grow up and find love of their own, but danger follows when their father returns ten years after leaving them to inform them their mother has been captured by an evil traitor witch and her army of witch hunters. They must rescue their mother and end Henrietta and her hunters to save all of their kind from extinction. I had the best time dreaming up Sisters of Bridleridge Farm with my eight-year-old granddaughter, Elizabeth Johnson, while visiting in the fall. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all! Find me on Amazon, Facebook and Instagram or on my website ruthielmanierbooks.com This image is of Elizabeth dressed in her witch outfit. Elizabeth has a vivid imagination and will be a great writer!

Filling a Cowboy's Christmas Stocking

 

 Filling a cowboy's Christmas stocking in the 1870s meant practicality first, with a quiet nod to comfort. A working cowhand lived hard and light, often carrying everything he owned in his bedroll or saddlebags, so small, useful items were prized. A new bandanna--bright red or indigo--served as dust mask, sweat rag, sling or signal flag. A pair of wool socks, hand-knitted if possible,would have been a treasure against frozen mornings and wet boots. Tobacco was nearly universal: a plug of chewing tobacco, a twist, or perhaps a handful of papers for rolling cigarettes. Even a small cake of lye soap  or a stick of tallow could make a long winter feel more bearable.

  Tools of the trade fit naturally into a stocking as well. A sharpening stone for knives, a new pocketknife, or spare leather thonging for repairs would be welcomed. Matches--especially the newer friction matches--were worth their weight on the trail, as were small tins of coffee or sugar. Ammunition wrapped carefully in paper, might be slipped in alongside a few lead bullets for a man who cast his own. For a cowboy who rode fence or trailed cattle, anything that saved time or mended gear meant fewer problems between sunup and sundown. 

Yet even the toughest cowhand appreciated a touch of home. A bit of hard candy, a dried apple, or a slab of molasses cake might recall Christmases left behind. A letter from family, a small religious token, or a dime novel folded thin could offer companionship during lonely nights by the fire. In the Old West, a cowboy's stocking wasn't about luxury--it was about survival, memory , and the quiet reassurance that someone remembered him when the prairie lay cold and wide.

Happy Holidays,

 

Sandra

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