Christmas – My Favorite Things About the Holidays
With the holiday season in full swing, Thought I’d mention a few of my favorite things. I love Halloween, it’s by far my favorite holiday and decorate for the All Hallows Eve almost as much as I do for Christmas, which comes in a close second. Did I mention, I LOVE to decorate! LOL At Thanksgiving the aroma of turkey, candied sweet potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie made the house smell so inviting. My mouth waters just thinking about it. But Christmas…well… Bright lights adorning neighborhoods, Christmas Carols playing in the malls, and Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays on everyone’s lips makes the holiday season special. Here’s what makes my family’s holiday special.
1. Decorations. First of all, we start decorating the Friday after Thanksgiving. First the outside decorations go up. Then the tree, it’s lights, especially the bubble lights they are mesmerizing to watch. Several years ago, I brought the cutest colorful lifesaver shaped garland that I wind up the stairway banister. The tiny Precious Moments nativity is one I found years ago, along with Sam’s town, the soft lights from their windows are my 
parrots night light during the holidays. 
2. Food. Christmas is turkey, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls, candied yams and pumpkin pie swirled in whipped cream. Yummmm! The leftovers are even better. Sometimes we freeze the turkey leftovers and weeks or even a month later, yummy turkey sandwiches are wonderful. I’ll be putting one of those sandwiches together for lunch today. Left overs from Thanksgiving. LOL
3. Music. While we decorate the tree, we play a wide variety of Christmas Carols from the traditional to Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. The carols are sung by rock and roll artists, county western or classical renditions. It has been a family traditional as long as I can remember. We reminisce where the beloved tree decorations passed down generation to generation originated and the funny stories each spark.
4. Movies. It’s officially the Christmas season when we watch Miracle on 31st Street and How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carey. He is such a hoot. Then its Scrooged with Bill Murray. Afterward most nights we enjoy watching the variety of Christmas movies collected. Yep, get my Christmas movie fix. Then of course there is always the Hallmark channel heart felt Christmas movie magic.
5. Christmas Light Looking. It isn’t Christmas without getting in the SUV and driving through town admiring everyone’s decorations. Some lighting displays are synchronized with popular holiday music wafting through the crisp night air as you drive by. It’s beautiful and we enjoy it every year with a mug of hot chocolate and Christmas cookies we pack with us for the drive.
6. Family and Friends. The best part of the holidays is connecting with family and friends, whether it’s a long over-due phone call to catch up or a board game with friends. Years ago, I started writing a Christmas letter with our family’s actives for the year, complete with pictures. Since then it’s become a tradition. Friends and family look forward to that letter and make sure updated address are in my hands by Thanksgiving. There have been scary times, happy times, sad and in-between times, but keeping in touch seems to help everyone weather the preverbal storms. It’s been a rough year for many.
One last favorite thing of mine is to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with a good book and a mug of homemade hot chocolate. Speaking of good books, have a look a couple of feel good books and a holiday tale, Only 99cents each. Lets start with A DEMON’S WITCH The adventures of Bruce, Angie and friends are an entertaining escape from the ordinary world. Be swept away into a magical romantic fantasy adventures, you’ll never want to leave. These spicy tales have it all intrigue, humor, thrills, danger and a splash of magic to keep you on the edge of your seat. and the heartwarming holiday story A WITCH’S HOLIDAY WEDDING. Tales of redemption, magic, wildlife rescue, true love and paying it forward will leave you breathless. A Witch’s Journey and the sequel A Witch’s Holiday Wedding.
If you already have these, you are going to want to check out CHARM ME AGAIN audiobook. Two families long divided brought together through love and understanding. But there’s more, breaking the curse is only the first step to forever.
New on audiobook, HIDDEN GYPSY MAGIC. The consequences of awakening hidden gypsy magic could forever alter life as they know it! A trip to the past added a twist to the Salem Witch Trials. Be sure and take a listen.
So there you have it, a few of my favorite things along with a few gift ideas. What are yours favorite things?
With that, I’ll wish you all Love and Laughter. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Got any resolutions? Come on, you know you do. LOL What do you plan to change and what do you hope to see in 2021? I look forward to hearing from you! See you next year. I know it’s an old cliché, but couldn’t help myself!
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch, A Witch's Holiday Wedding, Charm Me Again, family, Favorite Things About Christmas, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Colorado Hauntings – Happy Halloween
Celebrating a spooktacular Halloween all month on My Say What Blog, so today is the final haunting article about Halloween. What’s not to love about Halloween? One day out of the year you can dress up and pretend to be anything you want and people don’t think you’re crazy. Okay, well, not as crazy as if it wasn’t Halloween!
One of the highest haunts in Colorado is the Stanley Hotel at an altitude of over 7,500 feet. Bawawawa! You know the one that claims to be the 
inspiration for Stephen’s King’s The Shining (REDRUM – MURDER) . The Hotel was built in 1909 by Freelan and Flora Stanley of Stanley Steamer fortune. Originally, they came to Colorado in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms of Freelan’s tuberculosis. They fell in love with Colorado and purchased property and built a home. The Stanley was built as a summer resort for guests Freelan and Flora entertained during their extended vacations in Colorado.
It’s believed Flora haunts the hotel to this day, enjoying one of her favorite pastimes of playing the piano late at night when no one is around. Tales abound of visitors claiming sounds of revelry occurring in the empty ballroom. Room 217 is purported to be haunted by the ghost of a long-term housekeeper. If you gain her favor, she’ll help you unpack. If not…. Well…. It is the room allegedly occupied by Stephen King at one time. Inspiring The Shining?
I don’t know about that, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I took photos of The Stanley Hotel outside in broad daylight.
Want to know more about haunted places in Colorado? Click on the link.
Speaking of Hauntings!
Did you know, most present day Halloween traditions are traceable to the ancient Celtic day of the dead? Halloween consists of mysterious customs, but
each has a history, or at least a story behind it.
Take wearing costumes, and roaming from door to door demanding treats. This behavior can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and about, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This is where the practice of trick-or-treating began. To this day, vampires, witches, ghosts, and skeletons are among the favorite costumes.
Our Halloween also retains activities from the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, (pumpkins) as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices for cider associated with the day. Although at my house, hot chocolate is pretty popular, since Halloween almost guarantees the first snow of the year.
Looking for a fun Halloween Read? A Witch’s Journey is full of meddling ghosts, shapeshifters, sexy witch, a ruggedly-handsome Navy SEAL. An exciting story of redemption, wildlife rescue and Halloween festivals. Available at Amazon.com, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. And I let you in on a little secret. A Witch’s Journey is available in audiobook, so grab yours! After you’ve read A Witch’s Journey, you’ll want the sequel, A Witch’s Holiday Wedding, also available in audiobook Amazon.com, 
Well, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to don my vampire costume, custom fitted fangs and pull up a stool in the shadows. With a candy bowl beside me, I sneakily turn on the fog machine. Out of the mist, I’ll greet the little trick or treaters or scare the bejeebers out of the older ones with bats hanging over head and screeching on my command. Won’t you join me? Happy Halloween!
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Posted in For Fun, Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged All Hallows Eve, Colorado, ghosts, Halloween, Haunting, Lobster Cove, shifters, Stanley Hotel, wildlife, Witches by Tena Stetler with 35 comments.
Rocky Mountain National Park – An Adventure!
Our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park was wonderful and awe inspiring as usual. But… This year we waited until September to pack up our fifth wheel and head to our favorite site in the park.
Upon entering the town of Estes Park, we discovered that it was the last days of Scotfest. Now ordinarily the goings on in Estes Park doesn’t affect RMNP. This year however there were several sites with kilted men and women dressed in full scottish regalia. I have to think camping in such attire especially around the campfire is burdensome, not to mention breezy.
Once set up, we started a campfire. The milky way spread across the night sky and the moon cast silvery shadows that swayed in the meadow below us. Mystic our dog, sniffed, then barked at something we couldn’t see. Shortly after her alert, an eight point elk ambled out into the clearing. Too dark to take a picture. Darn it.
The next day we were up early and headed to Bear Lake Trail. Signs along the way informed us that the parking lot was full. It had been a couple years since we’d hiked around the lake. We considered turning back and decided to take our chances, hoping someone would leave as we arrived. As luck would have it, that’s exactly what happened. The breath-taking view around the lake was enhanced by the aspen leaves turning in shades of green, gold, orange and yellow.
As we made our way back towards the campground, a herd of elk had traffic snarled for a good fifteen minutes as a 50-100 elks ranging in size from huge bucks with large racks to the cutest calves you’ve ever seen single file hoofing it across the street to the other side where they joined another 75 elk grazing in the meadow. The male’s bugle split the air 
morning and evening. It was rutting season.
For the first time since we’ve been camping in Rocky Mountain National Park (over 15 plus years) we heard coyote’s song late one night while enjoying s’mores around our cozy campfire.
On the last day, we packed a lunch, put the dog and parrot in the truck and drove up Trail Ridge Road. At the top we stopped snapped a few pictures, found a scenic spot to enjoy our lunch, and people watch. A favorite pass time of writers you know.
Too soon it was time to pack up and return home. We were thankful for the cool, dry and wonderful evenings allowing us to enjoy a campfire each night. In the wee hours of the morning a solitary thunderstorm rumbled through, lightning streaked across the sky, and rain poured on the parched land. That was okay too.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a place I highly recommend you visit! If you don’t camp, a day trip will introduce you to the magic of this spectacular national treasure. While you’re there, make sure and stop by the famous Stanley Hotel(The Shining). Thrills and chills.
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged Aspens, Autumn, Bear Lake, Elk, Fall colors, Rocky Mountain National Park, Scots, September by Tena Stetler with 6 comments.
Identity Theft – Has Your Confidential Information Been Swiped?
Did you know nearly fifteen million consumers in the U.S. were victims of identity theft according to an 2018 online survey by The Harris Poll? Those are scary statistics, don’t you think?
First what is identity theft? Most of us know,but for grins and giggles here is the definition. When someone takes another person’s personal identifying information, ie. name, identifying number, or credit card number, and uses it without permission, to commit fraud or other crimes
So what can you do to safe guard your personal and confidential information? Services are available to help you discover if any of your information has found its way to the dark web or into the hands of unscrupulous individuals. Shred any 
documents with your name, address, partial social security or birth date. Again there are companies that will provide that service at a cost. A home shredder is also a good idea. There are various types, so do your home work. Obviously, the smaller cut the better.
Important confidential papers should be kept in a fireproof safe or safe deposit box.
According to experts, early detection is imperative to fight identity theft. Keep these seven warning signs in mind:
- Dumped garbage cans: Maybe be a raccoon going through the garbage, but, dumpster divers also steal personal information this way. Never put anything that contains your name, address and other confidential data into the garbage. Documents should be securely shredded when no longer needed.
- Small ‘test’ charges on your credit card: Credit card fraud is the most common form of identity theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network Report. Hackers will often place a small charge for a couple of dollars on a card to see if it will go through before they attempt a larger fraud later. Always review credit card statements. If there is a small unrecognized charge, don’t ignore it. Talk to your credit card issuer.
- Missing mail: Thieves will check mailboxes for correspondence containing name, address, and other confidential information, and they will use change of address forms to reroute bills and credit card statements, for example, to another address. Make sure all statements are being mailed to the correct address. Install a lockable mailbox or a slot that directs mail into your house. Switch to paperless billing. Shred documents containing personal information before throwing them in the trash.
- Debt collector contact: Calls about debts that aren’t yours are often the first sign of identity theft. It means accounts have been opened without your knowledge. Tell the collection agency that the debt isn’t yours and to stop contacting you. Place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit report to prevent future unauthorized accounts.
- Credit denial: If you are unexpectedly denied for a credit card, loan, or other service, a fraudulent account may be the issue. Review credit reports regularly. If a problem occurs, start a credit report dispute process, and call the company that reported the account to let
them know about the fraud. - Unexpected bills: If you start receiving bills or notices of overdue payments for items or services you didn’t purchase, you may be a victim of identity theft. Contact the creditor and inform them that you have been a victim of identity theft. File a police report.
- Medical claim rejection: A thief using your medical insurance may have reached the benefits limit. Always safeguard your medical insurance card, and do not share it with anyone. Treat medical bills, insurance statements as you would other sensitive information – and securely shred them before disposal.
Most credit card issuers provide zero fraud liability, a study by the Identity Theft Resource Center showed that as a result of identity theft, 26% of respondents had to borrow money from family or friends, 22% took time off work, and 15.3% of respondents sold possessions to pay for expenses. Don’t let this happen to you.
One final tip and you’ve probably heard this a million times but it bears repeating. Change your passwords on all on-line accounts regularly. It can be a pain, and inconvenient to keep track of all those different passwords, but the alternative is much worse.
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged credit cards, Identity theft, personal Information, Warning signs by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
