Twas’ Jaz’s Day Before Christmas!

Red Ornament on Tree -- [LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - September 2014]

Twas’ Jaz’s day before Christmas

And all truth be told,

Poor Jaz was suffering

From a mighty head cold.

 The medicines and fluids

Were lined up for use,

As warm soups and crackers

Were coupled with juice.

 Jaz called upon helpers

Brought both from far and wide,

To aid in his comfort,

To stand by his side.

 He called out to each of them,

One right after the next,

On DayQuil, on NightQuil,

On Advil, on Muscinex!

 When finally relief came

In no time at all,

Jaz’s inspirations returned

Amidst the mail call!

 *Pausing to Blow My Nose*

*Sipping Some Tea*

 Okay, so that’s about all the rhyming I can do for now. I hope that your shopping was successful and you’re ready to enjoy the most important parts of the impending holidays: celebrating with family and eating tasty foods!

Fortunately, my shopping was successful well ahead of schedule, which was fortuitous because I was unhappily waylaid by a notoriously debilitating head cold/sinus infection.

*Yuck*

While I’ve finally turned the corner on it, I’m still very tired and mildly miserable. However, I’m on the mend and I hope that by the weekend I’ll be well on my way to enjoying the remainder of the holiday season. Mind you, my mood is hardly down. In fact, given today’s mail delivery, my mood has greatly improved.

Just this afternoon, I received a mysterious package from wonderful new friends in the Janesville, Wisconsin area. Ms. Sara Heiss and a number of her students put together a marvelously kind and thoughtful Christmas gift package for me!

*Momentary Backstory*

For those of you who aren’t aware, Ms. Heiss is one of our nation’s great public school educators who strives – quite successfully, in fact – to encourage her students through engaging reading comprehension assignments. One of the books offered in her reading assignment list is my award-winning young adult paranormal novel, Gwen Reaper. Many of Ms. Heiss’ students read my novel, after which, I had the absolute pleasure to take part in an online video conference with her and her students. It was such a blast!

*Fast Forward to Today*

A Surprise Christmas Gift for Jaz  -- (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

A wonderful box of happiness arrived in my mailbox; a box that included individually wrapped gifts for both me and my cat, Tabby! Also included was a thoughtful Christmas card from Sara and individual letters from a number of her students. I can’t convey how HAPPY it made me feel to read each of those letters…Sara and her students are simply the most thoughtful and kind souls. They made my Christmas one of the most memorable in my life; one that I won’t forget.

Tabby Looks Inside -- (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

Tabby Evaluates the Gifts -- (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

As you can see from the photos, Tabby enjoyed helping me investigate and unwrap each of the gifts contained therein. I think my kitty had as much fun as I did!

Tabby Unwraps Gifts -- (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

Tabby Playing with Her Toy -- (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

Ultimately, it was a WONDERFUL and AMAZING box of gifts for Tabby and me!

Gifts for Jaz and Tabby -- (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

The Doctor Who t-shirt, Mad Libs book, and Tardis keychain will be treasured by me forever (as well as, worn and used with pride)! They were perfect for the dedicated Whovian that I am, and I was happy to know that some of Sara’s students are also fellow Whovians, as well. Tucked inside a mysterious black pouch were reaper sickle eraser heads, which will be excellent conversation pieces at the college where I work and teach. Of course, the alligator Gummy snacks are a highly amusing and tasty homage for the character Chewie from my Gwen Reaper novel. All in all, this was one of the BEST and most unexpected Christmas gifts I have ever received! Thank you!!

Virtual Santa --- [LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - November 2014]

Finally, I hope that you have a marvelous, happy, and illness-free Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time with friends and family, and THANK YOU for your continued support, kindness, and encouragement. You made my year very special, indeed!

*Big Hug*

Thank You, Mr. Darcy! Don’t You Adore My New Serving Dishes?

(Pride and Prejudice -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 1995 BY British Broadcasting Corporation)

I recently watched the 1995 BBC six-part miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. It was my first exposure to any of the films and specials based upon Jane Austen’s books. And while I’d never read the actual novel in question, I absolutely loved the miniseries. The costume design and settings were wonderfully historical and the cast did a marvelous job immersing me in their characters and storyline. I particularly liked the nearly six-hour length miniseries format because it enabled a fuller introduction to each character and grounded me more fully in the central plot, subplots, and circumstances. Based upon a number of other viewer comments that I’ve read, I understand that this miniseries presented nearly every minute aspect from the original novel on-screen for the viewer. I really appreciate that level of detail, enabling a complete presentation of Austen’s material. I only wished that more films, especially those based upon full-length classic novels, did the same.

Do you know of any other extended-length period novel adaptations available in film out there? I’d really appreciate your recommendations, so please leave me a comment or email me at jaz@jazprimo.com . Thanks! Oh, and way to go, Mr. Darcy!

(Home Entertainment Dishes-- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

On the way home from my day-career the other day, I stopped by Kohl’s to take advantage of a 20% off coupon and use the $20.00 Kohl’s Cash that I had accumulated. (I simply love Kohl’s Cash, don’t you?) I eagerly browsed through the store looking for something that I either needed or wanted. While passing the coats and shoes area (not many good sales on shoes, I noticed), I remembered that I wanted some entertainment dishes for my next social gathering. As I passed a number of stocking stuffer displays – which I had to dodge like the Millennium Falcon in an asteroid field – I made it to the kitchen and appliances area. As holiday music played overhead, I came upon the Food Network collections. Oh, the Food Network puts out some of the most marvelous pieces and sets of kitchenware and home entertainment dishware! I selected a set of four white porcelain Ramekins and a four-dish serving tray with square white stoneware serving dishes. Between the two sets, I’ll easily be able to serve finger snacks such as olives, nuts, fruits, dips, crackers, and maybe even a crème brulee, if I get the nerve. Heck, I’m still trying to take the time to bake some banana bread and pumpkin spice muffins. Hmm…maybe I’ll try that later this afternoon.

At any rate, now my home will be better prepared for guests who stop over for a visit during the holidays.  Did I mention that I just love Kohl’s?

(Tabby Playing on Her Cat Tree -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2014 BY JAZ PRIMO)

It’s the final stretch for the last week of NaNoWriMo. Did you take part? Regrettably, I wasn’t able to as I had too many day-career related obligations and special events. For those of you who did, my congratulations. For some, you’ll be able to create at least the primary written structure of a novel or novella. That being said, I realize that a number of you may only have written a portion of a project. However, there’s no need to feel discouraged. Take heart…you’ve made an impressive start. Before long, you’ll have a completed manuscript. As often as writing is a pleasure and an escape, many times it can also be a real grind. Take it in small efforts and reflect on how you’re doing so that you can make adjustments as you progress toward the finish line. Occasionally, you might even feel as though you’ve hit a brick wall with your creation. That’s when taking a brief break can open up new ideas and pathways. As only my kitty, Tabby, can convey from the photo above, there’s more than one way to accomplish your objective.

Rest assured, she finally snatched her toy, only to perch on her cat tree to cheerfully chew on it.

My thanks to Ms. Sara Heiss and her senior high school class for the marvelous video conference that I took part in last Wednesday afternoon. We talked about my novel, Gwen Reaper, which everyone read as part of their class reading assignment. Everyone made me feel very welcome and I especially appreciate Sara’s huge alligator, who represented the character Chewie from the novel. Way to go, Sara! I just love props. Oh, and Tabby made a period appearance throughout the conference. It was a LOT of fun and I hope that they invite me back again sometime!

Thanksgiving is almost here! I can’t wait for turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce. Oh, and let’s not forget those tasty pumpkin and pecan pies. Are you preparing for the upcoming holidays?