December 2025 – Page 6

What a Day!

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Sometimes you wake up and you have this perfect plan in mind. Mine was to have a nice and relaxing day today. I was going to head to town after breakfast and get the Christmas presents for the people I mentioned in my post yesterday. The day was brighter than it was yesterday but there was a wind blowing. Bundle up, I told myself.

The village where I usually go to was jam-packed with people! It was still pretty early but I guess everybody had the same thing in mind. I decided to get some money from the ATM and that was where my day took a turn for the worse. The first one said, “Card declined.” Hmm….no big deal, there was a bank around the corner so I tried there. Again, “Card declined!” It was a new card and I got the pin activated successfully or so the confirmation email said. So, I went to the supermarket and the same thing! I was PISSED! Nope, not a good start to the day but luckily I had cash with me. So I bought the box of chocolates for the mail delivery person and I got a box of dates for the people at the cafe.

It was time to have a good cup of Italian coffee so I headed to my favorite place in town. They had a skeleton crew going. Most of the regulars were gone and won’t be back till next year. I took my usual seat and the boss showed up. I gave him the box of dates and his eyes lit up. “I love sweet stuff!” I said, “Enjoy.” We talked for a while and then I left still pissed about the card. Pulling into my driveway, I noticed the neighbor lady and I realized I had forgotten the bouquet of flowers for her. It was still early so I made a mental note to get it done the next time around. She waved and smiled. We talked for a while and she told me about the health issues she was having. Normal stuff in this village. We have an aging population here. I didn’t realize it then but my day was about to get worse!

I walked in, put the shopping away and decided to call stateside about my card. I was transferred here and there, business as usual. I waited and finally a supervisor came on, I told her my problem and she said, “You need to send us some information.” I was getting PISSED again! It doesn’t happen often this pissing thing, but today it was there and ready to go off the rails! I told her you have all that information already. Nope, you’ll have to do it again.

I took out the paperwork and tried sending the information but Microsoft wasn’t having it! It decided to add more oil to the fire! I got the message that my password was wrong and they needed to verify my ID! God! Passwords and me don’t jive. There’s just too many of them and I found out just how many! After going back and forth, I decided to take a step back, figured it out, and got the mail off to where it needed to go. By now, half the day was gone. I had a quick lunch, put on my boots, jacket, and scarf and headed to the fields. I needed to destress.

Once I saw the fields before me, I felt myself deflating! It was cold, the wind was blowing and there was a horde of crows having a conference of some sort cawing up a storm. The witches were not there yet but just a matter of time I figured the way my day was going! I stayed on the graveled pathway, the rest were too muddy. Taking some deep breaths, I let it go. The stress, the anger, the pissed off mood, and whatever else that needed to go. It took minutes and I found myself relaxing. It never fails, nature always has that effect on me.

After half an hour, I headed home feeling like myself again. It was time for a nice hot cup of green tea, a slice of cheesecake, yes cheesecake, and some quiet time with my little sweetheart, Chachi, the cat.

Mental Note to Self: It will get better.

Have an amazing day.

A Series of Letters (5)

This is the final letter from the series. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful and joyous Christmas.

To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, (especially the one who gave me a 5-star review) you know who you are.

This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Dear Readers,

I want to take a quiet moment to say thank you. Bringing this story into the world has been a deeply meaningful experience, and knowing that it has found its way into your homes and hearts means more than I can express.

Every time a child laughs at an adventure, feels brave alongside a character, or asks to hear the story again, it brings the book to life in a new way. Your support, your enthusiasm, and your willingness to share this story with others help its little world grow brighter and wider each day.

Thank you for reading, for imagining, and for joining me on this journey. It is an honor to share these pages with you.

With gratitude,

T. J. Mueller

My Favorite Cartoon?

I haven’t watched cartoons in ages so I can’t think of any that I absolutely loved. I recall the “Smurfs” only because my son was into it. It is about “a village of small, blue, elf-like creatures living happily in mushroom houses in an enchanted forest, led by Papa Smurf, who constantly battle the evil, inept wizard Gargamel and his cat Azrael, who want to capture or eat them.”

I didn’t pay much attention to it but I was there to keep him company! That’s all I can remember and the whole Smurf village is still upstairs nicely packed away for his future kids he says. Not any time soon, I hope!

Next question please…..

Daily writing prompt

What’s your favorite cartoon?

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The Quiet Glow

The streets are alight with Christmas decorations and it looks pretty. I love it when it is all lighted up, the darkness that rolls in at around 5 p.m. doesn’t seem so dark anymore and it helps to brighten up the mood. I haven’t been in the Christmas mood lately, but I’m trying and looking outside at the lights makes me want to get in the holiday mood as well.

One neighbor has a big Christmas tree out front and it looks gorgeous all lighted up and wearing its festive wear. Another has fairy lights framing a window and yet another has some kind of mural playing on a wall. I can’t make out what it is but it is festive. I’ve got a Christmas bouquet of cream-colored Poinsettias in a vase out front, lighted up with fairy lights and instead of my big Santa with the friendly smile, I have a big star with the Poinsettias. Santa will have to stay in the cellar as he is too heavy to lug up and down the stairs. Too bad because he made a fantastic showing every Christmas in years past. I am toning it down this year as I did last year. There is a really cute Santa bear hanging on the door instead of a wreath to complete the picture and to make it Christmassy.

Nothing indoors yet. I’ll get to it once I get some shopping done tomorrow. I plan on getting some Christmas presents. Mostly for the people who’ve been really nice throughout the year and who do the work that we sometimes overlook. The hard work, that is. The post delivery person is one of them. She is a middle-aged lady who seldom has a smile on her face but delivering mail in any kind of weather is not a nice job so I understand her attitude. The smile comes on when she gets a small token of appreciation before Christmas. Then there is the gardener who helps throughout the year to keep the garden in tip- top shape, so I always make sure he gets a little something. The neighbor lady across the street is next. She always watches out for me and calls when I forget to shut the garage door. She gets a Christmas bouquet of flowers. The people at the cafe are next. They’ll get a box of chocolates or cookies, I decided on stuffed dates, because the boss loves sweet stuff!

I hope doing all that will put me in a Christmas mood. Perhaps, I’ll start decorating the house later in the afternoon. I’m going to keep it simple this year. Just some of my favorite decorations to make the living room and fireplace area light up like a Christmas tree! I love lights and Christmas is the time to amp it up without going too crazy! I’m going for the quiet glow this year.

Christmas is on the way and it seems to be arriving with bells on! It is almost upon us and I haven’t done much at all. Got to get moving.

Have an amazing day.

A Series of Letters (4)

To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.

This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Dear Readers,

Christmastime has always held a special place in my heart –a season filled with warmth, stories, and quiet moments shared with the ones we love. This book was written with that spirit in mind. I wanted to create a story that families could enjoy together, snuggled under blankets, wrapped in the glow of holiday lights.

If you are looking for a gift that brings imagination, laughter, and gentle lessons about friendship, I hope you will consider this little adventure. It is a story meant to be shared–read aloud, wondered over, and remembered. May it bring joy to your home this Christmas and become part of your family’s holiday traditions.

Warmly,

T. J. Mueller

Overthinking

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I wish I could stop the overthinking before I decide to do something. It has always been a problem and it stops me from achieving what I want to do. Overthinking brings about uncertainty, fear, and headaches!

Why do I overthink? I don’t know. It just happens and it seems that it is the first line of defense against something that is new. I take the new problem, I call it a problem, and take out the magnifying glass. I come in from all angles, I stay there for a while, and then I come up with, “I don’t think I want to do this!” If that’s not enough, I come up with a hundred different reasons as to why it would be a bad idea.

I wish I could be more spontaneous but the problem is you can’t change something that easily once it has been part and parcel of your lifestyle. Overthinking has kept me from danger, it has protected me from jumping in with both feet before I’ve had a chance to take stock of what I’m doing and it has been a “friend” in some ways. However, it has also worked towards my detriment.

What to do? I could use a little more spontaneity and less of overthinking. That would be a happy medium. Still working on it, so let’s see how it turns out.

Daily writing prompt

What could you do less of?

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A Series of Letters (3)

To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.

This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Dear Parents, Teachers, and Friends,

As I wrote this book, I hoped it would be more than just a moment of entertainment, I wanted it to be a story that children could return to –one that gently encourages courage, kindness, and empathy. The characters learn to support one another, face fears, and discover what friendship truly asks of us. These are lessons that grow alongside young readers.

Whether shared in a classroom, a library, or at bedtime, this story offers children a safe and magical place to explore big feelings through small adventures. Thank you for choosing stories that help young readers grow strong and tender at the same time.

With appreciation,

T. J. Mueller

Positive Events

This past year has seen both good and bad events. I will talk about the good events. One of them was the publication of my book, The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie. It took forever to get it published and the waiting time was filled with frustration but there was a euphoric high when it was finally out there. Seeing it in print was a feeling I can’t really describe. Happiness was one thing, my writing being out there was another, and a certain nervousness as to what happens next followed.

I think every writer goes through those emotions. Will it make it was the other question? Will it be liked? Will it bomb? You get the drift. However, the first reviews were positive. Then more started coming in. They were mostly positive and then, it hit. I call it a bad review because it brought me back to earth with a loud thud! I was angry, sad, confused, and a whole host of other emotions I can’t even begin to describe. I decided to climb out of the hole, of my own making, and to take it in stride. Then followed more reviews and when the teachers, parents, and educators decided to join in and called it, “a classic in the making,” I was back up again.

If you’re a new author, here’s the thing. It seems that all 5-star ratings are not always a good thing, especially if you have a lot of reviews, according to you know who. Having a mix is a better way to go. I don’t know if that is true but the book is doing fine and I’m still waiting for that movie director to pick it up and say, “Here’s a hit movie in the making!” Hasn’t happened yet but fingers crossed!

The other thing that I’m still working on is to get “me” in a better place. Dating the wrong guys, putting up with false friendships, and learning to go it alone until I know what I really want and will tolerate in my life is taking some time. It is a work in progress. There has been ups and downs, falling flat on my face, picking myself back up again and thinking it is an impossible task to do. However, I am finding that I’ve made headway. The “wrong guys” have been sent packing, I’ve said goodbye to fake friendships and I am seeing a new person emerge out of the fog so to speak. She is much stronger, knows her self-worth and is ready to tackle whatever life throws her way. It doesn’t mean that I’ve made it. It just means that I’m willing to accept the challenge and to see what is out there as I make my way up the mountain top.

Will next year bring something better? I don’t know but positivity brings positivity as they say. One can only hope!

Daily writing prompt

What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?

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A Series of Letters (2)

To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.

This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Dear Friends,

Every writer has a place where their stories begin. For me, it was a quiet patch of woods behind my childhood home — sunlight through the branches, the soft rustle of leaves, and endless room for imagination. I wrote this story to return to that place, to honor the wonder I felt there, and to share it with young readers who are discovering their own worlds of make-believe.

This book allowed me to revisit the magical creatures and brave little characters that lived in my mind long ago. Writing it felt like opening a door to a forgotten corner of my heart. My hope is that, in reading it, children feel inspired to explore their own imaginations with joy and curiosity.

Thank you for letting me share a piece of my childhood with you.

With warmest wishes,

T. J. Mueller

Christmas Time

It is that time of year when there seems to be a certain something in the air. It just feels kinder, softer and gentler. People seem friendlier, more in tune with life and rushing around becomes a “must do” and even though the hustle and bustle is not liked in some circles, it is part and parcel of the season.

Driving home yesterday, I noticed the Christmas tree vendor setting up his booth for the mad dash of Christmas tree buying. Not fake ones but ones that make your living room smell wonderful and out of the ordinary as the countdown begins to Christmas. I’ve always loved the scent of fresh pine accompanying my morning coffee as I go back in time to Christmases past.

However, it is not just about the good times, joyful times, the cozy times, but also about the moments I still hold dear in my heart. Memories of Christmases past where a special someone was there and he made Christmas so much better. The sale of Christmas trees brought back some memories that also brought a ache to the heart. He is gone now but those memories remain. The way he would make his way here excitedly on weekends ready to make Christmas a fantastic affair. A fresh tree was a must, he got the tree and I did the decorating. Menu planning was left up to me but there was always something special on the table, he made sure of that. Presents galore were all his doing and he loved giving. The Christmas tree vendor brought back some memories as I am sure more will come rushing in as we get closer to Christmas. He’s an “angel” now, this friend of mine, having earned his wings and I’m sure he’ll be singing with the rest of the angels welcoming the season in. Have a fantastic Christmas, “my angel.”

“But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round…as a good time, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.” Charles Dickens

It is a time to rejoice, to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season, to breathe a little freer and to hug a little tighter. A time to step back, to sit by the fireplace with a cup of something warm and to take in the beauty of Christmas time. Sure, memories will rush in, they will hurt at times, you will shed a few tears, but when all is said and done, it is the most beautiful time of the year.

Have an amazing day.