A Second Chance on the Second Chance... Christmas Edition

As part of fighting to finish this year strong, I am going to finish this year's book club by hosting our last month's selection, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Amazon even offers a free electronic copy of the book so I have no excuses to not make this happen! 

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I specifically chose A Christmas Carol back in January because I thought it would be fun to read a Christmas book during the holiday season. I've never read anything of Charles Dickens' from start to finish, so I figured I may as well start with one of his shorter works (approximately 64 pages as compared to 304 pages... I'm looking at you A Tale of Two Cities). Furthermore, I have seen Mickey's Christmas Carol more times than I can count and as a person who staunchly swears by reading the book before I see the movie, it's high time to make A Christmas Carol happen.

The questions will go up December 18 and we will discuss the day after Christmas on December 26. I will be posting from America while wearing no fewer than five layers, but I am looking forward to that so dearly!

Please join me for kicking back during this last month of the year and read a classic piece of Christmas literature! And as Kelly and I plan for book club in 2016, we would love to have your input for next year's selections. Clearly we tried to focus on classics this last year, but we are looking to expand our genres in our second round of book club and are very interested in what you would like to read. Input on genres and/or specific titles is more than welcome!

The Thrill of Hope

2011 ranks as the worst year of my life. I experienced being denied student teaching, losing my grandpa, separating from a friend for no apparent reason, almost losing my dad, and getting through my first semester as a teacher. To add insult to injury, my undergraduate graduation was anticlimactic on many levels and I walked away from college feeling let down by the whole experience. I did experience two incredible highs that year in working my first summer at camp and spending Christmas with my dad at home with us. But overall, 2011 is a year I don't want back.

Isn't that the way it goes, though, that the highest of highs always come with the lowest of lows?

2015 is a year that I will not want back either. As I look back on this year, I will not be sorry to see it go. Contrary to 2011, the events that were supposed to be the highs of this year were undeniably marred by the lows. These last 11 months have been ones of heartbreak and loss and betrayal in ways that I never imagined or expected. People have let me down, I have let others down, and I have let myself down. People have failed me, I have failed others, and I have failed myself. Some of the story is mine to tell but much of it is not. Even though I have taken every step of my own journey, I have not been alone and I owe those who have journeyed with me the respect of sharing their perspective as they so choose. I just know that when the ball drops on December 31, I will not wish 2015 back.

As somebody who usually brings back Christmas tunes in April and starts listening consistently in October, this year has been odd in that I only started listening to Christmas music this past Wednesday. As such, I feel more anticipation and magic for the season than I have in many years past. In the same way, these words have resonated with me intensely as of late:

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.

I am oh. so. weary in oh. so. many ways. However, I still have a month left of 2015 and it is a month I do not want to waste. I know the odds of 31 days bringing complete change to my life are fairly low, but I am choosing to fight for each moment this next month brings. I watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" this morning and found myself amazed by the simplicity of what Christmas should be. My Savior was born to bring hope and life to all. Hope is not something I have had much of this last year. But this advent season is slowly renewing my hope. And that's a beautiful feeling.

30||Coffee (and Bars) Before We Part

A farewell coffee date. Take some time to breath, sip a warm drink, and share with your new blogging buddies. If you'd like a prompt: how did the Blog-tember Challenge go for you? Any surprises? What was your favorite prompt, or what would you like to see included next time?

Since I am from the Midwest, I would like to offer you both coffee and bars. I didn't know "bars" were a Midwest thing until I moved away. Since it's still quite warm over here in Thailand, I'll be enjoying an iced Americano, but I won't judge you for your PSL if that's what your heart desires.

I am just going to be up front, I can't believe I actually finished all 30 days of the Blog-tember Challenge! This at least the third, although I really think it's the fourth, month-long blogging challenge that I have started, but it's the first one that I actually ever finished. (Heck, I'm still working on finishing last year's Blog-Tember challenge. Ahem.) Some posts from the last month are definitely stronger than others, but I wrote 30 posts in 30 days and I'm pretty happy about that. I'm really hoping to be able to continue through "31 Days of Thailand" as part of the 31 Days writing challenge and then follow through with a consistent blogging pattern after that.

My favorite prompt was probably sharing my passion as I truly learned something about myself. Perhaps a post to see next year would be to explain how our individual names came to be since we explained blog names this year. Just a thought. Regardless, I know I will be on the lookout for Blog-Tember in 2016!

And, because bars are apparently a North Dakota thing, I will leave you with my favorite banana bars recipe. It's actually my mom's recipe and I'm pretty sure she got it out of one of her "Taste of Home" recipes from forever ago. I'm not even kidding... I think she has 11 years worth of magazines? I just won't admit to fighting her for reading them first because I enjoyed them almost as much as she did. But, anyhow, these banana bars will be good with coffee of any sort, hot or cold, and probably even with a PSL because I think they are just that good. These may be mom's most requested pot luck recipe and that's saying a lot because mom's food is in high demand in most any social situation. I suppose I should be giving you a pumpkin recipe seeing as it is fall and all, but I live in the tropics so banana it is! I am grateful to have learned to cook and bake from the best and I know my friends are grateful as well... Ha! So, because I want to share some North Dakota love with you, I bring you now Dorine's banana bars.

1/2 cup butter, softened                        2 cups flour                                    3 T. butter, melted

1-1/2 cups sugar                                   1 tsp. baking soda                          2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream                       1 cup bananas, mashed

1 tsp. vanilla                                          3/4 cup (6 oz.) cream cheese, softened

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Gradually add flour and baking soda to creamed mixture. Mix in bananas. Spread into a greased 15x10-in. jelly roll sized pan. Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. Cool. Beat together cream cheese and melted butter. Gradually add enough powered sugar to achieve desired frosting consistency. Frost bars and store in refrigerator. Makes 2 dozen.

I would include a picture of a batch I made myself but I'm moving this week(end) and don't want to have to move more than I already have in my possession. So, I suppose that just means I will have to make a batch later to photograph. The sacrifices I am willing to make, all for the blog, of course!

Thank you for joining me this month! I have enjoyed myself and I hope you have too!

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13. Day 14. Day 15. Day 16. Day 17. Day 18. Day 19. Day 20. Day 21. Day 22. Day 23. Day 24. Day 25. Day 26. Day 27. Day 28. Day 29. Day 30.

29||Coming to a Blog Near You

Write your own list of 10 blog topics to inspire us next month.

I am so grateful this Blog-tember challenge came when it did. For the most part (like 95% part) I have enjoyed writing this month and I also feel, dare I say, that I have finally found something of a blogging groove. So much so, in fact, that I am planning to complete another blogging challenge in October. But, that being said, I will no longer have anybody giving me daily topics on which to write, so now I'm left to my own devices to generate material daily. While my ultimate goal is to post four or five times each week, I will take this current boost of creativity and ride it as long as I am able. 

My next month will be "31 Days of Thailand" as part of the Write 31 Days challenge during which I will not only share about my life overseas, but also take the time to document some of my adventures (and non-adventures) of the last 15-ish months.

Then, come November, here are some topics I have ready for the month:
... Maybe Someday, Part 2
... Monthly goals

... Fantasy Football

... My apple pie recipe
... How to celebrate fall in the tropics
... Thoughts on going home for Christmas

And here are a couple of ideas I'd love to see somebody else share about:
... Favorite coffee drink recipes
... Easy breakfast ideas (Please!)
... Bible study/quiet time ideas

I am looking forward to keeping up with people post Blog-tember and seeing how they carrying on with "normal" life. I welcome you to join me as well!

The 2015 Blog-Tember Challenge. Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7. Day 8. Day 9. Day 10. Day 11. Day 12. Day 13. Day 14. Day 15. Day 16. Day 17. Day 18. Day 19. Day 20. Day 21. Day 22. Day 23. Day 24. Day 25. Day 26. Day 27. Day 28. Day 29.