Debra VanDeventer, Author at Seams Like a Story

December 17, 2024December 16, 2024

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (pillowcases)

The Obsession Continues

the author holding a Christmas Pillowcase in front of a Christmas Tree

Once, when I was newly retired and trying out novel things to do, I became obsessed. With sewing. Christmas pillowcases.

It went something like this:

Excerpt from my first book, Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life:

“Since I was retired, I could sew whatever I wanted. That’s what I was thinking when the article about the Christmas pillowcases caught my eye. With the holidays coming
up, it was the perfect project to help me brush up on my sewing skills. Off to the fabric store I went with the exact measurements in hand, eager to get started. The first pillowcase was a cute little reindeer print with a snowflake border. It stitched together in a flash and I ran to Ed’s office to show off the finished product, eager to impress him with my talent.
“Look what I made!” I bragged.
“Wow,” he said looking up from the computer.
“That’s nice.”
Encouraged by the ease of my success, I trotted back to my sewing machine to stitch up another one. The candy cane print with red checked trim was delightful. As I snipped the last thread, I ran to Ed’s office to reveal my latest creation. He wasn’t there, but
I tracked him down in the living room. “Here’s another one!” I beamed. “See how I made
French seams so that the edges are nice and neat on the inside!”
“Mmm, yeah… that’s great.” He glanced away from the television, hardly noticing my exquisite French seams. By the time I had finished the third pillowcase Ed
was not in the office or living room. I found him in the bathroom. I’m sure he was hiding from me. That’s when I realized I had a pillowcase addiction. “

Christmas 2024

I thought I was over my obsession. I hadn’t sewn a Christmas pillowcase in over 6 years. I was clean until a friend wanted me to go to the fabric store with her to check out the flannel fabric sale. There it was. Staring me in the face. Bolts and bolts of Christmas flannel. I’ll just buy a bit, I thought. The next thing I knew The clerk was measuring out a yard of 4 different prints for me.

Back at home, I looked up the directions I’d saved. Ah yes, the burrito pillow case method. (It’s a thing…Google it. ) Once again, I was in sewing heaven. Is it the textures? The jolly prints? They way it’s a quick sew? By the end of the afternoon I had three cases ready for my holiday guests.

Now seriously?! Aren’t these cute? They make me smile…

I probably should have been cleaning house , but when I told my friend about my afternoon, she said it was ‘time well spent.” She gets it.

As I write this, there are 9 more days until Christmas. You may be in the Holiday blitz, but STOP, even for a moment, and do something that makes YOU smile.

Threads of Thought

Thanks for following me here at Seams Like a Story. I hope you find something in each post to make you smile or think, or feel encouraged. I’ll see you back here in the new year!

2 Books, Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life...and Until Italy: A traveler's memoir

Would you like to read more from Out of the Crayon Box? Or maybe you’d like a delightfully fun trip to Italy? You can find my books here!

December 2, 2024December 2, 2024

The Day After Friendsgiving

Hike 44/52

a Thanksgiving plaque that reads "Gather here with grateful hearts

Ed opened the paper and announced the weather as he does each morning: 50 degrees in Atlanta, 27 in Chicago, 29 in Indianapolis, 30 in Grand Rapids, 73 in Tucson. We won the temperature wars here in Tucson, unless you like cold weather. Some do. I’m not judging.

The cities he called out are significant. These are the places where our family–children, grandchildren, and siblings–live. It’s a morning ritual that, in some small way helps us feel connected.

It was Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the day when, traditionally, shoppers get out to hunt for Christmas bargains, or browse for deals online. But not us. Instead of Black Friday, we searched for Blue Skies as we set out for hike #44.

We were on the Mariposa Trail in Oracle State Park. Mariposa, the Spanish word for butterfly, is also the name of a desert lily, a deep-orange, three petaled flower that graces the trail in the spring if the temperatures and rainfall are just right.

We hiked along, our boots crunching on the dry, gravely trail. I looked up for birds–ravens and hawks that often soar high and effortlessly on the thermals, but instead, people were flying! Three distinct stripes of white headed east across the turquois sky. Friends and family, no doubt returning home after the Thanksgiving holiday.

My heart ached, just a little, feeling sorry for myself that I hadn’t hosted the family as I had done in years past….when we lived in Indiana…when our kids were young, and our parents were still with us. Traditions change, families grow and scatter, new members join the family, and others leave precious memories.

One year, the first year after Ed and I moved to Arizona, I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. It was a lot of work, too much food, and what I realized, it’s not about the food, it’s about the company. For the past several years, we have been inviting friends over for dinner on Thanksgiving. We have found that we aren’t the only ones missing family on that day. We call it Friendsgiving and it fills my heart with joy.

So, these past few days, Ed and I have been eating leftovers from Friendsgiving: Mediterranean beef stew and mashed potatoes, ( No turkey. Ed makes one of his signature dishes each year for Friendsgiving) and the salad, bread and cheesecake that friends brought.

I am thankful my family members had wonderful gatherings in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids, and I am blessed with friends to share a meal with in here Tucson.

I was thinking this as we finished our hike ( number 44 out of 52!) and my heart was full.

… And in just a few days, Friendsgiving leftovers will be gone and I’ll be putting up the Christmas tree and adding all the leaves to the dining room table. You see, my kids and grandkids, will all be here for Christmas!

(By the way…we are trying to finish our 52 Hike Challenge by the end of the year. 8 hikes to go! Can we do it?! I’ll keep you posted!)

Threads of Thought

How have your holiday traditions changed over the years? What do you look forward to the most?

author sitting a a table behind her books at a book fair

My holiday signing events are “in the books!” If you missed out, you still have a chance to order before Christmas. Both books are available in paperback, eBook and free on Kindle Unlimited! Find them here!

November 18, 2024November 18, 2024

The Candle Chronicles

Part 2

Mini pumpkins gather along the countertop for a Thanksgiving centerpiece

I was working in my home office the other day when Ed returned from the grocery store. He sheepishly brought the bag in and placed it beside me.

“Oh, Ed, You didn’t!”

“I thought we might be running low.”

It’s that time of year again. Soon family and friends will gather for the holidays. My husband Ed and I live a distance from family. We always get together for Christmas, but often were alone on Thanksgiving. A few years ago we started a new tradition of inviting friends, who find themselves in a similar situation over for a “Friendsgiving” celebration. Avoiding the typical turkey dinner, Ed, the resident chef, comes up with one of his signature dishes and others pitch in with deserts and sides. The menu varies from year to year, and we never know who gather at the table, but there is one thing you can count on: THERE WILL BE CANDLES ON THE TABLE!

The Candle Obsession

I’m unsure when my candle obsession began. I first “came out” in a previous post https://seamslikeastory.com/tall-candle-dinners/ . I remember when our children were small, Ed and I would have “date night” each Saturday night. We couldn’t afford a babysitter, so we would feed the kids early and have a nice candlelight dinner after they went to bed, or sat them in front of the TV with a movie. Now empty nesters, we still light candles, for special occasions, and everyday dinners as well. Even when it’s leftovers or we think we don’t have much to talk about, the ritual of lighting the candles seems to say “This time together is important.”

A Lot of Candles

So, yes. This takes a lot of candles. I’m picky, but through trial and error, I’ve found the perfect ones. I kind of don’t want to tell you about them because I’m afraid you’ll get to Trader Joe and buy out their limited stock.

OK, here goes, but don’t tell anybody else: My favorite off-white, non drip inexpensive candles are only available seasonally between Thanksgiving and Christmas and during that time we buy enough to get us through the year. I tell Ed to only buy a few boxes at a time, so as not to cause alarm. So far he has flown under the radar, but I live in fear that there will one day be a poster at the cash registers with his photo and a warning: Don’t sell any more candles to this man.

The other day I took inventory and told Ed I thought we had enough and maybe he didn’t need to buy any this year.(I currently have 20 boxes x 8 candles per box…you do the math) He bought some anyway. I think we might have to add this bounty to our will as part of our “estate.” A legacy of wax and wick to leave to our children.

Gather Together

So my friends, take some time this holiday season to gather around the table with friends and loved ones. Go ahead, light some tall candles and stay until they melt into tiny stubs! Clink your wine, or iced tea, or water glasses together and let each other know how happy you are to be together. These are the times that matter most.

Threads of Thought

What (besides candles) will be on your holiday table this year? Are you traveling or hosting your holiday festivities?

Looking for a fun Holiday read?

Find your copies here!

November 4, 2024November 3, 2024

Hearts in Bloom

the world needs them

a heart shaped stone with blooming flowers

I used to think that in order to be a memoirist one had to have led an extraordinary life, and indeed there are many amazing authors out there who fit this description: Cheryl Strayed (Wild ) and Tara Westover (Educated) come to mind. But I’m an ordinary woman. Do I have a story to tell?

This week I was thinking about my latest work in progress and wondering if it was a story worth telling. When stuck, I often find inspiration from other writers. This quote from Rupta Sepetys in You: the Story grabbed my attention:

“Country life, cosmopolitan life, quiet life- all can be equally fascinating based on the writer’s perspective and the details chosen. Remember: it’s not what you’re writing about, it’s how you’re writing about it.”

Quiet life. Small moments that bloom into words. Taking readers along with me on a journey and discovering “ah ha” moments together. This. This is my voice. The voice I’m seeking each time I sit to write. It doesn’t always come easily, in fact, it rarely does, but with time, critiques, editing and revisions, I hope… I know, I will have a story worth telling.

And finally this, from Clarissa Pinola Estes:

I hope you go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you and that you will work with these stories…water them with your blood and tears and laughter till they bloom, till you yourself bust into bloom. The world needs them. The world needs more hearts in bloom.

So here’s to ordinary women, who through the magic of words remind us that all women are extraordinary! If you have a story to tell, tell it! The world needs more hearts in bloom.

Threads of Thought

What makes your heart bloom? Is there a story there?

Click here to find my stories!

October 21, 2024October 20, 2024

This is Why I Travel

Last stop: Barcelona

Entrance tower at Park Guell in Barcelona

The third and final stop on our late September tour of Portugal and Spain takes us to beautiful Barcelona! Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and famous for it’s rich history , fantastic cuisine, and Art Nouveau architecture Barcelona is a “must see” city for world travelers. Here are some of the highlights of our trip.

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona — Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia

Gaudi's Casa Batllo in Barcelona — Gaudi’s Casa Batllo

Amazing Architecture

On our 3 hour walking tour of modernist architecture, we learned the history of Barcelona’s architecture. As the city prospered in the late 1800s to early 1900s, Barcelona grew from its medieval roots (still evident in the Gothic quarter) where streets are narrow and dark. The city planners wanted something different and planned the new city in a grid of wide streets. Buildings could not be taller than the street was wide and all buildings had to have inner courtyards, green spaces to let in light and air. This was Intended for the common people, but the wealthy moved there leaving the cramped inner city to the poor. They hired only the best architects to design elaborate homes to showcase their wealth. Along came Antoni Gaudi, a lesser known architect who abandoned the trends of the day and did his own thing…some liked what he did, some hated it…but he stayed with his vision and refused to compromise. He left an amazing legacy in Barcelona. His crowing jewel is the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) Cathedral, still under construction today.

Barcelona Between the Mountains and the Sea

The beach at Barcelona — Here’s to the Mediterranean!

Besides several days exploring the city, we enjoyed a day trip to Montserrat, a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine mountain retreat about an hour north of Barcelona. And, a highlight for me, a trip to the beach where I walked in the Mediterranean (without losing my phone, for those of you who’ve read my book Until Italy, you understand…) and enjoyed a lovely seaside lunch.

And so, our three week trip to Lisbon, Seville, and Barcelona comes to an end. Thanks for coming along. I hope you’ve enjoyed the pictures and stories I’ve shared. I’d like to leave you with a final word and the most important and memorable picture of all of my travel photos:

And this is why I travel…

An empty table in Barcelona soon fills with people from Australia, England, Hawaii, and Arizona. Over tapas and wine we get to know one another. We discuss homes and jobs, and children and grandchildren. We laugh together and also share our dismay about the state of the Earth: frequent volcanic eruptions in Hawaii, sweltering summers in England, wildfires out of control in Australia and Arizona, hurricanes in Florida. For a few hours our diverse nationalities dissolve. We are friends, citizens of planet Earth, and we leave the table richer for the experience. This, this is why I travel.

Happy travels, my friends!

Threads of Thought

Tell a memorable moment from a favorite trip. Where were you? Who was with you? What made this moment remarkable?

For more travel stories check out Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir

Available here in paperback, eBook, and Kindle Unlimited