Dear Readers:

Happy New Year! Ol’ Man Winter has officially arrived, and by some accounts this is projected to be the worst winter in twenty five years. Arctic temperatures have spread across the country, and snowfall has even been reported in Texas and Florida. Crops and animals are suffering in a big way, especially in the south. For example, iguanas are experiencing perilous conditions in Florida. Images of them frozen stiff to the branches of trees make my heart sad.

For those of you experiencing a harsh winter, please take emergency precautions when venturing out, even if it’s a quick trip. Pack an extra blanket, water and food in your vehicle and be sure to keep your tank full of gasoline in case of an unexpected roadway incident or mechanical malfunction. Above all, keep warm and be safe!

While I’m writing these updates, I’m just learning of the massive earthquake in Haiti. My heart goes out to the displaced, wounded people of that nation and their families everywhere. Many victims are trapped alive, and may succumb to death within days without a miracle. Survivors, hurting emotionally over the loss of loved ones and friends, must now struggle to survive without adequate shelter, food, water and necessary supplies. Many are trying to rescue others without the proper equipment. I’m praying for miracles to happen, because when they do, they will pull at our heartstrings. I’ll be keeping Haiti close to my heart during this time of great suffering and need, and am confident you will too.

On a brighter note, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, with quality time spent with family and friends. Our son and his family arrived from New Zealand on December 19th, kicking off our holiday preparations. Our younger son John led the tree-hunting expedition on our property, and he and his brother returned with the hugest tree I’ve ever seen. The following day, Sid chauffeured Mary and me on a shopping expedition that stretched well into evening. While we were shopping, Mary bought me the most wonderful birthday gift—stuff to make wine glass markers! When we got home, exhausted and hungry, I found a dozen red roses from my literary agent, Steven Axelrod, and a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my husband and kids sitting on the kitchen peninsula. Our elder son, Andy, also greeted us with fabulous homemade sushi (the kind with no raw meat) to go with the takeout Mexican food we’d picked up on the way back. A mix of ethnic delights, but we enjoyed every bite. When tummies were happily full, we had a family tree-trimming party. Even the little guys helped, climbing the ladders with an adult close at hand to hang pretties way high on the branches. We wisely put unbreakable decorations on the lower branches so Jonas could “touch” them without any harm being done. What a night. As always, after we got the lights on the tree, they blinked out. Andy had to replace the entire lot with fairy lights, but that was okay. The tree was gorgeous, and it was one of my best birthdays, ever.

Once the tree was up and the gifts were hidden, I began a gift-wrapping marathon that lasted two days. We set up a table out in the insulated garage, and with the help of a glue gun, I happily wrapped packages, making each one special in its own way. Problem. We couldn’t put any gifts under the tree until Christmas morning because Mary feared that Jonas would wake up, totter out, and open all of them. So we had to get creative, hiding all the gifts. I used my office storage room and covered everything with garbage bags.

Christmas Eve was celebrated with only family. John arrived and did an oyster fry while I began wrapping all his packages, my third day of that activity. When the kitchen was tidy, he joined me in the garage, watched me fuss with bows and the glue gun for about five seconds, and then elbowed me out of his way. He started slapping paper on packages in a fashion that I can only describe as haphazard, with lumps, bumps, and big stretches of tape to hold everything together. I guess that’s how a cowboy handles gift wrapping, and you can definitely expect to see that moment appear in one of my books someday. It made me wonder why I spent so much time on fussy stuff! John finished his gifts in a matter of minutes, looped a hard arm around my shoulders, gave me a jostle, and said, “That’s how it’s done, Mom. Now, let’s go celebrate the birth of Our Lord.” And off we went, back into the house to enjoy being with our loved ones. I entered a spotless kitchen. John had even disassembled my cook top, washed every piece, and put it back, shining like brand new. There is a lot to be said for a handsome guy in Wranglers jeans, riding boots, and a western shirt who knows his way around a kitchen. The oysters were divine, accompanied by homemade dill sauce, and after making a huge mess, he isn’t afraid to get up to his elbows in dish soap bubbles. (Of course, he also knows his mother. If he hadn’t cleaned up, I would have spent the rest of the evening up to my elbows in bubbles!)

Joshua was with his mom on Christmas morning, so we celebrated our initial gift-opening with only John, Andy, and his family. Sid kept telling me he wanted nothing for Christmas, that there was absolutely nothing that he needed. He truly is the man with everything, so all of us were taxing our brains, trying to think of what to get him. I came up with the idea of getting him a PS3 Play Station and a Tiger Woods golf game. Here on the ridge, golf, his favorite sport, comes to a screeching halt during the winter. I wrapped the Play Station separately from the game. After watching the little Kiwis tear into all their gifts, it finally came time for the adults to receive theirs. I gave Sid the golf game first. At first he thought it was an instructional DVD, but then he frowned and said, “Sweetie, you need a PS3 to use this.” He thought I’d made a silly mistake. It was my moment! I said, “So you need a Play Station to use it?” His eyebrows shot up, and he said, “You didn’t.” I presented him with the PS3, with him saying all the while he unwrapped it that he’d never use it. But he has had so much fun with that thing ever since! I’m so glad I got it for him, and I’m also thrilled to have actually surprised him for the first time in our marriage. He never saw that one coming. (Last night, I challenged him at golf, and he only beat me by one point! I’ve got him worried now. I’ll probably take a break from writing and catch him practicing so he can trounce me.)

On the 26th, Joshua arrived. As he opened his gifts, he didn’t seem to notice how the ones from his dad were wrapped. He was delighted with all the cowboy stuff Dad/Santa had left. He got his own saddlebags, a bunch of other horse stuff, a special headlamp he can wear while working with the horses after dark that will enable him to see and not blind the animals, a superb set of two-way radios, and a pack grill, which prompted him to grin at his dad and ask, “Am I going to be the trail cook from now on?” They go on wilderness rides. John replied, “You betcha!”

Mary and I spent the afternoon cooking in preparation for Jennifer Wilson’s Boxing Day celebration. Mary made a Swedish tea ring, a traditional Boxing Day dessert, and I made a strawberry trifle and what seemed like a thousand deviled eggs. The party was fabulous. I spent most of my time by the outdoor fire, visiting with friends.

Now our Kiwis are back home on the North Island, and it is quiet on Cinnamon Ridge again. It’s hard to believe it’s already the middle of January. While I’m back writing full speed ahead, thoughts of our time spent together creep into my spare moments and I just can’t help but smile. The boys are growing up so much in between visits. I barely know what to expect when they arrive each time. Little Jonas is now two years old, and I’ve decided I may be getting just a bit too old to keep up with him! He is extremely curious and found our Christmas decorations so fascinating. His little hands made their way around the tree, not to mention all over the everyday household items as well. It takes lots of energy to keep up with a 2 year old, let me tell you! One afternoon when he was left in my care, I grew weary after a couple of hours of physical play and pretended to fall asleep on one of the theater recliners. When I let loose with a fake snore, Jonas said, “No sleep. Baby is up.” I laughed until I almost cried. Jonas has the world figured out. Responsible adults do not take naps when the baby is awake.

My eldest grandson Joshua enjoyed his time with both of his cousins immensely. Together, our little guys had a blast exploring the outdoors as weather would permit. Liam, my five-year-old Kiwi, built an igloo and a snowman (with the help of his parents) in our front yard. Many photo ops ensued. He and little Jonas also went sledding a couple of times, once with Nana standing guard at the downhill destination point. I nearly had a heart attack when their sled collided with a pine tree. Joshua, who is older, went for more exciting snow play, letting his dad pull him on a sled along our country road behind an ATV. When the kids weren’t outdoors, they played with the toys and new video games they got for Christmas.

On Christmas Day, we feasted together on a roasted turkey and smoked ham. Liam decorated our dining table and helped set it. I found some little wine goblets that wouldn’t be missed if they got broken, and our Kiwi little guys had Shirley Temples with little umbrellas in their goblets while we adults enjoyed a fine merlot. Mary fixed her famous Swedish tea ring for dessert, accompanied by our traditional pumpkin and pecan pie, and we had a boatload of whipped potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, breads, and more. In fact, we had so much food available that we had to use our 160-acre outdoor refrigeration system—which means we put food on the counters of the outdoor kitchen and hoped the temperatures would remain low enough to preserve them.

As I mentioned in my last letter, we had guests coming and going all throughout the week after Christmas. Before long, I was beginning to envision what it might be like to run our own bed and breakfast. Our guests are loved ones and close friends, so it was far more fun, I’m sure.

On New Year’s Eve my cousin Gerry and her family planned to come over, but a huge snowstorm shut down the mountain passes, so they were unable to make it. Nevertheless, we rang in the New Year with gusto, singing karaoke and setting off fireworks at the stroke of midnight with family and friends. On New Year’s Day, our house was once again full. We feasted on finger foods, with some people watching the Rose Bowl game while others joined me at the dining room table to make wine goblet markers. This year, the University of Oregon faced Ohio State University; my assistant Stephanie’s favored team. We had an entire crowd in front of Sid’s big screen to root Oregon on, and it was a closely fought game. In the end, the Ducks fell short of victory and suffered their first loss of the season to the Buckeyes. Stephanie has very generously refrained from rubbing it in.

It is my sincere hope that 2010 brings you and your loved ones everything you have been wishing for and then some. I’m looking forward to hearing from you via one of the many ways I now connect with readers: e-mail, Facebook, Guestbook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. No matter the venue, I’m always thrilled to know that readers have enjoyed my books in an important way. I don’t think there’s a bigger reward than that. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a very important part of my career. Year after year, you’re my inspiration to deliver book after book. You mean the world to me!

Big Hugs,

Catherine Anderson