Holiday greetings everyone. It’s time for much frenzied activity combined with quiet reflection on plans and commitments for next year.
It’s a time of contradictions. We throw Holiday goodies on a plate and think about how we should exercise more. We say, I will do better on my finances this year. Then we pull out that credit card and buy Aunt Mary that expensive sweater and pick up some more decorations while we’re at it. We decide to spend more time with loved ones, and say yes when the boss asks us to work late.
One commitment that doesn’t necessarily have to take time is to be kind to our planet. Read below for things that take only a few minutes to do:
 We can plan our itineraries more effectively so that we drive less.

 Recycling really doesn’t take any time. If you aren’t sure where to go in your area, one quick phone call should answer that for you. It would also be just as well to ask any friend of yours that is a tree hugger. They probably know, or would be overjoyed to find out for you.

 Many environmental organizations such as Denlines have pre-written letters that only need you to acknowledge them via email. It takes five minutes or less to let your congressman know that someone needs to clean up a river, or reduce traffic through a national park.

 What ideas do you, planet friendly reader, have? Leave it on the Message Board for me. If I use it in next month’s newsletter I will send you a free bookmark, plus mention your name and any special announcements if you have any usable in this newsletter. So, if you have written a book or just have some good news you’d like to share, I’ll be happy to make it known to the other readers.

Since this time of year is so busy, I thought you could use a Holiday time crunch buster for that office party or family gathering:

 Klairn Punch
On Klairn, the citizens use fraza berries, which look like raspberries but are more similar in taste to strawberries. Here is the earth version of a popular party punch.
1 two-liter bottle of strawberry soda
1 quart of creamy vanilla ice-cream
Optional: Either raspberries or strawberry slices for garnish

Scoop out the vanilla ice-cream into the punchbowl. (Make sure it’s creamy, the natural kind will have crunchy bits of vanilla bean that will not work for this.) Slowly pour the soda over the ice-cream. It will foam, that’s okay, just keep pouring and stirring as needed. Let it sit for a few minutes and it will turn pink. It’s okay to pour this before the ice-cream is completely melted. It will have a soft drink float effect that your guests will love. If you wish to plop a piece of fruit on top, that’s a nice touch. That’s it. I promised you something simple, didn’t I? Keep an extra quart of ice-cream and strawberry soda on hand. I usually run out before my guests have had enough.

Please feel free to peruse my site and the rest of authorsden. There’s a lot of free entertainment. Also, a lot of other authors here including myself sell our books at a discount rate, since we buy at a discount from our publishers and pass the savings on to you. Happy reading and shopping!
Love you all,
Erin