Seasons Greetings — Features from Atonement, TN

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Blessings of the Yuletide to you and yours!1925 Dec American Magazine

Welcome back to Atonement, TN everyone.  I hope the holiday season is bringing joy your way.

The truth is that I don’t make a big deal of this particular season.  However, I do enjoy giving little presents.  So I spent hours trying to think of something I could give you.  I was woefully unprepared.

What if I were to …

Oh! I’ll write a special short story. No — not enough time.

Well then, I could record a “sound bite” to read you something from “Atonement, Tennessee.”  But I didn’t allow enough time to learn all I needed to know for that either.  (It was an ill-fated, belated brainstorm.)

Is it re-gifting…?

Thursday I made an Atonement TN holiday video, meaning to use it as a greeting card. I don’t know what possessed me to put it on Facebook.  Is it re-gifting if  I share it here?

What if I did a really fast Three Things?

Okay then.  I just now took three things from the video card…  It came to me to let my Ralda Lawton character tell this tidbit from her first Christmas in Atonement, TN.  Here goes!

Three Atonement TN Holiday Things:

Christmas Tree, Hearth Fire, Pinecone.

I’ve had cats who made a flying leap for the top of the Christmas tree the moment they saw the tree.  The fact that it was artificial didn’t slow them down a bit.  Because of that, for many years I didn’t decorate at all — not so much as a string of lights.

Lilith had always been good about decorations.  She didn’t climb or eat them.  Yet this was our first Christmas in our new/old home.  In fact, it had only been a matter of weeks since we moved.  So I couldn’t be certain of how she’d behave after so much upheaval in her life.  However, everything was going pretty smoothly.  An ornament got loose.  Fortunately it wasn’t glass, because she chased it across the hardwood floor.

1925 La Vie Parisienne ChristmasThe ornament rolled to a stop at the fireplace screen.  There was no hearth fire.  I wanted to have the chimney inspected before I used it.  Sunhold was a very old estate, after all.  Sadly, I was having trouble finding a general contractor or chimneysweep who was available.

Gwydion — Guy Fabdon of Fae’s Flowers to the townspeople, was also the local handyman.  Most people would tell me to call on him. Unfortunately I had important reasons for avoiding Gwydion.  So even though it would have been cozy to light the fire, the hearth remained cold.

A knock at the front door startled my cat and me as well.  I peeped out the stained glass panel that surrounded the door.  I couldn’t see clearly, but it looked like Pete Mannix.  He had been hired as a private detective by my friend Lacey Hampton’s attorney when her husband went missing, but that’s another story.  And yes, if you were about to say something about his name — that’s another part of that other story.

I hesitated minutely before opening the door.  Someone I trusted with my life, did not trust Pete Mannix.  So I couldn’t help having doubts about the detective.  However, I was editing a massive report for Pete and the attorney.  I just wasn’t expecting Pete to be the one to bring the additional information I requested for the project.

When I opened the door my eyes widened at the sight of a box of paper files he carried.  He noted my surprise.1920s Vogue Christmas

“Didn’t anyone tell you how far this stuff dates back?” he asked with a chuckle.

Then he hit me with that thousand watt smile.  Did I mention that Pete Mannix was the epitome of the term silver fox?  “Leroy Jethro Gibbs” would have nothing on Pete Mannix in a contest for that title.

I gave a mental shove to my distrust and opened the door.

Then my fickle feline floozy noticed him.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned that Lilith has an uncanny fondness for attractive men.  Mannix passed the calico’s test.  She twined around his ankles.  When I shooed her away, she came back, batting a pinecone decoration and chasing it as if it was a toy.  The detective was quite taken with her.  Lilith was entirely too susceptible to his thousand watt smile.

***

Now how can I possibly segue any of this into a recipe?  I doubt you’d want to eat pinecones. Oh, but wait!  Pine nuts!  But holy Hannah, pine nuts are expensive… and I know everyone has spent all their money on presents.  So I found this delightful dip at Chitra’s Healthy Kitchen.  Chitra describes it as “a traditional winter pesto made from parsley and mixed nuts instead of basil and pine nuts.” Please click the link below for the recipe.

Parsley-walnut-almonds-pecan nuts pesto/dip

Thanks for visiting Atonement, TN!  Wishing you every blessing and every joy throughout this season — from Ralda, Lilith, and all the characters from all my stories — and of course, from me.

Mega holiday hugs,

Teagan

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Copyright © 2015 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

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72 thoughts on “Seasons Greetings — Features from Atonement, TN”

  1. Pingback: The Yuletide Collection of Short Stories | Teagan's Books

  2. Teagan, just wanted to pop back and say, hope you’re having a great day! 🙂
    For Christmas dinner we do food from a different country every year and this one was Greece, so before I get lost in a tzatziki and spanakopita coma, I thought I’d say hello, dear one, because we think of those we love on Christmas. 🙂
    Megahugs and all the best for the rest of the season and all the best in 2016! 🙂

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    1. Oh Donna, it’s so nice of you to come by with this wonderful wish. I’m happy to know you’ve had a merry Christmas. What a marvelous family tradition you’ve made with the different country each year — and a lively sense of culinary adventure too!
      Yes, it’s been a good day — thank you my friend. And I just finished the post for tomorrow. I hope 2016 brings you everything you want. Mega hugs!

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    1. Thank you Inese. I was just this moment, trying to think of what I could do for my weekly post tomorrow. Thank you for dropping by. I think I’ll visit you again and see if your photos trigger anything in my oddly wired brain. 😀
      I hope you’ve had a beautiful Christmas. Here’s to 2016 bringing you everything you want. Mega hugs!

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        1. That’s more work than I’m able to do right now, but a lovely idea! I found inspiration in your beautiful Santa Sleigh photo. I’m giving a shout-out to you in the introduction. That truly is a lovely post. (But a break for dinner first.) Mega hugs!

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          1. Oh thank you! It was a truly lucky shot with that car’s headlights illuminating the horses’ legs, and the blue backlight. Couldn’t set it up better, even if I tried 🙂 Serendipity!
            Hugs!

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  5. Ooo! I hope that chimney gets swept in time for Santa to make his way down it on Thursday night, Teagan? Heavens forbid if Lilith gets no gifts!
    Seasons Greetings to you, and may I also thank you for all the wonderful support you have given me and my blog this year.
    Christmas hugs 🎅
    Hugh
    xx

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    1. LOL. Like most kitties, Lilith enjoys the simple things. Every box left by the UPS man or a sheet of packing paper is a regal gift. 🐱 Thank you for visiting and commenting Hugh. As for the support — I offer the same thanks to you. Happy holiday hugs! :mrgreen: ⭐

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  6. I much enjoyed reading this Atonement installment, dear Teagan…
    Lilith recalled me of one of my cats- I have two- she is quite the jumper and you´d better be aware of her when it comes to tear apart stuff… I think the story is full of intrigue and backs and forths and Pete Mannix seems to be a very interesting character, judging by the trust that is being placed upon him…
    Thanks for all the great reading this year… Merry Christmas. Love and all my best wishes to you. Aquileana 🎄

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    1. Hi Aquileana! I’m happy to see you. I really appreciate your lovely and mindful comments. I had a wonderful cat years ago who was an amazing jumper. Crystal doesn’t tend to bother things. But she has short legs, so she doesn’t jump quite as much.
      Ahhh…. I will keep quiet about Pete Mannix. 😈 I’ll try not to give any “spoilers”… Wishing you a magical merry Christmas my friend. Love & hugs! 🙂

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  7. Thank you kindly fr the delightful gift of this post, Teagan!!! 🙂 Love it, love it, love it!!! 🙂
    Love your greetings and the story – utterly delightful! 🙂
    Happy Holidays, dear one and all the best for 2016!!! 🙂
    Megamassiveholidayhugs 🙂

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  9. Thanks for taking into a little tale again Teag, and you were worried you didn’t have gifts? The beautiful card is not regifting lol, it’s just being shared with more people. And thanks for the recipe. Lord knows pinenuts have become quite expensive.
    Wishing you a cheerful holidays season Teag. xo ❤

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    1. Haven’t they though! I was very annoyed with myself. The last pine nuts I bought — I used them so sparingly, some eventually got stale. o_O :/
      Debby, I’m very happy you enjoyed your visit here. Do check out Chitra’s recipes. Her blog is an educational experience for me.
      Mega holiday hugs, my friend. :mrgreen:

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      1. Ouch Teag, wasted pine nuts. You should know that you should keep nuts in the freezer. Yes, really. We buy in bulk and take out lots to replenish. In about 5 minutes they taste so fresh!
        I shall visit Chitra’s page for more goodies. Have a fantastic Christmas Teag, well -deserved! xo

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        1. The freezer… of course… At least it wasn’t many. I love those “lock-n-lock” plastic bowls/containers. They keep things very well, but everything has its limits. Next time I’ll freeze some nuts. 😀 Happy Christmas to you too.

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  10. Teagan – Loved reading your way of describing…Loads of hugs and have a great Christmas and Happy new year…I am blessed to receive such a great support where you have featured my recipe…Look forward to your continued support.. Hugs

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  11. Fickle Feline Floozy, I love that line. A wonderful trip to Atonement and a great Christmas gift to us from you. Thank you!! I really love the video and it’s not re gifted but it is the gift that keeps on giving. Enjoyed every word as always, Merry Merry Christmas and huge hugs.

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    1. Suzanne, I’m delighted you enjoyed your visit — especially because I’m always so happy to see you. 😀 I hope you find magic everywhere you look this Christmas. Whether you’re settling down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine, relax and enjoy. Merry Christmas hugs right back to you.

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  12. Teagan, thank you for this lovely post and the video card! Tasty pesto recipe gives me some ideas. Home made pesto sounds cool 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and a great year ahead!
    Love, Inese xx

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    1. Hi Inese! It means a lot to me that you visited, when I know you feel just awful.
      Chitra has a lot of lovely foods at her blog. I bet she’d have something to help you feel better. All the same wonderful happy wishes back to you my friend. Be well, be happy. Love & hugs! 🙂

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    1. Why thank you Kathryn. I’m delighted that you enjoyed your visit today.
      Wow, I wish I was having dinner at your place — that chicken looks wonderful!
      A magical merry Christmas to you too my friend. Huge hugs right back! 🙂

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    1. Haha! It needs to be the right kind of writing too. I seem to spend a lot of time at my computer, writing to ask about houses, commenting at blogs, all sorts of things, and the poor novel sits there… 😀 Thank you Olga. I hope joy comes your way every day. Huge hugs.

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    1. Why thank you John. That means a lot coming from you. Dreaming of casting that part for the TV series 😉 it would be a tie between him and Richard Dean Anderson. Fantasy readers would probably be happier with Anderson, but the description would have been cumbersome. A very merry Christmas to you and yours was well. Mega hugs.

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  18. Thanks for sharing the lovely video. That was very nicely done. I love your description of Pete Mannix and I like that the cat approved because that’s important. Have a great weekend Teagan and a wonderful holiday season.

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    1. Haha! I know you have a feline supervisor at home too Dan. Lilith is an amalgamation of every cat I’ve ever had plus a little extra. For 17 years I had a kitty who was that way about good looking men. It was really funny to watch her once when 3 workmen were in the house at once. I couldn’t resist giving that trait to Lilith.
      Many thanks for reading and commenting. I’m off to visit your SoC Saturday post. Hugs!

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        1. I had wondered about that one Dan. (By the way your “Bar” post today is one of your best ever! Kudos!) Oddly I have not done that with people — though I’m sorely tempted with some people! And they are the ones who don’t read any of my stuff, so the temptation is even greater 😈 😉
          And if you read anything where Lilith is insanely needy — that is based on Crystal’s most recent behavior pattern. Good golly Miss Molly…

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  19. Thank you Teagan for your wonderful gift. Enjoyed watching it. I hadn’t seen it before so it was fun to see all the characters from Atonement. Happy Holidays.
    Love and Virtual Hugs ❤ ❤

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  20. A treat of a story, Teagan, as always. Ah, Leroy Jethro Gibbs – that NCIS (not the other one) is one of my favourite series because the characters are all so delicious. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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    1. I knew you’d be onboard with that, Sarah! 😀 Yes those are a delicious bunch of characters and actors. As I go casting real life actors for my pretend roles, I saw Mark Harmon or Richard Dean Anderson as Pete Mannix. Thanks so much for commenting. All the best of Christmas to you and yours as well. Hugs!

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  23. I enjoyed that Christmas blog, Teagan. I really like your characters, especially Lilith. I hope the chimney gets a cleaning. I enjoyed what seemed to be the magazine illustrations from the 20’s. I love the fashions from that time. Well done, and Happy Holidays to you and yours. Generous Holiday Hugs, 🙂 — Suzanne

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    1. Hi Suzanne. Oh that is delightful to know — I used a lot of 20s magazines for the Three Ingredients serials. So Click on one of the buttons at the top of the page and scroll through to look at the pictures. (“Copper” was the first serial I did that was NOT set in the 1920s.) I hope you enjoy it. Many thanks for taking a moment to comment. Great big hug back!

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  24. Good morning dear Teagan, and seasons greetings to you and all the wonderful characters, and of course Lilith, in Atonement. Thank you so much for the Atonement Yule Card – love it, love it:) I am like you in that I don’t make too bigger deal of this season, but do enjoy gift giving to certain special people in my life. I will be thinking of you during this the upcoming week, and hope that you find time to write, relax, read and enjoy lovely Yule recipes. Stay surrounded by colour and magical hummingbirds…..sending mega hugs in your direction….Janet. xx

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    1. Thank you Janet — you’ve brightened my morning. Thank you for reminding me about surrounding myself with color. Considering my apparent physical need for colors, you wouldn’t think I’d need reminding. But with winter (and already being in a place where “DC Drab” is the unwritten rule, I’ve just realized that that I spent the week with dull, dark, or neutral colors. No wonder I’ve been glum! 😀
      Here come the hummingbirds!!!
      By the way, are you familiar with Louie Schwartzberg – Wings of Life? (Narrated by Meryl Streep) It has an amazing hummingbird segment. Netflix has it, but here’s a TED Talk that shows a bit of it.

      Huge hugs.

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      1. Good morning dear Teagan and thank you so much for this wonderful Ted clip…..I was not familiar with this….and so you have made my day:) We can never do with enough colour…bring it on…:) Sending love and hummingbirds…Janet. xx

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  26. Teagan, enjoyed your Atonement story and how you weaved in the three things! Lilith is quite the cat! How she likes the attractive men! I’m thinking the detective might smile his way further into the story. A little romance? Hope you have a wonderful holiday, and some time off from work to enjoy it! Hugs…💖 Chryssa

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    1. Ah Chryssa…. that I will not say! 😀 Thank you for the encouraging words.
      Yes, I’m taking a couple of days at a time off work, throughout December. LOL, January will be painful, working every day after this! Huge hugs! ❤ 🙂

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