A Cozy Christmas Podcast

I'm talking with author Natalie Bickel about The Polar Express, as well as updating you all on the reading prompt for April, a listener memory, and I read and talk about a poem called "Under the Holly Bough" by Charles Mackay. Grab your hot cocoa and let's ride the Polar Express! Natalie and I still hear the bell ring on Christmas - do you? Nat Bickel: https://www.natmosfear.com The Christmas Clue (Amazon) The Christmas Clue (Bookshop.org affiliate link) Books about Travel: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks The Hazelwood by Melissa Albert The Sister Season by Jennifer Scott #christmas #podcast #books Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Email [email protected]

It's our 75th episode! It's amazing to think about number 100 is coming up this year. Thank you all so much for coming along on this incredible Christmas journey. In today's episode, things are a little more somber and reflective as I consider some of the events that are happening in the world today. I talk about The Christmas Truce in WWI and then I read the short story "Merry Christmas" that Canadian author Stephen Leacock wrote in 1914 as a response to the war that was happening around the globe at the time. It's a somewhat somber story, but one with a powerful message of hope and peace. To our Ukrainian listeners - we are hoping and praying you will have peace and safety. Hang in there. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:07 The Cozy Christmas Book Corner 10:40 Thoughts on Ukraine and the Christmas Truce of 1914 17:37 Christmas Story: "Merry Christmas" by Stephen Leacock 37:39 Final thoughts on the story Links from the show: The North Pole News Dispatch: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1947413 History.com article, The Christmas Truce of 1914 WWI's Christmas Truce: When Fighting Paused for the Holiday Merry Christmas, Stephen Leacock Stephen Leacock bio The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson Christmas Corpse by Mona Marple Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] #christmas #podcasts #audiobook

Happy March! In today's episode, Bill from thevillagecollector.com is back on the show to talk about the Christmas Villages showcased on his website that were voted into his Hall of Fame this year. We talk about Christmas, Dickens, and of course Christmas Villages! Then Grace and I decide to match wits and try out a Christmas trivia game that I bought after Christmas. Who do you think will win this time? I also announce the reading challenge for the month of March, and talk about the book I'm planning on reading. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction - Reading challenge, Christmas villages 04:12 Interview with Bill 32:40 Christmas Trivia with Gracie #christmas #podcast #christmasvillages Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

In today's episode I read The Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled by Washington Gladden, talk about my dream of being Santa one day, and give a review on the book The Miracle of Ebenezer Street by Catherine Doyle. There's nothing too strange about the adventure or the wood sled in Gladden's story, but it's a wonderfully cozy Christmas story that will give you all the Christmas feels. What better way to kick off a Monday? I'm looking for your Christmas memories - tell me about a time that you met Santa Claus - whether at the mall or by your tree! Send you Christmas memories to [email protected] Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:04 The Miracle of Ebenezer Street 05:18 Christmas Memories of Santa 10:22 Story Introduction 14:22 The Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled 44:53 Thoughts on the story Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] #Christmas #podcasts #books

What happens when a book lover marries another book lover? Find out on today's episode! Hello! Welcome to season 3 of the Cozy Christmas Podcast. In today's episode I have a very special guest - my wife, Erin stops by the podcast to talk about our reading picks for this month's Cozy Christmas Reading Challenge. We talk about what it's like being a librarian; how can we support our local libraries; the books we've read for this challenge (along with a few others), and we talk just about everything we can think of. We even manage to talk a little bit about Christmas... so strap in and break out your TBR lists, because season 3 is starting off with a hilarious episode all about libraries and books! Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Support the show www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Hello and Merry Christmas... as of today, there are only 11 months until Christmas. I can't believe we're almost to the single digits... Ok, there's still a lot of time left until Christmas, and I'm excited to be starting season 3! In today's episode I share with you one of Charles Dickens' Christmas short stories, but it's not as well known as it should be. The story is called Doctor Marigold, and it tells the tale not of a physician, but of a "cheapjack". During the Victorian age, a cheapjack was someone who hawks wares from the back of a traveling wagon. They lived by their ability to talk and tell stories and convince people to buy their wares. Doctor Marigold is a lonely man who adopts a neglected orphan girl who is also deaf and mute. Why he does it, and how he learns to communicate with her are just part of the beautiful moments in this story. The story does get dark, but the light shines brightly by the end. Content Warning: contains mild descriptions of physical abuse of a child. Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Support the show www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast #victorianliterature #audiobook #charlesdickens #doctormarigold #classics

Welcome to the season finale of A Cozy Christmas Podcast! Today, we're going to consider Charles Dickens' Christmas Tree, as well as a special announcement for a reading challenge. In 1850 Dickens published a reflection piece for Christmas entitled "A Christmas Tree". And in typical Dickens fashion, he has a lot of words to say about his tree and the memories from his past that it conjures up. Though at times the story is a bit strange, who hasn't occasionally gotten lost in nostalgia while enjoying the lights of their Christmas tree? I also am announcing a group reading challenge for us this year! As you know, I love to read, so I created 12 reading challenges based on Christmas movies. Check out my social medias for the check list or go to www.cozychristmaspodcast.com and you can download the check list there. Every Wednesday I'll be posting about what books I'm reading for the challenge and I'd love to hear from you as well. Take a listen and find out what prompt we're doing first for January! See you all on the socials every Wednesday - let me know if you'll be reading the prompts and which books you pick. Season 3 begins January 24th! See you then... Keep an eye out for a bonus midseason story on or about January 14th... Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 04:03 Suggest an Episode Topic 06:11 A Cozy Christmas Reading Challenge 14:11 Story: A Christmas Tree, by Charles Dickens 58:15 My thoughts on the story 01:01:48 Concluding Comments Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Merry Christmas everyone! Or is it Happy Christmas? In any case, the day is finally here. For this special Christmas episode, I invited on author Amy Boucher Pye and we have a chat about her new Advent book called Celebrating Christmas, as well as talk about our faith in the context of Christmas, and share some stories about what Christmas is like in the UK. As always there is a lot of fun and joy in the episode today. Let me know how your Christmas is going! Find Amy online: Website: https://amyboucherpye.com/ Book: Celebrating Christmas (Amazon) Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Merry Christmas Eve! It's my favorite day of the year. And to help you celebrate today, here is part 5 from A Christmas Carol. Let's find out what happens to Scrooge after his ghostly visits. Is it too late for him to change? Also stick around after the story, as my friends at the Christmas Podcast Network have put together a special Christmas greeting for you. We all want to thank you for listening to our podcasts - for many of us, this is a work of love and we don't do it for the fame or fortune. We couldn't do this without you! After the greeting, I wrap up the episode with a few thoughts about how I will be spending Christmas Eve. See you tomorrow for one more episode before the new year! Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! Today's episode I sit down with fellow Christmas Podcaster Marty Achatz, from the Lit for Christmas Podcast, to talk about his new spoken word album "Christmas with Bigfoot". It's a wonderful album of Christmas essays that talk about love, loss, Christmas - and much more. Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode as we will finish up with A Christmas Carol stave 5, and then on Christmas day I will be interviewing author Amy Boucher Pye and talking about Advent. Buy Marty's Album: https://streakingintongues.bandcamp.com/album/christmas-with-bigfoot Lit for Christmas: https://open.spotify.com/show/68Gf90KWF7OxoumBjDC2Ip Amy Boucher Pye's Celebrating Christmas Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

It's Christmas week, and I have several episodes planned for the week. Today's episode begins with a listener's memory - Mika Jeane wrote a beautiful new Christmas song and I loved it so much I wanted to play it on the podcast for all of you. Thank you Mika for letting me share this with my other listeners! The song is called Light Up, and you can also hear it on Mika's youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q58XM5etc5k&ab_channel=MikaJeane Then guest and new friend of the show Sarah Joy Kane stops by to have a fun Christmas chat with me. She's a singer and stage actor from NYC who's husband has recently joined the military. We talk about their transition from performing on stage to military life, we talk about our faith and how creativity connects us to God. After that the fun really kicks in, and we play a spirited game of "Would You Rather - Christmas Edition" and then finish up talking about more of our favorite Christmas things, including Christmas Eve family traditions. Linked below are Sarah's social media accounts and you will definitely want to follow her there. She spreads kindness and good cheer 365 days a year! Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjoyinthecity/?hl=en Tiktok and Other Links about Sarah: https://linktr.ee/SarahJoyKane Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Support the show www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Affiliate Links: Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.

Here's part 4 of A Christmas Carol. Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and is shown a cold, bleak future. Will he have a chance at redemption? This chapter has some of the most beautifully described scenes by Dickens. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas! Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Christmas is Coming Soon - and yes that's true, but it's also my favorite new Christmas song from singer/songwriter Rehya Stevens on her brand new album, 'Tis the Season. In today's episode I talk with Rehya about our Christmases last year and this year's expectations, her new album and some of my favorite songs from it, what makes Christmas music sound Christmasy, and the challenges of writing new Christmas music, among other things. Forget about all the "Spiderman No Way Home" reviews being released today, Gracie is here to bring you the review that you actually want to hear: she and I review the Birmingham Children's Theaters production of ELVES 2.0 - find out what she thought of it, her opinions of the actors and the writing, and then we toss around some ideas for ELVES 3.0... (you're welcome Sina!) and then have a little Christmas chat. Gracie has some very strong opinions about the kids in her school and when they think it's an appropriate time to decorate... Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 01:34 Gracie's Review of Elves 2.0 9:36 Gracie and I chat Christmas 15:00 Interview with Rehya Stevens Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Hi everyone, sorry this is late, but we've been sick (again) so it's made me get off schedule a little bit. But I finally got Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Stave 3 edited and ready to go for you! In this section Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present - and we'll see the classic scenes of the Cratchit Family as well as Scrooge's nephew's Christmas party. This was really fun to read! After I read the story, I get on a ramble about how much I love this chapter in the book, and some of the lessons it teaches me. Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] #Christmas #Christmaspods #ChristmasCarol #books

The Birmingham Children's Theater is back with a new Zoom play called Elves 2.0! This year the Elves at the North Pole are ready for anything - and they want to invite your kids along on a virtual tour of the NP! They've learned from all the mistakes and malfunctions that happened last year are ready for anything. What could possibly go wrong? We have a full crew in the interview booth today: friend of the show Sina Skates, writer of Elves 2.0. We're also joined by actors Davey Morrison, who plays Stevie the Green Elf, and LaShondra Hood, she plays Morgan the Red Elf. We have an absolute blast talking about the play and how it came together this year, and what's different about it from last year's play. Then we talk about our favorite Christmas music, movies, traditions, and then I blatantly steal a question from the Christmas Time in the City Podcast and we talk about what we would want Santa to say to us if we ever got to visit the North Pole. We also attempt to answer questions like - what is Santa's favorite Christmas movie? There is a ton of fun in store! Below are the links to the BCT website, as well as some promotional videos you can watch to get an idea of the show. Ticket's are on sale now! https://www.bct123.org/north-pole Meet Morgan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skcny9kKjK8&ab_channel=BirminghamChildren%27sTheatre Meet Stevie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QEEiWOMZDk&ab_channel=BirminghamChildren%27sTheatre Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] #theater #christmaspods #christmas

Today's story I read is Stave 2 of A Christmas Carol, in which we meet The Ghost of Christmas Past! Find out what happens when Scrooge is faced with painful events from his past. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:00 A Christmas Carol, part 2 40:45 Final Thoughts For more stories and author interviews check out The Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast: https://bookshelfodyssey.buzzsprout.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtBookshelfOdyssey Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] #christmaspods #christmas #audiobooks #booktube

In today's show, I'm interviewing author Natalie Bickel about her new children's Christmas book, The Christmas Clue. We talk about the best Children stories to read at Christmas time, as well as our Christmas memories, favorite movies and so much more. I also share a listener memory about how he fell in love with his wife during Christmas time, and that leads me down memory lane to talk about how me and my wife started dating, sort of, at Christmas time. (Note: During the interview, my audio is not the best - I'm not sure what was going on with my microphone, so hopefully it's not too distracting.) Find Natalie Online: https://www.natmosfear.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:38 Listener Memory 10:18 Interview with Author Natalie Bickel 50:00 What's Next Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] My other podcast: https://bookshelfodyssey.buzzsprout.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtBookshelfOdyssey #christmaspods, #books, #christmas

A Cozy Christmas Podcast Presents: A Christmas Carol, Stave 1, by Charles Dickens. We are into the Christmas season now, and for this month's story I'll be bringing you weekly installments of A Christmas Carol! As you all know, this is by far my favorite story of all time. I am so excited to bring you this story that I love so dearly. I know some of you have seen multiple versions of the story on TV, but maybe you haven't actually read the original story yet. Maybe you read it every year and it's words are familiar to you. I invite you to join me in celebrating the season through these beautiful words of Charles Dickens. Throughout the month of December, I'll be releasing other episodes and interviews and Christmasy discussions too, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode! Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Happy Thanksgiving! As a special thanksgiving episode, I invited Robert Peterpaul, actor and host of the new podcast The Art of Kindness, on to the show to talk about some kindness tips for the holiday season. We also have a lovely discussion about Christmas, the theater, our favorite Christmas songs and movies, we share our proposal stories, and much more. The world has been a difficult place for many people in recent days. It is both mine and Robert's hope that you find ways to be intentionally kind this year - and let us know! We are learning along with you. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! The A-OK Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-art-of-kindness-with-robert-peterpaul/id1572201034 Robert's website: https://www.robertpeterpaul.com/ To find me online, the Cozy Christmas merch stores, and other ways to support the podcast, check out all the links here: https://linktr.ee/cozychristmas

We're going back to the theater today! And there's a mystery afoot... What happens when the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Ebenezer Scrooge are thrown together? Find out in the new play that debuts today in NYC, A Sherlock Carol. My guest today is Mark Shanahan, he's the writer and director of the play. He comes from an extensive background in acting, writing and directing many plays both for the stage and radio. He stops by and we chat about his new play, the challenges of performing theater safely during a pandemic, and the power of stories - especially those by Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. Then, I read a Christmas mystery story by Thomas Hardy called "The Thieves Who Couldn't Stop Sneezing." It is a funny short story about a young man named Hubert who stumbles across some thieves planning to rob a nearby mansion. Find out what happens in this charming holiday tale. Timestamps 00:00 My review of Gerald Dickens' A Christmas Carol performance 07:17 Interview with Mark Shanahan 33:08 Story: The Thieves Who Couldn't Stop Sneezing by Thomas Hardy 52:08 December Plans and a Special Thank You! Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100307

Hello everyone! In today's episode I share a listener memory that's an emotional one. Fan of the show Katie shares her memory of spending Christmas 2010 with her niece who had leukemia. After I share that, I give a few tips on how to celebrate the holidays after a loved one has passed away. This can be a difficult conversation, but it's something that many of us have experienced. Then, author Ed Daly stops by to talk about his new work, The Christmas Book: The Ultimate Guide to Your Favorite Holiday. We talk his book, the origin and development of Christmas traditions, and of course our favorite Christmas books and stories. Check out the Cozy Christmas YouTube channel to see the November video in my Cozy Christmas Book Corner series to get my review of his book and a couple of others that I read last month. For more tips on how to create new holiday traditions after the death of a loved one, check out this article: https://whatsyourgrief.com/creating-new-tradition-after-a-death/ The Christmas Book: https://amzn.to/3HaiS9r (Amazon) https://bookshop.org/a/56283/9798454125066 (Bookshop) (The above are affiliate links. Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.) Timestamps 00:00 Intro discussion 03:35 Listener Memory and tips for dealing with grief 14:15 What's New 16:05 Interview with Ed Daly 56:43 Wrap Up Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected]

Happy November everyone! And happy Christmas Podcast Day! Have you ever wondered if a relative or friend might just be Santa Claus? Today I share a listener's memory of how his family member dressed up as Santa Claus one Christmas. His story reminds me of a Christmas tale that I read in the episode - "Old Father Christmas" by Juliana Horatia Ewing. It tells the story of two small children who think a local elderly man they meet near their house might just be Santa Claus. There's a few other odds and ends packed away in the episode, and be sure to check out the Cozy Christmas YouTube channel to see Gracie and I give some Christmas gift ideas as we look through some Christmas catalogues. Be sure to follow the hashtags #ChristmasPodcastDay and #ChristmasPods today as we kick off the holiday season in style. Art and Gracie's Christmas Gift Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncIS0fMhmxQ&ab_channel=ACozyChristmasPodcast Support the show www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and updates, YouTube channel 05:00 Listener Memory - and one from me, too! 10:20 What's in my Etsy Store 11:05 Story Introduction 12:18 Christmas Story: Old Father Christmas, by Juliana Horatia Ewing 31:48 Final thoughts on the story Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Music: Bethlehem - Christmas by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100307 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100307 Angels We Have Heard by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?collection=004&page=1 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Away In A Manger by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

The name's Claus... MRS. Claus... Have you ever wondered what Mrs. Claus does all year while Santa prepares for Christmas? Well, according to a new books series by author Liz Ireland, she solves mysteries. In today's episode I interview Liz Ireland, and we talk about her excellent new Mrs. Claus cozy mystery series and of course there's lots of talk about our favorite books, Christmas, movies and memories. After my chat with Liz, I read you another classic Christmas story, "Mr. Bluff's Experiences of the Holiday" written by Oliver Bell Bunce. It tells the story of Mr Bluff who dislikes holidays like Christmas. Will he, like many a Christmas protagonist before him, have a change of heart? Find out in today's story! Also be sure to check out the new Cozy Christmas shirts - link below! Timestamps: 00:00 Musings on the Amazon Holiday Gift Book 03:15 Introduction to Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings 04:10 Interview with Liz Ireland 50:27 Introduction to Mr. Bluff's Experiences of the Holiday 52:20 Story 01:08:45 Thoughts on the Story 01:12:48 Concluding Comments Affiliate Links: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Amazon/Bookshop) Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide (Amazon/Bookshop) Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you. Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: [email protected] Support the show www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Cozy Christmas shirts and merch!: https://www.teepublic.com/user/a-cozy-christmas Check out the Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast: Podcast: https://bookshelfodyssey.buzzsprout.com/ Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtBookshelfOdyssey

Happy October everyone! In today's episode I share a listener's memory from a cozy farm in Canada and he tells us about how his town welcomes Christmas. Then I head over to Portugal and share a couple of fun Christmas traditions the town of Braga has on Christmas eve. Finally, I read the essay Old Thoughts for Christmas by Christopher Morley. Published during the Christmas season after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Morley ponders the gift of peace and the need for kindness after such a horrific world war - and finds that Christmas can bring these things to us. And be sure to keep an eye out on the youtube channel this week as I'll be posting a video review of the book Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland. An excellent website for information about Christmas in Portugal: https://www.portugalist.com/portugal-christmas/ Affiliate Links: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Amazon/Bookshop) Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide (Amazon/Bookshop) Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you. Check out the Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast! Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:40 What's making me cozy: Mrs. Claus, Private Eye... 01:56 Mail Bag: Listener Memory 07:06 Christmas in Portugal 09:48 Old Thoughts for Christmas, by Christopher Morley 20:38 My thoughts on Old Thoughts 23:52 Final Comments Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375 Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/ twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod email: [email protected]

It's back to New York City, as I sit down with Chris and Kris from Christmas Time in the City podcast to talk with them about life in the Big Apple, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and much more. We play some fun trivia games about Iowa and have a lot of laughs along the way. Find them online: Website: http://www.christmastimeinthecity.com/ Youtube Channel: Click here for some awesome videos of NYC! Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: @cozychristmaspodcast twitter: @CozyXmasPod email: [email protected] A Cozy Christmas Youtube Channel Check out Art's new podcast: The Bookshelf Odyssey, episodes beginning August 20th! www.bookshelfodyssey.com Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

In today's episode I interview Anthony Caruso from Tis the Podcast. We talk about the origins of his podcast, the wonderful Christmas podcast community, his book Another Christmas Story, Christmas Movies, books, Italian Christmas family traditions and more. Grab a Pumpkin Spiced Latte, and enjoy our conversation! Chapter 31 of Another Christmas Story, Read by Art: Do You Hear What I Hear? Books Mentioned in the Podcast: -----Affiliate Links----- The Christmas Train (Amazon) Marley: A Novel (Amazon) A Boy Called Christmas (Amazon) The Girl Who Saved Christmas (Amazon) Santa is for Real (Amazon) The Christmas Hirelings (Amazon) A Christmas Carol (Amazon) Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you. Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: @cozychristmaspodcast twitter: @CozyXmasPod email: [email protected] Youtube: I'm going to try and post some more videos here and there on youtube, you can check out one I did with Gracie, or listen to the podcast there. A Cozy Christmas Youtube Channel Check out Art's new podcast: The Bookshelf Odyssey, episodes beginning August 20th! www.bookshelfodyssey.com Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Welcome to Episode 50! To celebrate, I'm dipping in to the Cozy Christmas mail bag to read some emails and share a very special recording from a listener. Our listener Michelle shared with me a recording of her mother reading the story "The Small One" by Charles Tazewel. It's the tale of a Donkey who finds himself having to be sold one day. It's a great story for those who like Christmas and small Donkeys. 00:00 Introduction 01:45 Listener Emails - we're talking mince meat pie, Christmas memories, and favorite stories. 11:20 Story: The Small One, 25:27 Introducing the Cozy Christmas website 28:38 Concluding thoughts Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: @cozychristmaspodcast twitter: @CozyXmasPod email: [email protected] Youtube: I'm going to try and post some more videos here and there on youtube, you can check out one I did with Gracie, or listen to the podcast there. A Cozy Christmas Youtube Channel Check out Art's new podcast: The Bookshelf Odyssey, episodes beginning August 20th! www.bookshelfodyssey.com Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

In today's episode, a listener from Ireland writes in to talk about their Christmas celebrations, I have some musings on one of the best gifts I've ever been giving, and I read Charles Dickens' Christmas essay: What Christmas is, as We Grow Older. Plus an exciting announcement! Timestamps 00:32 Christmas in Ireland memory 07:50 Art's Birthday Musings 12:19 Story Introduction 16:09 "What Christmas is, as We Grow Older" by Charles Dickens 28:25 The Bookshelf Odyssey Podcast promo 30:15 Closing thoughts and announcements (sooo many announcements today!) Thanks for listening! I'd love to hear from you - Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: @cozychristmaspodcast twitter: @CozyXmasPod email: [email protected] Youtube: I'm going to try and post some more videos here and there on youtube, you can check out one I did with Gracie, or listen to the podcast there. A Cozy Christmas Youtube Channel Check out Art's new podcast: The Bookshelf Odyssey, episodes beginning August 20th! www.bookshelfodyssey.com Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristm...

We've come to the final chapter of The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon! It's a tear jerker for sure... or is just me? In this chapter, when Moppet is struck dangerously ill (as so frequently happens to children in Victorian literature), Sir John must come to terms with his love for the little girl. They are not sure whether Moppet will live or die, and then the children's mother shows up... and Sir John's life may never be the same again. Grab some eggnog and box of kleenex... and enjoy this cozy Victorian Christmas story! See you all in August!

Happy Christmas in July! Today, Bill from thevillagecollector.com stops by again to talk about how he's been celebrating Christmas in July on his website, and I ask him 10 questions about collecting Christmas villages. If you want to answer those questions too, you can head over to his website and click on The Village Cafe page. (Link is below!) I want to say hello to my listeners in Ireland - I've had an increase in listeners there, so please let me know about any interesting Irish Christmas traditions! How would you answer Bill's 10 Christmas village collector questions? Check them out here, and let him know! http://thevillagecollector.com/desktop Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristm... Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast instagram: @cozychristmaspodcast twitter: @CozyXmasPod email: [email protected] Music: Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

This is part three of The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. It's the Christmas holidays at Penlyon Place! In part three of the story, there are several Christmas meals and celebrations that Sir John, Danby, Miss Hawberk and the three children attend. Sir John and the youngest child Moppet continue to form a loving bond. These chapters overflow with Christmas cheer and is definitely worth making some hot chocolate while you listen.

In these chapters, we find out what happens on the first day that three children come to stay with Sir John Penlyon for Christmas. Will he further shut off his broken heart from them or will they charm their way through his gruff exterior? Enjoy the second part of a heart warming Christmas tale! Due to life being crazy and my inability to read a calendar correctly (long story, don't ask) I don't think I'm going to be able to get another regular episode out on Monday this week, but no worries, I will have part 3 of this story out next Friday. I'll also be taking a vacation at the end of July/early August, so there will be a couple weeks break. Here's the Upcoming Schedule for the rest of Christmas in July and August (subject to change): 7/24 Part 3 of The Christmas Hirelings 7/26 Episode 47, Bill from thevillagecollector.com will be back, and other Christmas fun! 7/31 Part 4 of The Christmas Hirelings 8/15 Episode 49 8/30 EPISODE 50!! Ways to support the show: Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristm... Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristma... instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristm... twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod email: [email protected] Music: Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

It's our 1 year anniversary... and to celebrate, I baked each and every listener a chocolate turtle brownie... but then I ate them all. To celebrate today, I've got some special things in the episode including: A brand new Christmas story called The City of Limes by Jamie Kleman, then I talk to the author in an interview. After that Gracie and I chat about mince pies, brownies, and bears... oh my! If you'd like to watch my conversation with Gracie and her bears, check out our youtube channel - the video will be up in a few days! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:28 Story: The City of Limes 29:38 Interview with Jamie Kleman 01:11:30 Gracie and Her Christmas Bears Jamie Kleman's Website: https://jamielkleman.com/ The City of Limes Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljBhDagEB7M Life Changing Chocolate Turtle Brownies recipe: https://www.verybestbaking.com/toll-house/recipes/chocolate-turtle-brownies/ (be sure to add some extra caramel!) Help Support the show: www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas.com My etsy store is back with some Scrooge ornaments, and I'll be adding some different ornaments and things throughout the weeks/months ahead. https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Music: Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Welcome to a special bonus episode of A Cozy Christmas Podcast. Today, I'll begin reading one of my favorite Christmas novellas, The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Though it was published closer to the end of the Victorian period in 1894, it captures all the hallmarks of a Victorian story, overflowing with sentimentality - but there are some wonderful Christmasy scenes as well. It tells the story of a lonely, gruff widower Sir John Penlyon as he spends Christmas with his friend Danby and his niece Adela. Danby points out how Christmas is dull without children around, and Sir John agrees. Danby quickly hatches a scheme to find some children to hire to bring into Sir John's lonely house. Will the children bring some much needed joy to Sir John's life? In today's episode, we begin with the prologue that sets the story up, and then chapters 1-2 explain Sir John's backstory and why he has become so withdrawn and gruff. In next week's chapters, we will pick up where the prologue left off and find out what happens when the children arrive at Penlyon Place. Enjoy! You can help support the show: www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Angels We Have Heard on High by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Sina Skates, playwright from the Birmingham Children's Theater, is back on the show today and we're talking about keeping the magic of Christmas alive - 365! Well at least that's what we started talking about. As usual the conversation wanders - we talk about what's coming this Christmas at the BCT, how to get through the difficult Christmases, what keeps us in the mood for Christmas all year round, and all kinds of other topics. Sina wants to be the Christmas light in a dark world and she brings plenty of that to our episode today! Make yourself cozy and enjoy this interview! I'll see you on Friday with the first of a 4 part story - The Christmas Hirelings, by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. There's a lot of fun coming this month in the podcast! Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:20 Interview with Sina Skates 1:00:15 What's coming to the Podcast in July 1:03:40 Christmas in July Coaster Cozies Contest You can help support the show: www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Music: Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Angels We Have Heard on High by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Happy Christmas in July everyone!! If you love Christmas movies, especially Hallmark, then this is the episode you must listen to. I have on author Rachel McMillan, author of the book "A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide". She's back to talk about Hallmark Christmas movies with me, and gives us some ideas on how and where to watch the coziest Christmas movies ever made. Then I read a poem called December by John Clare. There's a contest going for Christmas in July going on, I will give one lucky listener a handmade Christmas coffee cup cozy so you can decorate your mugs year round. You can enter the contest by leaving a review, liking and sharing one of my social media pages, sending me a story or memory, and by donating to the show on ko-fi.com - you can get three or more entries! Just let me know if you'd like to be entered into the contest I'll sign you up. Books Mentioned: A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder A Singular and Whimsical Problem The Mozart Code Check out more of Rachel's books at rachelmcmillan.net and reach out to her on the socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachkmc/ Twitter: @rachkmc Help support the show: www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Time Stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:40 My thoughts on Pride, Prejudice, & Mistletoe 03:27 Interview with Rachel McMillan 45:58 Poem: "December" by John Clare 51:10 Contest entries and concluding thoughts Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

There's a little something for everyone in this Cozy Christmas cornucopia of Christmas cheer! I talk a bit about the antique festival in our town, share some happy news from a listener, talk about Christmas in Iran, and I have a special guest read today's story! Martin Achatz from the Lit for Christmas podcast stops by to read his essay, Gloop Christmas. Also I announce a new Christmas in July Contest that begins today! 0:00 Introduction 2:18 Walnut's Antique Weekend 4:00 Happy Father's Day - Listener Memory 5:28 Listener Memory - Christmas in Iran 12:25 Cozy Christmas in July Contest! 16:28 Lit for Christmas Promo 18:35 Gloop Christmas by Martin Achatz 32:07 Another Christmas Story by Anthony Caruso Recommendation and Concluding thoughts

Hello everyone! This episode was supposed to be out last week but due to Graduations and crazy life stuff it got delayed until today. Today's episode I talk about the book Christmas: A Biography, and then read you another story by Ellis Parker Butler. In today's story Joanne is home from school for the Christmas holidays. She's hoping for a nice, relaxing rest but her next door neighbor and prankster Tommy Bassick might have something to say about that... Find out what happens to her on Christmas morning in this delightful and cozy Christmas story! Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Merry Christmas - Today's episode will be an interview with Bill from thevillagecollector.com. You can also find him on the forums over at mymerrychristmas.com. I love Christmas villages and I'm excited to have Bill back with us. In the interview we chat about his website and what will be going on there this year. We talk about some trends in collecting and his on going hobby of collecting the best videos of Christmas villages. Whether you are a collector or just an admirer of Christmas villages, you won't want to miss this episode! Music: Deck the Halls B by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Happy May! In today's episode, I share a new segment called "This (Christmas) Day in History"... we go back to Christmas 1990 and learn about the creation of the World Wide Web - is that the best Christmas present ever? Then Gracie and I chat about her birthday, and then we play a Christmas Trivia Game - who do you think will win? Finally, I read a Christmas story entitled, "The Canned Plum Pudding" by Ellis Parker Butler. Have you ever had a regifting experience that went horribly wrong? Let this story serve as a lesson for you, and think twice before you send that gift off to someone else. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 This (Christmas) Day in History 08:30 Gracie's Birthday and Christmas Trivia 29:00 Introduction to the life of Ellis Parker Butler 32:40 Story: The Canned Plum Pudding by Ellis Parker Butler 45:20 Closing Comments and some very interesting comments about the Nishnabotna River. And a blooper. Music: Deck the Halls B by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100368 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100270 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Works Cited: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee Weaving the Web: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/006251587X/timbernersleeshome/102-2010687-8580159 http://web.archive.org/web/20090614155722/http://ellisparkerbutler.info/epb/bio.asp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Parker_Butler

The Long-Awaited, Over Due Easter Episode is here... and since the Eastern Orthodox Church apparently doesn't recognize Easter until May 2nd... I guess it's still early? Anyway, in today's episode I have author and blogger Gina Dalfonzo on to talk about Dickens' The Life of Our Lord, and we end up chatting about A Tale of Two Cities... though I don't mention it in the podcast, I think Tale of Two Cities might qualify as an "Easter Carol" - a great story to read every year at Easter time! I also finish reading The Life of Our Lord and offer up a new book recommendation: "Christmas: A Biography" by Judith Flanders. Links: Dickensblog: https://dickensblog.typepad.com/ Christmas: A Biography https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWGZC1F/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Help Support the Show: Buy Me a Coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Time Stamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:48 Cozy Christmas Book Corner Recommendation: Christmas: A Biography 05:27 Interview with author Gina Dalfonzo about "The Life of Our Lord" 48:35 Story Time: The Life of Our Lord, part 3 01:01:28 Some concluding thoughts on Easter Music: Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100263 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Bethlehem - Christmas by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100307 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

"God rest ye murdered gentlemen let nothing you dismay..." Can a murder mystery be cozy? It can when in the capable hands of author Vicki Delany and her cozy mystery series, The Year-Round Christmas Mystery series. We head to Canada for a wonderful chat about her books. Unfortunately Rudolph, NY, where the series is set and Christmas is celebrated year round, is NOT a real place... but a Christmas podcast host can dream, right? And besides, who wouldn't want to catch a sight of Santa in his swimsuit, am I right?.... Hello? Anyone? Just me? After my talk with Vicki I read another selection from The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens and I have a serious moment and share some Easter meditations I've been thinking on lately. I also share another listener memory and talk about some Christmas snacks. Grab your egg nog (yum!) and some marshmallow peeps (barf), it's a Christmas and Easter episode! Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:17 Listener Memory and Christmas snacks! 07:21 Author Interview: Vicki Delany 41:18 The Life of Our Lord, part 2 57:52 My Easter Meditations 01:01:37 Conclusion Author Website: http://vickidelany.com/ Book: "Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen" https://www.amazon.com/Murdered-Gentlemen-Year-Round-Christmas-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00SI0B5R6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HCUFIRORTT6H&dchild=1&keywords=rest+ye+murdered+gentlemen&qid=1616361097&sprefix=Rest+ye+murder%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1 Help Support the Show: Buy Me a Coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Music Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100263 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Earnest by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100248 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Happy Easter month, to those who celebrate! In today's episode I talk a little bit about Charles Dickens' gospel, The Life of Our Lord, that he wrote for his children. Since this is primarily a Christmas podcast, I read from his chapters about the birth and early life of Christ. I also share a listener's thoughts about a different perspective on A Christmas Carol, give a book recommendation for this month's Cozy Christmas Book Corner, and I share a memory of mine that explains why the carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" has haunted my nightmares. Author Website: http://vickidelany.com/ Book: "Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen" https://www.amazon.com/Murdered-Gentlemen-Year-Round-Christmas-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00SI0B5R6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HCUFIRORTT6H&dchild=1&keywords=rest+ye+murdered+gentlemen&qid=1616361097&sprefix=Rest+ye+murder%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1 Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:13 Listener Memory: A different perspective on A Christmas Carol 7:15 Cozy Christmas Book Corner: Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany 11:17 My Christmas Memory: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 15:33 Introduction to The Life of Our Lord 19:12 Christmas Story: The Life of Our Lord Chapters 1-2 26:37 Closing Comments Help Support the Show: Buy Me a Coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast Music Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100263 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen John Vallis (johnvallis.co.uk) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Silent Night Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Winter is in full swing, and Grace and I have the giggles today. I ask her some Holly Jolly Christmas questions and they quickly spiral into moments of laughter as we're interrupted by her Teddy Bears, we try to figure out the names of Santa's reindeer, and I'm reminded how nice a kid she is when I ask her the question: if you could have any gift on your wishlist what would it be? Her answer surprised me! I also share another listener memory from Rick, and how the song "Downtown" puts him in a Christmas mood, I recommend a book, and read the story "The Set of Poe" by George Ade. Though I don't mention it in the episode, we just hit 30,000 downloads! Thank you THANK YOU for all who have been listening this past year. I'm overwhelmed and grateful for you all! 00:00 Introduction 02:10 Holly Jolly Christmas with Gracie 19:37 Listener Memory 25:08 Cozy Christmas Book Corner: A Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton 31:47 Story: The Set of Poe by George Ade 45:15 Concluding Thoughts Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100270 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ https://bethkempton.com/christmas/

Welcome to the start of season 2! In today's episode, I share with you what has been keeping me in the Christmas mood (hint: snow, cookies, and music); Then I share an email from our listener Rick who writes to tell about his favorite Christmas movies - and he has some shocking and very strict guidelines on what counts as a Christmas movie. Then, I read the Christmas chapter from Charles Dickens' first novel, The Pickwick Papers. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and come on in by the fire! Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 0:58 Deck the Halls: Winter Weather and Cookies https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/chewy-pumpkin-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/ 03:50 Listener Memory: Rick's Favorite Christmas movies 09:58 Introduction and background for The Pickwick Papers 12:12 The Pickwick Papers, Chapter 30 36:50 Thoughts on the story, plans for upcoming episodes, and closing comments. PS: Gracie will be on next weeks episode, we didn't have time to record anything together this past week. Music: Deck the Halls and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100270 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

It's the final episode of the 2020 Christmas season, and we've got a full and fun episode ahead. I read another great memory from our listener Rick... we learn that sometimes gift giving can be a fun, but complicated, process. Then I interview Manny, the host of the Feliz Christmas Merry Navidad podcast and we talk about his podcast, paying it forward, and the magic of Santa. After that, Gracie and I talk about her Christmas and some of the Teddy Bears she got, a couple of snow storms we experienced, and a (Covid Safe) Christmas surprise trip we were able to take. I wrap up the first season with some reflections and stats about the show. I am overwhelmed by how you the listeners responded to the show. The show ends with a reading of Susan Noyes Anderson's poem, "Christmas Past: The Afterglow" which is a fitting end to a wonderful Christmas season. See you all in a couple of weeks for Season 2! Timestamps 0:00 Intro 1:23 Listener Memory 5:00 Interview with Manny from the Feliz Christmas Merry Navidad podcast 38:13 Gracie's Christmas 54:35 Season One Recap 01:02:12 Poem: Christmas Past: The Afterglow by Susan Noyes Anderson https://susannoyesandersonpoems.com/ Music: Deck the Halls by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100263 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Noel by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Angels We Have Heard by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?collection=004&page=1 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Look out everyone, it's a flood of books! In today's episode I look at two different Christmas traditions - Jólabókaflóð the Icelandic celebration of books at Christmas, and Epiphany, the holiday that commemorates the Magi's visit to the baby Jesus. In the Jólabókaflóð segment, I participate in the Christmas Carol Book Tag prompt in which I answer 8 Christmas Carol inspired questions about books. In the Epiphany segment, I read the account of the Magi from Matthew Chapter 2, and then I read a couple of poems by Cecil Frances Alexander: "Once in Royal David's City" and "The Adoration of the Wise Men". I take a few minutes to reflect on the lessons from the story of the Wise Men. I don't know how you are supposed to celebrate Epiphany, but I enjoyed putting this together. Oh, and tucked in between the segments is a wonderful listener memory from Rick. I know you'll enjoy his story, and we are going to hear more from him in the future. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 2:45 Jólabókaflóð: The Christmas Book Flood 5:45 Booktube's Christmas Carol Book Tag - Hear art answer 8 bookish prompt questions and you'll get to hear some of his favorites. 18:00 Listener memory from Rick 22:40 The story of the Wise men, from Matthew 2:1-12 29:04 2 Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander and Epiphany reflections Music: Deck the Halls, by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: [We Three Celtic Kings] by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In today's episode, Todd Killian from Christmas Clatter stops by and we enjoy a cozy chat. (This is the full interview that you heard a portion of in the Christmas Extravaganza episode.) Todd and I talk about: -podcasting -working at the USPS -The Weather, Family, and Christmas -The Killian Family Cookie Day -Christmas Trees -An exclusive never-before-told Todd Killian Christmas memory! -I also share a story with Todd about why my sister sends me a penny at Christmas. Check out Todd's podcast at https://www.christmasclatter.com/ and sign up for his upcoming newsletter! I'll be back in a few days with an episode with a story and some listener memories. Take care everyone and have a Merry Christmas! Help Support the show at https://ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Come on in, the Cozy Christmas Podcast is ready for an exciting Christmas celebration! I've gathered together some of our favorite podcasters to celebrate the best day of the year! Manny from Feliz Christmas Merry Navidad is reporting live from the North Pole. What do you think he'll see while he's there? We also have musical guests, some stories, and a lot of Christmas cheer. So come on in and enjoy the show! And Merry Christmas! Timestamps: 1:02 Commercial: Waist Watchers 2:07 On Location with Manny, part 1 5:30 Snow in Southtown Apostrophe Song 8:50 Interview with Todd Killian, part 1 (part 2 coming in an upcoming episode) 21:00 Our Salute to the Post Office with the Chardon Polka Band 25:24 Commercial: Records 26:15 On Location with Manny, part 2 28:05 Caroling with Gerry & Little #1 29:30 Story Time 38:25 On Location with Manny, part 3 40:50 It's Christmastime with Johanna Jones 46:00 On Location with Manny, part 4 54:15 Christmas Reflections and Thanks you's!

We have a tale of two musicians today in this 2nd part from yesterday's Cozy Christmas Music episode. First up is singer/songwriter Lucas Morgan. He is 17yo high school student who has just made his first album, called "Get Your Christmas On". It was so fun talking to a young man who knows what he wants to do and is going after it with passion. We chat about his album, his favorite music, and Christmas! Keep an eye on this kid - I think he's going to do great things! You can find his album on amazon or sample it on youtube. Here is his website: https://lucashuntermorgan.wixsite.com/lucasmorganmusic His Spotify link: Grab your Christmas bratwursts everyone, because next I talk to Jake from the Chardon Polka Band. Like Lucas, he began to get interested in music while in school. Now he is a full time musician and brings the joy of polka music where he goes. Their new album, A Very Polka Christmas, brings some much needed fun to 2020. Hit the links below for more info and music! It's polka-liscious. www.chardonpolkaband.com facebook.com/thechardonpolkaband http://www.youtube.com/thechardonpolkaband