The Case of the Disappearing Name Day

The Case of the Disappearing Name Day

This year, I don’t get a name day. I mean, that’s not quite true. Today is, in fact, my name day. In the Orthodox Church, we celebrate the feastday of our patron saint as our name day. My patron saint is Joseph the Betrothed, foster father of our Lord and protector of...
Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins: A Review

Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins: A Review

Of all the stories that we tell about St. Nicholas, the most familiar is probably the one that Jim Forest retells in Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins. The Story of the Poor Man and His Three Daughters It’s the story about a poor man who had three daughters. In...
Five Tips for a Merrier Christmas

Five Tips for a Merrier Christmas

Let’s all be honest: As much as we love Christmas, it’s stressful. Expectations are high. Expenses are high. Reality doesn’t match up to the images you see online. No wonder so many people take their Christmas decorations down on December 26. They’re ready for it all...
The Miracle of Saint Nicholas: A Review

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas: A Review

There’s a lot that’s wonderful about The Miracle of Saint Nicholas. The story is set in the small Russian village of Zeema sometime after the fall of the Soviet Union. It’s Christmas eve. The village church, the Church of St. Nicholas, has been closed for 60 years. A...
The Baker’s Dozen: A Review

The Baker’s Dozen: A Review

Most children’s book authors have a day job that pays their bills, while they work on their books in the evenings, or on the weekends when they’re not trying to catch up with laundry and cooking. There are exceptions, of course, but not many. I’m a technical writer....