Anyone familiar with Game Of Thrones knows this warning. I read several of the books, but have not seen the HBO series. It’s a warning of bleak, dark, dangerous times ahead. That pretty much sums up what I think of a Midwest winter.

When I was a child, I wasn’t fond of the cold but it didn’t matter as much. If it was a weekend, or a snow day, we’d bundle up and go sledding without much thought. There were snowmen, snowballs, and snow angels to consider. But now…well…all I know now is it’s going to be cold, and if I fall on the ice I’m liable to break a hip.

This is a list on how I know winter is coming.

• Temperature’s dropping
• Leaves are falling
• Golf course has closed
• Ski resort is making snow
• Soups and stews are becoming the dinner of choice
• Hunting season is upon us
• Rutting deer make night driving scary
• Next week is our annual lefse making day
• Today is Halloween, yet Christmas has been making an appearance for weeks
• Hallmark and Lifetime are playing their Countdown to Christmas movies
• Facebook posts are reminding us we need to be thinking Christmas shopping/decorating
• I’m beginning to panic about Christmas!!
• I’m beginning to dream more and more about Florida

Yes, winter is coming and there’s nothing we can do to stop it, so I’m going to have to find a way to make the best of it. It is a good time to tackle the to-be-read books stacked in my bedroom.

Here’s an exciting thought about something great to look forward to this winter. “Mary Bishop” is in the final stages of publication preparations. I returned my revisions to my editor after her first round of notes and she is now reading. (Word is, she’s pretty happy with what I sent.) And I’ve begun talking to a photographer and graphic artist about my cover. My plan is to have it ready for publication late January or early February 2020. Stay tuned!