Sunset and evening star,

 And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

 When I put out to sea,

--from Crossing the Bar, by Tennyson.

I've always liked that poem and used it in a talk many years ago. It's the only thing I remember about that talk. The poem isn't long, but it's poignant.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I did not smoke a turkey this year because I couldn't use the smoker. Instead, we had brisket and potatoes, a very good choice.

I didn't have time to include a history bite in this issue because the time I had set aside for doing it got filled by something unexpected - but for the record, it was not the Spanish Inquisition.

Here I am explaining my next topic:

If you want the perfect Christmas present for boys who read, or for boys who need to catch the reading bug, you can find it here: Accidental Pirates.

On that subject, here's an interview with me about the book;

and here's an Excerpt from Accidental Pirates.

More explanation:

In writing, I've started chapter 18 in the sequel to the above book. I also sent in another short story for consideration for publication, but I won't hear back for a month or two on it.

Also, I have a short story here entitled "The Blacksmith's Work." Click the link and then click on the story title in the red list to read it for free. You might check out the other items as well. Let me know what you think of "The Blacksmith's Work." I think some people may hate it.

In reading, I just finished Merlin's Bones by Fred Saberhagen. You can find my thoughts on it here. I'm still reading Empire of the East, and I've added Carthage Conspiracy by Dallin H. Oaks to my reading feast.

In music I recall listening to some Beatles and Rush's A Farewell to Kings. I had the Beatles Greatest Hits 62-69 album (on cassette tape) when I was in high school. Eventually, it came down with that annoying squeal that tended to afflict the cassettes I listened to most, so I had to throw it away. In the digital age, I reacquired it. However, the album I heard this week was the soundtrack to a Beatles documentary. As for A Farewell to Kings, it's the most mellow of the Rush albums with which I am familiar, and it contains what may be the band's greatest work: "Xanadu." It's certainly the honey-dew and milk of paradise of that album.

Take a minute to browse these selections. Seriously, every click helps:

Tis the Season for Magic - Free Fantasy and Sci-fi

Fast-Paced Fantasy and Sci-fi

"It's not how many hours you put in, it's what you get done while you're working." -- The Art of the Deal, Donald Trump.