I have a love-hate relationship with the brassiere. I think a bra can be pretty and sexy, but I can't wait to take it off at the end of the day. Sometimes my bras are strewn around my living room. Not because Husband finds me irresistible (although he does), but because I often take my bra off while watching TV. I fling it in his direction so he can have a sniff. He loves that part. My bras lay around my living room because I often go braless. So, if I tore one off yesterday and left it on the couch, it is probably still there today. The one I wore the day before might be there too. Because I'm inherently lazy and probably didn't pick it up or put it back on.

I have a whole drawer full of bras in various colours, styles, and purposes. I even have matching panties for some of them. A bra can make you feel so good – sexy to the point that you can hardly wait for your partner to touch it and rip it off you, especially if it's one of those bra's that let your nipples peek out. I love those! They drive men mad, and that sort of reaction can make a woman feel powerful. 

The bra-see-ay can be sexy, ordinary, a workhorse, strapless, cupless, shiny, cotton, silk, underwire, trainer, medical, bold. I could go on and on with the modifiers. The thing is, they hold the most defining part of a woman's body – the breasts.

Breasts are so beautiful. I get why men like them. When I was a little girl, I liked to draw pictures of women with barbie doll bodies. Those women always had long hair flipped up at the ends, red lips, tiny waists and huge boobs. It's no wonder I grew up to write erotica. The suggestion of how a woman's body should look was planted firmly in my mind by pop culture. I don't have that kind of body, but I sure appreciate one. I've accepted that my body will never look like that. It's okay. It's less maintenance.

Panties are another marvel of the modern world. They keep us clean and protected. They have almost the same properties as the bra – they can be pretty, sexy, functional, modest, minuscule. I'm not sure that panties have the same effect on Husband as the bra does, but he likes my butt, so maybe they do.

I can't think of many cons for panties, outside of the riding up that sometimes happens when wearing an ill-fitting pair. Going commando is pleasant under the right circumstances, but sexy panties can be a thrill. The first time Husband got close enough to me to investigate my panties, he exclaimed, "You've got on frilly knickers!" (He's Australian – he talks funny!). He was delighted, and so was I. Similarly to Ginny, as she was dressing for that first date with Mike, I was glad that I had thought to wear my pink lace panties and matching bra. I felt confident at that moment.

Even though I think the thong looks incredible, I can't embrace it. Some women swear by it, claiming it's the most comfortable thing they've ever worn. NO. Other than the apparent benefit of no panty line, I don't see the attraction. To me, a thong is not comfortable until my bottom becomes so numb from the friction that I can't feel anything anymore. Further to that, sniffing them is out of the question. Sorry. I default to the old standard panty. It's practical, comfortable and looks good on me. Then again, maybe a pearl thong would be nice.

That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again next Sunday.​

I took these photos when Husband and I travelled to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is sometimes referred to as the holiest place on earth, as three significant religions reside there, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. More than eight and a half million people live there in approximately 125 square kilometres of space. It's crowded - and hot.

Once in a while, you get to visit a place where you can feel it's power. Uluru, Australia, is one of those places. The air vibrates with an inexplicable energy. That's the way it was for us as we walked down the streets of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We walked the same path, the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus pulled his cross along his final steps toward his crucifixion. We touched the marble slab where his body was anointed after his death. To stand at the places where Jesus was born and then resurrected was incredible.

The pictures show the juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern. Western commercial and economic influences are evident. Cobblestone walkways polished shiny from billions of footsteps over millennia—the Roman Empire's impact in architecture amid the cities modern-day inhabitants. It was a wonderland there - a truly magical place.

That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again tomorrow.

TJCorman

I took this classic Christmas poem and turned it into an irreverent parody. These are only the first two verses. I'm not game to post the whole thing on my blog. You will have to wait for an in-person meeting at a book club dinner or some such event where we meet in person. Please accept my most sincere apologies if I offend you in any way. And I hope that Clement Clarke Moore pardons me for making his Christmas classic into a sexy joke. Gone now for over two hundred years, I hope he is not turning in his grave.​

T'was the Night Before Christmas Parody


T’was the night before Christmas and all through the abode,
Not a creature was stirring, not even the dog,
The bras and panties were hung on the Christmas tree with care,
In hopes that Saint Husband, soon would be there;
​
The adults were nestled all snug in their bed,
While visions of orgasms filled up their heads.
Mama in her negligee and I in my skivvies,
Had just settled down for a long night of jiggy.

                That's it for now. Have yourself the best day - and speculate on what the rest of my poem says!
                                                                     I'll speak to you tomorrow.

TJCorman

                                                                                                                                                    Photo by Katya Austin


T.J. Corman's List of Five Favourite Things in 2020

1. Chocolate - sorry husband - he made number one on the other list
2. Sex - I reiterate - sorry husband - chocolate is chocolate after all
3. Vodka - speaks for itself. I've discovered vodka late in life, but say no more, it made number three
4. Sunglasses - of course - goes without saying
5. Black hair dye - Obviously

That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again tomorrow.

TJCorman

As promised, here is the story of how my book club usually celebrates Christmas together.

I feel lucky to be part of the book club I'm in. I became a member fourteen years ago when my neighbour invited me to join her book club. I had only just moved into the neighbourhood and felt a bit shy about joining, so I begged off and said maybe I would join later. I was settling into my new house. My husband and I were renovating, working full time, and I was wary of joining a group of women I hardly knew.

A whole year went by before I took them up on their offer. The group's main organizer lived across the street from me, and I felt I knew her well enough by now. She is very friendly and inclusive. She and her husband host a happy hour in their yard every day after work, so after many visits in the sun and glasses of wine in my belly, I felt I knew them quite well. I asked if there was still room for one more person in her book club, and she accommodated my request.

You have to get the whole picture here. One woman was a friend from work, but the rest of us were neighbours. And, we saw one another almost every day for happy hour. It was a group of six women who liked each other and lived right beside one another (except for the friend from work).

Back then, celebrating Christmas was simple. We each made a dish, and we had a potluck dinner. Our husbands came because they knew one another too. We could drink as much as we liked because we only had to walk across the street to go home (except for the friend from work!). We would exchange presents with one another – one for each person in the group. So you gave five gifts and received five gifts. It was great fun.

Over time, the faces within the group changed. One of our members was killed in a car accident – a heartbreaking day for all of us. One member wasn't into it anymore, so she dropped out – no judgement on our part. A new woman moved into the neighbourhood, so we invited her to join us. My husband and I moved a few miles down the road, but we kept our friendship with this group of beautiful people. The friend from work moved to a whole different town but remained in the group. It's that good.

The book club Christmas celebration began to evolve also. One year, we graduated from a house party to a fancy restaurant. We loved the concept. We got all dolled up in our finery, drove miles and spent bags of money. We exchanged gifts in the usual way, but it didn't feel the same. It wasn't a "down-home" affair like it was when we were literally at home across the street from one another. We didn't get to visit whoever was at the other end of the table. We had to drink responsibly because of the driving part. All in all, it just wasn't the same. So, we went back to the standard house party. Fun. Nothing but fun!

Time ticked on. We were all getting older and working full time. We were tired and didn't feel like cooking, hosting a house party, cleaning up beforehand, cleaning up afterward – all that good stuff. So we put our heads together and decided to splurge and have our party catered. This was a fine idea and a delightful extravagance. We loved the catered food. It was fantastic to have someone bring food to your house, hot and ready to eat! That went over really well, but there was still travelling involved because we didn't all live in the neighbourhood anymore. There's that drinking and driving problem again - we do not drink and drive.

By the time the next Christmas party came around, we had decided that we would rent the penthouse suite at a local hotel (note that in my novel, Ginny's love interest, Mike, lives in the penthouse suite at Jessie's hotel). Add a couple more hotel rooms, and we had ourselves a party we could all enjoy. We all stayed overnight and partied the night away. We brought food for breakfast and snacks, but we decided to have our party catered. This party was the best of all. No one had to drive, cook, or clean. It was perfection.

To summarize, this is what we do...stay in a hotel, have the party catered in our room, and exchange gifts (the men are even in on the action now). Basically, we eat and drink until we can't anymore, then we go to bed down the hall. Of course, we cannot get together this Christmas, and we are all missing one another. I keep looking forward to how much fun it will be when the pandemic is over, and we can celebrate together again.

That’s it for now. Have yourself the best day. I’ll speak to you again tomorrow.

TJCorman

Book Club Give-Away Challenge
​Today I’m starting a celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Over the next twelve days, I will be posting beautiful original photographs, funny GIFs, jokes, and heartwarming stories. To kick off this event, I’m starting with a challenge to book clubs. ​

​I will send four paperback copies of my novel To You, From Me to the book club that tells me the best Christmas story. Here's what you have to do to qualify:

1. Have a minimum of four members in your book club (please tell me your names – DM me or email me if you feel safer doing so).
2. Follow me on Instagram and friend me on Facebook (T.J. Corman).
3. Like and share this page.
4. Summarize what you do with your book club to celebrate Christmas. Include a picture of you and your book club friends if you wish.
5. Submit your entry by midnight, December 24.

Respond below in "comments" to tell me your story, or go to www.tjcorman@shaw.ca with your email.

Follow my blog to read about how my personal book club celebrates together.​

Limited play within Canada. Not affiliated with Instagram or Facebook.

​That's it for now. Have yourself the best day. I'll speak to you again tomorrow.

TJCorman