Farewell, 2017

What a year. It went fast. A lot of fine things happened in our family, like the birth of my granddaughter. Christmas is really exciting with a little one running about. Family will pull me away from blogging for a while.  I'll post again on the first Wednesday of 2018 for IWSG day. I'll still be writing, but my time on social media will be limited.

We had the first snow that actually hung around last Saturday. Only about two inches in my neck of the woods though not far away, they received more. My sister in Picayune, MS sent me a picture of the three inches they had on Friday. They built a little 12 inch high snowman.

Those fires in California are horrific. Keeping those suffering and worried in my thoughts and prayers.

Hope you have clear weather and can step outside at night and take in the yearly celestial display from the Geminids meteor shower happening this week. I think the best time is around the 13th or 14th. Those of us living in the northern hemisphere have the best show.

Netflix isn't letting me down during the TV drought. Lots of offering from Disney on there and from the Marvel Universe. I really enjoyed The Punisher and my daughter and I are enjoying Godless though it's a really grim and dark show.

Christmas shopping is pretty much complete at my house with only a few gift cards to be picked up for stocking stuffing. And perhaps a few bottles of wine. This is also the first time since I graduated from college where I don't have any traveling to do over the holiday. More time at home, though the reason for it leaves a hole in the family.

And a wish for all my blogger friends. May you find the joy of the season and spend time with those you love. If I could share out the huge mountains of it we'll have at our house, I would send some to all of you.

Are you taking any writing breaks over the holiday season? Doing any traveling? Are you going to enjoy the meteor show? Done with the Christmas shopping?

Friday Before the Season

I never do any Christmas decorating before the first weekend in December. So that means I'll start tomorrow or maybe Sunday. The tree won't go up until a few days before Christmas when my daughter is home to help. Shopping ... not really started. And most will be done online.

Tomorrow I'll be enjoying myself at my local writers' group holiday party. Mostly a lot of eating, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. The rest of the weekend and the start of next week will be filled with edits from my new publisher, Musa, who will be releasing my previously publishing titles from the series, The Futhark Chronicles. Book one is coming out in February.

Some wisdom from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

It is unlucky to say "wolf" in December.

"Don't talk about yourself. It will done when you leave." Wilson Mizner

Hopefully, you've downloaded your free copy of The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond already. If not, what are you waiting for? Thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who gave the book a shout-out.

The Tolkien quote today is one I'm keeping at the forefront of my thoughts as I consider all the things I need to accomplish in the next few weeks including working on my newest book.

"It's the job that's never started that takes the longest to finish." J.R.R. Tolkien

Don't forget Sunday is Pearl Harbor Day. Though it was well before my time, my father and all my uncles enlisted shortly after that day. Our family was fortunate that they all came home but so many of that generation did not.

Hope you have a great weekend. Did you get THE guide to writing this week? Have you said 'wolf' this month yet? Have a job that you're putting off? Did you decorate for Christmas yet or start shopping?

The Gang's All Here

My children are all home for the holidays. My youngest son took his last final at Penn State yesterday and arrived home in the afternoon. My daughter arrived home from Boston on Wednesday. We put up our tree yesterday and decorated it last night. My children are funny with their traditions about who puts on which part of the decorations. They don't want things to change even a little bit. There really is no place like home. There's nothing like Mom's cookies, mom's Christmas brunch and Mom's help with everything. At least, I think they feel that way.

I know many of my fellow bloggers are taking breaks over the holidays and I am only going to post two or three more times before 2013. That is if the world doesn't end today. I bought the Christmas ham just in case we're still here.

On this last day of school before the holiday, we'll be having a blood donation drive. I'll be giving as usual and so will most of our faculty and many students. It's a great way to start the holidays, by giving something that could save someone's life. It's one of many upcoming feel good moments.

I wish all my blog readers the very best health and cheer for the end of 2012. I hope you spend many hours surrounded by family and friends. I know many of you will find ways to share your good fortune with others.

On the writer's side of my holiday hopes, I wish everyone to receive lots of new electronic devices. Tablets, ereaders, laptops and smartphones. I expect to have three new books published in 2013, maybe even more and I hope there are lots of people eager to purchase some reading material for their new toys. I mean their new necessities.

Are you home for the holidays? Are going home for the holidays? Are you 'giving' in some special way this year? Expecting some new personal electronic devices?

A Writer's Christmas

I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas.  I'm exhausted from all the fun, games, food,(preparation and eating), staying up late catching up with everyone and non-stop cleaning up after everything and everyone.  In other words, it was wonderful.

But now it's the day after and time to make plans for the coming year.  A few changes I've incorporated already into my writing life I intend to keep.  For the last few months, I have stuck to my plan to exercise at least thirty minutes a day, five or more times per week.  I'm going to keep that up, for lots of reasons.  The second thing I've been doing lately is reading more.  I will keep that going.  I have a stack of books from the library I'm attacking at a steady pace of about one or two per week.  In between those two things plus my day job and my family, I'm concentrating on my writing. 

My wonderful family gave me some assistance in my plans.  My youngest son gifted me with an iTunes gift card to update some of my running music. I've been working out to the same songs for a few months so hopefully the new tunes will keep the old legs moving, maybe even a little faster.  My second son bought me a leather bound journal so beautiful I don't know if I can bring myself to write on its lovely pages.  My daughter bought me a multi-disk set of old John Wayne movies.  What better background for writing my fantasy novels filled with action and heroes?  My oldest son bought me a candle for in my office and a bottle of expensive amaretto to help me through editing.  My husband, bless him, bought me a BAM gift card.  There are so many things I can use that for, I don't know where to start.

So this next year, I'm going to strive for balance with family, my health and the advancement of my writing career.  How about you? Planning on more of the same?  Keeping what's working or changing things up?

Gift Giving

I remember when Christmas was easy. My boys were little and begged for the newest Power Rangers or GIJoe toys. The lego castle system provided a lot of pricey entertainment but still fit in the budget. We enjoyed shopping for our baby girl and all those doll things we'd never purchased before. Things have changed.

The boys are in college and one of them already out and working. My little girl is in high school. Gift requests now range to things like $60 games for Xbox 360 for the boys and a list of gift cards. The girl wanted a new indoor hockey stick, not too bad at $85 and driving four hours to pick it out. Oh, and the class ring of which we won't mention the price. But by far the worse gift list is from the oldest. A single guy working at a pretty good job, he doesn't want anything in particular. I'd rather he ask for something expensive.

I guess all mothers hold onto those memories of Christmas morning when your child opens that special surprise with a squeal of delight and joy. So every year I waste hours prying and pondering the perfect gift. And every year it becomes more difficult. So I'm busy worrying about it and haven't come up with more than one idea for one child so far.

Do you do this? How difficult are those adult children to delight? Maybe I should just wait for those grandchildren to come along and rediscover the magic of Christmas with them.

Retirement Plans

I'm not sure at what age I started looking for retirement from my day job. I'm a school teacher and I love the teenagers I teach but that doesn't mean I don't want to retire. I dream of being able to write all day long and not worry about money. Dream is the correct term.

The Reality is I have four children. One has graduated from college and paying for his used up what we thought would be enough to pay for all of them. Reality is that my husband and I didn't research college costs when our children were little and then keep up with the dramatic and ridiculous increases in tuition fees. Who could know his college would cost forty times what mine did?

Currently I have two sons enrolled in college and we're struggling along to help them stay there. For middle class families like ours and average students like my children, there are no grants, no scholarships and no help. We're on our own.

My husband is retired from teaching but continues to work at another job to see that our children can go to school.

Now I usually use this blog to talk about writing or my books so I don't want to disappoint you. Please buy my books and help my boys pay for college. If you buy six or seven copies of each it would be even better. Maybe you can give them to everyone for Christmas and stock up for those last minute birthday presents. Perhaps you can deduct the cost from your taxes as a donation to a scholarship fund for hard working and not very rich kids. Thanks.

Gift Giving

I hope few of you were swept up in the mob of shoppers today. I refrained as I have for many years. I do have my shopping lists compiled and they're much smaller than many other years. And I've picked up a few small items over the course of the last few weeks. But I'm not feeling the pressure yet. I have two sons in their early twenties, one working, one in college, and they claim money would be the best gift. What fun is that on Christmas morning?
I love Christmas when I can find the perfect gift for everyone. Price has nothing to do with it. A perfect gift proves intimate knowledge of the receiver by the giver. I can remember the times I found those wonderful perfect gifts and the times I received them. And none of them were expensive or even rare items. So though my lists are mostly complete with things my children and spouse have intimated they would like to have, I'm still searching for those 'perfect' gifts from my heart to them.
What gifts have you given or received that were perfect? Do you have any planned for this year?