Thursday, December 29, 2011

As another year winds down, I have to once again remind myself of all I'm grateful for.  First off, my husband and family.  Secondly, our health.  While my parents are facing some issues, I'm going to try and be confident that everything will work out in those areas. 

2012.  Wow.  Sounds so strange.  Ah well, I'll get used to it, and it will be my first year working full time as a writer. 

I got revisions on The Cop's Missing Baby the other day and they are brilliant!  I love a good set of revisions, because revising always makes the story better.  I'm working on those right now.  When I get them done, I'll go back to The Wolf Prince. 

I'm still going to physical therapy for my ankle and hoping to avoid surgery, though I'm wondering....  If I do have to do the surgery, I hope it works out for the best. 

In case I don't post before New Years, I wish you and yours a Happy, Safe, and Prosperous New Year!

Monday, December 26, 2011

It's the day after Christmas.  It's all over - the shopping, the wrapping, the gift-giving, the cooking, the eating - all of it with family and friends.  I supposed I'm a bit melancholy; I usually am the day after the big holiday.  But this year, I'm so exhausted I'm not sure there's room for anything else. 

I wanted to get back to work on the book today and I've tried - sort of.  No real desire or drive and as a result I've barely written 200 words. 

What I have done is cook eggs and bacon for lunch (right?), play with my new Kindle Fire, play with my puppy, surf the internet, play a LOT of games of solitaire on the computer, and long for sleep.  Tonight I'm warming up leftover ham and that's about it.  My husband went to the gym (he's dedicated!) and lazy slug that I am, I declined.  Too.  Tired.  Seriously.  I'm worn out.

So by tomorrow, I've got to get back on track.  But for the rest of this day-after-Christmas, I'm going to sit around and let myself rest.

Saturday, Christmas Eve, 2011

To you and yours, I wish delight.  Warm fires, soft arms, and stars shining bright.  Good health and good food, an epicurian delight.  But most of all, I wish you love.  Merry Christmas, my friends.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

This time of the year is usually hectic and crazy and exhausting and exhilarating.  But this year, it's just plain busy.   My father and his wife and their dog arrived on Saturday and today their moving truck got here (actually their new house about a mile away).  Yesterday he had to buy a new refrigerator and washer and dryer.  His wife is infirm and I've been taking care of her - she's wheelchair bound and can't stand on her own.  Today I'm here with her while Lonnie is at the new house with dad helping direct the movers. 

Meanwhile, it's four days until Christmas.  Hard to believe - I've been so crazy busy that the holiday has occasionally completely slipped my mind.  That never happesn.  Ever.  Until this year.

So hug your family close and enjoy the holiday.  Somehow, in the middle of all this, I will manage to do this too.

If I don't make it back until next week, I know you'll understand.  Merry Christmas. 

Friday, December 16, 2001

It's Friday and I've been up since 4-ish am.  Left at 5:15 to drive Lonnie to the airport for his flight to Denver.  Took out the trash, gave the puppy her B12 shot, and grabbed an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's.  Now, fortified with a large coffee and a fresh pot of more downstairs, I'm getting started early.  Because today I have to get groceries, go to physical therapy, and meet my daughter for dinner later.

However, the physical therapy yesterday really helped my ankle, I'm done Christmas shopping (yay!) and I only have a few things left to wrap.  The house deal I was working on for my father went through and he closes on Monday.  He and his wife and their dog are staying with us until they can stay in their new place, so I have to clean my house up.  It's been raining and I have three dogs and the backyard is now muddy, so you get the idea.

Off to do my writing so I can get to the rest!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I'm sorry I've been MIA, but these have been incredibly stressful times for me.  I've been dealing with negotiations regarding my father's house here and yesterday for the first time after a week of back and forth, Ithought it was over.  Done.  As in, we'd reached an agreement and could go to closing next week.

But at the last minute, the seller refused to sign the paperwork and asked for an extension until Friday.  WTF?  Luckily, I didn't read my email last night - I was busy celebrating by lazing in a recliner watching NCIS and NCIA Los Angeles and avoiding computers and email.  I got my first solid nights sleep in a week.

I found out this morning when I read my email.  So, I'm back to square one.  ARRRRRGH!!! 

On another topic, my plans for today are to make my writing word count and head out to completely finish up Christmas shopping.  I also plan to stop by a liquor store, for obvious reasons .  (Ok, just kidding - we always go to the liquor store to get Amaretto at Christmas time.)

And I had my second physical therapy session for my ankle.  I'm sore, but it's similar to resistance training - we're training those muscles and tendons and strengthening them so my ankle can support itself.  Awesome, right?

So, if I can shut my mind down from thinking about the house, I will do exactly that.  Wish me luck.  Cuz next week, I want to do some baking in my spare time.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I've been doing a little internet Christmas shopping, but no baking yet.  I always bake at Christmas time - usually cookies, which I don't need, but that really helps me get into the holiday spirit.  These days there's so much going on - my mom's cancer, Chemo, and Radiation, my dad's hurried move to Texas and finding him a house, and my injured ankle with physical therapy and potential surgery, not to mention the requisite word count I must make every day on the book - that it's often difficult to get into the mood for a holiday.  The other day my husband put the radio on the Christmas station, you know the one, every single city has one radio station that plays non-stop Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas Day.   That helped.  We were going shopping looking for a new Christmas inflatable.  Our old one died.  Here's the one we found (we actually got the display model at Wally World because everywhere was sold out).

 Kind of corny, yes?  But I love it.  (I also wanted to get a light up pink flamingo because it was full of the awesome and it would make my daughter have a fit, but I restrained myself.)

So our house is all decorated and there are a few gifts under the tree.  This year will be the first Christmas I've spent with my father in close to 30 years.  I am looking forward to it.  My brother has informed me that he is working on another celebration with my mom and we've already got a get together scheduled this weekend with my husband's family.  The Honey-baked Ham is ordered, as is the Tortuga Pineapple Rum cake (so good, we tried this while in the Cayman Islands this past summer - yummm!)

And so far my story people are cooperating.  I'm working out regularly.  My husband is really loving retirement and we're both healthy, and the puppy appears to finally have her digestive issues under control.

Blessings abound.  And holiday magic is sure to follow!

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

I have the attention span of a fiour month old puppy.  In other words, short.  Every day, I sit down to write and I periodically have to break up the words with something else - checking Facebook or playing Solitaire.  Or writing this blog.  Sigh. 

Sometimes I get up and pace - thinking about what comes next, since I'm not much of a plotter.  This book (The Wolf Prince) I'm working on now is going to be my longest Nocturne ever and I'm having a bit of a problem figuring out the pacing.  I'm used to shorter books, I guess.  On the plus side, I'm going into much more characterization.  On the down side, I'm not sure if I'm doing too much!  So far I have not only the hero and the heroine's point of view, but a secondary set of characters - the heroine's sister and the villain.  I haven't done that since I wrote the Fae books for Leisure.  It's fun and scary at the same time.

We writers are a neurotic lot.  Never sure if the words are right or the story is moving along at the correct pace.  I'm no different, but I guess I'll see once I get halfway through.  I should hit 40,000 words by the end of December, which is the halfway point. 

In the meantime, I'll just keep writing!

Monday, December 5, 2011

It's chilly here and we're supposed to get a wintry mix today, which thrills me.  I love winter, adore snow, and wouldn't mind an inch or two of the white fluffy stuff.  Kind of puts one in the mood for Christmas.

Anyway, I promised to show you more decorations.  The photo quality is not that good - I was too lazy to get my camera and used my phone and the lighting is really dim due to the weather.  But here they are.

This is my new Nativity set.  Believe it or not, I got it at Avon.  It's excellent quality and exactly what I was looking for.

And below is the final picture of my den.  Note the dog toys by the coffee table.  Since we have a puppy, there are toys everywhere.

 Oh wait, I forgot to show you the tree. 

Here you go

Festive, no?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Wow, though I knew it was coming, it's so hard to believe it's December already. I promised to put up pics of more of my Christmas decorations, so here they are.  These are just in my kitchen.  I'll show other rooms later this month.

Cute, huh?  I love decking my house up at Christmas.  This year, since I have the boot cast on and couldn't climb up on the counters, my wonderful helpful husband put the Santas up for me.  That was really appreciated!
 
Today we don't have anything schedules, so I should be able to write, write, write.  New month and all that!