This is the time we all look back at the past year, and focus on the year ahead.  For the New Year I want to focus on stretching as a writer.  I have a great editor, who encourages me to dig deep and give 100% and I’m extremely grateful for her.  This year has been exciting and busy with first book edits, and my next project is on the table for January edits.  I’ll be wading in the new arena of first book on the shelves, and book signings in 2008.  And I have to say, I’m really looking forward to it all.    

One of the things I promised myself from the beginning is to share my journey with writers.  I’ll be writing blogs on all the firsts I have coming up.  The one thing I do want to say is, I’m a postive gal.  Those who know me, know that.  I tend to use a lot of smiley faces, and my attitude is always full glass.  And there’s a reason for that.  I believe in life.  I believe if you do your best,  you will succeed.  Life isn’t always easy, it’s not suppose to be.  I do appreciate the calm moments, and ride the waves of change like everyone else.  I’ve been caught in currents and learned it’s best to ride them, not fight them.   I love learning new things about life, and me.

So, what is the one thing you absolutely want to accomplish in 2008?  Put me down for doing those book signings with joy and gratitude.  I know I didn’t get here by myself, and I’ll always be grateful for Tiger Publications.  Someone believed in me and my stories, and that’s what I’m talking about.  It takes a qualified team, and that’s a fact. 

We had a great Christmas this year!  My favorite gift was a digital picture frame.  It was from my girls, and had 100 pictures downloaded on it.  This frame holds 2,000, and I’m sure one day it’ll be full.  We’ve taken several summer vacations together, and have quite a collection of beach photos.  My daughters selected most of those for our frame, since they’re our favorite. 

It’s amazing to look up and see a beautiful picture, changing before your eyes.  I highly recommend them.  What better way to change your photos around? And so fun to see bright smiles, and ocean waves in the background.  Just breathtaking!

So tell me, what was your favorite gift this year? 

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Please be safe over the holidays.  And may 2008 bring you much joy and happiness.  May all your dreams come true!  

I have a special story I wanted to share.  My dad passed away last November.  He was a huge St. Louis Cardinal fan.  My Dad battled cancer, but was able to see his favorite ball team win the World Series.  We were so happy for him, and knew it’d probably be his last time to witness those games.  I’ve had dreams of my dad since his passing, very vivid dreams, and it always leaves me with this warmth I carry sometimes for days after.

I have this little fruit tree, close to my house, that stands in a small flower garden.  My daughter and I started noticing Cardinals after his service.  Basically in places we’d never noticed them;  her carport, my little fruit tree, and streaking across the road alongside our vehicles.  I’d started seeing a few gather in that tree whenever I had my morning coffee.  They stayed longer.  A bluebird joined the family of redbirds.  I’d seen one of those after my mom’s passing, and for me it symbolized her.  She had a collection of them in her china cabinet.  For some time now, I’ve noticed them  all perched on that scrawny tree close to my home.   A few days ago, hubby called for me to come down the stairs…quick.  The bare fruit tree was literally full of cardinals and bluebirds.  You can imagine my delight when I saw how full it was.  He said there were at least 20.  By the time I made it downstairs and to the window, I counted 13 or 14.  We’re talking a small tree here.

I can’t tell you how miraculous this is to me.  The night before the flock of birds filled my tree, I had a vivid dream of my Dad.  In his way, he let me know he was watching over us.  I woke up knowing he’d always stay connected to us.  To see so many cardinals and bluebirds was my miracle this year.  Something I can still see in my mind’s eye, and something I’ll always carry in my heart. I bought a bag of bird seed, and started feeding them.  I don’t have to wonder if its the birdseed, or the miracle that keeps them coming back.  I’d never fed them before that day, yet they came and stayed.  It’s something I want to do as way of honoring the memory.   So, I think paying attention to nature is vital if you want to be connected.  I know it’s not Dad perched on that tree outside my window, but he lent a hand to the process.  And I love that he did.

Miracles are to be shared.  I’d love to hear yours.

It occured to me that life is the best training ground out there.  When young, one’s focus can pingpong like a Forrest Gump tourney.  I was an exercise instructor, an office worker, I managed a video store, went back to exercise instruction, and gloriously ended up at library where I’d still be today if the lure of being a full-time writer hadn’t won.  There’s a few jobs that I didn’t mention, but you get the picture.  I learned something from all of those jobs, manly character experience.  Some great, some not so good.  The way I see on the not-so-good is that every story has at least one not-so-lovable character.  Turn it into a positive that way.

Another thing I learned early in life is that mom’s don’t call in sick.  The years I was able to stay home with my girls was the accelerated version of life 101.  A precious time, a very busy time.  Mom’s show up for work daily, they become multi-taskers even if it doesn’t come natural, they learn to put others first, become cheerleaders for all accomplishments, and connect with someone so deeply it brushes their soul.  The family for me was my greatest teacher in life.  When I gave up a few hours of sleep so I could write in my notebooks after the little ones were abed, I knew it was important to honor that part of me as well.

And the grandkiddies are gifts given later in life to reward you for having survived parenthood.  LOL. Whether you have babies or pets, the training ground rule applies on the feeding and nuturing as well.  We don’t have pets now, but babysit our granddog regularly, and once upon a time we had dogs, horses, chickens, goldfish, and a gerbil once.  Oh, forgot the bunnies in the barn. Okay, we did our part in making sure the girls had the experience. Maybe we over did the pet one. 

I guess what I wanted to share is that no matter where you are in life now, look around and soak it up.  There’s days when you’re so enmeshed with the living, it’s difficult to see what your watercolor is going to look like.  At some point, you’ll have the time to study it closely.  And you’ll be surprised how truly lovely it was and is. 

I woke up with one thing on my mind today, to make some serious progress on wrapping presents.  The corner of my bedroom has boxes stacked mid-wall high, I have five grandkiddies to buy for, and it resembled a jungle of wrapping paper, ribbons, and sacks spread out in really wierd places.  So I put the coffee on, rearranged my mess on the floor from the previous night, and just started.  Soon, I had a rhythm going, and dared to put in the second season of Gillmore Girls.  I watched the first one last year, and bought season two and three at Target this year.  They’re selling them for $14.99 during the holidays.  A cheap price for a full season.  I may have to go back and buy two more before 2008.  

I really get a kick out of the holidays.  For me, it’s all about family especially the little ones.  There’s something about their big eyes, and watching them crawl under the tree, trying to see which package belongs to them, etc.  I could go on as all of you know, but I’ll spare you this once.  Hubby enjoys it almost as much as I do.  I did, however, press the snowman’s hand on a new Hallmark decoration I bought this year.  If I play, Sleigh Ride, one more time I might have to move out until the first of the year. 

In the midst of wrapping presents today, I looked ahead to the New Year and the prospects of the coming year.  I smiled knowing I had some exciting things coming up, and the thrill of focusing on what lay ahead got the energy surging again.  Well, the caffeine helped I suspect, but it wasn’t repsonsible for the gratitude I felt.  I was talking to Edie earlier, and told her I’m having a gratitude day.  I highly recommend them to everyone.  Make it a gift to you, because that’s what the emotion feels like to me. 

So, my wish for you is to enjoy those pre-holiday moments as much as the actual holiday.   It’s not something I figured out overnight, trust me.  I was the harried gal working full-time, shopping after work in crowded stores, wrapping many presents the night before.  I’m not an organizational queen, just ask my friends.  But the one thing I do now is immerse myself in moments. I stopped mind-racing about what needed to be done, while working on something in the present.  I dislike the words HAD to.  I pretty much stopped using it, when I realized it affected how I approached the task. Maybe it’s age, who cares as long as I found something that works for me.  And speaking of age, I embrace it wholeheartedly.  If I looked back, the only thing I’d be guilty of missing would be the smaller waistline, and really long hair.  

So my question is, how do you handle pre-holiday rush, and any lessons you’d care to share would be greatly appreciated by all.  It’s how we learn, and I’m all for that!