I don't think it's an exaggeration to say this year has been nuts, But while everyone can list all the horrible things this year, I have been thinking of the blessings.

My husband has been working from home since the end of March. Now, we have been married 33 years, and I'd, at that point, only been retired 10 months. I was NOT sure how it was going to work. 

I love it. For the first few months, he worked out of our son's old bedroom, on an old computer desk, you know, the pressboard kind that used to be like $100. He used a kitchen chair. He hated it. Over the summer he decided he was miserable in there, and moved to this other room off our kitchen, one which we mostly use for storage. But he cleaned it up very nice, bought new office furniture, which I will use for sewing when he goes back to work, and he's much more comfortable. 

Anyway, back to me loving him working from home. No more commute, so he walks into his office with his coffee at 8:30, walks out at 5:30, and we eat lunch together nearly every day. (Okay, the lunch thing has been a challenge lately--getting kinda bored with sandwiches and such.) But while some days having a rigid schedule is hard for me, most days I just love it. 

Another blessing is that it is THIS year instead of LAST year. My brother had 2 strokes in December 2018, and was in the hospital and rehabilitation for three months. We would not have been able to visit him over that time, and that would have been so challenging.

Another is that I've been able to see my family. We've all been very careful, but I've been able to see my parents and brothers at least a couple of times a month over the past few months. 

And lastly, I've gotten to know my neighbors. Like I said, I'd been retired 10 months when this all started, but most people were working. Now everyone is outside, working in their yards, eager to see other people. 

​I hope you're able to find blessings in your year! 

I said I was going to blog every week and I've fallen down on that--on most of my goals. I got some stickers on Etsy with tasks for my planner, and the last few weeks I've fallen down on those goals. And then last week I planned to start writing 2000 words a day and not one day did I make it. I feel like I wasted those stickers!!

Well, for the past almost two weeks, the above picture is the reason why. This is Daisy, she's 10 weeks old. She's very good and sweet but it has been a LONG time since I've had a puppy and she's a LOT of work. Until I was able to get a pheromone spray for her, she wasn't sleeping, and neither was I. MAN, I understand why young women have babies, because I could not function. I've been playing a lot of Candy Crush because it takes little brain, and one hand (since the other hand is full of puppy.)

This week will be more productive, as Daisy is getting a little more independent. I was actually able to sew today!

I hope everyone is well, and safe. Crazy crazy year!

pation!

Maybe y'all are too young to know the relationship between the ketchup and anticipation--it was an old commercial, before squeeze bottles.

One of the things Covid has disrupted is the habit I have of looking forward to things.

Retirement had already disrupted that to some extent, because when I was teaching, it was a big coping mechanism, but then I mostly looked forward to things being over, like the high-stress performances. 

ANYWAY. This year we haven't celebrated any birthdays, not Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day or Fourth of July, not my SIL's 50th birthday or my parents' 40th anniversary. There haven't been new movies to count down to, or the new TV season, all the things I used to anticipate. 

I have compensated, I guess, with ordering stuff through the mail and looking forward to getting packages. And I'm looking forward to fall, because at least THAT should be predictable this year. My husband has a vacation week every month for the rest of the year, so I'm looking forward to that, even if it only means we'll be able to take little road trips, or go pick up lunch, just something different.


What are you looking forward to?

Escape….what is taking you out of the stresses of the world these days? 


I’m reading Revolution-era romance.


I’m watching Hamilton, The Mandalorian, and Parks and Rec pretty much on repeat.


I’m playing a ton of phone games, too many, if I’m honest.


I’m buying fabric like it’s going out of style. I went to JoAnn’s twice last week, to a quilt store yesterday, and I had two mail orders this week.


I’m even cross-stitching and crocheting again. 


And I’m writing a fun little stand-alone novella with a spunky heroine with grown kids. I love her.  I’m writing the next book in my series also, but I’m playing with this book, too.


How are you getting through?

​

Y'all. I don't mean to just post on weeks I have a new release. I actually didn't intend to release Road Signs until January, but then I remembered it's a Thanksgiving book. 

So. 

Tomorrow will be stressful, but then I NEVER have to worry about a Veterans Day program again. The kids totally flubbed the steps on the stage when we went to practice on Friday, but I was beyond stressed at that point. We came back and practiced in the gym and they did just fine. Anyhow, it is what it is.

Five more days until vacation. I can do this. I think.

This week:

1) Survive Veterans Day Program. I usually take the afternoon off, but I'm not doing that this year. We have to get started on Christmas!
2) Work on historical novella
3) go to arts and crafts shop with Mom and Baby Brother
4) Work on print books
5) Work on adding books to Books + Main
6) Work on a quilt
7) Work on adding products to my Etsy shop
8) Work on getting rights back to my last Carina Press novella

​Wish me luck!

Our first real cold front of the season is coming through tonight and I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited. It's going to be wet, but I don't care! I'm going to make hot cocoa and soup and snuggle under my Halloween quilts...

But. I need to work today. 

1) Finish revisions on book 2 of my Avalon series
2) Send out newsletter
3) Update website
4) Get Mama Kitty's room ready (She lives outside, but it's going to be too cold for her. So we put her in the room off the kitchen for a few days at a time.)
5) Check my calendar regularly. I've been avoiding it because it stresses me out, but it has action items for my books, and not selling books would stress me out more.
6) Sew. I have a lot of projects there, too!
7) Do serious research into a new laptop. This one is 7 and slooooooooowwwwwww.
​8) Go to the gym at least one day. 

I thought this month would NEVER GET HERE! 

I finished my Halloween quilt (I need to post pictures!) I didn't finish my book. But I finished a pivotal scene today. My BIGGEST problem is that it's a series, and it's concurrent with the first book in the series, so the timelines are REALLY challenging. I'll never do that again.

This week:

1) Do my BEST to finish this book
2) Work on adding books to Books + Main
3) Write a BookBub recommendation
4) update my mailing list
5) Work on a FB ad
6) Change the cover on Something to Talk About
7) Work on Halloween quilt #3
8) List some stuff on Etsy and eBay