1. Survived hosting the Hanukkah party. I grew up with Southern hospitality and good breeding, but having my house full of people is, like, my least favorite thing in the world. At least these were good people that I really like. That helps. A lot.
2. The house is clean. Cuz we cleaned it. For the party.
3. This year is one day closer to finished.

Had a couple of really bad days there, days in which I probably should have looked for the good but just couldn't. But here are some good things from today:

1. House is pretty clean. Nothing like hosting a party to spur you to new heights of cleanliness.
2. Champagne bought and ready for New Year's Eve.
3. Hummingbird!

Additionally, my car has new tires, which I wouldn't have counted as something wonderful given everything that led to it happening, but hey, it's still not a bad thing.

1. Hanukkah with the in-laws.
2. More writing.
3. More Utena.

1. Christmas.
2. Teppanyaki. (Our holiday tradition.)
3. Building a big fort in the living room.

. . . In truth, it's been tough with the youngest having a broken leg. He gets dispirited, is showing signs of depression. It has been difficult to cheer him up, but we keep trying.

1. Introduced my oldest son to Utena. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy that series!
2. Made progress on my rewrites.
3. Managed to find and catch the hamster when she got loose.

Bonus: cool new tarot deck for Hanukkah.

1. Was able to swap wheelchairs with no fuss. (The first one had a wheel that kept going flat.) This one works better for my son to sit at the table, too.
2. Almost done with editing . . . except now I'm actually rewriting the ending of this novel. It's only the last ~40 pages. Hope to have it done soon.
3. Drawful. Love family game night!

1. My son was in much better spirits. Even got out for a walk in his wheelchair.
2. Was able to get back to editing my novel. Can't wait to send it to my advance readers!
3. Family karaoke night + snickerdoodles.

1. Was able to rent a wheelchair for my son. He's supposed to remain in bed with his leg elevated most of the time, but now he can at least sit with us at dinner.

. . .

In truth, it was a day that was difficult to find the good in. It's as if 2016 is trying to get some final digs in, and not small ones. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a fresh start of sorts and more good can happen.

1. My son got his cast on.
2. We were able to get his pain medicine prescription filled (after trying three different pharmacies, but at least it's done).
3. One of my best friends sent belated birthday presents, including an awesome Sherlock Holmes pillow.

1. Nice morning with a friend...
2. Which put me closer to the hospital when the call came.
3. My son's leg is only fractured, not broken, and the joints are okay. (Trying to find the positive here.)

1. Enjoyed Rogue One a bit more the second time.
2. Nice chat with my dad.
3. Doughnuts.

1. My birthday!
2. TARDIS handbag from the in-laws, and the kids gave me some nice jewelry, too.
3. Dinner at Bluestem in San Francisco. Plus, Crabtree & Evelyn soaps and new jeans.

1. My solar return. (Not the same as my birthday, at least not this year.)
2. Rogue One. Didn't love it as much as some seem to, but still had fun.
3. Fab tarot reading with Luna at Mystic Dream! I try to get one every year around my birthday.

1. Salon night!
2. Enjoying a new little writing project I started.
3. The contractor had to reschedule. Yeah, that's annoying but it's also one less thing.

1. A day without errands or appointments. Aaaah.
2. Unearthing old writing and anime/manga treasures (while searching for something else, but it was still fun to find these things).
3. Re-reading and reliving one of those old manga. The tragedy of Subaru/Seishirou rivals Shakespeare. Seriously.

1. New headphones so I can listen to music and podcasts on my walks again!
2. Also, the ability to take at least short walks again!
3. My husband's happiness at being able to fix a light fixture now that he has a ladder tall enough.

1. Hearing from a friend I'd lost contact with.
2. Having fun on an online radio talk show.
3. Good news from my ENT doctor.

1. Tree up and partially decorated.
2. Bought our annual ornaments. (Every year we each get to select one new Hallmark ornament. Makes for a very interesting tree.)
3. Fun new games for family game night.

1. Mobile enough to rush my son's clarinet to him at the last minute because he forgot it (and music is the first class of the day).
2. Lost another pound. (I've gone back to monitoring my calorie intake, and I've now lost four pounds.)
3. 1053 entries into my Goodreads giveaway! I'm so glad it was a success!

1. Writing group.
2. Getting better at walking.
3. . . .

Pretty blah day, really. Nothing terrible but nothing fantastic either. I guess Good Thing #3 is that I have a roof over my head in all this rain. Yeah, that counts.

1. Ankle brace making it easier to walk.
2. Fun new stuff from Amazon courtesy of birthday/holiday money from my parents.
3. Lots of support from fellow writers.

1. Was able to drive to and from the doctor.
2. Kids did great at their gymnastics show.
3. Lots of volunteer readers/reviewers for ARCs of my forthcoming book.

1. Somewhat more mobile today.
2. Crowley (our cat) came out of surgery just fine.
3. My kids brought me chocolate.

Dec 3-4

1. It's not broken, just sprained.*
2. Nice chat with my dad.
3. Finished the draft of the book I've been writing.
4. Snickerdoodles.

So last night, after that nice chat with my dad, I was taking some trash out. When I turned around to go back inside, I saw our little black cat sticking his nose out. He's an indoor cat, so I picked up my foot to nudge him back inside, but then my other foot gave way under me and I fell. I thought for sure I'd somehow broken my foot or ankle, but after a trip to Urgent Care this morning it turns out I've sprained a ligament. They told me that can hurt just as much as a broken bone, and yeah, it hurt all right. I'm on crutches now. But at least it's not broken.

1. Dentist wasn't as bad as I feared.
2. Good report cards for all the kids.
3. Ice cream cake & Drawful.

1. Nice dinner out for hubby's birthday eve.
2. Wrote 1400 words.
3. No other errands for the day.

1. More writing done.
2. Stopped myself from eating fast food and felt very good about that.
3. Nice phone chat with a friend.

1. More good reviews for Manifesting Destiny.
2. More writing done on Brynnde (so close to finished!).
3. Happy, healthy kids.

1. Being productive, at least in terms of housework and errands. (Less so with writing.)
2. Having the house to myself.
3. Finished The Crown. Which is good and bad because now there's no more of it to watch. :(

1. Fresh bagels.
2. Habit Burger.
3. Getting out of the house for a bit.

Yeah, it was mostly about the food . . .

1. Winning NaNoWriMo (but the book isn't finished, so I'm still going).
2. Chat with my mom.
3. Really nice review of Manifesting Destiny on With Love for Books.

1. Being home.
2. Writing.
3. My son's birthday, which featured sushi, his favorite chocolate pie, and several rounds of drawful.

Thanksgiving Vacation Edition

1. Smooth flights.
2. Good boarding positions.
3. Amazing food: Mike's Tacos, Hodad's, Surf Rider Pizza, Pícan . . .
4. Dolphins.
5. Glorious sunsets.
6. Sky rides.
7. Big cats of all kinds.
8. Coming home to little cats, too.

1. Helping my boys create their own board games.
2. So close to done with this current manuscript.
3. Being able to close my office doors.

1. Five Guys Burgers (and a milkshake!)
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
3. Figuring out the rest of the book I'm writing.

1. A fun new hair color.
2. Getting my nails done.
3. One month until my birthday.

1. My orthodontist sanded between my teeth. Like, basically flossing with sandpaper (or diamond grit paper in this case). And it didn't hurt. I count that as good.
2. Finished writing a chapter that felt like it had been going on forever.
3. Ramen. It's kind of dumb, but I actually really enjoy eating it now and then.

1. Evening out with my oldest. We had a yummy dinner and then saw Murder on the Nile. Great fun!
2. A little more writing done despite my busy morning.
3. School librarians interested in my book.

1. Got so much writing done! The best writing day in a long while. Yippee!
2. Had a good time on the online panel, though I'm not sure how much I actually contributed.
3. Lots of new newsletter subscribers and Likes on my Facebook page.

1. A nice breakfast out.
2. Good chat with my mom.
3. Successful job hosting a Facebook event.

1. Survived my son's birthday party. 4+ hours at the arcade/go karts/mini golf/bumper boats/laser tag place... @.@
2. Bubble bath.
3. Sleep.

After a few days away, I'm back on the Good Things train. It's been difficult--it still is difficult--in the wake of the U.S. election, but life can't stop. It can change, but it needs to keep going forward.

1. Mother/daughter time complete with hawks, hummingbirds, and bunnies.
2. Curling up with a really good book.
3. Hilarity in attempting to play a board game my son created.

1. New Vans hi-tops. (Purple.)
2. New iPhone.
3. Bagels.

1. Lazy day at home.
2. Tea party.
3. Getting work done.

1. Nice lunch out with the family, including in-laws.
2. Nice walk after eating that big lunch—fabulous weather, just perfect.
3. Painting a tea set with my daughter.

1. Minerva (the new cat) getting more comfortable with us.
2. Cookies.
3. 17th anniversary of my first date with my husband.

1. A little more writing done.
2. Good session with the writing group.
3. Free bagel.

1. Feeling better after a day of being sick.
2. Getting some writing done.
3. Cubs won.

In truth, I don't have any particular attachment to the Cubs, but everyone loves an underdog story, right?

1. The school's Hallowe'en parade went more quickly than usual because they made it more efficient. Took half the time!
2. The rain that was threatening held off.
3. Seeing my oldest son have such a good time with his friends. That brings me a special kind of joy.

1-3. Running errands without the kids.

1. Family walk.
2. Family game time.
3. Family reading time.

1. Trick-or-Door at the kids' school. It's a stupid name, but the kids love it, and they looked great in their costumes. Also, I got to hang out with a fellow mom for part of it, so that was nice.
2. More rain, but it cleared up before we had to go out.
3. Finishing the book I'd been reading.

1. Cozy day of rainy weather.
2. Soup and sandwiches.
3. Curling up with a book.

1. New blackout curtains for the bedroom that make it easier for me to sleep.
2. Getting past 15k words in the Changers Book 2 draft.
3. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

1. No errands or appointments on my calendar! Yay!
2. Passed 14k words in Changers 2.
3. Chinese food for dinner.

Pumpkin Patch Edition

1. Corn maze. With only a little bit of the kids arguing and fighting.
2. Pastries!
3. Pumpkins.
4. Unexpected Habit Burger.

1. New earrings (Sherlock Holmes earrings, no less).
2. Bath bombs.
3. Getting stopped at the mall by a talent scout interested in my beautiful children. I'm flattered by proxy!

1. No errands to run or meetings to attend.
2. Reading.
3. Relaxing.

1. Last parent-teacher conference, and it was a great one! My oldest son is doing a great job at school.
2. Had a chance to meet and chat with a friend/fellow writer I met at a writing conference this past summer. Was really nice to catch up. Also, fantastic weather for sitting outside.
3. Good writing group meeting. Only my second time, and I really like the group. It's nice to have found people to meet with again. (Ones that won't behave like Mean Girls.)

1. Had a call with someone who might want me to write for their television series. Could be interesting.
2. Also a nice phone chat with one of my good friends.
3. Milky Way candy bar.

1. Good parent-teacher conference with my youngest son's teacher. Also, the speech teacher was there. I feel confident the three of us make a good team to help my son learn effectively.
2. A request by a director/producer for one of my scripts.
3. Beautiful weather.

1. Possibility of stretching my chops by attempting some comedy writing. Could be a nice opportunity.
2. Feeling productive.
3. Chicken and waffles.

1. Hosting a Facebook party for a dear writer friend. I'd never done that before, and it was really fun!
2. A new review for Manifesting Destiny that recommends fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson read it. Wow! What a compliment!
3. Finally got to watch Timeless, and it's as cute as I hoped it would be.

1. Going to the movies with a friend.
2. Reading.
3. . . .

That's about it, really. Was a relatively quiet day.

1. Parent-teacher conference with my daughter's teacher went well.
2. Much-needed rain.
3. My eye had been bothering me on Thursday, but I woke up this morning with it feeling much better.

1. Though it took almost three hours and was really cold in the waiting room, the guys at my car dealership were also really nice to me and gave me cookies. And my car got fixed. (Not that it was broken, exactly, but there was a recall that required them to do something.)
2. I still had time for a quick lunch after the car thing and before I had to go pick up the kids.
3. Snickerdoodles.

1. A dream of Alan Rickman. No, not like that! He was making me a sandwich.
2. Kids' flu shots were relatively painless (especially for me since I didn't get one).
3. More work done on the next Changers book.

1. Got some more writing done.
2. Found some cool old photos.
3. The Luke Cage/Family Matters video on YouTube. (There's an Avengers/Full House one, too.)

InD'Scribe Edition

I've been away at a conference, so there are a lot of great things:

1. Meeting so many warm and welcoming authors who happily took me under their wings and included me in their ranks.
2. Getting to dress up! And get my hair and makeup done!
3. DRAGON! It looked just like Livian, too...
4. Getting to take pictures with lovely cover models. (Yes, I'm susceptible to such charms. *swoon*)
5. Dancing!
6. Hearing from the director for my next short film. Yay for progress! We're starting to talk casting...
7. Sitting on panels—again, with such amazing authors.
8. Being invited to eat breakfast with these amazing authors. Who were willing to give me advice and help me out by discussing book contracts and suggesting other cons for me to attend! I just cannot get over how great these people were to me. I don't know why I expected anything different, but wow.
9. Being able to sell Manifesting Destiny to a school librarian. I hope her students love it!
10. Seeing my wonderful new friends win RONE awards.
11. Getting to see my dear friend Kimberley, who I haven't seen in over a year.
12. Coming home to my loving family.

1. Making new writing friends.
2. Sitting on my first conference panel.
3. Working with a director on one of my screenplays.

1. Getting dolled up.
2. Meeting other authors.
3. Dancing!
4. Dragons!

I'm currently at InD'Scribe Conference. If you're in the Burbank area, you should come down to the book room—it's free. Come on down!

1. Hawk! It swooped over me as I was walking this morning, close enough that I felt it in my hair. I watched it grab a mouse from the field, then it went into a nearby tree and ate its breakfast.
2. Nice lunch with my mother-in-law.
3. Salon night! Hair and nails ready for InD'Scribe in two days!

1. Rosh Hashanah service.
2. Girl time with my daughter.
3. Candy.

1. Lunch with extended family.
2. Cooler weather.
3. Playing Ticket to Ride. It's a ridiculously fun game.

1. Meeting up with writing friends.
2. Lunch out with the hubby (because he worked from home today).
3. Cider. I love that it's cider season again!

1. Two new pairs of shoes for $25.
2. Getting the grocery shopping done. I felt very productive!
3. Envy apples. If you haven't had them, they're amazing. (Assuming you like sweet apples rather than tart ones, which I do.)

1. Doing the lockdown drill with my son's class while in the school library. I wouldn't necessarily count this as "good" except I was able to explain to them that we had to stay quiet and still "because a T-Rex is loose." It became a game, and they liked that.
2. Talking to my daughter's class about writing. Those kids were great!
3. Thai food for lunch. It was a long morning and I earned it.

1. Kids meeting the mayor. Again. They do every year because they get summer reading awards from the local library.
2. Celebratory dinner out.
3. Getting some writing done, even when I thought I wasn't going to be able to.

1. Breakfast out with new friends.
2. Chats with my parents.
3. Last Week Tonight returned!

1. My daughter's birthday party was a roaring success.
2. Ice cream cake.
3. It's over. (At least until my son's party in November...)

1. Finished the chapter I was writing in the Changers sequel.
2. Chess with my youngest son.
3. Quality time with my two youngest children.

1. Meeting a new friend for tea.
2. Discovering a great new tea house.
3. Meeting a new writer.

Yesterday was remarkably social for me, which is kind of exhausting for an introvert, but rewarding too. Normally I wouldn't schedule two outings on the same day but somehow it fell out this way, and I survived! Not only that but enjoyed most of it.

1. I was good and didn't eat fast food for lunch even though I really wanted to.
2. Another day in which I didn't have to drive anywhere.
3. Chatting with a dear friend on the phone. I don't love the phone, but there are two or three people I don't mind spending time with that way—people who mean so much to me that any way I can spend time with them is good.

1. Being productive! Not in writing, but in other things. Sometimes that's just how it goes.
2. Good interactions with people. Just very friendly ones, the kind that make you feel good in general.
3. More newsletter subscribers!

1. Getting lots of writing done. Am now approximately 20% through the Changers sequel.
2. News from the bookseller at the upcoming conference that my books had arrived. (Well, the first shipment anyway.)
3. Not having to go out and run any errands. There were plenty of chores, but I got to stay in out of the heat.

1. Gardens.
2. Ancient Egyptian stuff.
3. Emmys.

1. Ice cream social.
2. Wendy's cheeseburger.

. . . Yeah, today was mostly about the food. And hanging out.

1. Family picnic night at the kids' school.
2. Finding out the school mascot's name is Ace!*
3. Documentary Now! is back.

*The kids' school is something like 15 years old and their mascot is "The Wildcat." But they got a new principal this year and she felt like The Wildcat should have a name. So there was a nomination process, and "Ace" is the name I nominated. (I think other people also submitted it; the school's initials reduce to ACE, so it makes sense.) It made the short list, and then it won! Yay!

I'll be honest. It's been a tough week. I'm fighting a cold and there have just been a million other things... But I'm still grateful. I'm grateful for having a home, and clothes, and food, and clean water. It's more than a lot of people in this world have. I'm grateful that I'm able to do the work I love as a writer. I'm grateful that I have bright, beautiful children and that a cold is the worst thing wrong with me when so many others have chronic and terminal illnesses. I really have no reason or right to complain. So I won't.

1. Meeting a really nice group of people (Tri-Valley Cultural Jewish group).
2. Hanging out with the in-laws for Grandparents' Day.
3. Chatting with my dad for his birthday.

Oh, and news from my publisher that Manifesting Destiny is a bestseller on All Romance eBooks! Hell, yeah!

1. Rob Thomas.
2. Counting Crows.
3. Rob Thomas & Counting Crows.

1. Morning walk.
2. Writing.
3. "Spock Selections." (You had to be there.)

1. Introducing my kids to Trogdor and Teen Girl Squad.
2. Getting my Goodreads author page dusted off.
3. Hot fudge sundae.

1. Great response to my IWSG post.
2. Getting my Goodreads author page dusted off and figured out.
3. Lots more writing done. I'm now excited about Changers 2 rather than dreading it!

1. Salon night! Fresh hair and nails! Lots of gab!
2. Making headway on Changers 2.
3. Tiny House Hunters.

1. Fun time at the neighbor's birthday pool party & potluck.
2. Many requests for Changers 2. At least I know people want to read it!
3. Continuing to gather what I need for the conference next month. Feel like I'm close to done, which worries me because that usually means I'm forgetting something.

1. Hot Topic. I got a Ravenclaw shirt (yes, I'm Ravenclaw) and two Jareth figures.
2. Winning a free book from Wild Rose Press. I chose something called One Grand Season. We'll see how it goes.
3. Getting my paperback copy of Manifesting Destiny in the mail!

1. My daughter's birthday. She chose In-N-Out Burger for lunch followed by Cold Stone ice cream for dessert. The look on her face when she got the books she's been wanting and when we gave her the plush Puss In Boots was priceless.
2. Finishing a draft of the short script for the director.
3. Chats with my mom and my friend Abby.

1. Cheesesteak.
2. My shirt arrived. It has the text of my novel The Fall and Rise of Peter Stoller printed on it. One of a kind and so cool. (It was a Kickstarter or Indiegogo or something for NaNoWriMo.)
3. Well-behaved children.

1. Meeting with a couple of my writing friends. It was great to catch up.
2. Visiting the kids' classrooms. Their school year is off to a good start.
3. A couple more good reviews for Manifesting Destiny.

1. My book Manifesting Destiny is in print!!! You can buy it here.

That really pretty much counts for all three.

1. Working again on the sequel to Manifesting Destiny.
2. A nice, informative session of Coffee with the Principal at the kids' school.
3. Making my kids laugh. I love doing that, and today it was especially needed.

1. A day without any errands or appointments.
2. Interesting Radio Lab podcast (Georgetown, TX was even mentioned!).
3. Figuring out how to reserve my hair and makeup appointments for InD'Scribe. I've begun having dreams about this conference now. I'm both excited and stressed out.

1. Swimming!
2. Working out.
3. Otherwise being lazy.

1. Kubo and the Two Strings
2. Popcorn
3. Chatting with my mom (on her birthday)

1. Getting more writing done.
2. Family walk.
3. White noise machines.

1. News that Manifesting Destiny will be out in paperback soon!
2. Also finding that Manifesting Destiny is now available on most e-book platforms.
3. My oldest son blossoming before my eyes into a responsible young adult.

1. A fellow writer friend posting about Manifesting Destiny.
2. Really helpful people in the form of booksellers doing me a huge favor.
3. Hitting 2k followers on Twitter. Though the way followers come and go, I don't know if it will last. I'll enjoy it while I can.

1. Writing again! I'd barely done any over the summer, so it feels so good to stretch those writing muscles!
2. A reviewer agreed to look at Manifesting Destiny. It's been very difficult to land reviewers; they're all so swamped.
3. Kids continue to enjoy school. Sure, it was only the second day, but I feel like setting the tone early goes a long way toward having a good year overall.

1. First day of school! And the kids all loved it.
2. Walking. I really have missed my daily walks.
3. Workout. Time to get back into the routine.

1. Phone chats with my parents.
2. Lasagna and ice cream.
3. The last day of summer vacation. Thank God for school starting!

1. Bumper boats.
2. Air hockey.
3. Sushi.

1. Clean checkups for my daughter and  youngest son.
2. Getting in a walk. (When they go back to school next week, I'll be able to get back to regular walks. Can't wait!)
3. Such support on my author Facebook page!

1. Did not have to go anywhere. No errands or appointments.
2. Made mini sodas with Rob's new soda shop toy.
3. Booked Evie's birthday party.

1. My youngest's birthday. I took him to the store to pick out a cake, and he chose breakfast for dinner.
2. Getting entrenched in an astrological report I was writing for a friend. It took a while, but it's not work when you're enjoying it.
3. I'm also really enjoying Wolf Hall (the novel). Found a copy of it at Half-Price Books. Glad I gave it a go.

1. Back-to-school shopping, which I always find a bit fun, plus it means the kids will finally be going back to school!
2. Getting the kids' classroom assignments, and also running into other moms I haven't seen all summer.
3. Winning wine in the raffle! Really, this school seems intent on giving me wine. Last spring I ended up with more than our cabinet could hold and now there's more!

1. Being home.
2. Crowley's last vaccinations (for the year).
3. My blog tour started! Very exciting! You can follow along here and even enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Writer's Digest Conference Edition

It's not that nothing good has happened the past few days, it's that I was away at a conference in NYC. And lots of great stuff happened! So here's a partial list of all the positive things I'm grateful for these past few days:

1. Extra legroom on the plane.
2. Sitting next to French people and surprising them with my (very rusty) French.
3. A short taxi line.
4. Being made Guest of the Day at the hotel, which got me a great upgrade, free wifi, and access to the Executive Lounge.
5. Meeting fun new people.
6. Not having to pitch.
7. Lots of great information and advice.
8. Running into Steven James in the elevator and him giving me advice for when I do my first panel in October.
9. Kwame Alexander telling me he loves my hair.
10. Lots of other people telling me they love my hair.
11. People telling me they think my chrome toenails are cool.
12. Drink vouchers.
13. Views of Central Park at dawn and dusk and during a lightning storm.
14. Dr Pepper in the hotel cafe.
15. Invitations to dinner with fellow writers.
16. Discovering Ippuku.
17. Learning there's an Ippuku in Berkeley.
18. Upgrades to the exit row for the flight home.
19. Being sent to TSA Pre-check and not having to take off my shoes.
20. Surreal 4-way stops between shuttle buses and 747s.
21. Coming home.

1. Half-Price Books.
2. Habit Burger.
3. A morning out with the kids that was just grand.

1. Twix ice cream bar.
2. Perfect weather.

. . . I'm at a loss for #3. It wasn't a bad day but also wasn't anything special. Though I suppose I should count every day as special just because I'm alive and well. I'm mostly feeling anxious about my new book. I'm desperate for it to do well, and that's coloring my mood at the moment.

1. Gilroy Gardens with the family.
2. Good review for my book.
3.  . . . Gilroy Gardens counts for two? We really did have a great day.

1. Book release! (Technically on the 5th but was out late this evening.)
2. Beauty night! Hair and nails at the salon. Feels good to be prettied up.
3. Caught a Meowth? Yeah, I'm seriously reaching for the third good thing. But . . . new book! That counts double, right?

1. Scott stayed home.
2. Nice visit with the in-laws.
3. Mr. Pickles sandwich.
4. Swimming.

1. My publisher continues to roll out publicity for Changers. An excerpt has been posted on ARe Cafe.
2. More Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
3. Finally got to watch the Preacher finale, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

1. Caught more Pokemon? I mean, I guess that's good . . .
2. Snickerdoodles.
3. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

1. Caught lots of Pokemon. (Dear God, how did I get talked into this?)
2. Publisher started the promo machine for Changers.
3. July finally ended.

1. Indoctrinating the kids into Star Trek.
2. Star Trek Beyond.
3. My kids teaching me to catch Pokemon.

Bonus: Yahtzee

1. ONE WEEK until my new book comes out!
2. Finally remembered to take the dry cleaning in.
3. Started working on the Changers sequel again.

1. Helping someone online. Makes me feel good to help people.
2. In turn, that person was very encouraging about my writing. That felt good, too.
3. Introducing the kids to Star Trek in preparation for taking them to the new movie on Saturday.

1. Not having to go anywhere. (Staying in from the heat.)
2. Getting pages of the script written.
3. Support from friends for my upcoming book.

1. The Changers: Manifesting Destiny cover! It's amazing!!!
2. Walking with the kids to and from lunch. Also, lunch.
3. Crazy squirrel outside my office window barking at me. We had a very nice conversation.

Sixteen-year-old Cee has a hopeless crush on her best friend Marcus. Unfortunately for her, he's gay. In the wake of Marcus's older brother leaving home to join the Aerie, Marcus has become increasingly distant. Then, when Cee discovers she has a troublesome dragon named Livian living inside her things grow even more complicated.

Marcus urges Cee to go to the Magi to have Livian removed, but the more used to Livian Cee becomes, the less certain she is about letting him go. Should she change her natural self for the crush who will never love her anyway?

1. A peek at the concept art for the Changers: Manifesting Destiny cover! Eek! I'm so excited!
2. John Oliver was back. On my DVR because I was out on Sunday night.
3. Found good stuff at the BevMo. (Don't judge. It's been a long summer home with the kids.)

1. Mary Poppins
2. The Grill (especially that Moscato)
3. Weird Al

1. Took the two youngest to the eye doctor for checkups. All good, no glasses needed (yet).
2. Nice lunch out.
3. Trip to the local comic book shop.

1. Good weather.
2. Chinese food.
3. Family night.

1. Checking out my aesthetician's new office. Was swank!
2. Hummingbird!
3. Quiet evening, no TV.

1. A productive Skype meeting.
2. New Everything Wrong With... and Honest Trailers
3. Grilled cheese.

1. Writing.
2. Chatting with my dad.
3. Perfect weather.

1. Yummy burrito lunch.
2. Swimming.
3. Time with family.

1. A release date for my book! August 5.
2. Day out with the family + my 10-year-old's friend. While I didn't think The Secret Life of Pets was anything special, it was still fun.
3. Family Game Night: Pandemic.

Bonus: Stranger Things. This show is amazing.

1. More writing.
2. More puzzle.
3. Cinelinx.

1. More writing!
2. More puzzle!
3. My 7-year-old daughter wanting to read The Illustrated Man. So we are.

1. Finally got some writing done!
2. Progress on the puzzle I'm doing with my 10-year-old son.
3. The look on my daughter's face when she saw I'd bought her the Upside-Down Magic sequel.

1. Quiet time.
2. Badge ribbons arrived. I'm getting so excited for the conferences!
3. Support from virtual/online friends.

1. Swimming.
2. Potatoes.
3. Letting go.

1-3. Day out in Columbia with the family.

Had a really fun time, and the drive was fairly nice as well. Kids really enjoyed panning for gold. We dipped candles and I bought fancy soap . . . and more candles. On the whole a fun family day.

1. Kids receiving their summer reading medals at the library.
2. Orthodontist complimented my zygomatic bones (cheekbones).
3. I was good and didn't snack.

1. Gorgeous weather.
2. Pool wasn't too crowded.
3. My dad called to tell me he's reading my latest novel and loving it.

1. A walk in the hills with my kids.
2. Board games with my kids.
3. Puzzles with my kids.

1. Family walk.
2. Swimming.
3. Cake.

But the biggest, most exciting thing today was that I finally landed on the Coming Soon page for Evernight Teen! If they put out one book each Friday, I'm potentially looking at a July 29th release. Yay!

1. New toys for the cat.
2. Pizza.
3. Quiet time.
4. Online sales.

And there's still one more day left of the weekend!

1. County Fair!
2. Doing Hidden Pictures with the family.
3. Fudge.

1. Family show night (wherein we watch shows together: Danger Mouse, Animaniacs, and Peabody and Sherman).
2. Beginning to put together my 4D puzzle of London with the help of my 10-year-old son.
3. Crows. They make me happy. I don't know why.

1. Feeling good about deciding which school the kids should go to next year.
2. Relieved that my husband's car is fixed and that it didn't cost a mint.
3. Grilled cheese.

1. Playing North to Alaska with the kids.
2. Walking to Subway for lunch with the kids, then having lunch, then walking home. (Bonus: the breeze kept it from being too hot.)
3. Chatting on the phone with an old friend.

1. Finding the official rules to North to Alaska since I'd lost them years ago. (I've had that game since I was about eight years old.)
2. Not doing any laundry.
3. Feeling good when I help people online.

1. Meeting neighbors and hanging out for a bit.
2. My new LEGO kit: Big Ben!
3. Quiet time.

1. Swimming.
2. Quiet time.
3. Game of Thrones season finale.

1. Mini golf.
2. Cooking Cajun food.
3. The Last Word.

1. Shepherd's pie! That our kids made and it was delicious!
2. Hanging out with my parents.
3. Salon time with Mom.

Also: Fete de St. Jean

1-3. My parents coming to visit!

1. Managed to get a walk in despite the heat.
2. Got through almost the entire day without Crowley scratching up my legs. (Missed it by that much, Chief.)
3. Finished watching O.J. Simpson: Made in America. Wow.

1. Able to drop the kids at day camp = quiet time.
2. Greek lasagna for lunch.
3. Full Moon + Solstice.

1. Yummy Father's Day lunch.
2. Yummy Father's Day ice cream.
3. Relaxed Father's Day pool time.

1. OneRepublic.
2. The Killers.
3. P!nk.

We saw all three at my husband's company's annual concert. Very cool.

Also, watching Now You See Me with our 10-year-old in preparation for going to see the sequel.

1. My youngest graduated from kindergarten.
2. Last day of school for this school year.
3. . . .

1. Finished my edits.
2. Survived the craziness of driving students on a field trip and taking the kids to the dentist.
3. Kids all passed their dental checkups with no major issues. (They'll need orthodontia at some point, but all is well for now.)

1. Really awesome new hair color!
2. New nail colors too.
3. Got 30% of the way through my edits.

1. Awards day at the kids' school. Each of them brought home a couple. Very proud of them!
2. Edits arrived from my publisher. This is a good thing—progress—though I'm very nervous about some of what I've seen so far.
3. I did a workout AND had the willpower not to snack after dinner. Yay!

1. Swim. I did laps for 40 minutes, basically until I couldn't swim any longer. Loved it.
2. Seeing how my painted bowl turned out after it was fired and glazed. (It looks great!)
3. Sitting outside and reading.

1. Writing.
2. Library + cafe.
3. Finally getting to see Zootopia.

1. Writing.
2. French fries.
3. Trivial Pursuit.

1. Cookies.
2. Time with the kids.
3. Making my promo banner. (It's not amazing or anything, but it's the first time I ever tried, and I'm pleased with the result. Can't wait for the Changers cover so I can make another banner to feature that.)

1. Volunteers' breakfast at the kids' school. (As a classroom volunteer, I was invited.)
2. Kids' annual hoedown at the school.
3. Getting the grocery shopping done.

1. Crowley (our kitten, named via Good Omens) receives a passing health grade from the vet.
2. Getting back into workouts.
3. But still also eating ice cream.

1. Fun with the new kitten.
2. MIL's birthday party.
3. More kitten fun.

1. Thai food.
2. Getting a kitten.
3. Did I mention we got a kitten?

1. Getting writing done.
2. My short story being published.
3. Hot fudge sundae.

1. Chaperoning my youngest son's first field trip. We walked to the local fast food restaurant. The kids made me go first into the big fridge and freezer. But in truth, it was a lot of fun and the kids were well behaved.
2. Yummy gyros for dinner.
3. Love and Friendship.

1. A little oasis of quiet time.
2. Napping.
3. Workout.

1. Swimming!
2. Painting!
3. Still managing to make my word count goal!

1. Quiet time in which to reach my daily word count goal.
2. Slurpees with my daughter.
3. Winning $6.00 on $3.00 worth of scratch tickets. Hey, I was feeling lucky, and I did double my money!

1. New bath bombs!
2. New makeup!
3. Food trucks!

1. Seeing the kids' classrooms at the school's open house. They worked so hard!
2. Flowers from the hubby "just because."
3. Starting the holiday weekend.

1. Saw a bunny.
2. Saw some horses.
3. Saw my hummingbird.

1. Writing.
2. Quiet.
3. Creamy Diablo dressing on my salad.

1. A request from a production company for a synopsis of 20 August!
2. Quick orthodontist visit in which he said all is well.
3. Really yummy chicken fajita dinner.

1. Grocery shopping (good because it means I have lots of yummy choices for lunch this week).
2. Lunch out with the family.
3. A co-writer willing to hit up a pitchfest to get interest for our script.

Bonus: HBO Go

1. Family time.
2. New eyeglasses. (Purple and sparkly.)
3. Winning at Sherlock Cluedo.

1. Book fair.
2. Watching shows with the kids.
3. Hamster cuddles.

1. Quiet day.
2. Peaches.
3. Very British Problems.

1. Getting out of the house, even if only to do grocery shopping.
2. Shorts weather. (I look so much better brown than yellow.)*
3. A hummingbird hanging out by my office window.

*I'm Creole. In the winter I turn this sort of yellow color, but once we start getting sun again, I turn toasty brown.

1. Another day without errands to run.
2. Writing.
3. Twix.

1. No errands to run!
2. Writing.
3. Reading Encyclopedia Brown with my boys.

1. Sleeping in.
2. Lazy day at home.
3. Sitting outside and reading.

1. Kids' haircuts. Not exciting, but good to check something off the to-do list.
2. Habit Burger.
3. Going for a walk and seeing a huge snake (about 3.5 feet long). Most people would freak out, but I love that kind of thing.

1. Anniversary day out.
2. Really good wine.
3. Finding cute, unexpected movies on demand.

1. Getting some writing done.
2. Eye doc appointment. I actually really enjoy my eye doctor (though the office staff are kind of a disaster). At least my eyes are healthy, no major changes.
3. Cool new glasses on order. (Purple!)

1. Warm weather! Getting to wear shorts!
2. Writing.
3. Connecting with fellow writers on Facebook.

1. Time out with friends.
2. Date night.
3. Very British Problems.

Date night included painting pottery at an art café, dinner at an Afghani restaurant, pastries at a French patisserie, walking around downtown and then going for a drive through wine country while watching the sun set. Also, almost getting locked in a regional park by the ranger. Would've made for a great story, but I'm glad we didn't!

1. 8 hours of sleep.
2. Quiet time!
3. Cold pizza.

Mother's Day Edition

1. Day started with doughnuts, flowers, and handmade cards from the kids.
2. Lunch out at a Chinese restaurant followed by ice cream from my favorite local place (chocolate with marshmallow topping).
3. Calling my mom.
4. Ordering a couple treats for myself online (a Sagittarius pendant and new Lenormand deck).
5. Pizza for dinner. Then a workout because have you seen everything I ate today?

Of course, the day was punctuated by the fact my oldest son was punchy from being overtired. He actually sleepwalked down to dinner, took a couple bites of pizza and then wandered off. He hasn't sleepwalked in a long, long time, so I'd forgotten what that's like. He woke up later thinking it was time to get up for school when it was still evening. Just super confused and out of it. Sort of funny but also I felt bad for him. He has state testing all this week at school, so it's important that he get enough rest.

Speaking of which, I also need some sleep. So off I go . . .

1. Getting lots of writing done.

. . .

That will have to count for all three, I think.

1. My short story "Aptera" was accepted for publication by Aurora Wolf. Expected to go up on the site June 1.
2. Walking in the rain with my kids.
3. Hummingbirds and faeries.

1. Hair-and-nails night!
2. Friends who understand and tell me it's okay to not be okay.
3. Mother's Day tea with my daughter at her school.

1. Socializing with friends I haven't seen in a while.
2. Craft store. Yes, even when it's an errand for the kids, I enjoy going.
3. Sundress weather.

1. Sitting outside in the sun and reading.
2. Visits by hummingbirds, butterflies, squirrels.
3. A friend telling me she bought one of my books.

1. Wind Festival. And I actually enjoyed it this year.
2. Fixed toilet and new blinds.
3. Lying out in the sun.

You know what I'm most grateful for? That in the big scheme of things, all the important things in my life are good. I'm healthy. My family is healthy. We have food, clothes, and shelter. We are (mostly, usually) happy. This isn't me bragging. This is me putting things into perspective. I fuss when I don't hear from my editor or publisher, I'm sad when my sales aren't as good as I'd like them to be. But in the big, big picture, those are small, small concerns. I am so very fortunate. My goal is to keep that in mind whenever I'm tempted to start complaining or bemoaning.

Sorry! I know I've been remiss in posting three good things each day. Thing is, I'm struggling a bit to find those things. My days have been pretty dull, plus I'm mostly waiting on news and information from various sources. This is no excuse, I realize. The point is to find three good things regardless, no matter how small. So here goes.

1. My garden is really beautiful right now. Everything blooming, just a riot of color.
2. Warmer weather is coming. I may be able to break out my shorts soon.
3. Getting back into workouts. I don't always love doing them, but I feel so much better about myself when I do.

1. Writing.
2. Being featured in an Author Spotlight.
3. Hummingbird!

1. A nice walk downtown.
2. Really good pastries.
3. Chatting with my dad.

1. Finished writing chapter one of the Changers sequel! (Hey, it's progress.)
2. Another day in which I did not have to run any errands. (I'm so lazy.)
3. Sushi for dinner.

1. Spa day.
2. Finishing a good book. (Reading it, that is. And that's both great and sad because now I have to find something else to read, and it probably won't be as good as this book was.)
3. Chatting with an old friend.

1. Not having to drive anywhere.
2. So. Many. Flowers.
3. Shorts weather.

1. My son's dental surgery didn't take very long.
2. One-on-one time with said son.
3. More fine weather.

1. Quiet time.
2. Boudin.
3. More good weather for sitting outside and reading.

1. Weather warm enough for shorts!
2. A great new book to read.
3. Sitting outside in the sun.

1. Hummingbirds and dragonflies.
2. Night out with the family.
3. The Jungle Book.*

*It's not completely perfect, and we had some very inconsiderate people in the audience, but on the whole entertaining. The kids loved it.

1. Getting started on the Changers sequel. It feels really good to have motivation and a goal again.
2. Milky Way candy bars.
3. A day without having to do any laundry.

1. Fine weather.
2. Happy announcements.
3. My gorgeous garden in full bloom.

1. Signing a contract.

That counts for all three, really.

1. Successfully made dinner and everyone ate it without complaint.
2. Good checkup with my orthodontist.
3. New Disney pins for our collection.

1. Spring and summer clothes for the kids. (Now if only the weather would follow suit.)
2. Meatloaf! It's kind of ridiculous how much I love meatloaf.
3. It's a secret. For now.

1. Getting out of the house for a bit.
2. More working out.
3. Watching Star Wars.

1. Being home.
2. Getting back into workouts. (Even though I don't love doing them, I do enjoy the results. That is, I've come to the point where I'd rather suffer through workouts than look like I would if I didn't do them.)
3. My roses blooming.

Vegas Edition

We've been getting away in Vegas for a few days. Many good things to recount!

1. Tapas.
2. A beautiful dinner at Picasso, sitting outside by the Bellagio fountain as the sun goes down.
3. Secret Pizza.
4. Winning. (Thanks, Cleopatra!)
5. Fabulous dinner at Andrea's.
6. Le Rêve.
7. Breakfast on the terrace at Mon Ami Gabi.

All this and the myriad things in between. A wonderful vacation.

1. Hiking with the family.
2. Beautiful weather.
3. Finding out about the cat that comes into our yard sometimes.*

*We've always called the cat GiGi (as in G.G., as in "Grey Ghost" because she's grey). But it turns out her name is Alley, as in "Alley Cat." She lives on the street behind ours. She was on our front porch about to head into our garden, which isn't unusual. GiGi/Alley likes to go sleep on our patio furniture. But her owner had spotted her and had come up to the house to try and get the cat back. Just as well because the hummingbird mama who lives in the climbing roses by the porch was ready to take the cat on. She was buzzing all around GiGi's head. Anyway, the owner told me the cat's name is Alley (and she even said, "as in Alley Cat") and where she lived and such. I told her we didn't mind if and when the cat visited. It's all good. Fun way to meet a neighbor.

1. An invitation to present at a writing conference in October.
2. A shipment of Big Red goodies! Including a taste test of the Big Red Float.
3. Time spent reading. It's great when you have a good book to lose yourself in.

And none of these are jokes! I'm not really much for the whole April Fool's thing. Practical jokes are one of my least favorite forms of entertainment.

1. Salon night.

Yeah, that's about it. But at least vacation is now only a couple days away.

1. Encouragement from a friend . . . and that friend's mom!
2. Not having to go anywhere, run any errands, go to any appointments. (That's becoming so rare these days.)
3. Stumbling across The Secret Life of the Cat and watching it with the kids.

To be honest, it's been tough to find good things the last couple days. I've had a handful of rejections that are getting me down. But:

1. A dentist appointment that wasn't as bad as I feared it would be.
2. Date night.
3. New books.

1. An Easter miracle: Big Red soda found in a local grocery store!
2. Dying eggs with the kids.
3. Chocolate.

1. My son running his third 5K and getting "scouted" by a local cross country team.
2. Weather nice enough for shorts.
3. Sitting outside in the sun, even for just a little while.

1. Getting to see a mama hummingbird feed her baby!
2. All three of my children getting gold medals for reading (and various other awards as well).
3. Danger Mouse and Mister Ed with the kids.

1. Gorgeous weather.
2. Starting to get back into writing after a couple of days where I wasn't able to carve out the time.
3. Doing sticker books with my daughter.

1. Finally choosing a cover design for my Regency romance novel. (Now just to finish writing the darn thing!)
2. Lovely dinner out with the family.
3. Getting much accomplished in one trip to Target.

1. Bookstore!
2. Pizza!
3. A nice, long chat with my parents.*

*I don't generally enjoy phone conversations, but there are three people in the world I'm happy to talk to at length via telephone: Mom, Dad, and my friend Abby

1. Quiet time to myself to get writing done.
2. Beautiful weather and a walk.
3. Two huge butterflies celebrating the start of spring by dancing in my garden.

BABY HUMMINGBIRDS!!!

That is all. That counts for three and then some.

1. The best weather we've had in a while.
2. Trading edits with a writer friend (and her book is amazing, so I'm loving reading it).

. . . Yeah, that's about it. Except maybe I can count my resident hummingbird as #3? I do so enjoy having her here.

1. Robert receiving a great report card.
2. Scott coming home early and whisking me away for a coffee/work date.
3. The fun of having cover designers send in potential covers for my Regency romance novel.

1. Meeting interesting new people.
2. Getting more writing done.
3. A long walk during a break in the rain.

1. Time with the kids.
2. Time without the kids.
3. Sushi.

1. Lots of writing.
2. Completed one obligation that had been hanging over my head.
3. Book sales bounce.

1. A day without having to do laundry.
2. Made my writing goal.
3. The Roomba still hasn't succeeded in catching me. (I know it wants to . . .)

1. No errands to run.
2. Powdered doughnuts.
3. Quiet in general.

1. Writing again. And enjoying it.
2. Bowling. Even though I'm out of practice and suck at it.
3. New oracle cards.

I know I've been away a few days.

I'm sure if I try I can find good things, but . . . It's been a bit of a struggle lately.

I will say, though, that I dug up an old manuscript that I'm having fun tinkering with. That has to count for something. And also, my latest novel (released in January) did get a bit of an uptick in sales yesterday. So I can be happy about that. (I do wish someone would write that 10th Amazon review, though.)

I guess my third good thing for today can be that my Stitch Fix arrived. Though I have mixed feelings about what they sent me. Jury is still out on that.

1. Discovering a hummingbird nest in my climbing roses!
2. Reading a good friend's great manuscript.
3. No rejections. (No offers, either, but I'll take what I can get.)

1. Time alone in the car. I like driving when it's just me and my music.
2. Legitimately shopping for clothes for the kids. I love to shop, but I feel guilty when I know it's not "necessary."
3. Homemade egg salad. It turned out insanely good.

1. Time out with my son.
2. Rediscovering Steve Winwood's Roll With It.
3. Fine weather for a walk.

1. Just as I was telling my daughter I was sad I hadn't see the hummingbird today, the hummingbird flew up, hovered a moment, and darted off!

. . . That's really kind of the only good thing so now I have to go back to the basics:

1. Access to clean water whenever I want or need it.
2. A roof over my head.
3. Plenty of food.

1. A lovely profile of me and my latest book in the local paper.
2. Salon night! Hair and nails now in much better shape.
3. Saw a hawk in a tree on my morning walk. Also, more hummingbird sightings.

1. So much fun being a guest on a radio show for the first time ever!
2. Hash browns.
3. Hummingbirds.

1. Date night.
2. Fondue.
3. New business cards.

1. Perfect weather for my morning walk.
2. Quiet and relaxed at home.
3. Nice chat with the guy who works at the pet store. I'm killing it with the whole "interacting as an adult" thing lately.

Speaking of interacting as an adult, please be sure to listen to the radio show I'll be guesting on tomorrow! I may or may not be very grown-up. I may have already used up my quota for adulting for the week, in which case . . .

1. Getting a workout in for the first time in a few days.
2. More talk with other grown-ups. (I can do this!)
3. Full moon.

1. A trip into the city.
2. Good weather.
3. Pleasant conversation with other grown-ups. (Proved to myself I can still do that.)

1. A hummingbird came and hovered right in front of me while I was bringing the trash bins around. Beautiful little ruby-throat.
2. Getting through forced socialization.
3. Doing a fun podcast interview. It's especially great when the interviewer gets genuinely excited about your book.

1. My son getting 2nd Place in the Science Odyssey.
2. Skyping with my dad.
3. Hummingbirds.

1. It didn't rain until after we were all home for the evening.
2. Orthodontist says I'm on track.
3. I didn't have to take Alexander to Science Odyssey alone.

Bonus: ice cream

1. Husbands who step up to help.
2. Friends who swoop in to make me feel better.
3. Hugs from the kids.

1. Newspaper photographer came to take my picture.
2. Day out with the family that included lunch and a movie. Bonus: we ran into friends at the movie and were able to sit with them.
3. Beautiful weather.

1. Spa day!
2. Hummingbirds!
3. Friends' birthdays.

1. A morning out with the family.
2. Nap.
3. Clean office.

1. An acknowledgement from the agent to whom I sent my revisions.
2. Interesting conversations with my 10-year-old son.
3. Mozart in the Jungle.

1. Continued gorgeous weather.
2. A nice lunch out with friends that included creating and ordering new business cards. (We're fun like that.)
3. Reading Highlights with the kids. I tell them the jokes and riddles, and we do the Hidden Pictures together.

1. FINISHED MY REWRITE!
2. Quiet morning at home.
3. More beautiful weather.

1. Relaxing at the nail salon.
2. Watching my kids do gymnastics.
3. Mardi Gras cake.

1. Got lots of writing done.
2. Scott worked from home, but what we really did was go work at Starbucks (hence getting all that writing done).
3. The best weather we've had in a long time.

1. Chicken Fried Steak.
2. Time with family.
3. Warmer weather.

I'm actually having a pretty rough week. So I'm having to hunt for the good stuff. Today I:

1. Didn't eat fast food, even though I was tempted to.
2. Cooked a really great lamb for dinner.
3. Had some quiet time while my son was at fencing.

1. FIVE #Pit2Pub requests for my manuscript.
2. Feeling slightly better than yesterday.
3. A Dr Pepper shake from Burger King.

Yesterday was pretty bad. Three rejections plus a sore throat. But today more than made up for it. Let's see how tomorrow balances out . . .

1. Scott home early.
2. Girl Scout cookies.
3. My book featured on a blog.

Bonus: That episode of X-Files was pretty awesome.

Another relatively quiet day, somewhat dull. So look back to yesterday's good things—today's are the same.

1. Time to myself for writing.

. . .

It was a good day. But also kind of a boring one. So it's sometimes hard to find/think of positive things . . . Sometimes I have to get very basic. 1. I'm healthy. 2. My needs are met. 3. I have a loving family.

I really want amazing, wonderful things to happen. But it's all relative, isn't it? The things I take for granted (above) are things some people pray for every day. So maybe it wasn't an exciting day. And maybe nothing amazing happened. But it was a good day. Because of those three things and so many more.

1. Scott home from his trip.
2. Thai food.
3. Lots and lots of walking.

1. Writers group.
2. My son found his glasses.
3. Almost Friday.

1. Dance party with the kids = cardio + fun.
2. Bangers, beans & mash (one of the only things I can actually cook).
3. Reading Good Omens with my 10-year-old and remembering how much I enjoy that book.

1. Two review requests for Peter.
2. Another no-laundry day.
3. Bath bomb.

1. Fun dinner out with my two little ones.
2. New jeans.
3. Finally getting to watch X-Files premiere.

1. I'm halfway to getting 10 reviews for Peter on Amazon. That's sort of the magic number as many outlets require the book have at least 10 reviews before they'll feature it.
2. Friends who support me and help me when I have to make hard decisions.
3. So. Many. Rainbows.

1. Salon night! And I made up a new nail color that is awesome (and they named it after me)!
2. My day of no laundry. (I get one a week.)
3. More nice reviews for Peter.

1. A walk without rain.
2. Fun stuff in the mail.
3. Daughter lost a tooth.

1. A bit more progress on rewrites.
2. Not having to drive anywhere.
3. Not having to do the evening routine with the kids.

1. Quiet time.
2. Progress with my revisions.
3. Two nice reviews for Peter.

1. Po-boy.
2. New jeans.
3. More bath bombs.

1. Good Mexican food.
2. . . .
3. . . .

I know I'm supposed to find three good things no matter how small, but there just wasn't a whole lot going on. It was a pretty boring day. It's actually been a pretty boring week, my book release notwithstanding. Hmm.

MY BOOK WAS RELEASED!!!

Do I really need two other good things?

Okay, well, I got in an extra long walk because it was the nicest weather we'd had in a while, and also we had Chinese food for dinner.

But did I mention MY BOOK WAS RELEASED? Go get it here.

1. School open despite not having water. (Thank goodness for the District mobilizing so quickly to get facilities in place for everyone.)
2. McDonald's. Not a healthy choice, but I need a treat now and then.
3. Being featured on The Story Reading Ape.

1. Time with friends.
2. Getting stuff done.
3. Slightly warmer weather.

1. House to myself for the morning!
2. Progress on my WIP.
3. Halfway to my weight goal (trying to lose the 5 lbs I gained over the holidays).

1. Cheese. Like, really good cheese.
2. Ricky Gervais. I think he's brilliant.
3. Bath bombs.

1. Finishing Making a Murderer.
2. Progress with my WIP.
3. Friday, I guess.

1. Plans cancelled unexpectedly means not having to put gas in the car.
2. Cooking with a Crock Pot.
3. Hot fudge sundae.

1. Starting to lose the holiday weight.
2. Short and painless orthodontist appointment.
3. Cookies 'n' cream shake. (There goes the weight . . .)

1. Nothing on my schedule!
2. Finally getting back to writing!
3. Meatloaf. And mash.

1. Kids returning to school.
2. Getting back to my morning walks.
3. Bagels from New York.

1. Last day of break.
2. Nap.
3. Walk.

1. Habit Burger.
2. A productive trip to the mall.
3. Discovering Making a Murderer on Netflix.

1. My 10-year-old son came in third in his age bracket in a 5k.
2. Annual New Year's walk.
3. New Sherlock.