HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lazy day at home. Wrote some more Star Wars fanfic with my daughter (you can find it on spooklights). Also finished an editing job. Had Thai with the family and counted down to 2018 . . . Eastern time because the kids can't really make it to midnight. Had the ceremonial changing of all our calendars. Watched some Eddie Izzard. A fine way to end the year. Hope you rang it in equally happily.

1. The Greatest Showman.
2. Lost another lb.
3. Naan. (Though if I keep eating like that, the lbs will come back!)

My daughter didn't feel well last night but she was fine today, so that was good. She and I started writing a Star Wars fanfic together. We're having a blast with that. Lazy day otherwise, though I'm really enjoying Eddie Izzard's book.

1. A fun time at the Blackhawk Automotive Museum.
2. Really good margarita with my lunch.
3. Fun time visiting with old friends.

Our Internet is out, and the cable guy won't be coming until Friday. So I have limited time/ability to be online. Still, I can find good things.

1. Having fun by being the guest on a radio program.
2. A visit from a dear old friend I haven't seen in ages.
3. Game night.

1. Great blue heron!
2. Biggest red-tailed hawk I've ever seen!
3. Chips and queso!

Walked five miles through a local nature reserve and worked up an appetite.

Christmas Eve/Day Edition

1. Christmas Eve brunch.
2. Seeing The Last Jedi for a third time.
3. Christmas Eve dinner, which includes chocolate cream pie.
4. Karaoke night.
5. The Empire Strikes Back.
6. Kids letting us sleep in.
7. Presents! (I got a Luke Skywalker Pop! figure and a Sherlock Holmes Pusheen pillow among many other wonderful things.)
8. Christmas dinner tradition: teppanyaki.

My diet has gone off the past couple of days, but hey, it's the holidays. I'll try to get back with it soon.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Even if you don't celebrate this holiday, I wish you the best today and every day!

. . . Really, it was a pretty quiet day. I got some editing done. Took a walk in the local hills with my daughter. Finished watching season two of The Crown. (Of course, now I'm sad to have to wait for the next season.) All in all, a fair day.

1. Family movie day (for the first full day of winter break): Jumanji. It was cute.
2. Habit Burger for lunch.
3. Showing my daughter Grease while the boys were at fencing class. She is now fairly convinced that boys are awful and women should never change themselves just to win over a guy.

1. Saw The Last Jedi again. Liked it more upon a second viewing, though some parts still bother me a bit.
2. Last day of school for the kids this calendar year. Now I can sleep in for a couple weeks!
3. Asked to be a guest on an Internet radio program next week. Looking forward to that.

1. New hair color looks really good.
2. Son's therapy went well.
3. Made progress on cleaning my office.
4. Lost a little more weight.

1. Managed to get what was needed at the grocery store and also make massive amounts of pasta salad for a PTA function tomorrow.
2. Weighed two pounds less this morning.
3. Fun time with fellow writers.
4. Dyed my hair, which is something I haven't done [myself] in years. I usually have it done, but I wanted to try this new product, so . . . I think I like it? Not sure yet.

1. Survived getting my cracked fillings replaced, even though they made me watch Elf while it happened. To be clear, I have nothing against the movie, but I don't particularly like it either.
2. Relatively quiet day otherwise. Watched some House Hunters International. Why do the people on that show always think they're going to have so many guests visiting and staying with them? They always bang on about needing an extra bedroom. Look, if you've up and moved 4,000 or 5,000 or 8,000 miles from home, chances are your friends and family won't be able to afford to come visit all the time. Don't fixate so much on that extra room. Jesus.
3. Lots of love from my kitties today. And I stayed under my calorie count. (I started tracking intake again today. Will begin working out again too.)

1. Nice birthday breakfast out with friends.
2. Tickets to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail + a Q&A by John Cleese in March.
3. Much love from family and friends.

1. Lazy day at home.
2. Introducing my youngest to Return of the Jedi.
3. Pub trivia.

1. New zone board for the HVAC system installed without fuss.
2. A rare day in which I did no laundry. Of course that means lots of laundry tomorrow, but this is about TODAY.
3. Survived forced social interaction at a holiday party.

1. Friends sent pizza from Chicago as a holiday gift. Wow! Can't wait to try it!
2. Another friend sent a Tibetan singing bowl as a birthday gift.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

1. Quiet morning at home, which was nice after having workmen tromping through the house yesterday.
2. Gifts from my kids.
3. Early birthday dinner out.

1. WE HAVE HOT WATER AGAIN!
2. Also, a clean HVAC system. It needs a new zone board, which is being installed on Friday, but it works for now.
3. Writing group.

Bonus: Hanukkah. (We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas.)

1. Endured yet another dental cleaning. (Alas, have to go back next week because one of my old fillings has cracked and needs repair. Damn Corn Nuts.)
2. Still managed to meet with my regular Monday lunch date despite said dental appointment.
3. Watched another couple episodes of The Crown. Too bad there weren't more corgis, though.

The day began well but went downhill during the evening. Still, I'll try to focus on the good. That's the whole point, isn't it?

1. My son's birthday party went well. His actual birthday is at Thanksgiving, so we always have to have his party either a few weeks before or (as in this year) a few weeks after. But it went smoothly, and everyone had a wonderful time.
2. Cheesy potatoes. God, I love potatoes.
3. Watched a couple more episodes of The Crown. I'm facing an insane week, so I'm not sure if or when I'll get to watch more. Tomorrow night possibly, but then I'm out every night after.

1. Nice walk with my daughter.
2. Nap.
3. Game night.

Bonus: Season 2 of The Crown.

More productivity. Mailed off some stuff. Bought more Christmas gifts. Entered a writing contest.

Also showed my daughter My Fair Lady. It remains my favorite musical. My first professions theatre experience was seeing Richard Chamberlain play Henry Higgins, so I may be biased, but I adore the film version too.

. . . Well, I had a nice time with my writing group at least . . .

Also got some stuff mailed out. And confirmed the details for my son's birthday party. Picked up some groceries. So I was productive. Which is good.

I'm having a rough time the past few days, but maybe my upcoming birthday will be brilliant and cheer me up.

1. Not as bad as yesterday.
2. Online support from fellow authors.
3. Nice phone chat with a friend.

It wasn't a good day, but I'll try to find some silver linings.

1. The oil change on my car didn't take very long. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes.
2. I skipped my writing group meeting in order to spend a little more time with my family (and nurse some wounds).
3. Got the kids' holiday gifts ordered.

1. Public library would like me to come speak . . . next November. For NaNoWriMo, which makes sense. Whatever, I'm still excited to do it.
2. Lunch with my writer friend.
3. My daughter got cast in the school musical!

1. Nice time chatting with other moms at a kiddie birthday party.
2. Interest from some local writing groups in having me come talk to them.
3. Looking at a fairly easy week barring anything unexpected.

1. Nice lunch out for hubby's birthday.
2. Decorating the house for Christmas.
3. Movie night with our oldest son.

1. Nice chat with the head of a small publisher that is interested in some of my work. Still need to do some thinking about the project, but was a really good conversation, and I'm flattered that they like my writing.
2. Lunch out with my husband.
3. The PTA meeting didn't last very long.

1. Productive morning that included dropping off my son's history notebook (after he called from school asking for it), picking up some printouts because my printer died on me, and buying hangers because I have too many clothes now.
2. Another fun writing group meeting. I have two groups now: one for my Changers 2 project and another for my Regency romance project. Yay!
3. Just so grateful that I'm capable of as much as I am and do. So many people struggle, and I am very fortunate. I'm healthy. I have a car. I have enough money to meet my needs. Sure, I'd like to lose some weight. Sure, I'd like to make more money. But overall, I have it really good. It's good to stop and realize that and have gratitude for it.

1. Publisher interest in one of my manuscripts.
2. Spending one-on-one time with my oldest son.
3. A fairly undemanding day.

1. Singing with my kids on the walk to school.
2. Quiet morning at home getting stuff done.
3. Really fun writing meeting that included Irish root beer (root beer + Bailey's).

1. Wearing a soft new shirt.
2. Feeling productive.
3. Did not snack between meals, nor after dinner.

1. New stack of books from the library. (Not that I needed more to read.)
2. Pie.
3. Snuggles with my kitty cat.

1. Lazy day at home after a week of travel.
2. Frisbee with the kids.
3. My oldest son's birthday!

Vacation Week Edition

1. Quick, smooth flights.
2. SO. MUCH. FUN.
3. An app that let us get FastPasses and all our photos.
4. Delicious dinner at Blue Bayou + Fantasmic.
5. Hotel suite with a view of the fireworks.
6. So many cute shirts to buy.
7. Pins!
8. Not getting sick on any of the rides. (No bouts of vertigo = a big win for me.)
9. Watching the kids do Jedi Training. AMAZING.
10. Meeting Thor and Loki!
11. Getting to eat in the Hyperion Room at Carthay Circle for Thanksgiving Dinner.
12. Home with kitties. (And we had a great pet sitter who sent updates and photos.)

1. Horses.
2. Milkshakes.

It was all downhill from there, really. But I'm still grateful for things like my health and our upcoming vacation. Even when I'm not feeling it in my heart, I know how good I've got it.

1. Lazy day at home.
2. Lazy day at home.
3. Lazy day at home.

1. Last day before Thanksgiving break!
2. All errands and appointments managed with minimal fuss.
3. Nail painting party with my daughter.

Productive day! 1. Mailed a couple packages. 2. Finished an editing job.
3. Took my oldest son with me to writing group. Was fun. Ended the night with a couple hot fudge sundaes.

Oh, and I got my DNA test results. That was interesting.

1. No errands to run.
2. Got lots more of my editing job done.
3. Watching House Hunters with the kids.

1. Clean carpets.
2. Freshened hair color.
3. Outlined another possible novel.

1. A big rainbow this morning. Felt like the promise of a good day.
2. My agent informed me a publisher requested the manuscript. Progress!
3. Productive day. Got lots of editing work done and was able to hang out with a writer friend, too.

1. Cold medicine to make me functional.
2. Quality time with my oldest son, taking him to Murder on the Orient Express.
3. Drawful.

1. Time spent with family. We celebrated November birthdays.
2. Karaoke night.
3. There's still one more day of the weekend.

1. Update from my agent. Even though we're still waiting to hear, I like that she keeps me informed.
2. My copy of 21st Century Yokel finally arrived! I've had the ebook version for a while now, but I'm just so happy to hold it in my hands.
3. The Big Sick. I'd heard a lot about it, and usually movies don't live up to the hype, but this one was as good as promised.

Bonus: The Tumblr about the Passion play: "You get out of it this time, Jesus!" That's going to be my new catchphrase.

1. Watching my 8-year-old son do Shakespeare.
2. Receiving an email informing me that a major magazine has selected one of my books for review.
3. A fairly good writing group meeting. Though I'm now part of two writing groups and may have to make a decision about where to put my time.

1. I received the loveliest, most encouraging note ever from an agent—even though it was a rejection. Seriously, it's the kind of thing you print and hang on your wall. Made my day.
2. A good review for my new Sherlock Holmes Professor Moriarty story.
3. The best tortelloni I've ever had and also the best caramel popcorn I've ever had (though not at the same time because that would be weird).

1. Another relaxing morning. And a productive day. I got a couple items on my to-do list taken care of.
2. Started a new writing project. Which is NOT what I need right now since I have plenty of projects I need to finish, but this felt good—no weight, no expectation tied to it.
3. Good writing group meeting.

1. Relaxing morning—no errands to run.
2. Neighbors who check in because they saw my sad Facebook post and wanted to make sure I was okay.
3. Classic Rock Trivial Pursuit.

1. Kitty cuddles.
2. Updated my writing resume. Feels very satisfying to be faced with a list of my work and accomplishments.
3. Though I didn't especially want to take my daughter to her riding lesson, I did enjoy getting to help brush and tack the horse. And I'm thankful my daughter has such an incredible instructor.

1. Sleeping in
2. Thor: Ragnarok
3. Gaining an hour? I don't love daylight savings, but if I have to go one way on the clock, back is better, right?

Released my latest short story!
. . . That counts for three, I think. I mean, it was a fine day in any case. I helped kids read and got to stay for their music lesson. The leak in the upstairs bathroom got fixed with relative ease. Went shopping and found a Sagittarius coffee mug. Good stuff.

1. Another relatively quiet day. Was able to revise my short story and work on the cover design a little bit.
2. Baby cows on my morning walk.
3. A nice review for one of my books in this month's Uncaged Books.

1. Relatively quiet day.
2. DuckTales.
3. Survived the PTA meeting.

1. Finished the story I've been writing. Will set it aside for a couple days, maybe feed it to some of my critique members, then polish it.
2. Took the kids trick-or-treating. My feet really hurt now, but I get a cut of the candy, so I guess it's worth it.
3. Hallowe'en is over for another year. I enjoy the costumes but not the obligation to have people coming to my door for hours on end.

Bonus: Saw an owl fly over while trick-or-treating!

1. Lots more progress on my current story.
2. Finished Stranger Things 2.
3. Cooler weather. Just in time for Hallowe'en!

1. Frisbee at the park with the kids.
2. Horse show, also with the kids.
3. Early bath and jammies all afternoon.

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban done symphony style.
2. Johnny Rockets.
3. There's still a whole 'nother day of the weekend.

1. One step closer to those new windows...
2. Book cover revealed for the anthology I contributed to. (It's out next month!)
3. Stranger Things 2.

1. Fun writing group meeting.
2. More progress on my current short story project.
3. Deep conversations with my oldest son. I always enjoy those.

1. Errands I thought would take a long time did not, and therefore more of my day was free than I expected.
2. Pitch letter written.
3. Kids all had better days at school, which means less stress for me overall.

1. Official offer of representation.
2. First meeting of new writing group.
3. Quiet and productive morning. New story coming along well.

1. Productive morning working on my latest Sherlock Holmes story.
2. Curry.
3. Fun watching old 80's television commercials.

1. Chicken fried steak.
2. Hanging out with writer girlfriends at a local beer garden.
3. Finding a good parking spot.

1. Fixed toilet in the master bath. Sure, there are two more in the house, but it's damned inconvenient to have to trek out and use the one the kids use.
2. Three bathrooms and a roof over our heads.
3. Afternoon walk with my daughter.

1. A step closer to getting new windows.
2. Yummy lunch at Fatburger.
3. Stockpiling chocolate.

It was a difficult day. Our hamster Thomasina passed away. She was old (for a hamster) and had recently received a diagnosis that made her passing not unexpected. But it was still hard. I was with her until the end, stroking her and talking to her . . .

But there is still good to be found. Tommy is no longer in pain; she is at peace. We do not have to watch her suffer any more, and the suffering was itself brief and alleviated by pain medications. She didn't die alone.

After all that, I was still able to go out to dinner and see Jimmy Buffett play and enjoy myself (with random bouts of crying thrown in, but that might've been because Jimmy played some Tom Petty and Glenn Frey and I was reminded of mortality all over again). Jimmy doesn't look his age, and he still puts on a great show.

So that was the day: sorrow and joy. Quite the contrast. But that's life in a nutshell, too.

A day that started really stressful turned out remarkably well. I guess sometimes you need the contrast of darkness in order to enjoy the light.

1. My son's clarinet was found after being briefly misplaced.
2. Also, his cross country team photo was found after being mistakenly given to someone else.
3. My orthopedist cleared me (so long as I continue with my exercises and keep working on my posture).
4. Hubby bought amazing Christmas presents for the family (even though we won't enjoy them until next summer).

1. A rare morning without obligations.
2. My daughter and youngest son had very good parent-teacher conferences. Both are doing well in school.
3. I discovered quite by accident that I'm mentioned in a couple Wikis. At the bottom of this page and also there's a separate entry for my undergrad thesis project. Wild.

1. Finished the short story I've been writing.
2. My son's last cross country meet for the season.
3. Meeting up with a friend I haven't seen in a few weeks.

1. A quiet day mostly at home after all the hoopla of yesterday.
2. Mr. Pickles sandwiches + ice cream.
3. Setting up a social event for next weekend. I'm such a grown-up!

Today we went to the Northern California Renaissance Faire, and so there were many good things to be had.

1. An excuse to wear my costume (which I haven't worn in six years).
2. Shepherd's pie.
3. The kids doing archery.
4. A TARDIS.
5. Fun shows.
6. Fencing. (My oldest son held his own against experienced instructors.)
7. Incense.
8. Jousts. (My daughter received a carnation from the French knight.)
9. A custom-made bronze medallion with a dragon on one side and a fleur-de-lis on the other. I shall wear it proudly.

In all, a fabulous outing and a wonderful day.

1. Instead of having the school kids read to me today, they had an assembly and my job was to sharpen pencils. That sounds not fun, but it is actually more fun than listening to kids struggle to read. I have a very hard time with that, however much I like the kids themselves.
2. Sending my oldest off to his first ever school dance. He went with some friends, and it seems like they had a great time!
3. Showing my daughter UHF, which I haven't seen in years. I had to pause the movie from time to time to explain some of the source material, but she still loved the movie. (She loves "Weird Al.")

1. Writing group meeting. I love those guys.
2. Infographics. That people make based on stuff I write. I feel so cool.
3. Hummingbirds.

1. Had a lovely time visiting my daughter's classroom and talking about the writing process and the importance of showing rather than telling.
2. Finished the first round on my editing job.
3. A very limited amount of driving required today.

1. Groceries achieved.
2. Freshened hair color.
3. Tomorrow's cross country meet has been postponed. That's only "good" because I've been feeling overscheduled. (It's also good because it's better for the kids' health.)

1. Productive morning.
2. My youngest son's dental appointment went amazingly well. (The dentist said he wished all 8-year-olds took such good care of their teeth.)
3. Bought our Last Jedi tickets and were able to get our favorite seats. (Our cinema has reserved seating, which I love.)

1. Productive morning writing and editing.
2. Time at the barn with my daughter and the horses.
3. . . . General contentment, I suppose. Sleeping in a bit.

1. Pumpkin patch. Which included navigating the corn maze, buying treats from the bakery truck, and riding the cow train.
2. Got some more writing done.
3. Spielberg.

1. Lots of writing done.
2. In N Out burger.
3. Showing my daughter Ever After. Hadn't watched that movie in years, though it used to be a favorite of mine (back when I still watched things on VHS).

1. Finally got my nails done. They'd been looking ratty for a while. My old nail tech moved away. 😢  So it took me some time to find a new one. (Someone else who used my old nail tech recommended this new person, and I'm pretty happy with the result. Though, honestly, I'd have been pretty happy with anything given how bad my nails were looking.) Anyway, nice to be tidied up.
2. Sushi for dinner.
3. Talking with my oldest son about which couples from books we ship. Sure, he was a bit embarrassed, but it was still fun.

1. Another cancellation by someone I was supposed to meet. I'm not sure if I should worry that people no longer like me? But it freed up my morning to get some work done.
2. Started a new story for submission to an anthology. That's been fun.
3. Fellow moms stepped in to help out with transporting children this afternoon. So good to have mom friends. Or at least mom acquaintances.

1. Last physical therapy appointment for at least a couple of weeks. I love my therapist, but the appointments definitely eat into my time, so it will be nice to get a break.
2. My hair stylist postponed our appointment for this afternoon. I count this as a "good thing" because I honestly didn't feel like going. So this was a last-minute reprieve.
3. Early feedback regarding my WIP is very good. There are things that need to be fixed, but I knew and expected that. The one thing I'm hearing from everyone is that they can't put it down! That's definitely what I want.

1. Found a vet who could treat our hamster.
2. Kids get a clean bill of health from the pediatrician. (Day of doctors.)
3. . . .

Actually, we all know it's been a crap day. Mass shooting in Las Vegas, Tom Petty is brain dead, and my hamster has a uterine tumor. So yeah. But my human family is healthy at least. So I'll count that as a good thing and hope tomorrow is better all around.

1. Getting work done.
2. More beta readers for my WIP.
3. Lazy day at home in advance of another busy week.

1. Family day out at the movies.
2. Beta readers are enjoying my WIP.
3. Rearranged furniture. It makes me happy to change things up a bit.

1. Nice celebratory lunch out.
2. Good evening walk (even though my left knee is killing me for some reason).
3. New editing job.

1. Finished the draft of my WIP.
2. Finished the draft of my WIP.
3. Finished the draft of my WIP.

Also: a social gathering with my writing group.

1. Remembered to pick up everything on the grocery list, despite not having the list with me at the store.
2. Squeezed some writing into my otherwise busy schedule.
3. My oldest did great at his second cross country meet.

1. Finished the book I was reading. Must now go find another one. (Or, really, pick one from the huge stack I have.)
2. Nice dinner out.
3. Kingsman 2. (Will post a review on spooklights soon.)

1. A cancellation of my morning plans, which allowed me to stay home and work.
2. Survived taking the two youngest to the city council meeting where they got to shake hands with the mayor for completing the summer reading program.
3. Saved an injured warbler.

1. Classroom of the Elite. What a great find.
2. A little more writing done. It's seriously been a slog lately, so I'm grateful for whatever I can get.
3. Finished A Darker Shade of Magic. Really enjoyed it, too. Looking forward to the next book.

Bonus: John Oliver was back.

1. A little more writing done.
2. Nice lunch out with the family.
3. Homemade chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

1. Unexpected opera assembly at the kids' school while I was volunteering. So I got to go see that, which was more fun than listening to kids struggle to read.
2. Got some writing done for the first time in several days.
3. I have two more [mostly uninterrupted] days of writing ahead of me.

1. My kids telling me I "still have it" when I was able to hit an impossibly high note while singing along to a song in the car.
2. Meeting a writer friend for coffee and lunch.
3. Jimmy Buffett tickets!

1. 11-year-old son did great for his first cross country meet. (Well, the official times aren't in yet, but I think he did pretty great.)
2. Busiest day of the week is over, and I survived it.

. . . Um . . . Cooler weather? It even spit a little rain on us, which was a nice change.

1. A pretty quiet day. Since tomorrow is really busy, I'm grateful that today I was able to rest.
2. Got some writing done.
3. Registered for the San Francisco Writers Conference and booked my room. Something to look forward to!

1. Had fun designing a card for people who ask me what I've written.
2. Nice lunch with a friend.
3. Relatively un-stressful day.

1. A less demanding day than yesterday.
2. Got a little bit of writing done. Not nearly enough, but some.
3. Hummingbirds! Lots of them!

1. Daughter's birthday party was a smashing success.
2. I was social and only a little bit awkward (I think).
3. No big plans for tomorrow. Which, after as busy a day as today, is a good thing.

1. Well, I didn't have to drive anywhere. (I did still have volunteer duty in my son's classroom, but we walk to school.)
2. Girl time with my daughter, which involved baking cookies and watching House Hunters.
3. Also some time with all the kids, during which we watched funny YouTube videos.

1. I don't have tuberculosis. So that's good, right? (I didn't think I did have it, but I had to get tested in order to volunteer at my kids' school, so...)
2. Writer's group for the first time in a few weeks. Was nice to be back.
3. A new Aho-Girl.

1. First day in a long time that I didn't have an appointment to go to or major errand to run. (I did have a minor errand: put gas in the car and pick up eggs and milk from the corner store.) Was nice to have fewer demands on my time.
2. Got some writing done.
3. Was also productive in other ways: laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc.

1. Really nice, in depth conversation with my 11-year-old son. About all kinds of things. It's nice that he's at an age that we can do that.
2. Kind words from readers of my books. I love getting emails and Facebook messages from people who've enjoyed my work. And one was thoughtful enough to write a review, too.
3. Finished watching season two of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend right before it got removed from Netflix, so... That's productive, right?

1. Got a bit more writing done, including fixing a lingering problem with the story.
2. Got a new editing job.
3. Really good fry-up for dinner.

1. Ice cream!
2. Got a little bit of writing done. Just need to flesh out what's happening now since things have taken a surprising turn.
3. John Oliver was back.

1. Quiet morning at home.
2. Amazing dinner out.
3. Something Rotten! Lots of fun.

1. Hubby worked from home so we were able to go out to lunch together.
2. Got some writing done.
3. Girl time with my daughter.
4. A nice note from a director who commissioned me to write a short film for him—he loves the script!

1. Lunch with a good friend who was willing to listen to me howl about my life, and then she even paid for my meal.
2. Irish root beer.
3. Watching the cat watch a squirrel in the tree outside our dining room. Priceless.

1. I hadn't left yet when the cat accidentally turned on the stove, so I was able to turn it off before our house burned down or exploded or something.
2. Finished one of several mini-projects. Nice to be able to strike something off my very long list.
3. New Aho-Girl. I needed the laughs.

1. Another good physical therapy appointment. Making progress!
2. Wrote an article I'd promised to someone for their blog. Nice to be able to strike that off my to-do list.
3. Saw a really cool, almost-full moon tonight, huge and yellow near the horizon.

1. Cleaned out both my youngest son's and my daughter's rooms. Was a lot of work but well worth the effort.
2. A bit more writing done.
3. Had no reason to leave the house today. Given that the rest of my week is nothing but errands and appointments, I needed the down time!

1. Celebrating my daughter's ninth birthday. Her official party with friends isn't for another couple weeks, but we still went out for lunch and she opened presents and we had trifle.
2. A bit more writing done. Not as much as yesterday, but some. Better than nothing. Any day I manage to get writing done is a good day.
3. Slightly less hot?

1. Zero reasons to go outside in the heat.
2. Wrote more than twice my daily minimum word count.
3. Managed to collect the entire set I was chasing in Star Wars Card Trader.

1. Survived the insane heat.
2. Survived the insane grocery store. Like, I've never seen it that busy. Never.
3. Got some writing done.

1. Second physical therapy session went well.
2. Got home in time to eat some pizza before having to go to the event at my kids' school.
3. Met my daughter's teacher, and she's amazingly sweet. I think it's going to be a great class, too. A lot of wonderful parents and students in that one.

1. A little bit of writing done, which is better than none.
2. Survived the PTA meeting.
3. Shoulder is feeling a bit better now that I'm doing these physical therapy exercises.

1. Friendly morning chat with two other moms at the elementary school. Yay for not-too-awkward socializing!
2. First physical therapy appointment went okay. I now have exercises to do and have to ice my shoulder every night.
3. Meeting with my youngest's teacher went smoothly (I think).

Bonus: fresh hair color and sparkly new nails (fingers + toes)!

1. Getting back into a regular writing meeting with a dear friend.
2. Wrote 1,120 words! Almost twice my daily goal!
3. Tried a new recipe and it turned out really well.

1. Game of Thrones season finale. The down side being having to wait, like, two years for the rest of it.
2. Managed to reach my parents. They live just north of Houston and are fine despite Harvey. Today was my mom's 63rd birthday, too.
3. More good progress made on my WIP.

1. Library day.
2. Made my writing goal and then some.
3. Stargazing through the telescope.

1. Got some writing done. Now only have 22k words left to write. (Ha! "Only.") About 630 words per day, every day, until my deadline should do it.
2. My mom is safe despite having a hurricane bearing down on her. @.@
3. No errands to run, no appointments. I wish I had more days like that.

1. Survived a hectic pick-up schedule.
2. Got some writing done.
3. Made my physical therapy appointment. Just the one for starters and we'll go from there

Bonus: Writing group wasn't as bad as I feared it might be.

Um... It was kind of a rotten day. But! The point of this blog is to find the silver linings. So...

1. My shoulder is fine, really, I just need physical therapy.
2. There were no issues with picking up the kids because my oldest stayed for an after-school cross country meeting. You see, the kids were getting out of school at the same time. But since my oldest had a meeting, I was not pressured to be two places at once. That's a win.
3. Sushi for dinner.

There. Those are good things in an otherwise cruddy day. I must remember my complaints are minor compared to so much that others must deal with.

1. My youngest had a better day at school.
2. Got some writing done.
3. Can now get back to my morning walks and listening to podcasts. I'm so far behind!

1. First day of school for my kids! While it's difficult to get into a new routine, it's going to be nice to have my writing time again.
2. Eclipse! The kids' schools were given glasses so all the kids could enjoy the eclipse, and a friend of mine gave my husband and I some glasses, too. So we went for a walk and watched.
3. Date night. Dinner and a movie, which is rote, but felt relaxing.

1. Got some writing done for the first time in a few days. Felt good.
2. Family game night: Ticket to Ride Europe.
3. Emails from friends.

1. My youngest son's birthday party. He chose Chuck E. Cheese, which I was dreading, but I was pleasantly surprised. And he had a great day, which was the important thing.
2. Air hockey. (Because my son got an air hockey table for his birthday.)
3. Crunchyroll. Finding new anime to enjoy and watching old favorites, too.

1. Feeling productive in that I got some paperwork done, cleaned out my oldest son's room, did laundry.
2. Started reading A Darker Shade of Magic aloud to my oldest son. I think we're really going to enjoy this one.
3. Habit Burger.

1. My youngest son's birthday!
2. Kids got haircuts so they'll look snazzy for the start of school.
3. Special birthday dinner, and I still managed to duck into my weekly writing group meeting afterward.

1. My script made the semifinals in CWA!
2. Got all the school supplies for the kids. Now I just need to label everything and sort it all into their backpacks . . . 
3. The kids' haircut appointments got moved, which is kind of a good thing since I was feeling ragged and liked having an excuse not to go. But then again, now I have to take time out of my day tomorrow instead. Hrm.
4. Brownie batter.

1. Kids received their class assignments today. My oldest is pleased to know his best friend has the first two periods with him. And one other friend has almost every class with him. My daughter got the teacher she was hoping for. My youngest is a wee bit disappointed not to have gotten the teacher he wanted, but we were able to talk him up.
2. Very fun and exciting baseball game. The kids got on the Jumbotron, too.
3. Lost another pound. Got a long way to go, but it feels good to make progress.

1. Only one more week until school starts. I love my kids but I'm so ready to have my days back.
2. Really mild weather. Just gorgeous, actually.
3. Heard from an old friend I hadn't heard from in months. Was a nice surprise.

A family day out. We went into the city, had brunch, and then saw the symphony play the score to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Then we came home and went out for dinner and pie. A very full day, and a lovely one.

Managed to get my words in both for today and what I didn't do yesterday. So I remain on track.
Nice visit with another mom. These interactions can feel so fraught, but this particular mom is very easy to talk to.
Made the decision to fold my author newsletter. It's something I'd thought of doing for a while now, but I kept trying to make the newsletter work. It's sort of a load off not to have it any more. Still, the newsletter had a serial story going, but now I'm moving that to Wattpad.

1. Another nice walk with the kids. We've been lucky in that the temperature has been "mild" (highs in the 80s, and cool in the mornings).
2. TWO hummingbirds! One in the lemon tree and one in the locust.
3. Showing my kids the Highlander television show and trying to explain its impact on my life back in the day.

1. Despite my tire pressure light coming on, the tires were fine. The indicator was just having a moment.
2. Nice walk with the kids to and from the sandwich shop for lunch.
3. Many butterflies out and about, and a hummingbird spotting in my climbing roses.

1. Woke up to the news that my TV pilot made the quarterfinals in CWA, so that was nice.
2. Daughter survived falling off a cantering horse at riding camp. If anything, she was more excited about it than she probably should have been.
3. Another good writing day. (Of course, whether the book is any good remains to be seen. Editing will certainly be required. But at least I'm getting the draft done.)

1. Got more writing done. Think I'm nearly finished with this chapter (it's a long one). So far I remain on target for my deadline.
2. Perogies.
3. Bath bomb.
4. Enjoying the new season of Preacher.

1. Another good writing day.
2. Had the house to myself for part of the afternoon.
3. They put up the tile I painted at the elementary school. Feels nice to leave a mark.

1. One-on-one time with my oldest. We went and saw The Dark Tower and then went to Half-Price Books. Turned in a bunch of DVDs and got lots of money toward all the new stuff we bought.
2. Made my word count minimum.
3. Nice chat with my dad. Hadn't talked with him in a while.
4. Hummingbird! While doing yard work this morning. A beautiful little green one. She came and ate from the feeder then sat up in the crepe myrtle and watched me work.

1. Shopping. Like, serious retail therapy. LUSH bath bombs, incense and candles from Mystic Dream, a new coffee mug to add to my collection of mugs with "M" on them . . . Hadn't had a shopping day like that in ages, and it felt really good.
2. Nice lunch out with the family, too.
3. Still managed to get my writing done.

1. My daughter is getting the hang of trotting on a horse. It's so wonderful to watch her become more confident and proficient.
2. Fun lunch out with the kids.
3. Not too hot for a nice walk with the kids, too.

1. My daughter's horseback riding lesson was cancelled. Of course she was disappointed, but it actually made my day much easier. (And the lesson got rescheduled for tomorrow, so it's all good.)
2. Writing group. Only three of us there, but it was fun, as always.
3. Not as insanely hot? It's saying something when 94°F feels "cool," but after the past few days, it really did!

1. Really nice review of my audiobook.
2. My original television pilot script made the first cut in the CWAs.
3. Ran into a friend at the library.

1. Met the new pet sitter, and she's wonderful.
2. Managed to squeak in getting my words written for the day.
3. Kids only three weeks for going back to school.

1. Got my writing done.
2. Oldest son has clean bill of health from the doctor.
3. One-on-one time with said son.

1. Managed to make up my words from yesterday, so I remain on target with my writing deadlines.
2. Lazy day mostly at home, though we did go out for lunch.
3. Cleaned up and organized the homework table. We're only three weeks away from school starting!
4. That Game of Thrones episode was really good.
5. John Oliver was back.

1. Seeing Hamilton again, this time with the kids. They've been so into the soundtrack that when the opportunity arose, we had to take them. Totally worth it.
2. Accomplishing a ton of yard work. Still more to do, but it feels good to have made such a dent in it.
3. Super Duper Burger.

1. Nice lunch out with the kids.
2. Daughter got her new glasses.
3. Kids and I watched more House Hunters together. I love that they get so into it.
4. Continued to meet my word count. However, tomorrow will be dedicated to yard work, so I'm not sure I'll get my words in. May have to double up on Sunday.

1. Library day! And my daughter and youngest son got their medals for completing the summer reading program. They each got to choose a book, too, and my son chose The Great Mouse Detective. <3
2. Watching House Hunters International with my kids. It was very relaxing, and they really got into it.
3. Writing group.

1. Kids had good check-ups with the eye doctor. My daughter needs glasses, but only for reading and any near work; she's farsighted as it turns out. She chose some nice lavender frames and they were completely covered by insurance, so that was a nice bonus.
2. Happy lunch with the kids.
3. Managed to scrape together my word count for the day. So far I'm on schedule to be done September 30.

1. My mala bracelets finally arrived after a delivery delay.
2. Salon day! Fresh hair and nails, hooray!
3. Took the kids to the landscaping place to pick out the decorative rock we'll use in our flowerbeds. Progress! And we got out of the house for a bit.

1. Not too hot for horseback riding.
2. Continued to meet my daily writing goal.
3. Made a cake from scratch. And frosting. Got messy, but tasted great!

1. Family day at the cinema. The movie was only okay, but we still had fun.
2. Another successful writing day.
3. Happiness = the cat sleeping on your lap while you watch Legends of Tomorrow.

1. A morning without the kids, which is a rare treat.
2. Yummy breakfast.
3. Nice walk with my daughter.
4. Meeting my writing goal.

So the concert we were going to see got abruptly cancelled. Still, we made the best of it. We had a nice time hanging out, a great dinner, and did some shopping thanks to ticket refunds. I was able to buy my friend some nice [belated] birthday presents (that I now need to mail). It wasn't a total loss, I suppose, and I drove in San Francisco proper for the first time and survived. So that's something.

1. Girls' lunch out with my daughter.
2. Met my word count goal in writing.
3. Writing group night.

1. My daughter's joy at horseback riding. She just glows. And today she got to trot for the first time!
2. Lunch with a good writer friend I hadn't seen in a while.
3. Chatting with another good friend I hadn't spoken to in a while.

1. A fun time out shopping with my daughter.
2. My foot is healed, so I no longer need to see the podiatrist.
3. Finally finishing Fargo, which has been on the DVR for ages.

1. The first day in a week's worth of girl time with my only daughter. We planned meals for the week and painted our nails. Also started planning her birthday party.
2. More work done on the WIP. If I keep my pace, I'll be done right at deadline.
3. My youngest enjoyed his first attempt at fencing. "I wasn't very good at it," he said, and I told him no one is very good at much of anything on their first try. When I told him I wasn't even very good at writing when I started, he almost didn't believe me! It was sweet. Anyway, he still liked fencing enough that he thinks he wants to continue even after this trial week.

1. Finished another chapter in my WIP.
2. Five Guys for lunch.
3. Quality family time.

1. Relatively quiet day at home.
2. Uptick in book sales.
3. Got in a good workout.

1. Daughter's dance recital went well.
2. Thai food for dinner, followed by Drunk History and a Hamilton karaoke night.
3. Riverdale. It's so soapy and over the top that I can't help but love it.

1. Scrivener webinar. Wow. I feel like I can finally start using the software effectively.
2. Took my youngest son to McDonald's and ran into my oldest son and his friend there. Crazy, but it was nice!
3. Writing group. I just really enjoy hanging out with them. Tonight's conversation (besides writing) covered favorite Doctors and companions.

1. One-on-one time with my oldest. Including showing him how to properly dunk an Oreo.
2. Singing Hamilton with the kids.
3. My son getting an approval rating from the dentist.

1. More history lessons with the kids. I so enjoy chatting with them about it.
2. Traffic not terrible today.

. . . Those are the highlights. Pretty quiet day, all told. (Well, until now. We have icky neighbors who have decided to start making noise late in the evening. I really do need to move to a place where no one lives near me. I'm not fit for human interaction.)

But this blog is meant to focus on good things, so . . . I had nice cuddle time with the hamster today. That can be my third good thing for the day.

1. My kids getting really into the Hamilton soundtrack. It was awesome to share the story with them. Who knew American history could be so fun?
2. Back on the writing horse.
3. My first PTA meeting. I was awkward as always, but after it was over I did chat with another member and, I think, made a connection? I'm so bad at that kind of thing. Proud of myself for being social.

1. Hamilton. Yes, it's as good as they say.
2. Ghirardelli ice cream sundae.
3. An afternoon in the city without the kids. I love them, but especially in the summer, it's nice to get a break.

1. The new Spider-Man movie. Better than I expected.
2. Finally got that Milky Way candy bar I'd been craving.

I can't really think of a #3. I suppose I could fall back on everything that's good that I take for granted: we're all healthy and have more than we need. Aside from the movie, it was a quiet and uneventful day.

1. Library with the kids, and lunch at the library café.
2. Wine brought back from France. OMG, so good!
3. Reading.

1. Writing group helped me out greatly with a hurdle in my WIP.
2. Writing group in general—it was so nice to see everyone after being away!
3. Feeling at least a little productive in getting laundry, dishes done and taking out trash.

1. Back to routine.
2. My kids gave me some ideas about my current WIP.
3. Cuddle time with the hamster.

1. Getting a bit more writing done.
2. Special Independence Day dinner out with the family. (Sushi!)
3. Karaoke.

1. Feeling good about the writing I'm doing.
2. Took my daughter to her first horseback riding lesson. She's had them before, so it's not her first first, but it was her first in a number of years. (We'd quit previously because she was simply too small to do much, and the instructor she had was a bit flaky.) Anyway, it was so lovely to see my daughter so happy and excited.
3. Quality time with my oldest son. He came to the riding lesson to keep me company. Sure, I could have just read a book, but I liked chatting with him. I know soon he'll be of an age where he won't want to hang out with me any more, so I'll take it while it's on offer.

1. Coming home.
2. Seeing my family and my pets.
3. Sleeping in my own bed.
4. Cheeseburgers. The food in France was lovely, but I missed good, old-fashioned grease.

1. Really good feedback on my manuscript.
2. I've been given a deadline (Sept 30). That will help spur me to finish.
3. Fantastic night out with all my new writer friends.

Still in France

Therefore I have ALL the reasons to be grateful! But if you want specifics:

1. Really great conversations with my fellow writers.
2. Motivation to keep going with my own projects.
3. So much good food and wine!

Post-Travel Edition

I've been away because I traveled for 24 hours straight to get to my writing retreat/workshop in France. Which makes my list very easy because:

1. Writing retreat in France
2. Writing retreat in France
3. Writing retreat in France

Seriously, though, this is a beautiful place (Chateau-du-Loir) and my fellow writers are wonderful. I've been here less than 48 hours and just love it. The environs, the people . . . Great food, fresh air, support from my peers. What's not to love?

1. New hair and nail colors. Yay! I feel so pretty!
2. New purse. (The zipper on my old one broke this past weekend. Yay! An excuse to shop!)
3. Feeling productive. Got lots of things done today.

1. Special edition of The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch. Autographed and numbered!
2. New tote bag. It has a Weeping Angel on it.
3. Nice and understanding people after my car decided I was trying to steal it. (Long story.)

1. Really good chat with my dad for Father's Day.
2. Cars 3.
3. Nice dinner out with the in-laws.

1. Genentech Gives Back. While the bands weren't as great this year (IMHO), we still had a fun day.
2. Kids behaved really well most of the day.
3. Cheesesteak.

Wow. The day is just beginning and I already have two good things to report!

1. A new review for my Sherlock Holmes stories. Made my day!
2. And I've had a short fairy tale accepted to an anthology that will come out this fall.

Let's see what #3 will be . . .

ETA: 3. Remembered to go buy something for Father's Day—and did it, even though I didn't feel like it.

1. Fun time with my writing group. My last meeting with them for a couple weeks. *sob* I really will miss them. I so look forward to hanging out each week.
2. New shirt!
3. New lightbulbs in my office, too. So much brighter in there. Love it.

1. Enjoying a really good book called The Fifth Petal. It's set in Salem, Massachusetts, and though I don't miss Massachusetts at all, it does bring home vivid memories. I always enjoyed Salem. Anyway, sitting outside and reading is one of my favorite summer activities.
2. Good chat with a friend. She's the only one of my friends that I actually enjoy being on the phone with. I'm not a phone person, but this friendship supersedes that.
3. Orthodontist visit was short and sweet. All good. Don't have to go back until September.

1. Got a little more writing done. Even when it's only a little, every bit of progress makes me feel good.
2. Able to sit outside and read for a little while.
3. Watching the cats play with the new treat ball I bought them. You put treats in and they have to bat the ball around to get the treats to fall out. They're smart and figured it out pretty quick, but I still love watching them.

1. Readers asking for Changers 2. Eep! It's always flattering when I hear from readers that they want more and are excited about my work. Also puts the pressure on me to get the work done, and I need that motivation. Which leads me to:
2. Getting more writing done on Changers 2!
3. Starting the summer routine with the kids. Will take time to get them used to it, but I like having a schedule.

1. Nice lunch out with the family.
2. Afternoon nap.
3. Fresh pineapple and sweet grapes.

1. Wonder Woman.
2. Good time with my writing group.
3. My daughter declaring, "Batman is kind of harsh" after seeing a Justice League trailer.

1. Garbage disposal is fixed. We'd gone about a week without it. You never realize how much you use or depend on something until you no longer have it.
2. I indulged in some cute new t-shirts.
3. Had a good day in terms of book sales.
4. Nice dinner out with the family (as per our end-of-school tradition), followed by ice cream.

1. Getting to watch my youngest walk the "red carpet" and receive a Superstar award as he promotes from first to second grade.
2. Listening to my daughter perform her poem at her class' Beatnik Millennials Café. And watching her hug all her friends before saying goodbye for the summer.
3. Good final report cards for all three of the kids! We went for a special lunch after school, too. I'm so proud of all of them, and so grateful for three such wonderful children!

1. Even I had fun at the kids' field trip to the swimming pool, despite not getting to swim myself (the parents don't). Nice chats with fellow parents.
2. Also got the kids signed up for the first session of swimming lessons for the summer.
3. Finished notes on the first of five pieces I need to read and critique for the workshop in France. Only a couple weeks away now!

1. Dental cleaning over and done with for another six months.
2. Traffic not terrible coming home from the podiatrist. I should get my custom orthotics just in time to leave for France.
3. Yummy Thai food for dinner.
4. Tiny House Hunters.

1. Watching my oldest son process as he graduates from elementary to middle school.
2. Lunch out with a friend.
3. I've been asked to be Historian at the middle school PTA next year. Between that and co-chairing the yearbook at the elementary school, I will be very involved in the kids' worlds. While it sounds exhausting, I'm actually really happy about it. And it will force me to be more disciplined about my writing, too, and with my time in general.

Weekend Edition

Very busy weekend full of good things.

1. Son's little league season is over. Really, finally over. And there was a party at the bowling alley. And we all went and bowled.
2. Bay Area Book Festival. I was nervous to go, but I sucked it up and did anyway. And I'm glad. While there were minor drawbacks, I mostly enjoyed it. Great weather. Interesting fellow authors at neighboring tables. In the end, it was all good.

I know that's only two things, but there are good things inside good things here.

Busy week ahead . . .

1. Really good Vietnamese food for lunch.
2. Scrivener. As soon as I figure out how to use it (the tutorial is crazy), I think I'm gonna love it.
3. Warm enough for shorts again.

1. Super cute pics and video of my kids at the hoe down, courtesy of one of the school photographers.
2. Also super cute pics and video of my youngest at today's field trip to the zoo. I would have liked to have gone, too, but... broken foot.
3. Really fun time at my writing group. A visiting writer even drew a picture of one of my characters for me!

That's Seladion. From an old piece I'm thinking of reworking. Thanks, @LizaStar_ !

In short, a day of super cute pictures!

1. The school had a breakfast for the volunteers who have helped out over the year. Doughnuts! The other food was good too, but... Doughnuts!
2. The school also has an annual hoe down. I love watching the kids square dance in their Western wear.
3. My son's last baseball game of the season—and the other team forfeited. So we were able to go to visit the middle school open house instead so he could see some of the classrooms. It was a nice alteration of plans.

1. I won't need surgery on my foot. In fact, I should be fine by the time I fly to France. By "fine" I mean I'll be able to wear a brace inside my shoe, but it's better than wearing a walking boot.

That was pretty much the highlight of the day. Well, and playing with the cats. Also, the kids were happy with my meager cooking skills this evening. And a book I ordered arrived. Sometimes it's the little things.

1. Ice cream parlor.
2. Quiet time reading.
3. Fair weather.

1. Family gathering. Saw some people I hadn't seen in a while, had nice conversations. And it was perfect weather.
2. More audiobook sales!
3. Knowing it was Sunday but there was still one more day to the weekend.

1. Library! Hadn't been in a ridiculous amount of time.
2. Salad! With kidney beans and hard boiled egg, my favorite.
3. Sold my first audiobook. Yay!

1. MRI done. I hadn't had one in a while, but at least this one was on my foot. So much better than having to stick your head in the machine. And they gave me headphones so I could listen to music! (Won't know the verdict until Tuesday, alas.)
2. Writing.
3. Nap.

1. More writing done. Having the tracking bars on the sidebar of my site is motivating me. I feel exposed as a slacker if I don't get the bars moving.
2. Open House at my kids' school. Really enjoyed seeing everything they've been working on.
3. Writers group. Had to go a little late because of Open House, but I'm glad I did get to go. It truly is one of the highlights of my week.

1. Getting more writing done. Having a broken foot has the advantage of forcing me to sit a lot.

. . . Not much happened. So it's difficult to single any one thing out. I can be grateful for my health insurance, though, and the fine weather. And for having a valid excuse to avoid major chores. On the down side, my exercise regime has gone to hell. But I'll try not to dwell on the bad.

1. Survived the field trip, even with a broken foot. The middle school is pretty nice, and my oldest is excited to go next year.
2. Good number of page reads.
3. A friend asked for writing advice. I'm always flattered when someone thinks my opinion is valuable.

1. A really nice review for Brynnde.
2. Got some more writing done. (Good reviews always motivate me.)
3. Pretty quiet day all around.

1. Nice breakfast out with friends.
2. Able to swim—or float, rather—despite my broken foot.
3. First time using the fire pit!

1. New glasses! They're super cute.
2. I was the only member of my writing group available to talk to a new member this evening, and I don't think I scared the kid too badly. He said he'd [probably] come back...
3. Managed to write a little, too.

1. MRI scheduled for my foot, and they're setting up a bone stimulation, too. Apparently this will increase blood flow and speed healing.
2. Super yummy lunch that involved a charcuterie board, cannoli, and some stout. (Drunken Lullabies by Altamont—it's really good!)
3. Good retail day after a bit of a slump. Hopefully things will continue to trend upward.

My foot is broken. It doesn't count as a good thing, per se, but it is kind of funny. It's probably been broken since December, when I injured it. And I've just been walking around on a broken foot. Cuz... Me.

1. Diagnosing my foot and starting on a path to recovery.
2. My son's little league team won their playoff game. Pizza to celebrate!
3. The audiobook has been approved and is headed to retail.

1. Felt productive: major grocery shopping trip, four loads of laundry, took out the trash, swapped old litter boxes for new, vacuumed, filled and ran and emptied and refilled the dishwasher, made my next doctor appointment
2. People keep asking me for help with their writing. Which makes me feel good that they think my opinion is worth something.
3. Less windy than the day before. Weather is warming again, which makes me very happy.

I'll be honest. It was a tough day. For the first time in months, I had no page reads or sales on Amazon. Then ACX came back and said the audiobook needs changes before it can be approved. And the nanny called out sick on the one day it was most inconvenient. BUT. These are all, as they say, first world problems. So I am trying to keep my perspective.

1. Salon day. Nails and hair, and though I had to bring the kids with me, they were very well behaved.
2. A day without having to do laundry.
3. Fire drill while I was volunteering at the school. I felt very efficient in helping get the kids out.
4. I was able to help someone . . . She thinks my name is Angela, and I don't have the heart to correct her. I think it's funny anyway, and I went through high school with people calling me Andrea, too, so I've given up on people getting my name right. Anyway, it always feels good to help people. Like, it's a good thing to do, but I'm totally selfish in that it makes me feel good when I help others.
5. Great News.

1. Field trip with my oldest son's class. Though it ate up most of my day, I enjoyed it.
2. New sandals.
3. The chaise in my office is finally cleaned off so I can sit there again. Not that I had time today, but it's nice to know it can happen.

1. Mother's Day. Which means lots of good food for me.
2. Diffuser. The kids got me one for my office for Mother's Day.
3. Did I mention how good the food was? And I was assured the calories did not count.

1. A fairly quiet day at home. I've got a crazy busy week ahead, so I need to carve out quiet time when I can.
2. Though we went out for our official anniversary dinner, it was our actual anniversary. We ordered in gyros. Yum!
3. A walk with my oldest. Always good to get some one-on-one time.

1. Blood draw lab results all good.
2. Ordered cute new sandals.
3. Kids gave me early Mother's Day gifts.

1. My blood draw was quick and painless.
2. I found cute new glasses after my eye exam. Can't wait 'til they come in!
3. Good time at writing group. We had two new people and five regulars, so it was a big turnout this week.

1. An outpouring of support for my daughter who is dealing with a bullying situation at school.
2. Last little league game of the regular season. We do still have playoffs, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. It's been interesting, and we've met some great people, but I'm just not meant to be a sports mom. Well, I don't mind the fencing so much. Maybe I'm a sports mom for irregular sports?
3. A little more writing done. After a dry spell, any day I get a few paragraphs down is a good one.

1. Anniversary dinner. A few days early, but we have to go with when we can get a sitter. And the weather was perfect for dining out on the patio.
2. Everything is blooming. It's terrible for my sinuses but so good for my spirits.
3. Good test results from my doctor.

1. Warm weather!
2. A big monarch butterfly kept floating around me while I sat outside with my book.
3. Got more writing done.
4. Anniversary gifts (a few days early).

1. Breakfast out with friends followed by a walk in perfect weather and a look at an art gallery.
2. First swim of the season.
3. Sushi.
4. Karaoke night.

1. My oldest son had a really good baseball game, and afterwards we had a nice lunch out with my in-laws.
2. Fun time at writing group. I love brainstorming!

Those two are plenty for one day. I'm feeling happy and content.

1. Relatively painless annual physical.
2. Outlined the remainder of the story I'm writing.
3. Weekend.

1. Brunch with a writer friend I hadn't seen in a while. We only manage to get together ever 6 months or so. Always good to catch up.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
3. My kids' reactions to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

1. Saved a bee on my morning walk. That's two bees saved this week!
2. Three ducks landed beside me on my walk, too. They quacked. I quacked back. It was good.
3. Nice phone chat with a friend I hadn't talked with in a while.

1. Lots of page reads for my Amazon Kindle Unlimited books.
2. Finally made the appointment with my doctor that I have been meaning to make for months.
3. Only had to be at the school for one library period instead of two. Don't get me wrong, I love volunteering. But it's nice to get a break now and then.

1. Sitting outside and reading some more.
2. Peace and quiet.
3. Playing with a new writing project. Don't know yet where it's going or what it will be, but it's fun.

1. More shorts weather.
2. Sitting outside and reading.
3. Family game night.

1. My son got a hit in his baseball game and went on to score. His team won 9-0 and he was given the game ball to keep.
2. I was asked by a friend to come to her house and do a tarot reading party (me = the tarot reader). I'd never done a party like that before and was a little nervous, but it was fun, and it seems like the readings resonated with everyone.
3. Heat! Being able to wear shorts! Hallelujah!

1. Finished reading a book. I've had lots of books I've been reading, sort of juggling, so it's nice to be done with one.
2. Refrigerator wasn't as broken as we feared and therefore not as expensive to repair as we thought it might be.
3. Thai food for dinner.

1. The people at the local pet store are so friendly and helpful. I'm glad I shop there rather than at a huge chain.
2. Really fun writing group meeting.
3. Weather was nice enough to open the house windows.

1. Despite gross incompetence at the school, my kids made it home safely.
2. Son's team won their baseball game.
3. Feeling loved by my kids.

1. My youngest son had his last physical therapy appointment. They said he doesn't need to schedule any more. Yay!
2. A productive day helping in the school library.
3. Brynnde won the weekly cover contest! Now she's up for the monthly finals. So if you voted for her (me/it) last week, please consider voting one more time! I very much appreciate all your support!

It was an okay day. Not bad, but not stellar. Just kind of was. So my grateful list consists of things like: being well, having food and clean water and shelter . . . I felt productive in getting stuff done around the house, too, which is always a good feeling.

1. Doughnut.
2. New clothes.
3. Being able to shop without the kids.

1. My roses are popping open all over my garden, and I love seeing them again!
2. Good writing group meeting. Got some help getting over a hurdle.
3. Brynnde continues to do well.

1. Best weather we've had in a while. Had lunch with a friend, and we sat out on the restaurant patio. Feels like forever since we've been able to do that.
2. My oldest did well with his class presentation. I'd been helping him practice, so it's good to hear that it worked out.
3. New tarot deck and new book to read.
4. Lots of hummingbirds flitting about.

1. A rare day without errands or appointments. Never even had to get in the car for anything.
2. Chocolate milk.
3. Woke up to an email that my novel Brynnde is up for a cover award. I don't know if it will win—it's rather more of a popularity contest than anything about actual design merit—but it's nice to see it recognized. I can't take credit for the cover, but I do agree it's gorgeous! If you'd like to vote, the contest is here. You have to register to vote, but it's quick and free and they don't spam you or sell off your email. I appreciate any and all support!

1. Got the grocery shopping done.
2. Survived the busy afternoon and evening. Even got a workout in.
3. Moscato.

1. Had fun helping at the school library. The kids needed fairy tale books, so I showed them where they were (398) and went through various options. Reminded me of an old Cinderella story I wrote some 12 or so years ago...
2. Hummingbird flying around my garden this morning.
3. Baked potato.

1. Dyed eggs with the kids. (Yes, a day late.) We used this new process that involved rice and the eggs came out amazing!
2. Felt productive in doing lots of laundry and dishes.
3. Tiny House Hunters.

1. Had a nice Easter that involved staying cozy at home. The kids hunted for eggs inside the house (because rain), and the Bunny brought us a fire pit and the makings for s'mores. Now we just need sand and wood and dry weather.
2. Did get a bit of a walk in.
3. Resumed my exercise program. Feel better just for getting back on that horse.

1. Felt better today.
2. Nice seder with our Jewish Culture group.
3. Hummingbirds!

Okay, so I woke up with an acute case of vertigo this morning. I've suffered from bouts of vertigo for years, but hadn't had one—certainly not one this bad—in a very long time. I was bedridden for the first half of the day.

So what was good about Good Friday?

1. I was able to get up and shower and walk around by around 1:30.
2. I was able to drive by 4:00
3. My loving husband came home from work right away when I told him I was sick.
4. My kids did a great job of getting themselves together for school while I shouted instructions from my bedroom.
5. We're fortunate that we live within walking distance of school and the kids were able to get to school without me.
6. Habit Burger for dinner.

Sometimes we just need something to knock us down so we remember how good our lives really are.

1. A whole morning without errands or appointments. I actually got some writing done.
2. Fun time with my writing group this evening. They enjoyed the pages I brought and they also had some great stuff.
3. . . . I'm breathing? That counts as a good thing, right?

1. The rain wasn't too heavy for me to get in a morning walk.
2. Managed to buy everything we need for Easter.
3. Got lots of laundry done. I don't love doing the laundry, but I do like having done the laundry.

1. I slammed my finger in the door and have a nasty blood blister BUT... It didn't mar my new nail polish.
2. My youngest continues to do well in physical therapy. They say his calf is a bit weak, that's why he still has a slight limp. Once the muscle builds back up, he'll be good to go.
3. Curry.

1. The youngest is officially out of his boot and into actual shoes again! He still needs some physical therapy, and he can't do sports for another six weeks, but we've reached the near end of a very long road.
2. Everything went more smoothly than expected. I don't know how else to phrase it. I was prepared for complications and instead everything was simple. Traffic and schedules and just everything.
3. Hair and nails night at the salon. In fact, the salon isn't even open on Mondays but they opened just for me. I feel special!

1. Lunch out with the kids.
2. Family seder went smoothly.
3. In-laws have offered us Hamilton tickets! And they'll even babysit!

1. Dragon face!

. . . Honestly, that pretty much counts for all three good things today.

1. Jelly Belly factory.
2. Really good Mexican food for lunch (especially the tortilla chips).
3. Quiet afternoon and evening.

1. A quiet day indoors.
2. Got more writing done.
3. Fun time out with my writing group in the evening. They changed the April meeting schedule so I won't have to miss the rest of the month, too.

1. Picnic with the kids.
2. Sitting outside to read a good book. (But then I finished the book, which is sad because I was really enjoying it.)
3. Getting writing done in spite of kids being home. BTW, what do you think of "Adelia" for the heroine's name?

1. Traffic not terrible.
2. Productive day around the house, even with the kids being home for spring break.
3. Another good review for Brynnde.

1. It's that time of year again when I can sit outside and read in the sun.
2. Got a nice walk in, too.
3. A piece of mail I thought had been lost arrived.

1. Brynnde continues to do well.
2. Gorgeous weather for a walk.
3. Finished school yearbook pages.
4. Shepherd's pie for dinner.

1. Brynnde has hit its stride and is now my most successful book since my Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm really excited!
2. Good time with my writing group.
3. Nice day for a walk with the kids.

1. Brynnde continues to receive many page reads and also garnered a fairly nice review in April's InD'Tale Magazine.
2. All three of my children received gold medals at school for reading.
3. New notepads with my logo on them.

1. Brynnde received its highest number of daily page reads yet.
2. We've got more than a week off from baseball.
3. Taco boats.

1. I survived. It wasn't easy--things were kind of crashing down on me unexpectedly--but I made it through.
2. My son's baseball team won their game. I've now worn the same clothes for each win, so I'm expected to wear those clothes for every game now. Guess I'll be doing my laundry twice as often as usual.
3. A quiet evening. Considering how the day went, I really needed that.

1. Gorgeous weather.
2. Library duty cancelled so I ended up with the morning to myself unexpectedly.
3. Thai food for dinner.

1. Fairly relaxed day.
2. Met a friend for lunch.
3. Got a wee bit more work done on Changers 2.

1. Nice breakfast.
2. Hummingbird brushed my ear when flying past on my afternoon walk with my daughter. I'll count that as good luck!
3. Having fun answering interview questions for upcoming blog tour.

1. Son's baseball team won their game.
2. Cake! (I went to pick my daughter up from a birthday party and they gave me cake!)
3. Brynnde made it to #13 on the Kindle chart!

1. Took the yearbook photos I needed to take and finished the yearbook pages that were my responsibility.
2. Relatively quiet day.
3. Nice chat with the neighbor.
4. Daughter had a great time performing at the school talent show.

1. Beautiful walking weather.
2. Quiet morning that allowed me to get some writing and other work done.
3. Brynnde is doing well on its promo, having cracked the Top 20 on the Kindle free list for Regency romance!

1. Finally! A morning without an appointment, errand, or other obligation. Some down time, some quiet time, some time to myself!
2. Youngest son had a good dental check-up, no cavities.
3. Nice phone chat with a good friend.

1. Survived library duty at the kids' school.
2. Got through my youngest son's physical therapy appointment.
3. Hubby brought me dinner after the insanity of the day.

1. Actually got some writing done. A very little bit, but better than nothing. Tops last week, when I was so busy I didn't have two minutes to rub together for writing.
2. Nice lunch out with a friend. Turns out there's something called Irish root beer, and it's very yummy!
3. Baseball practice was cancelled. I know, I know, but baseball has been eating up our lives, so it was nice to have a break.

1. Family day out at the movies to see Beauty and the Beast.

That's really all we did, so . . . I mean, it was a fine day and all, so I can be grateful for good health and my family and all that, but it's difficult to be specific about today. And that's fine. Not every day is going to have some great defining moment(s). Some days are just days, not particularly bad, and at the least fairly good, but also pedestrian. We need days like that for contrast, or as a baseline. This is life at its most general. Now here is life at a high. And here, at a low.

May you have more highs than lows in life.

1. Son's team won their baseball game.
2. Nice lunch out with family.
3. Good time with my writing group this evening.

1. Kids all had good report cards.
2. Lunch with a friend.
3. Confirmed that I'll be attending the workshop/retreat in France this June.

1. Night out that included dinner and a play (The Last of the Red Hot Lovers).
2. I was accepted to the writing workshop in France this summer.
3. Ordered notepads featuring my new logo.

Bonus: My daughter's teacher sent home her report card a day early and it was very good.

Bonus 2: Had fun helping my youngest do his project on his ancestors.

1. Youngest son's physical therapy went well.
2. Oldest son's baseball team did well at their game.
3. Finalized travel plans for our annual Thanksgiving holiday trip. Flights and hotel booked. Yay for something to look forward to!

1. Celebrating five years in California with In-N-Out Burger for dinner. (And the kids ran into school friends while we were there, so: bonus.)
2. Pi Day! Cookies-n-cream pie! (We ate really unhealthily today.)
3. I got a new logo as part of my author brand! I'm stupid excited about it.

1. My youngest got his last cast off and is now in a boot he can remove for bath and bedtime.
2. The pork chops I made turned out amazing.
3. Got a good workout in.

1. Weather so nice I didn't need a jacket.
2. Got a nice walk in.
3. Family game night.

1. Had fun shopping with just my daughter.
2. My oldest cooked dinner—and it was delicious!
3. Enjoyed showing my oldest The Prestige, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. It holds up remarkably well for being 11 years old.

1. Kids had the day off from school and were relatively well behaved. I was able to get a little bit of work done at least.
2. Nice lunch out with the kids.
3. Nice afternoon walk with my daughter.

1. I can't say enough about the gorgeous weather.
2. Good time at my writer's group.
3. Lots of people are reading Brynnde. Makes me happy!

Oh, and I finished the Buffy 20-year anniversary card collection on Quidd.

1. More beautiful weather.
2. No one at the car shop, so my smog check went really quick.
3. My son got his first run in baseball (this was their third game).

1. Good weather.
2. Hummingbirds.
3. Got more work done on Changers 2.

1. Nice morning out with friends.
2. Finished writing a 10-minute play.
3. Managed to get my son's baseball pants clean.

1. A quiet day at home after a busy day yesterday.
2. The kids bought me chocolate bars—with their own money!—and surprised me with them.
3. Family game day.

Bonus: Nice chat with my dad; it had been a while.

1. Magic show—the kids really loved it.
2. Decent weather for the little league game.
3. Not having anything scheduled for tomorrow.

1. Painting tiles to finish the school walls. Our family will forever be commemorated!
2. Truly beautiful weather.
3. Abundance.

1. New hair color(s)!
2. New nail colors!
3. But mostly new hair color(s)!

1. Fondue.
2. London iced tea. (Similar to a Long Island iced tea.)
3. Did I mention fondue? Oh, okay, well how about getting more work done on Changers 2 then?

1. More nice weather.
2. Daughter had a good report from her dentist.
3. Mardi Gras! And I baked a cake with a [plastic] baby in it!

1. Good walking weather.
2. Getting back to work on Changers 2.
3. My kids being really into Clue (both the movie and the game).

1-3. Moonlight wins Best Picture.

I'm just so glad to see something with more substance win. La La Land is surely a charming film and visually stunning, but I cringe whenever films celebrating the world of movies get handed award after award while other films that have a deeper message get passed over.

Next year I hope to see some more women nominated for things like (*ahem*) screenplay and director?

1. Made it through the Opening Day of Little League.
2. Fatburger.
3. Brynnde continues to get lots of page reads.

1. Relatively quiet morning.
2. Oldest son showing improvement in baseball practice. (Opening day tomorrow.)
3. Sushi dinner with the family.

1. Productive grocery trip. (They had fully dressed Ruffles! I used to only be able to get those in Canada!)
2. Finally mailed some stuff that I'd been meaning to mail.
3. Fun time with my writing group.

1. Was finally able to return the wheelchair we'd rented for my youngest son when he broke his leg. Yay! Two months later he's now on crutches.
2. Lovely lunch with a dear friend that I haven't been able to catch up with in some time.
3. Nice phone chats with two other friends—it was an unusually social day for me!

Oh, and I applied to a possible writing retreat in France this June. They only take six writers. I made it through the first stage; they requested pages from my WIP. Fingers crossed! It would be an amazing opportunity!

1. Took the youngest for a check-up with the doctor. His bone is growing back nicely, and he was able to get a shorter cast.
2. Rainbows!
3. S'mores Girl Scout cookies.

1. Lunch out with my two little ones. Including ice cream!
2. Cluedo.
3. Bubble bath while rain patters the windows.