1. Manifesting Destiny got a fair review in February's InD'Tale.
2. Brynnde was made a finalist in Books & Benches' cover art contest.
3. Got a lot done (just not any writing).

I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed these days, actually. There is a lot going on in my life and with my family, and then on top of that is everything going on politically—it makes for a lot of stress. I know the answer is not to bury my head in the sand; that's what they're hoping we'll do, it's why they throw things from every side so we don't know which way to look. They want to scatter our energies and exhaust us. We're tired, all right, but more than that, we're angry, and we outnumber them by a lot.

1. New shoes. My old ones were developing holes. (I walk a lot.)
2. More auditions for my audiobook. I'm just so excited about this project!
3. Minerva (one of the cats) came to stare at me this morning. You'd have to know Min to know how amazing that is. We rescued her last October, and she doesn't like or trust me because I've had to chase her and stuff her into a carrier a couple times. So the fact she made herself visible to me at all is astounding. Most of the time she hides if she knows I'm around.

1. My book went on pre-order! Yay!
2. People are actually pre-ordering my book! Yay!
3. Shepherd's pie.

1. Nice solo walk.
2. Got some more work done on my WIP.
3. Received a really great audition for my audiobook project. So excited!

1. Got rid of old furniture. Felt really good to literally kick it to the curb.
2. Started a new project—a tarot book I'm writing for a friend who wants to learn. I'm going card by card. Maybe I'll publish the manuscript later.
3. Starting getting auditions for the audiobook I'm hoping to release. I'm so excited! I've wanted to do this for a long time. Squee!

1. No errands or appointments!
2. Another fun evening with my writing group.
3. Fatted Calf beef jerky and Christopher Elbow chocolates.

1. Nice phone chat with a friend.

. . . That's about it, really. It's tough to find good things these days. Yesterday was cold and I exhausted myself with running around getting stuff done, but didn't manage to get any actual work done. I guess I can put "productive" as a good thing, even if I wasn't productive in the way I wanted to be.

1. Fun new hair colors. (Yes, plural.)
2. No rain, so I got a nice walk in.
3. Car stuff taken care of. Didn't love sitting in the waiting room for 2.5 hours, but at least I had my computer.

1. Good news from the doctor.
2. I beat the hail storm home.
3. Thai for dinner.

1. Nice breakfast out.
2. The formatting for my new book looks fantastic.
3. Facebook chat with a dear friend.

1. Relatively quiet day spent mostly at home.
2. My youngest (the one with the cast) has figured out how to get himself to and from the bathroom and up and down the stairs. On one hand, this is a great relief. On the other, my arms were looking really good from all the lifting. Also, I do get a bit nervous about him on the stairs so still need to spot him.
3. New white noise machine in my office works great.

1. Got my retainers. I'm so glad they're the clear kind (sort of like my Invisalign) rather than the kind I had in 7th grade. I don't mind being a nerd but I don't need to advertise quite so obviously.
2. A nice get together with friends in which I made new friends. Yay for being social!
3. My oldest came back from a week at camp. He was wet, tired, and hungry and was losing his voice but seemed to have a great time.

1. Amethyst fingernails and sapphire toenails.
2. Youngest has now been fitted with crutches and can begin practicing using them in small, supervised outings.
3. Breaks in the rain.

1. Was able to sleep a little later than usual.
2. A quiet day without any errands or appointments.
3. Toast. (Though I ate too much of it.)

1. Doctor says my son's leg is healing nicely. He can switch the long cast for a shorter one in two weeks and then begin using crutches.
2. Special lunch with my little guy after the doctor visit.
3. Yummy dinner made possible by the fact our oldest is away at camp and we're able to cook things he won't eat.

. . .

It was kind of a down day, actually. Nothing bad, but nothing of note either. I guess I can count traffic not being too terrible as a good thing? And we had a nice dinner of deli plates that we all really enjoyed. It was somehow both light and filling.

1. Meatball sub.
2. A walk with my daughter.
3. Have managed to lose 5 lbs.

1. Beautiful day for my son's baseball tryouts.
2. Nice lunch out, and kind strangers gave up their table for us.
3. Quiet afternoon.

1. Orthodontist removed the attachments from my teeth. Is weird to see the flat surface of my teeth again after so long, but nice!
2. Treated myself to a special lunch as celebration for having my teeth back.
3. Sun! No rain! (Cold, but... sun!)

1. Really fun writing group meeting. No one had brought anything to workshop so we just chatted. (I probably talked too much, though. Sigh.)
2. Getting back to my walks and routine.
3. Cleaning out some of my office and closet. I don't usually enjoy doing that, but every now and then it feels really good.

1. Got a good walk in ahead of the rain.
2. Trip for groceries was short and direct. Over and done.
3. My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Finally decided to try it, and so far it's hilarious. (Then again, I'm only two episodes in. But still, loving it.)

It was actually a really busy day. I had to split my normal volunteer time at the school library with taking the cat to the vet and then had to go pick him up again later.

1. The cat is okay.
2. The kids had good days at school.
3. Iced chai with white mocha.

1. Everyone back to work and school.
2. House to myself.
3. Getting a walk in before the rain.

1. Really nice breakfast out with people whose company I mostly enjoy.
2. Hot bubble bath on a rainy day.
3. Golden Globes were . . . mildly entertaining?

1. Yay for not leaving the house? Seriously, I was totally lazy.
2. Getting back to a writing project I'd put aside.
3. Signing up to have a table at the Bay Area Book Festival in June.

1. Moana. What a great movie!
2. Sent ARCs to my advance readers. Yay!
3. Hot fudge sundaes.

1. Good writing group and they mostly liked the piece I brought to share.
2. A break in the rain.
3. *This* close to done with the manuscript I'm working on.

1. Very nearly done with my orthodontia. They'll take the attachments off my teeth next week and I'll get my retainers the week after that. Yes, it's like being a pre-teen again!
2. Nice lunch out with the family.
3. Home-baked cookies and joke time around the dinner table.

1. More [re]writing done.
2. Reading.
3. Bubble bath.

Also, Tiny House Hunters showed up on my DVR again.

New Year's Eve/Day Edition

1. A nice, quiet New Year's Eve.
2. My son did well in his first fencing tournament.
3. Got some writing done.

. . . It has been a relatively quiet couple of days. I've been feeling a little sad, though I'm not sure why. I continue rewrites on my current novel and think I may nearly be done. I'll be happy again once I'm able to send it to advance readers/reviewers.

I wish you all Many Good Things for 2017.