1. First day of school! And the kids all seem to like their teachers. Fingers crossed for a good year.
2. The house painters started work.
3. Per the doctor, daughter's rash doesn't appear to be anything very serious.

1. Grateful for the existence of Doctors on Demand, which allowed a doctor to prescribe an antibiotic for our daughter. Saved us a trip to urgent care and/or the ER. (And the daughter is fine, btw.)
2. Repotted the tomato plant.
3. Sushi as the last-day-of-summer dinner.

1. New bedding. It's so much prettier than the old stuff we had and goes much better in the room.
2. Took the kids to Dave & Buster's for the first time.
3. Got more editing done.

My youngest turned 9, but we're saving the party for tomorrow. Today he just wanted to play his new video games, so we let him. I got some editing done. A fairly placid day all around. And we did have ice cream cake!

1. Clean house.
2. Kids have fresh haircuts for the start of school.
3. I'm seeing slow progress with my ear.

In-laws took me and the kids out to lunch and then watched the kids so I could go to the ENT. Turns out my left ear has moderate hearing loss, but it's not permanent; once we clear the infection and see the eardrum healed, I should regain my hearing. Now I have to have gunk in my ear for a week, then they'll suck that out and check the drum. Sigh. BUT. Once again, so glad to have access to care, and also grateful it's nothing more serious.

1. Kids found out today who their teachers will be, and they are very happy. (Me, too, because I know both teachers and like them both.)
2. Ear hurts marginally less than yesterday?
3. Morning walk with the kids. Means I didn't hit my goal for my walk, but it was still nice. At least they all still want to spend time with me...

1. Met with the vice-principal at the middle school to go over my son's schedule and make sure he's all set for the coming school year. The VP is amazing, and we're so lucky to have such a great school.
2. Showing the kids Fushigi Yugi.
3. Got better sleep than I had the past few nights.

1. Cute new Pusheen backpack.
2. Cute new Slytherin cardigan.
3. Bath bombs.

Let's just say retail therapy in general cuz my ear is really aching and I need all the emotional boosts I can get.

1. Got the chocolate shake I'd been craving.
2. Made progress with my WIP.
3. Afternoon nap.

1. I had the doc prescribe me some antibiotics because my ear was starting to feel worse and was occasionally dripping some clear liquid... Lovely, I know, but I'm grateful to have access to doctors and medicine when I need them.
2. Got more editing done.
3. My oldest did well in his first ever chess tournament. He came in third over all and also won the Sportsmanship Award.

Well, it turns out I have a ruptured eardrum. So that's fun. Still, there are things to be grateful for:

1. Getting some editing done.
2. Husband stayed home to help me out since I needed to go see the doctor and also had a full slate of other errands and appointments.
3. . . . M&Ms?

I won't deny it's been a struggle lately to find the silver lining. But I keep trying.

1. Kids got thumbs up from the eye doctor. One more appointment to mark off my list.
2. Helping my daughter teach the cats tricks. (So far they're doing pretty well with "sit.")
3. Stayed home while the rest of the family went to the ballgame. Sure, it was because my left ear is messed up, but still nice to have the house to myself for a bit.

1. A modicum less of running around was required today.
2. Another good morning walk. I definitely prefer walking early, while it's cooler.
3. I'm slowly recovering after coming into contact with some food allergens. I've managed to avoid that for years, so it was quite a shock to me and my system when it happened.

1. Survived running around, taking the kids to this and that activity.
2. Had a nice time with my writing group.
3. Only two more weeks until school starts.

1. Dumb movies.
2. Morning walks.
3. People who reblog your posts.

1-3. Being home. After so much travel, it's nice to be home and sleep in my own bed and love on my cats.

Santa Cruz Edition

1. Miyuki sushi.
2. Introducing the kids to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
3. Cute bookstores.

NYC Edition

In no particular order:

1. Comfortable flights.
2. Hamilton walking tour.
3. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
4. The Met.
5. Serenata.
6. Dairy Queen.
7. Hot dogs from street vendors.
8. NY pizza in general.
9. The Strand.
10. Spyscape. (I'm a Spycatcher!)
11. Central Park Zoo.
12. Friends who let you stay in their beautiful apartments while they're away.
13. Terraces.
14. Thunderstorms.
15. Coming home to kitties.

1. Fairly efficient packing.
2. An agent asked to read my manuscript.
3. Blue Exorcist.

As you might guess from the "packing" part, I'll be traveling again and therefore not updating here for a week. Come back to see ALL the good things that happen in NYC!

1. I recently rediscovered my tumblr. Mostly as a place to shelve fanfic snippets. And today someone there messaged me and told me I'm wonderful, and that felt beyond good.
2. Bagels. Fresh ones.
3. Homemade lemon meringue pie.

1. A lunch disaster ended up being a happy accident. We tried to eat at one of our favorite places, but the staff just couldn't get it together, so we decamped and had a fantastic lunch at another restaurant.
2. Kids got good reports from the orthodontist.
3. Sangria.

1. Freshly painted finger- and toenails.
2. Finding a wonderful new bakery.
3. Working with a colorist to choose paint for the house.

It was a really busy day, actually, so the best thing about it is that it's over.

1. Finished reading a great book.
2. Wrote some more.
3. Good first PTA meeting of the new school year.

1. Good morning walks. (Yes, plural.)
2. More writing. But also lots of reading.
3. A nice time at a friend's house that included writing critique but also just hanging out.

1. Slightly cooler today, which made for a nice morning walk.
2. Found a fun new place to try for lunch.
3. A little more writing done.

1. Went to a social function and totally behaved.
2. Got a bit more writing done.
3. Tried Holmes of Kyoto and thought it was really cute.

1. More writing.
2. More reading.
3. Mostly lazy day.

1. A little bit of writing.
2. A lot of reading.
3. Chose someone to paint the house.

1. Getting closer to finding someone to paint the house.
2. Found a video that encapsulates my feelings about Sherlock. (I don't like to talk about it, and now I don't have to!)
3. Thai food.

1. Good morning walk.
2. Writing.
3. Hubby brought me dinner when we realized the orange chicken had real orange in it (I'm allergic).

1. Breakfast out with my boys.
2. Constructive writing group meeting.
3. Brownies, lovingly made by my husband and daughter.

1. Swimming in a cute new suit.
2. Morning walk.
3. Showing the kids Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Though I did have to explain the slang use of "bogus."

1. Finally finished writing a chapter that seemed to be going on forever.
2. Reading.
3. Finding new anime to watch.

1. Bowling. I'm getting better. Not that the bar was very high to begin with.
2. Seeing my daughter have so much fun at the barn. She's happy just to be helping. She mucked stalls, cleaned tack, turned out and bathed horses. Genki desu.
3. Showing our oldest Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I have issues with the underlying themes of that movie (never read the manga), but it's still fun. And lots of fun to watch my son watch it.

1. More writing.
2. More exercise.
3. Clean house.

1. Releasing silkworm moths into the wild.
2. A nice walk on a cool morning.
3. Writing again.

1. Going on safari with the family.
2. Eating at a favorite restaurant that is two hours from home, so it's a rare treat to eat there.
3. Beautiful weather.

Paris Edition

1. Business class
2. The generosity of old friends
3. Ice cream on hot days
4. Bread, butter, frites, ramen . . . so much great food
5. Having locals tell me my French is pretty good
6. Navigating the Metro
7. Nike of Samothrace
8. Versailles
9. Sweet little (air conditioned!) hotel rooms with skylights over the bed
10. Rosaries*
11. Gorgeous views
12. Surviving stairs . . . so many stairs . . .
13. Watching home improvement shows in French
14. Coming home

In short, a fabulous trip. But exhausting!

*I buy a rosary every time I visit a cathedral. I guess I collect them, more or less. This time I bought one at Notre Dame and one at Sacré-Coeur.

1. Got most of the packing done.
2. Got my brows tidied up.
3. Found some really old writings while looking for something else (that I didn't find). Stuff I'd forgotten I ever wrote. That's always startling. But also kind of fun.

In case the packing didn't clue you in, I'm traveling as of tomorrow and won't have my laptop with me. (Cue some anxiety.) That means you'll have to wait a week before getting any more "good things" from me, but hopefully I'll have a big, long list when I get back!

1. A bit more writing done.
2. Nice family lunch.
3. Took one-on-one walks with the kids.

1. Jurassic World, which was more fun than I expected. (Review coming on spooklights soon.)
2. Also finished watching Gamers! which I really enjoyed. Only wish the manga were in English. I don't mind getting it in Japanese, but that's not easy to do.
3. A little more writing done. Very little. But some is better than none.

1. More writing done.
2. Clean house.
3. Good writing group meeting.

1. Got my lingual retainer fixed after the dental hygienist broke it on Monday.
2. Got a little more writing done.
3. Hot fudge sundae.

1. Cheesesteak.
2. Writing.
3. The Brynnde audiobook went up for sale today!

1. Fresh hair color and fingernails.
2. Daughter had a great first day at her riding camp and her instructor took beautiful photos:

3. Only a week until Paris.

1. Saw Incredibles 2.
2. Had a good phone chat with my dad.
3. Fairly quiet day otherwise.

1. Got so much writing done.
2. Also got in a good walk that resulted in my bringing home mulberry leaves for my son's silkworms.
3. Fun get together at a friend's house. Met cool new people!

Ran errands like a boss, including getting my son to his doctor's appointment, taking him to buy a birthday gift for a friend, getting both boys to agree on a place for lunch, and getting my oldest to the birthday party for which the gift was bought. I also got in a solid morning walk. And we had a nice family dinner followed by ice cream.

1. Pizza and swimming.
2. Good writers group meeting.
3. Sucked it up and did a solid workout.

Six Flags Edition

Went with the family to Six Flags.

1. Got splashed by dolphins.
2. Enjoyed relatively mild roller coasters (my vertigo prevents me from riding more intense ones).
3. Watched my kids have a great time.
4. Butterflies.
5. Big cats (tigers, lions, cougars).
6. Fed giraffes!
7. Came home and had sushi for dinner.

1. A day that did not require me to leave the house.
2. Got so much writing done.
3. Interspersed writing with quality time with the kids.

1. Lunch out with the family.
2. Good afternoon walk.
3. Got some writing done.

Bonus: Watched some Cardcaptor Sakura with the kids.

1. Took the kids for fondue. They'd never had proper fondue, and they loved it!
2. Continued to make progress on my WIP.
3. Now only 2 weeks until Paris. But lots going on between now and then. Summer is going to fly by.

1. Bowling!
2. Habit Burger!
3. Library!

1. Got in a good walk.
2. Got more writing done.
3. Watched Game Night, which was really cute.

1. Finished writing yet another chapter of my WIP.
2. Last day of school! Which means I can sleep in a little later for the next couple months.
3. Watched Definite Article with my 12yo son. He loves history and plays clarinet, so he appreciates Izzard's humor.

Today I helped grill over 800 hot dogs at my son's school. I'm a PTA board member, and we were serving an end-of-year meal to the students and staff. It was exhausting but fun.

Also today, I had a great chat with a friend of mine. We got into talking about the world's ugliest buildings and spent time looking them up online while discussing them over the phone. I'm so glad I have weird friends that I can fall into odd conversations with.

AND . . . my cat at the spider that was in the bathroom, which saved me the trouble of having to kill it.

1. Finished writing the chapter I've been working on! Hooray!
2. Watched my daughter in the school talent show.
3. Nice critique group meeting that included a very yummy hurricane (of the drink variety).

One of my last quiet days before school is out. I both wrote and took reading breaks. No errands or appointments, though I did do some laundry and the dishes. But overall a very relaxing day. And productive.

1. A nice chat with my dad.
2. Survived a board meeting.
3. Lazy afternoon.

1. Shopping! Including both clothes and books.
2. Kids were so well behaved at big family lunch.
3. Post-lunch chocolate.

1. It's Friday.
2. It's Friday.
3. It's Friday.

1. Managed to get some writing done for the first time in a while.
2. Opening night for my daughter's musical.
3. We're really fortunate. And I try to remind myself of that every day. I can go to the store and buy groceries without pinching pennies. That's . . . incredible, really. And I want to stay in touch with that because I don't want to be the type of person who takes things for granted. I can be upset about little things, but in the big scheme? I've got it pretty damn good. I have clean water. I have food—yes, even when I complain there's "nothing in the house to eat." And we're healthy. My life is a good one. I'm very lucky.

1. The school had its annual breakfast to thank the volunteers (of which I am one). That's always nice.
2. Got through the school's annual hoe down as well. I'd been helping my son's class practice for the past month, so it was great to see them finally do their square dance—and nice to finally be done.
3. Went to my oldest son's open house, which is where we visit the classrooms and see everything they've done over the course of the year. He's done quite well, and I'm proud of all his hard work.

Productive day that included grocery shopping and much running around to fetch kids from places and take them to other places. Honestly, it wasn't very fun, but at least I did it. Also, I was able to listen to the final few chapters of the Brynnde audiobook and now it's all approved and ready to upload. So yay for that! Also, two young squirrels chattering in the Japanese maple in our yard. They were so cute.

1. The swimming pool on a hot day.
2. White noise machines in the face of noisy, partying neighbors.
3. A good chat with my mother.

Day at the ballpark. Kids behaved, we had good ice cream, were on the Jumbotron, and our team won. So . . . Yeah, a good day.

1. Saw Solo. I mean, I didn't think it was terrific or anything, but it was a nice time out with the family.
2. Sushi for dinner.
3. DuckTales. Which I enjoy way more than I probably should admit.

1. Listened to more of the Brynnde audiobook and mocked up a cover for it.
2. Helped out at the final track meet of the season.
3. A fairly relaxing evening after a busy week.

1. Listened to more Brynnde audiobook. I'm so excited!
2. Really good, fun writing group meeting. Feel like I hadn't been in years.
3. My second grader, examining artwork displayed at school: "First graders pulled this off? Pretty good." He's the best. (Don't tell the other two I said that.)

1. Productive! I helped out in the classroom, picked up my new glasses, and got the shopping done (with help from the hubby, who worked from home today).
2. Really good taco bar for lunch. My new favorite place for Mexican food.
3. Did manage to squeeze in a little writing. So now my hair looks a bit better.

Bonus: covered my "wisdom stripe."

1. An agent requested pages.
2. Got to listen to more of the audiobook for Brynnde, and it's sounding really good.
3. A productive day overall—at home at least. No errands or appointments.

1. Nails all tidied up with a fun new color.
2. Relaxing with a book.
3. My son finally finished his biography report on Thomas Edison. Seriously, I feel like this has been going on for ages. I'm probably more excited for him to be finished than he is.

1. Morning coffee klatch with two writer friends. We try to get together every so often but it had been a while.
2. Got about four pages written.

. . . ??? A pretty quiet day, really. I guess that in itself is worth being grateful for.

1. Picked up my car this morning. All shiny and running like a dream!
2. Survived a bat mitzvah. It was for someone I don't know very well, but our daughter had a role in the ceremony, so . . . At least we got to dance, and the food was pretty good.
3. Also picked up my new contact lenses. Still waiting for my glasses, though.

Bonus: afternoon nap!

1. On my morning walk I passed a man in a ballcap going the other direction. He nodded and touched his cap at me. That's something I haven't seen outside of my visits to the UK, and it just delighted me. I know I'm not supposed to like all those old-fashioned things, but deep down I really do.
2. Very good walks (two today!) in general.
3. Family dinner at one of our favorite local pizzerias.

1. Got in a really good walk this morning.
2. Got more writing done.
3. Oldest son's band concert went well.

1. A little boy in the class where I volunteer every week told me, "I'm glad you're here to help us."
2. The square dancing instructor for that class told me, "Thank you for your help. You really seem to know what you're doing!" (I grew up in Texas. Yes, we learned square dancing.)
3. A little girl was in tears over her overdue library book, and I was able to help her find it and turn it in.

It was a day of helping. That felt really good.

1. Finally got some writing done. I haven't had the chance to do that in a couple weeks.
2. Eye doctor says my eyes are healthy. New prescription, though, which means: new glasses!
3. Gold Medal Ribbon ice cream.

1. The first day in a long time that I didn't have an errand, appointment, or chore eating up my time.
2. Got to listen to more of the Brynnde audiobook. It's sounding great!
3. This picture made by someone on the Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc Facebook page:

Mother's Day + also our 17th wedding anniversary. We had brunch at Winchester Mystery House and took the tour. I'd been there twice before, but they'd made some changes, so there were some new things to see and do. Plus the weather was great.

I'd like to say that, it being Mother's Day, I had a day off from housework. No such luck. So I'm not 100% satisfied with my day, but I'm still trying to look on the bright side. Most of the day was nice at least.

Post-Guest Edition

Had a friend visiting from out of town and therefore am only now catching up on email and the like. Good things that have happened over the past couple days:

1. A publisher requested to read Hamlette
2. Perfect weather (which my friend particularly enjoyed because she came from Dallas, where it is very hot and humid)
3. Introducing my 9yo daughter to the wonders of Jareth in Labyrinth and David Bowie in particular
4. Walks
5. Mother's Day tea at the school
6. . . . Just a general sense of wellbeing

1. Best friend from college is here for a visit.
2. Gorgeous weather.
3. Revolving sushi restaurant. (The sushi revolves, not the restaurant.)

1. Survived being a classroom aide.
2. House is clean.
3. John Mulaney's standup.

1. Indulged in a McFlurry
2. Helped out again at the penultimate track meet. I really do relish feeling useful.
3. . . . Still reading that really good book . . .

1. Sunshine! (Perhaps too much of it...)
2. Reading a good book.
3. Busy, but not feeling overwhelmed like last week.

Survived social outing. Was rewarded with In-N-Out Burger. Got a walk in (though not as much of one as I'd like.) Dance party with the kids. Oh, and saved a bee.

1. Fell asleep in one of the new patio chairs.
2. Survived taking two of the kids to an overcrowded birthday party.
3. . . . It was an okay day, anyway . . .

1. Shorts weather again!
2. I'm now inside the 10 lbs range for where I want to be.
3. Fab lunch out.

Bonus: Fab dinner out with friends, followed by Train + Hall and Oates.

1. A quiet day in preparation for a busy evening.
2. Nice PTA meeting (at a winery, no less!) in which I was elected Secretary for next year.
3. My cat was feeling especially cuddly.

1. A relatively smooth time volunteering in my youngest son's classroom.
2. Also a relatively smooth time helping out at my oldest son's track meet.
3. Taking my oldest son to Wendy's after.

1. Toilet fixed.
2. Writing group.
3. Lost another pound.

1. Found out my screenplay 20 August made the Top 20 in Fempire Screenplay Contest.
2. Productive morning doing some shopping and lots of laundry.
3. Lost another pound.

1. Have had a really good month regarding sales and page reads.
2. Got in a nice walk today.
3. Sushi for dinner.

1. Got to sleep in a bit.
2. Went to see Infinity War. It wasn't good, but the popcorn was nice.
3. Survived the annual elementary school fundraiser. The kids love going every year, and we did get some decent photo booth pics out of it.

1. Did my first Facebook Live video. Though there were some audio issues, I think overall it went pretty well. I didn't make a complete fool of myself, anyway.
2. Went to the bookstore and then had lunch at Five Guys.
3. Watched some stand-up comedy.

1. While Publishers Weekly posted their review of Brynnde earlier in the month, it was still very exciting to see it featured in the digital magazine!

2. Fantastic writing group meeting.

3. Ice cream.

1. Getting some writing done for the first time in over a week.
2. Fair (though not as warm) weather.
3. Support from friends for various things.

Sorry to have missed so many days. Been a lot going on. Today a small army of housekeepers descended and spent almost six hours scrubbing the house from top to bottom. I hid in my office and am now afraid to touch anything outside of my office.

Oh, but my friend crocheted me a Livian dragon (from my novel Manifesting Destiny)! He's brilliant. You can see pics on my Facebook page.

Weather has been perfect lately, too, though we're set for another cold snap in the next few days. Was so nice to wear shorts and sandals again for a while, though.

Got my MS Word working again but haven't had a chance to write. Hope to get back to that soon. And will also try to keep up with this blog.

1. More gorgeous weather.
2. Two good walks.
3. Updated MS Word so that it works for me again.

1. Shorts weather! Finally!
2. One of my books is on a free promo this weekend and doing quite well.
3. Karaoke night.

Have had a nice visit with my mother. Bought some new clothes. Went to my oldest son's first track meet of the season. Watched my daughter at her riding lesson. Have eaten way too many unhealthy things. And beautiful weather to boot.

My mom is visiting.

Productive day. Got everything on the grocery list and managed to write three pages. Also realized I'd forgotten to wash my son's track uniform, so I did that then dropped it off at his school so he'd have it for practice. Today was a win.

1. Got a couple errands taken care of.
2. Rain held off until after my morning walk.
3. A crow flew right past my ear—I felt it brush by me. That was really cool.

1. My son's fencing tournament was today, and he did well. Also, the tournament was outside, and the weather was gorgeous.
2. We followed up the tournament by having a late lunch at Texas Roadhouse.
3. Got home before the rain moved in.

1. Some of the best weather of the week. Had a great morning walk.
2. Was able to piece together my missing work from recovered files (had to wade through a lot of gibberish, but it was all there in bits and pieces).
3. A fairly relaxed day overall that included a nice lunch out with the family.

1. Hubby came home.
2. Think I've found a housekeeper to help me clean.
3. Had a really devastating MS Word crash (for some reason it hadn't saved since yesterday, even though it's set to save every 10 minutes AND I'd manually saved repeatedly), but after restarting my computer it looks like I may be able to salvage some of the work.

1. Lunch with a friend.
2. Got some more writing done.

. . . I don't know what else. We're healthy, so that's a good thing. The school year is almost over. Many events to look forward to this summer. There is much to be grateful for.

1. I was productive today. Not in writing but in housekeeping and getting groceries and all those domestic kinds of things.
2. It's my cat Crowley's third birthday. He still plays like a kitten and tries to nurse on my arms, though.
3. I'm solo parentis this week, so tonight we ordered Chinese and watched Monty Python clips. My oldest son is learning debate at school, so he found "The Argument Clinic" very educational.

1. A little more writing done.
2. New Cardcaptor Sakura manga.
3. Nice enough weather to open the windows.

Quiet! Though we had a fun spring break, it was so nice to have the house to myself again. I got a lot done: laundry, dishes, cleaning that had been put off over the past week. And, yes, I did some writing too.

Another great thing about today: I was featured on the Indie Beginning podcast!

And we had beautiful weather. (It's expected to get worse as the week wears on, so I'm grateful for what we got today.)

1. Brunch.
2. Walk.
3. Booking the hotel for the trip to Paris.

1. More writing done, if only a little.
2. Two very nice walks, one with my daughter and the other with my youngest son. Good one-on-one time.
3. Finished the book I was reading in time to take it back to the library (it's due tomorrow).

1. Got some writing done!
2. Lunch out with the family, and somehow we were given an extra milkshake.
3. . . . Am almost finished with the library book that is due back on Sunday?

Even less active today. Ugh. Means I really need to work out tomorrow. But we did have a fun day. We ate at a new diner, went shopping for groceries, and I showed the kids Monty Python and the Holy Grail. And then also had another fun writing group meeting. So a worthwhile day overall.

I was less active today. But I did get some nibbles from agents on a Twitter pitch contest! Found my son's missing glasses. Played Jackbox games with the family. And chatted with a friend over the phone. So all in all not a bad day.

Still didn't get any writing done, but spring break is in full swing. Took the kids shopping for spring/summer clothes (even though we're expecting cooler temperatures and rain later this week). Had a nice evening out with my writing group, too. In all, a good day.

A busy day that didn't give me time to write, but there were plenty other things to be grateful for. The kids and I walked to a sandwich shop for lunch. We went to the park so the kids could do their own version of the Olympics. (I even ordered medals and ribbons to award at the end of the week.) I weeded old clothes from their wardrobes. In all, a really productive day.

And: My book Brynnde was featured on Indie Beginning and has also received a PW review!

A lot of good things the past couple days.

1. Daughter was given her first "job" at the horse show. They asked her to be a runner, couriering scores between the arena and the main office. She felt so important!
2. Family seder. I played with my little 2yo nephew most of the time. For some reason I'm always flattered when children like me. And yet children always do seem to like me.
3. Easter egg hunt with the kids. The squirrels chewed through one of the plastic eggs, though, and ate a couple of the candies inside.
4. Ready Player One.
5. Beautiful weather and going for walks.
6. And March was my best month for sales in quite a while. Let's hope April continues the trend!

Yesterday, my husband and I drove into San Francisco, checked into a nice hotel, went to a great dinner, went for ice cream, and then went to see Monty Python and the Holy Grail followed by a Q&A featuring John Cleese. He was as delightful and funny as one would expect. I'd heard some people say he's rude, but though he was irreverent, I didn't find him rude at all. (Unless those critics meant "rude" in the sense of "irreverent"?) In any case, he told great stories, and I especially enjoyed it when he would get tickled and laugh at himself. He reminds me a lot of my dad, actually.

The whole outing was a belated birthday gift to me. My husband had given me the tickets to the event on my birthday, but of course the event itself was yesterday. We made an evening of it and had a great time.

Today I was mostly grateful for an afternoon nap.

1. More beautiful weather for my morning walk.
2. Got the grocery shopping done.
3. Ate a cheeseburger.

1. Successful outlining of the next part of my WIP.
2. A good writing group meeting (though they kept me waiting 30 minutes past the meeting time, so I think I'll stop bothering to be punctual myself).
3. Gorgeous weather. Was even able to wear short sleeves in the afternoon.

1. Spunky new haircut.
2. Started reorganizing my office.
3. Also got some writing done.

Spent some time with just the boys today and was productive to boot. Got everything on our shopping list, returned books to the library (and found more), and had a nice lunch out. Also took a walk. So a pretty pleasant day overall.

Such a lazy, lazy day. But still got a walk in (though it was short because the wind was really cutting). Read more manga. Took a nap. Watched more CCS and also started the new season of Jessica Jones, which I'd forgotten how much I enjoy. Overall, just a very lovely (though unproductive) day.

Successfully navigated the busiest day of my already busy week, getting all tasks accomplished: seeing my daughter's class play, volunteering in my younger son's classroom, getting my older son to his doctor's appointment, and getting my daughter to horseback riding. All this on not enough sleep thanks to the late night last night. So I'm pretty happy with having gotten through it all.

Also: I only have 10 more lbs to lose! Of course, the last 10 are always the hardest...

1. Took my oldest son and my daughter to a staged version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. They really enjoyed it! And when I told them "Snape" is in the movie version, they got even more excited.
2. Set a new desktop wallpaper on my computer. It's been a very long time since I felt like doing that.
3. Not entirely unrelated to the previous: re-reading old manga I love.

1. Finalized the cover for my new book.
2. Set the pub date: August 7.
3. Bought the tickets to Paris.

Bonus: The one day this week without any errands, appointments, or other obligations.

Yesterday & Today

1. Two separate meetings. One with an aspiring writer searching for information about the process, the other with a writer friend that I only see a couple times a year despite living within a hour of one another. She recently had a baby, so I got to see the little one, too!
2. A good writing meeting.
3. Really nice cover options for my current WIP. I'm super excited about those, and about this book!

1. Got the grocery shopping done so I won't have to do it during the week.
2. Nice lunch out with the family.
3. Began receiving mock-ups of potential cover designs for my next book. One of my favorite parts of the process!

An absolutely lazy day. The most I did was walk to the 7-11 for eggs because I couldn't be arsed to get in the car and drive to the store. I took a nap. But I also got some writing done, so that's fair, I think.

Today was a rough day. I received some bad news, I was frustrated with my son, I couldn't take my daily walk because of the weather . . . Still, there's always some good to be found. I sold some books. I had curly fries. And it's finally the weekend.

1. Lunch with a friend. We've both been too busy lately to get together, so it was nice to finally find the time.
2. More writing! Feels great to be rolling again.
3. Sounds selfish, but . . . bed to myself. Husband is traveling, and I do enjoy having the space.

1. Celebrating six years in California! (Which means we're no longer in Massachusetts and have avoided all that snow.)
2. Also, Pi/Pie Day.
3. Really enjoying getting back to writing.

1. Productive shopping trip.
2. Good morning walk despite the light rain (it was warm).
3. Started writing again.

1. No need to go anywhere.
2. Already did all the laundry over the weekend, so no need to do that either.
3. Freedom to be lazy.

1. Lazy day at home.
2. Ice cream sundaes.
3. Another nice walk.
4. Bonus: Jackbox game night.

1. Loooong day with my son at the Science Olympiad. But I'm glad he has good extracurriculars, and that there are fellow moms and dads there that I like hanging out with.
2. Sneaking off to lunch (and beer) while the kids did science.
3. Getting to sleep in tomorrow.

1. Dryer fixed! (But so much laundry...)
2. Watching The Empire Strikes Back with my 8yo son who'd never seen it.
3. Great weather for an afternoon walk.

1. Nice writing group meeting. And I also was able to chat with a lady at the next table about our local school system. She had questions and I had answers! That always feels good.
2. Repairman coming to fix the dryer tomorrow.
3. Kids don't have school tomorrow, which means I can sleep in a little.

Hmm. A lot of the good stuff is really about tomorrow, but okay. Good to have things to look forward to.

1. More agent interest in my manuscript.
2. Long overdue chat with a friend.
3. BATH BOMBS!

1. Retail therapy! Got to use my LUSH gift card today.
2. Nice dinner out with the whole family.
3. . . . I met my exercise goals again, I guess?

1. A quiet day at home alone after a busy weekend.
2. Met my exercise goals for the day.
3. Reading King Arthur to the kids and remembering how much I love those stories.

1. The play my son wrote was performed today and went off well.
2. Corgi! While out for a walk, my daughter and I saw one. I can't even begin to tell you how much I 💜 corgis.
3. The Oscars, I guess? I always have mixed feelings about them.

1. My oldest did great at his first ever solo & ensemble festival. (He did a clarinet solo.)
2. Beat the rain home.
3. Fairly relaxing afternoon.

1. Discussing reiki with my aesthetician. She and I have such similar vibes.
2. More agent requests for my manuscript.
3. Finally Friday. This week felt soooo loooong.

1. My Apple watch arrived!
2. I've lost 13 lbs since mid-December.
3. Really good Chinese food for dinner. (There goes the diet.)

1. More interest in my manuscript from an agent.
2. Really nice dinner out. Like, one of the best I've ever had.
3. Found my old CD albums.

Bonus: Military helicopter flew over our house as we were leaving to walk to school. The 'copter was going to land at another nearby school, but it made a few circles for us first. Kids were really excited. (Okay, I was too. I'm easily impressed, I guess.)

1. A really nice writing group meeting. It was the first time all six of us were there at the same time, and it was a lot of fun.
2. Tagalongs. My favorite Girl Scout cookies ever.
3. Ending the day with some Drunk History.

1. More beta readers!
2. Getting more editing done.
3. Very limited amount of time out in the cold and rain. And I didn't even feel guilty about holing up at home.

1. Getting a nice roster of beta readers for my manuscript.
2. Took a good walk in fine weather.
3. New Jackbox games to play with the family.

1. A day at home with no real pressure to do much of anything.
2. Setting up a new beta reading system for my manuscript. I'm excited to try it, and glad to be revising again.
3. Feeling better, little by little.

I've fallen really behind here. Sorry about that. I've been ill, and busy, and it's difficult to be busy and ill at the same time. You just sort of collapse at the end of each day.

Still, there's lots to be grateful for. I took the kids to see Peter Rabbit, and I'm grateful it was better than I expected it to be. I had resigned myself to a waste of my time, but I think I enjoyed the movie even more than the kids did. (It helps to think of it as Hux vs. Bunnies.)

I'm also grateful for meds that seem to be working. And good books to read. And friends who see me through the rough patches.

I'm grateful for my morning walks and the rock music that propels me through them. Yes, even in the frigid weather. Or especially in the frigid weather, since the activity keeps me warm.

Speaking of music, I'm grateful my car is just old enough to still have a CD player.

I'm grateful for friends in far-off cities who are willing to share their homes with me and my family.

There's so much to be grateful for, really. No way to list them all. But I will try to start updating more regularly.

I'm grateful to YOU for being here, even if you're silent. Knowing you stop by (and I know; I have analytics) encourages me to continue to find the good things.

Writers Conference Edition

So I was away at the San Francisco Writers Conference, which is why I've been scarce online. I'll admit I wasn't keen to go, but I'd already paid an insane amount of money for the privilege, so... I went. And I'm glad I did. While it wasn't quite as thrilling as previous conferences (maybe I've gone to enough of them to become jaded), I still had a very good time. My friend Kristen went with me, too, so that was nice. Good things included:

• Meeting new people. (Though I'll say the other writers were more reserved than in past years.)
• One particularly interesting dinner out with newly met fellows that included deep discussions of religion.
• Encouragement. I got good market information from an agent, and I had some well-known authors also advise me. That felt really nice.
• At least two fabulous keynotes.
• Decent food.
• News that the venue next year (if I decide to go) will be in a hotel that won't require me to trudge up a steep hill.
• Having another author friend come into town for dinner one night.
• Hotel room upgrade.

So yeah, it was a good time overall and worth the trip. I have some ideas about what to do next and where to put my energy.

. . .

I know I have a lot to be thankful for. Scotchmallow hearts, for one thing. And a lovely new dragon necklace (an early Valentine's gift) for another.

I'm thankful the gathering at our house tonight is only supposed to last two hours. I can survive two hours, I think...

There will be pizza. And brownies. I can be thankful for that.

Also, the PTA president liked what I did with the online school store. That was nice, to hear a thank-you.

I'm trying really hard to keep all the good things in mind. I have food and water and shelter and a loving family. I'm physically healthy, at least mostly. These are good things.

I will try not to let the one or two things get me down. I will try to focus on what's good in my life.

But sometimes it's difficult.

Look, my life is in the dumps at the moment. But at least I can say (a) we've had beautiful weather, (b) I had a nice chat with writer friends over dinner, and (c) my stylist made room for me in her schedule. So that's something, I guess.

1. Good chats with my mom and dad.
2. Quality time with my oldest.
3. Hopeful responses from a couple of literary agents.

1. Survived a day of volunteering at the middle school for Science Olympiad.
2. Being gone all day meant not having to deal with the playdate going on at our house.
3. Sushi for dinner.

Honestly, it's been difficult lately for me to find the silver linings. So I keep reminding myself that at least I and my family are healthy. Our problems are small in the big scheme of things.

I've been feeling as though no one wants what I have to offer this world. I seem only to have value as a school volunteer or someone who gets the laundry done. As such, I'm interchangeable with any able-bodied person. I myself have no unique, inherent worth.

Even my cat seems to be keeping his distance these days.

So, yeah. It hasn't been a good time.

Today, well . . . Habit Burger for lunch. Beautiful weather. That's about all I can manage for a list of "good things."

Mostly I've been a bit weepy. Probably not fun to be around either.

Sigh.

I will try harder tomorrow to find good things. Today I just can't.

1. Windows are done!
2. Nice lunch with a friend.
3. Good writing group meeting.

1. Workmen are almost done. Just a couple more hours worth of work tomorrow.
2. Lost some more weight.
3. Updated my site's template. (Not this site; a different one.) Sometimes a fresh start feels good.

1. Quiet day at home.
2. Got my youngest into Cardcaptor Sakura, so now I can watch with all the kids.
3. Watching the cat chase his tail. Makes me laugh every time.

1. Met a new doctor today, and I really like her!
2. Cats being cute when playing with their toys.
3. Shepherd's pie.

1. Nice lunch out with the family. Yummy gyros!
2. Took the kids to the theatre. It wasn't a great production, but still a nice way to spend the afternoon.
3. Weighed a little less this morning. Still a long way to go, but progress is progress.

1. I decided to post some old fanfic on AO3 and it seems to be having a fair reception by readers there.
2. Finally started work today on LEGO Westminster.
3. Nice afternoon walk with the family.

1. Really good cheesesteak for lunch.
2. Had a lot of fun with my kids today, talking about manga and watching anime and looking at fan art, etc.
3. Weekend!

1. New windows! Even if it meant a houseful of workers and a ton of noise.
2. Amusing the kids with my Kylo Ren voice. (Or really, it's just diction. Kind of the same speech pattern as Napoleon Dynamite.)
3. Finished critiquing a big piece for a writer friend. I feel bad it took me so long to get through it, so it feels good to be done.

1. Daughter did great in the spelling bee! Didn't win, but made it to the penultimate round!
2. Yummy eats: tuna sandwich for lunch, cheesesteak for dinner. Managed not to snack today, either, which is a big deal for me.
3. Nice, cheerful chat with a friend.

1. Hummingbird flying around outside my office window and dancing in the climbing roses.
2. Writing group meeting. Feels like ages since we'd met. Very fun and productive, including some lively debate about The Last Jedi.
3. Rediscovering my love of manga.

1. Lunch out with the husband.
2. Cat received a clean bill of health from the vet at his checkup.

. . . I'm sure other good things happened, but I'm having a rough time of late. I'll say: at least the cat forgave me for taking him to the vet.

1. Got through my morning obligations with little to no difficulties.
2. Was able to then hide out at home the rest of the afternoon.
3. Watched more Cardcaptor Sakura with the kids. I try to point out the little bit of Japanese that I can remember, but I'm not sure they care. They *are* interested in the cultural differences, however, so that's fun to discuss.

1. Despite a very chilly morning, the day became a beautiful one.
2. Got a little more writing done.
3. No pressing concerns. Pretty lazy day overall.

1. Nicer weather.
2. Dinner out with the family.
3. Watching more Cardcaptor Sakura with the kids and showing them my anime cels.

1. My son's first band concert! They did really well.
2. I received many requests for my manuscript today. That's encouraging.
3. Ice cream sundae!

1. Doctor's appointment went off without any noticeable hitches.
2. Sushi for dinner.
3. Finished The Graveyard Book with my oldest. Next we're doing The Haunting of Hill House.

1. Plumber fixed things up in short order. (No emergency, though it turns out that noise the toilet was making was very bad and it's a good thing we caught it in time.)
2. It was Tuesday, so I didn't have to pick up the kids.
3. Got lots of laundry done. (I like feeling productive.)

1. The San Francisco Review of Books picked up that great review of Brynnde and published it.
2. Took the kids to see Coco. I liked it, but I can't love a movie that makes me ugly cry. I hate to feel emotionally manipulated. But yay for the big kitty!
3. Took apart my oldest son's old loft bed and swapped it for a Japanese tatami-style bed. It makes his room seem bigger and brighter because the loft bed frame was so big and dark. He's loving the change!

Spent the day taking the kids to various museums. Was a really fun time. I especially loved how my youngest wanted to sit and sketch some of the art (the museum offered "art bags" with clipboards of paper and a pencil pouch; what a great idea!). Also: ice cream sundae. And I showed my daughter the first two episodes of Cardcaptor Sakura, and my Kero-chan, and my Clow.

1. Lunch and coffee with two dear writing friends. Yay! It really was a pick-me-up!
2. New Cardcaptor Sakura.
3. Took care of my roots, which were looking really bad.

1. Survived. You see, my Friday schedule has changed, and now my Fridays are ridiculously busy and complicated. They're a cascade of things, like a chain reaction of dominoes. So I don't really enjoy Fridays, but I survived this one.
2. New clothes came in the mail.
3. The dinner I made turned out pretty well.

1. Encouragement from my writing group. I hadn't attended in a month or so, and I haven't been writing, but it was good to see everyone again and get some support.
2. Long walks in nice weather.
3. Having fun helping my oldest with his science project (Punnett squares, something I was very good at in school; won the school medal in biology that year).

1. Another quiet day at home without errands or appointments (but with plenty of chores).
2. Had a guest blog post published.
3. Lessons from the Screenplay on Youtube. Almost makes me want to go back to screenwriting. (Almost.)

It was kind of a crap day, actually, so finding good things means going back to basics:

1. Kids were at school, so I had a quiet day at home with no errands or appointments to run off to.
2. It wasn't raining too hard for me to get a walk in.
3. Hubby brought me soft serve ice cream to help my wounded tongue.

Yes, that's right, "wounded." I bit the side of my tongue. Hard. There's actually a little piece of it hanging off now and it hurts and it's difficult to talk or eat or drink anything. I've done this before, a long time ago, and eventually it will turn to scar tissue and be NBD, but right now it's a real pain, literally and figuratively. That + rejections made it a not great day. But I did have those highlights at least. Gotta keep looking on the bright side.

1. Kids went back to school today. This is a mixed bag since they're being in school actually amounts to more work for me. But it was nice to have the house to myself for a few hours.
2. Got a couple of outstanding to-do items taken care of.
3. New Card Captor Sakura!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!

1. Cheesesteak. I'd been craving it for ages and finally got one.
2. The bookstore. Well, it was bittersweet. I didn't find anything for myself but did help the kids find a few books.
3. Watching the Golden Globes with the kids, too. The youngest didn't care, but the other two hung out and enjoyed it. I like having a springboard for talking about important issues, even if I can't go into detail about things like sexual harassment. And I like that my kids are interested in the industry, even if I'm no longer part of that circle. At least I can talk knowledgeably about it with them. And I called almost every award correctly!

Didn't even leave the house today. But that doesn't mean I was lazy! I got lots of laundry done, and baked an Epiphany cake with the kids, and sent out many queries regarding my manuscript. So good things for today are really: cake, cake, cake. I shouldn't be eating cake given I'm trying to lose weight, but I felt like it was okay just this once. You have to indulge now and then or else (a) life gets dull and/or (b) you fall off a cliff and binge like crazy. I'm definitely a all-in-moderation kind of person. I'm not keen to cut anything out, just trying to learn to curb my intake.

1. Pretty nice lunch out with the family.
2. Had a good discussion with my 9yo daughter about gender fluidity thanks to her spotting my Eddie Izzard book and asking whether he was a boy or a girl.
3. Game night: Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Lots of fun!

1. A really wonderful review for my book Brynnde on Long and Short Reviews. Made my day!
2. The in-laws took the kids out for a bit, which allowed me to get grocery shopping done faster.
3. Had a productive afternoon of editing and critiquing.

1. Watching my daughter turn into quite the little horsewoman . . . Also, there was a cute cat at the barn that followed me around and demanded pettings. So that was fun.
2. Kids got a good report from the dentist at their semi-annual cleaning.
3. Window people scheduled a time to come install the new windows.

Bonus: Rain, which we hadn't had in a while, and which also prevented the annoying kid who lives a couple doors down from riding his loud motorbike up and down the street. I try never to wish ill on anyone, but in this case it's very difficult not to.

It was a pretty good day. A quiet, productive morning followed by picking up my son's friend and taking all the kids out to lunch. Then we all came home and the kids played Bears vs Babies and Superfight, and I did a little more work, and then I worked on the Star Wars story with my daughter some more. Got a workout in, too. Overall, not bad. I'm guess that's at least three things, anyway, depending on how you count.

1. More writing with my kids. You can follow the whole story here.
2. Family walk.
3. . . . New year, fresh start?