Happy New Year!

Currently Reading: I'm on Ch 3 of Ginger Simpson's Embezzled Love. Finished Francine on Fire yesterday afternoon:) Wonder how many books I'll read THIS year?

Jan Reading/Buying Schedule:
2nd: Just For Maggie: Emmie Graham (if it's out yet)
Getting Naked at the Hilton-Dee Dawning
Redemption of a Cavalier-Kathy Otten

9th: Brit Party-Brynn Paulin, et al
Enchanted Dreams-Mary Martinez

16th: Teaching Molly-Desiree Holt (I wonder what she's going to teach me, hahahaha??)
A Night of NovelTea-Cindy K Green
His and Her Dalmations-Grace Tyler

23rd: Whispering Sun-Rita Karnopp
The Magic Spell-Paige Tyler
Heart of the Bear-Cindy Spencer Pape

30th: Someone to Share the Sunsets-Kathy Otten
Legs-Dee Dawning
Penned Again-AJ


I exercised my right to sleep late today! I actually got up at 6, drank a cup of coffee, and watched the remaining two episodes of 90210. I went back to bed at 7:30 and climbed out of bed again at ten!

I do have a couple of resolutions, both professional and personal.

Professional:
-To finally join my fellow authors in being e-pubbed
-To publish #3 in my series, Forbidden Love
-To not be so obsessive about my blog posting.
-Attend 3 conferences this year. I may not make it to RT, but there is still Lori Foster's, Midwest Writer's, and the EC Romanticon.
-Set up at the 3 craft fairs I missed last year, and do as many as the others as I possibly can
-Set up signings in other towns' bookstores, now that the gas prices are down.
-Finish a couple of wips before beginning any new ones

I printed out both versions of #3 and gave them to my 14-yr-old 'fan' for her opinion...begin Keri's story at the beginning, or where I ruthlessly made changes to chapter 7. She liked the new beginning, so I'll get cracking on cleaning up the rest of it next week.

As to the blog posts, I decided last year at this time I would post every single day, and have 366 posts by the end of the year. But when my PC crashed last June, I went into panic mode, because my family objected to me running off to the library! So this year, I'm not going to put that much pressure on myself. If I miss a day, so what? You'll come back!

Personal:
-Walk more. June '07 I was walking 4 miles a day...and promptly discovered reruns of Dawson's Creek, which quit after Labor Day. I never did resume that habit, although I walked twice a week during April and May with the Head Start moms. Why did I not keep at it? Sheer laziness.
-Mantain current size or drop one. I do not wish to expand, so the eating habits will change slightly.
-I have a major battle ahead of me, as a family member is in need of intervention. This came to my attention back in October, and as soon as a meeting is called, it will take a great deal of courage and inner strength to stand my ground with this loved one. More on this at a later date; I'll be asking for prayers!
-Dakota challenged us last year to do something nice for ourselves. I finally had my hair done and my eyes checked; this year it will be a trip to the dentist and my doctor. My pre-menopausal symptoms have gotten worse this year, and I need to consult with the doctor who's known me for the past 17 years.

Changes Coming
As I said earlier, I'm not going to worry about missing a post here or there. Starting this Saturday, I'm beginining the 'Saturday's Stupid Sayings', as yes, I bought my family another 'Stupid Sayings' calendar, since we enjoyed last year's so much!

I'm going to continue with the 'Currently Reading' and at the beginning of each month, I'll post the books I plan to buy. And yes, the ones I especially like will get the 'Recommended Read' stamp of approval. Be warned; I'm not going to rave about every book I read, and if I read yours and all it gets is a mention, please don't be offended. I upset someone last year by saying I liked one of her other books better than the one I'd just read.

I've missed the weekly interviews on other blogs, and look forward to the ones on Ashley's. If anyone is interested in being either a guest blogger or being interviewed, let me know?? I'll put together a few questions and turn over my blog once a week. And if you want a 'Release Day Ditty' or a 'Totally Tasteless Limerick', I'll be glad to come up with one:) Just provide me with an excerpt or two, and in most cases, I'll get your private opinion on it before I post it! Either let me know in the comments or email me privately at storimom2@aol.com

An Unexpected Present
My teens took the younger ones to the park Tuesday night, and came home with a stray kitten. Since the temperature was beginning to fall, I gave the okay to bring him inside until we could take him to the local shelter.

Guess what? Around noon, the teens were getting everything ready to take the kitten to the shelter and go get some items for New Year's Eve. A neighbor came by and said she was pretty sure the shelter was closing early. The kids went over; yup, the place was closed until Friday!

Since we haven't had a cat around the house in nearly three years, I insisted the kids bring home some kitten chow. I had already given it a bowl of water and an egg, but if it was going to be with us until Friday, he needed some regular food. And then reminded the kids their father was not going to be very happy when he discovered a kitten living in our bathroom!

And I was right. He yelled at the kids for bringing it home; he yelled at me for allowing it to be brought inside. And when he found out the kids had named it 'Oreoz' (it is black and white), he just shook his head. Two hours later, S discovered him petting Oreo. By 10pm, S jubilantly announced Daddy was going to let him stay.

So the first order of business has been to get a litterbox! And as soon as I get a picture of the new baby, I'll post it. So far, Oreo and Lucky are getting along, and D just told me Oreo looked at the rats and licked his lips. "Lunch and Dinner..."

We may have to move the cage...

Oops!
Just looked at the time and I need to get busy. My neighbors are supplying the food, but everyone is eating here in an hour! Since I cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, my friend DH decided she'd cook for New Year's Day. So now it's the 'Ten Second Tidy', which will actually take about 30 minutes!

Have a good day!