I Resolve

Thank goodness the new year has begun. I was feeling like a slug the last few months of 2008. The more I did nothing, the more that's all I wanted to do. A new year revives the soul with the promise of new opportunities. I plan to take full advantage of it. They say to be successful, you need a tangible, achievable goal with a firm due date. And since I work best to deadlines, here are my New Year's Resolutions.

1. Lose 10 lbs. by Valentine's Day (Feb 14)
2. Complete rough draft sketches for Chuck's poetry book by Jan 31, finals by Feb 28. Thanks Chuck for the motivation
3. Complete rewrite of Dillon and Blue for self publishing by March 31. Thanks Bill for the motivation.
4. Hardest of all, give up watching Rachael Ray so I have a good solid hour of quiet time every morning to accomplish the above tasks. I'm looking forward to the weekly recipes ezine I signed up for, the part of the show I miss the most.

I've written all of these down in my day planner - in ink! Keep me honest. Come back often to check on my progress. Good luck with your resolutions.

Happy New Year ... and Pass the Virus!

I was SO looking forward to seeing my ENTIRE family. We were scheduled to spend three days between Christmas and New Year together.

All went well the first day. We had a professional photographer come out and take family pictures. Then we enjoyed turkey and dressing and shared Christmas presents.

The next day, Audrey woke up unable to breathe (the first bad sign). We tried our hand at golfing at a local run-down golf course. At least half of us had never golfed before. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, so we goofed around and had great fun carting around nine holes. Dad was by far the most improved. Once he got the hang of it, he whacked the balls down the fairway in an unorthodox, Happy Gilmore-style swing that served him well. Brendan and Josh kept up really well, and the guys got serious on the last hole, competing for bragging rights.

That evening, we switched into birthday mode, celebrating Dad's 70th, Chris and Christina's 40th, and Nate's 30th all at once. By then, Chris and Christina had decided that Audrey was coming down with the Croup, and needed to leave to see their preferred doctor in Houston. Shawn and Kim had to leave so he could get back to work. The numbers dwindled fast.

Next morning, Becca had a stomach bug. She couldn't keep anything down and couldn't stop even when there was nothing left. We took her to the clinic for anti-nausea meds and tried to keep her hydrated.

We left for the coast the next day and hoped we'd dodged the bug. We made it all the way to South Padre Island before we heard from Mom and Dad that Chris and Christina were ill in Houston, most of Kim and Shawn's family were down with it in Austin, Mom and Dad had a mild form in Bandera. Bill succumbed that night. Out of 16 people, five of us came out unscathed, although, I'm not sure whether Hannah's symptoms were from teething or virus.

Once Bill was back on his feet, he did some research to rule out food poisoning, considering time to sickness and how it spread. I was afraid I had made everyone sick with my tamales and chili. Mom was concerned about her food. Even so, I'm sure we shared it through chips and dips and communal fruits and veggies. He decided it was the Norovirus, unrelated to influenza and much more viral. It can only be killed with bleach.

We had a challenge in that we needed to isolate Bill while he was sick. It's not easy in an RV. He got the back bedroom and the bathroom pretty much to himself, and we kept cleaning as the illness progressed. We laundered and Lysoled and scrubbed out hands often. So far, Brendan and I have been spared, although I sort of thought it would be nice to have a stomach virus to kick-start my diet. But Bill says he wouldn't wish this think on his worst enemy, so I'll just lose weight the good old fashioned way.

Year in Review

I know, it's not quite Christmas yet, but I don't know how often I'll get a chance to use the computer. With Brendan out of school and Bill learning about day-trading, I probably won't get a blog in edgewise next week.

I've been looking back through my day planner to remind myself of all the wonderful things we've experienced in the past year. Here are a few:

January began with Brendan breaking his wrist when he fell off of his skateboard. He had a distal radial reduction with a pin for good measure. He thought the camo cast was cool for about a week, and then couldn't wait to get it off! We are now strong believers in full-body gear. Brendan sweats when he skates from all the pads. Also in January, Bill's dad had a heart valve replaced with one bypass since they were already in there. Besides a headcold, I'm happy to announce that, at this moment, we are all healthy. Thank you, Lord.

Our newest niece was born February 9 - Hannah Beth! I was so honored. She's gorgeous.

Brendan turned twelve in March. He calls himself a twelve-teen, not a tween. I feel really old!

In April, Bill kindly let me leave him on his birthday to be part of a surprise 40th birthday party for a dear friend in Florida. I've never done anything like that before. It was a great girl's weekend.

I did a lot of substitute teaching throughout the spring term. In May, I worked at least three days a week. I think this could me my second career.

We spent nine weeks of the summer in Manchester, England. Bill worked a contract job while Brendan and I explored the city. It was a great way to see another part of England and visit our friends in Collingtree almost exactly a year since we left. We miss them. That was an idyllic time and place. The summer in Manchester was cool, overcast and wet.

We got back just in time for Brendan to register and start school. It took him a while to adjust to a new school, but he now has wonderful friends and enjoys his classes, even those I think must be totally boring!

In September, we took a quick cruise to the Bahamas for some fun in the sun. We snorkeled with stingrays and rode jet skis. It was a great getaway.

October was pretty quiet. I finished the dummy book for "A Pumpkin Named Jack" and sent it to a prospective publisher. I have to wait four months for a response. I officially joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators as Illustrator Coordinator for our area. I'm looking forward to the conference.

I stopped taking notes in November and December, but I remember them to be good times with family and friends. It's nice to be nearby for the holidays. I love this time of year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Take a moment to reflect on where you've been and where you plan to go in the future. God bless you.