What's been happening

I can't believe we're almost halfway through January already! It seems like Christmas was just last week! The years have been seeming like they're only 6 months long. My kids say the same thing. I think it has to do with how busy we keep ourselves, it makes the time seem to go by faster. I hadn't posted for awhile as I was on a two week cruise to Hawaii over Thanksgiving with some of my family, then it was a rush to get ready for a mountain trip for my birthday, and then Christmas 10 days later and I was hosting! What was I just saying about keeping busy? It sure made the holidays go by quick!!! I like to plan some things but I also enjoy being spontaneous at times. This time of year is always a time of reflection and goal-setting for a lot of people. I like to look back and reflect on what went well and what didn't, then see what I can do differently in the coming year. I know I want to give more, in time and money; I want to devote more time to marketing my books; I want to spend even more quality time with my kids and grandson, not just around the house but in doing experiences with them-crafting, camping, taking trips, etc. This year, though I can't control everything, I feel is going to be life-changing in a positive way. I am looking forward to it! Happy New Year everyone!

History

This week will be the most monumentous election in American history! It will change the course of America, either for better or worse. I'm praying the right person will be voted in that will become a better leader than what the future looks like right now. Prayer is all we can use at this point and the only thing that can help us.

Time

It seems like I just took down the Christmas decorations a few months ago and now I get to put them up again:) Maybe this year, I'll just leave them up and that will save so much time! I can't believe how fast it seems like the months go by, even my teenage son remarks about it! Well, two of my books are out and I'm gearing up for the third one, this time I decided to try the traditional route and I hopefully have an agent. I will know for sure in the next couple of days. Then it is publisher shopping. I think this will be tougher than getting an agent, but I hope I will find the favor of God blessing me in this whole situation. It will be a great life-changer. It is time to bring out the 'big guns' and really start marketing myself. I recently learned a whole lot of great tools and ideas and I'm looking forward to trying them out.

Community events

Community events, especially in small towns, really seem to pull the townspeople together. I just volunteered this past weekend at a fun event in a city near by. The event was to try to raise awareness for rescue dogs and they had several organizations there with dogs up for adoption. There were about 50 vendor booths from companies selling dog food, toys, medical supplies, groomers, boarding kennels-everything having to do with dogs. The event was called Bark in the Park and was attended by hundreds of people with their dogs. It is very popular and an annual event. Every dog my sisters and I have owned have been rescues. They are the best dogs! I currently have a white lab/pit mix and he is so smart and loving. He will be two years old next month. I'm wondering if I should follow the fad and give him a party!:)

Firsts

I just finished my first month of our new school year and, of course, I got my first cold of the school year! I managed to attend the birthday of one of my sisters yesterday and that was nice getting together with my kids and family, but I had to cut it short because I could feel the cold coming on worse. I woke up today and have been sneezing and coughing off and on all day. I have been drinking my apple cider vinegar water and organic Moringa tea as usual, but then also drinking lemon water to boost my immune system. I like to take Cold-Eze to help as well, it usually helps cut down the length of the cold so we'll see. I have been waiting until tomorrow and then I'll take some cold medicine to get me through the day at school. I don't have a fever and feel pretty clear-headed, so far. Praying to God for healing and relief!

Changes

As summer turns into fall, I have been excited to begin seriously looking at houses for sale in the country. It has been my dream for a long time to live in the mountains or the country and now it looks like it has the possibility of being a reality. I have been renting this past year a short distance from the area I'm interested in, and with many friends living out there, I'm really excited about the chance to move there. It will be nice to actually have a place I can make my own and a larger piece of property to garden on and enjoy. This will be a fun journey and I will keep everyone updated!

Balance

I realize that balance is very important in achieving peace in your life but what happens when life throws you curves and you get out of balance? This past week started with my son getting all 4 wisdom teeth pulled, I then started back teaching a new class in a new grade, my dog ran down our stairs and sprained his ankle and ended up in a cast for the next two weeks, and then my son had a late reaction to the antibiotics he had received! All this in a week! This on top of my second book just being released a few days before all this happened. So much for balance. All I could do was roll with the punches and give it all to God. He knows what is going on and has it handled before it even happens. I also have to sit back and think, I don't really have it all that bad. I still have my health, we still have our family and home, I still have my job, and I have each day to slowly get back on track and handle things. God never gives us more than what He knows we can handle, though sometimes it seems like a lot. As I felt overwhelmed, I read about a little girl who got hit by a car over the weekend and is in bad shape in the hospital. She is in pain and has months of surgeries and recovery to go through. I realized at that moment I have nothing to feel bad about. That is one way to quickly get back into balance-look at what other people are going through and realize you're not going through things all by yourself.