Wednesday, January 1st, 2025
UPDATE: The winner is…Michelle Willms!
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December
Work-related:
- I didn’t write in December, but that was the plan until after my chemotherapy sessions ended.
- I completed 2 editing projects for other authors in December.
- I did post daily Advent Calendar giveaways for readers from the 1st to the 24th of December. And all the gifts have been mailed! Hope you enjoyed the posts!
- After getting that hopeful news on Monday, I redid my work plan for the New Year. There will be books!
Health-related:
- I underwent two rounds of chemo, the last being on the 30th of December where I got some hopeful news from my oncologist about my progress, which I already posted about here, yesterday! It gave me a huge, happy boost, which I so needed. What a way to begin the New Year.
- Last night, I restarted my Weight Watcher’s subscription and downloaded a chair yoga regimen I’ll begin in January to further improve my health in the new year. Once I’m past the nausea, muscle and joint aches, and fatigue from my latest treatment, I’ll begin working out to lose some more weight and regain some muscle tone.
Happiness-related:
- My family has been astonishingly good to me over the months of my treatment, cleaning up after me, fetching things when I was too tired to fetch them for myself, etc., and they made the holiday so joyful. I’m lucky to have them. We watched Christmas movies, played games, and ate some wonderful food.
- I painted only once this month. Here are the two small things I managed to paint:
January
For work-related, I plan:
- To complete Ignition before the end of the month and publish it. I haven’t been able to persuade Amazon to give me back my pre-order ability, despite the fact I sent them proof I had good reasons for cancelling Ignition in the first place last year. I’m not giving up on that, but when I’m done writing the book, I’ll let you know when it’s ready for purchase.
- To conduct a poll to see what themes might interest readers for a new Boys Behaving Badly Anthology this year! I’ll post the poll tomorrow to get your votes! After that, I’ll make my decision about the theme and post a Call for Submissions for authors. I can’t wait to get started!
- To plot stories for the new year for my current series, Montana Bounty Hunters: Yellowstone, MT and We are Dead Horse.
- To complete 2, maybe 3 editing projects in January. I have them on the books but haven’t received them from the authors yet, so we’ll see. But I’m ready to start!
- To look at books I already have out that I might bundle together or publish in print.
- To begin work on the next We Are Dead Horse book, Built Like Mack. The plan is to release it in March.
For health-related, I plan:
- To undergo more scans to ascertain how far the cancer has been beat back, and to see a cancer surgeon in Little Rock to see if I am a candidate for removal of my girlie parts. Crossing fingers here!
- To begin again watching what I eat to drop a few more pounds. I’ve rejoined WW.
- To add physical activities to my daily routine so that I can regain some muscle tone. It may take until the middle of the month after I’ve recovered from this last chemo treatment, but I intend to take the stairs as often as I can manage and begin some daily chair yoga exercises.
For happiness-related, I plan:
- To better organize my office so I can start off with a clean slate for the new year!
- To clean up my art room, which has become a disaster! I’ve been tossing supplies on table tops and need to actually store them properly, so I have more workspace. I have plans to do an online oil pastels class and perhaps make some more collage fodder. I think the #100daychallenge starts toward the end of the month, and I will be there, painting every day when it begins!
- To spend time with the family—more movies, meals, and flea market adventures!
Contest
Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in January…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
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Sounds like you have a plan for 2025. Happiness related is a good thing especially spending time with family. I plan on spending more time with my granddaughter if possible.
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Working on decluttering and being able to walk across the room. Love your paintings!
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Happy New Year’s To You. I am excited to see your new books and I don’t do resolutions but I just want my family to be healthy and healthy and I pray my cousin finds strength and comfort and will be able to grieve and get closure and my 2nd cousin can be found and put to rest. 🙏💔😭
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Wishing you a happy 2025 filled with health, peace and love. Sounds like you got a great plan going forward into the new year.
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I admire your strength. I send you love and positive thoughts. I am going to do my best to exercise and lose weight this year. I, too, want to start yoga.
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nice art
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I love seeing your paintings. I dabble in watercolor once in awhile. Happy New Year
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Your blog postings like this have inspired me to actually have goals this year I am going to start slow and just make myself do a weekly goal. I feel blessed that you have shared so much of yourself and your completed and intend to complete that makes me think for once I can do this for myself and not sabotage or give up. I think it’s time for me to role with the punches and adapt when needed instead off listening to the devil on the shoulder telling me I failed again and chuck it all.
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1 wow, and all this while fighting cancer
2 meet with cardiologist Friday
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So happy about your news… wishing you the very best for 2025!
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I’m starting with two different historical fiction books one is an ARC of Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas and ebook version of Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library by Angelina Jameson. I really enjoy seeing your artwork.
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I’m sending you positive thoughts and hugs.
I’m looking forward to more books from you I’m also looking forward to my knee surgery on Jan 3rd then looking forward to walking more and losing some lbs.
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Happy New Year.
Hopeful news is always appreciated.
I plan on walking more. Not keen on other forms of exercise.
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Very glad for your hopeful health news – continue to take good care, and s thankful as you are for your family I’m sure they are thankful for you.
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I really want to get more organized. Being retired is nice having nothing outside to do (appointments, work, bus rides…) but after working for over 50 years, I feel like a rudderless boat just spinning and going nowhere.
I want to get back to writing and try to declutter a bit.
I am also worried about my sister’s upcoming surgery…
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I wrote in my journal today that I want to get my desk better organized! When I saw that in your post it felt like a sign that I’m in good company.
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I am ready to do some things. I want to do chair yoga. Which one did you go with?
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I just hope to get reading in in January. I finished one book, I started to read a least two more to get a start on book challenges. Since I spent a few days in the hospital, I need to catch up with chair yoga that I started.
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Thanks to everyone who commented! I love reading your responses!
The winner of the GC is Michelle Willms!