Over and over and over again.
That's how many times I have to relearn the same lesson. Plus a few more, evidently.
What lesson am I relearning?
How to trust God.

It shouldn't be that hard anymore, right? Because He's taken care of me for almost 40 years now.
​And yet ...

Do you know how hard it is for me to temper my expectations?
I'm an idealist. Not a pessimist or optimist or realist. But someone who expects an ideal to happen. And it doesn't always.
​When I signed up to have my sinus surgery three days before Christmas, I was told recovery would be two to three days. Can you guess where this is going?

How many books did you read this last year?
If you remember, earlier in the year I set my goal around 125, figuring since I'd passed it the year before it wouldn't be a problem. I'm glad I didn't add more! I barely finished the 125th book three days before the end of the year.
Granted, this number is a bit misleading, because some of the "books" I read were actually sets of multiple books, and they only counted as one. And, some of the books I read haven't been published yet, so they won't count until they release. The privilege of being an author who has author friends. ;)

Remember when the trend started a few years back, where people would pick ONE WORD to define their whole year? Yeah. I thought I would never attempt such a thing.
Then, it was like one year a word simply kept popping up over and over again, so I embraced it.
Of course, then I wanted to try again the next year. And that word seemed to work, too.
But this year ... well ...

Christmas is in two days. Can you believe it?
We're in full craziness here at my house. My sinus surgery was yesterday, so I am resting up and recovering with hopes of having the energy to be present for all the fun this weekend.
Food is being prepped. Family is coming in tomorrow. And the kids are bouncing off the wall.
Sounds like a perfect time to hide away and read a Christmas book or two. ;-)

I'm one of these people who sees a project and thinks, "Oh, I could totally do that."
And, most of the time, I can.
But, I'm also one of these people who takes a simple project and makes it ten times more complicated.
For instance, on one of my many forays into pinterest, I discovered a book quilt. Have you see these? I have several pinned on my sewing board here. Check out how pretty they are. Shelves of books across the whole thing or personalized book covers that look like favorites. LOVE them!
And then, my brain goes, ooh. What if you did a shelf on the bottom and top with the open and closed books in the middle. OR maybe a block with a tea cup or a cat mixed in. OR ...
You get the idea. My creativity knows no bounds. Which is why I sometimes have to rein it in.

So many people forget that marriage vows include the phrase "in sickness," but fellow author Jenny McLeod Carlisle is living it. Read on as she talks about how well her husband is taking care of her after surgery. And the little surprise he came up with for her, too.

This won't be the first Christmas we don't go anywhere. And actually, the thought of not travelling for the holidays is rather nice. Waking up at home, in our own beds, getting to do presents on actual Christmas day instead of early--yeah. I can get behind that.
But one of the reasons behind it isn't really making me excited. I'm having a procedure done to my sinuses on the 22nd. That means I may be a little miserable over Christmas, despite the promise of a two-day recovery. Yay?

Grief is a funny thing. And by funny, I don't mean "ha, ha." I mean it creeps up and bites you at the craziest times. Or maybe not so craziest.
My mother-in-law passed away four years ago September. This is our fourth Christmas without her.
In some ways, it feels like forever. And in other ways, it feels like yesterday.
But for some reason, this year, all the Santas are getting to me.

Here in the states, it's Thanksgiving day. In my family, that means watching the parade on tv (although someday I want to go see it in person), eating way too much turkey and dressing and pie. Family time. Naps. I love Thanksgiving.
While I agree it's a great tradition to have a day to remember to be thankful, I've made it a habit over the last few years to always start my prayers by thanking God for at least a few of the blessings in my life. Because there are so many.
This year alone, I've gotten more contracts, had multiple books published, gotten to get back to a more normal lifestyle, have fairly decent health, a silly but wonderful family, and so many friends. And that's just the beginning.
I hope you're ensconced with loved ones today, and that you eat more than is probably wise. And remember to send up several prayers thanking God. For the big and little things in life.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I'm thankful for all you sweet readers, too!