I admit that I can be a perfectionist. And an idealist.
I love handmade gifts. Making them. Giving them.
I love baking goodies from scratch.
To me, it makes everything more special. Like I'm giving a little bit of myself when I give gifts that take extra time and ingredients.
​But ...
​I am not Wonder Woman.

Are you still singing Christmas songs in your house? Is it because your children are still singing Christmas songs? That's the way it is here. Ugh. I'm over it.
But it keeps an issue in the forefront of my mind, too. You see, this year my children actually paid more attention to the lyrics. Know what is in the lyrics of quite a few Christmas songs?
​Euphemisms.

2023 got off to a shaky start in some ways.
I caught a cold/sinus gunk shortly before Christmas and kept it all the way through. Not a fun way to celebrate the holidays. I finally started feeling better in time to start back to work. But I started back to work with two days of an online tax seminar. I went from getting up between 7:30 and 8 and lazing away at breakfast to having to be at the office by 7. Big difference.
By the end of those days, I was spent. Mentally and physically.
Imagine my joy when I walk into my house and find the ceiling fans dusted and dinner started.

How many books did you read in 2022? Did you count? I keep track on Goodreads. For the last few years, I've set my "goal" at 125, though it's not set in stone. It's an average that I know I usually hit/pass. This year, I passed it by more than 10, though there were a few points where I wasn't sure I'd make it.
Something I have discovered is that writing/editing more leaves less time for pleasure reading. But that doesn't stop me from reading for pleasure anyway. Reading is my stress-relief. And, I feel it helps me be a better writer, too. So, what did I read?