by Suzanne
At this time of the year I tend to reflect on the past as much as look forward to the future.
We added two more grand babies last year, so this year had us enjoying 3 little people under 3. Talk about wild and fun. There were lots of little hands to "help", lots of stories to read, lots of laughter, lots of slow walks around the neighborhood. And Christmas was a blast!! We're going to add to those numbers with one more little person in May. (I keep telling my girls that I am wayyyyyyy to young to have this many grand babies!!)Work exploded. We had 10 new doctors bring their practices to our facility, which equalled more patients, more babies and the need for more staff! Oy-vey!! Lots of new people to meet, train and evaluate. My boss has a good eye when it comes to hiring new nurses. So far the new staff is all pretty up-to-par, the docs are settling in, and my work is consistent. Not a bad thing to have these days. Can't imagine how crazy we'll be in the coming months. (Expect me to be exhausted come the summer months!!)
I finally gave in to technology and asked for a Kindle for Christmas. Now before y'all start booing and chucking books at my head for crossing into the darker side of e-readers, let me tell you this wasn't an easy decision. I adore books. Have for the past 40 something years. Nothing is better than holding a book in my hand, letting the characters draw me in, turning the pages as I get lost in another world. But several author friends have been gushing over their e-readers and how much they love them. So I decided to check it out. With the new Wi-Fi/3G features I can now access the web from an e-reader, as well as download my own WIP's to make notes on while away from home. So, I got a Kindle. So far, I've enjoyed it and am looking forward to using it in the year to come.So what has you reflecting on and looking forward to in the coming year? This is not a resolution question, but what you'd like to see happen for you this year? Got a trip planned? A big anniversary? A wedding? A Baby? New job? New book? What great milestone did you reach this past year? Was it good? Or are you glad to see the last of 2010?
41 comments:
looks like he is just coming a few doors down the road Helen
Congrats to your parents. Can't wait to find out the release date. I do hope I'll be doing some traveling in 2011. I have tentative plans to visit Hawaii again. 2010 was a good year, but I'm definitely hoping for a healthy and more prosperous 2011.
First of all, Suzanne, congratulations to your parents on their 60th. That's an incredible milestone! Hope they had a wonderful celebration.
I have only one grandbaby. She turned five today (I guess that's yesterday now - the 27th). Poor thing, two days after Christmas is a hard day to have a birthday. Anyway, can't believe she is getting so big!!
I didn't get much accomplished in 2010. I'm looking forward to changing that in 2011. I'd like to spend a lot more time writing. I'm planning a couple of trips - one to Florida to visit friends and family. I have lots of both who live there. I'm hoping to go in a month or two when I'm dying for warmth and sunshine.
Congratulations on your upcoming release, THE SURRENDER OF LACY MORGAN. Looks like a very hot read. I'll keep a lookout for a release date. Great looking website!
I am retired and not sure what we are doing this year except going to the Australian romance readers convention at Bondi in March.... congrats on your parents wedding anniversary ... we have been married 47 years later on in the year.....
Well done Barb I will be down for a cuppa soon LOL
Suz
How fantastic that your parents have celebrated their 60th anniversary. I had a mixed bag this year I welcomed another grandchild as well that made 5 and our Christmas was awesome with them all here.
For next year I am expecting another grandchild in early April around my birthday so I will have 6 and that should be all till my youngest Kirsty meets her hero LOL. I am also very excited about the 2nd Australian Romance Readers Convention as Barb has already commented on being held at Bondi a beach suburb here in Sydney Anna Campbell, Nalini Singh and Cindy Gerard will be the keynote speakers whoo hoo can't wait for that one.
I have an ebook reader as well and although I still buy lots of books I do have a lot of ebooks as well and enjoy both types just as much.
Have Fun
Helen
I am just ready for a fresh start, again. Every year I think okay, this is going to be a better year, and every year is a little better somehow, someway. For the first time in several years (like 20) I have some time off saved up so I am not having to go without pay if I get sick, that is a plus!
2010 was a year of extremes, it seemed, and I'll be ready to see it go. Looking forward to 2011.
Huge congratulations to you on the website and the soon-to-be-released book! It looks wonderful. :)
Hey Barb! Keep that rooster out of trouble today, okay?!!
Oooooooooo Jane, a trip to Hawaii!! What fun that should be! Hope you have a healthy and prosperous 2011, too!
This is going to be a hard year, I think. My dad's health is failing with the early stages of dementia. I've been in denial about it for a few months, but it struck home to me on Christmas Day. Mother and Dad have been married for 55 1/2 years and their 56th anniversary will be in May. Prayers for my family would be appreciated.
On the upside, I look forward to spending more time with my folks and will make a concentrated effort to drive the hour to their place as frequently on weekends as possible.
My daughter will be 11 in a few months and I have hormonal, growing-up issues to deal with, I'm sure, very soon. Aaaack! I am NOT ready for my baby to be at that stage. I will need to hold on to my sanity somehow.
Thanks Laurie! Since their anniversary is the week of Christmas, they had a quiet celebration inside out of the Ohio snow!
Happy belated birthday to your grandbaby! I am sure you still made her have a happy day.
Thanks on the good wishes for Lacy Morgan, (As the book is known among the Banditas). It is definitely one HOT read!! Great for the winter months!
Barb, Congrats on your 47 years of marriage! That, too, is a major matrimonial milestone!!
The Australian Reader's Conference sounds like a blast, especially if you and Helen are going together!
Hey Helen!
Another grandbaby for you, too! You and I are neck and neck on these little people, aren't we?
The line up for the Australian Reader's conference sounds fantastic!! You sure we should let you and Barb loose there? I have a feeling you two could get into all kinds of trouble! :)
Hey Dianna: Every year I think okay, this is going to be a better year, and every year is a little better somehow, someway
I hope this is a much better year for you, too!
Hey Gillian! Huge congratulations to you on the website and the soon-to-be-released book! It looks wonderful.
Thanks!! Lacy Morgan was a blast to write and a real stretch for me as far as the erotica part of the story!!
Oh Deb, so sorry to hear about your father. We just went through that with my mother's oldest brother. Praying for peace and better health for your whole family this coming year!
We celebrated our 40th anniversary this past May. Congratulations to your parents. How wonderful. I hope that we travel this year.
Congrats to your parents. What a great milestone. We have so much to be grateful for. Great health, happiness and hopefully trips in our future.
Sounds like you've had a great year Suzanne!
I'm on a new two book contract. The first book doesn't come out till August 2011, but the second book starts a new series which I'm writing now. It's always a good year if there's a contract in it.
While I don't have grandchildren (yet), I do have grand nieces and nephews. Two grandnephews were born in 2010, two grandnieces are on the way for delivery in 2011. While they all live in different cities, it's great that Facebook and email allows me to keep informed on their progress.
When to a niece's wedding in Florida this past year. Celebrated a fun anniversary in Cancun. It's been a good year. I'm looking forward to 2011.
How special that your parents celebrated the big 6-0, Suzanne.
I love your cover!
Wow, Barb, you and Helen can just keep that little wooster running back and forth between your houses, making him work for a living by doing your chores!
Suz, I got a Kindle for Christmas too and I LOVE, LOVE it. I never thought I'd exchange the hard touch of the e-reader for the papery feeling of bound books, but it was so easy. (Although I do occasionally still lift my hand as if to turn a page -- instincts are hard to overcome.)
What I like best is that I can read for longer periods of time. The e-reader is so easy on my eyes and I can adjust the font size to whatever works best. Even with my new reading glasses, my eyes got tired after about 20-30 minutes, but last night I read in bed for over an hour without getting tired. And, of course, even with the leather cover, the e-reader is much lighter than a hardbound book.
Love my Kindle!
My parents and grandparents made 50 but 60 is something to aim for. I've been married 41 lol. My daughter and son-in-law bought their first home this year and the plan is children in a couple more! I'm 60 and waiting while my sister has 7 by one daughter and I'm so jealous lol. My youngest is planning on graduating college next year too so another big milestone!
Hey Traveler!
Congrats to you, too!
Where would you like to travel to this year?
I'm planning a trip to NY for the RWA National conference, at least one trip to Ohio to see my parents, possibly a trip to Vegas with my Texas writing girls and one in the fall to visit my critique partner who just moved back to New Hampshire.
Hey Petite!
Thanks! I'm thankful for still having them both around to celebrate these milestone anniversaries with.
Hey Donna!
I'm on a new two book contract. The first book doesn't come out till August 2011, but the second book starts a new series which I'm writing now. It's always a good year if there's a contract in it.
Yep, that's a great start to a new year!!
By the way, I'll let you know when I plan to pop into Ohio so we can do lunch one day, if possible.
Congrats to your parents on their diamond anniversary. Congrats to you on your soon-to-be-released book and on the new little ones, those already here and the one anticipated.
I miss having a tiny one to hold and cuddle. The youngest and probably last grand is two and fiercely determined to do everything her older brother and cousins do. She spent most of Christmas Day clutching her new baby doll with one hand and battling for her cousins' double-bladed, electronic lightsabers with the other.
This year I finally worked up the courage to query, a real feat for me since I suffer from what Debbie Ohi terms "Obsessive Compulsive Editing Disorder." I'm hopeful that 2011 will see me with an agent. A contract would be beyond lovely.
Wow 60 years, my parents were lucky they didn't kill each other after 20...lol
I think we are planning on going back east during the Summer to see the in-laws. They wanted us there this Christmas but thank heavens we didn't.Far too much snow! I'll continue with the family tree while I'm there, Nannie had a lot of old photos and the family thinks it's so funny that I've only been apart of the family for 6 yrs in Feb. but I'm the only one to have ever put a tree together. So, that and maybe a few camping trips, I'm hoping for a quiet New Year, Yeah I should cut and paste this....Cause It's never Quiet.
JO,
Thanks for my parents and loving my cover. It was such a great surprise to get that in my in box a few months ago! I adore showing it off!!
Jo:
What I like best is that I can read for longer periods of time. The e-reader is so easy on my eyes and I can adjust the font size to whatever works best.
I'm finding this feature a great one, too! Plus if I convert my WIP's to a PDF file, I can download it to the Kindle to read and make notes on editing for later!
Hey Janga!
This year I finally worked up the courage to query, a real feat for me since I suffer from what Debbie Ohi terms "Obsessive Compulsive Editing Disorder." I'm hopeful that 2011 will see me with an agent. A contract would be beyond lovely.
OH I hope that comes through for you and LOL on the Obsessive Compulsive Eiditing Disorder! I think that is a hard habit to break. We have to learn to self edit, but still be true to the story and have faith in it.
Hey Bj!
I'll continue with the family tree while I'm there, Nannie had a lot of old photos and the family thinks it's so funny that I've only been apart of the family for 6 yrs in Feb. but I'm the only one to have ever put a tree together. What a cool idea!
I had a cousin who did this for my father's side of the family. She's a librarian and had access to lots of government records. She traced it back to when the first male patriarch crossed the ocean to the US. Too cool!
Congrats on the grandbabies, I only have 1 so far and a new nephew coming in January.
My wish for 2011 is another contract from TWRP. First book coming out in February.
Barb, congrats on the bird! Lock up your Tim Tams, though.
Suz, we're all looking forward to your debut. With an ebook coming out, you _need_ a reader! Everyone I know who has a Kindle loves it.
I'm looking forward to cleaning up/out this house, which needs it desperately. I'm looking forward to not teaching, focusing on writing instead, for a calendar year at least.
Congrats to your parents on 60 years together. That's wonderful.
Janga, congratulations on sending out your first queries. They do get easier with repetition. Fingers crossed for you!
Deb, I'm so sorry about your dad and will be thinking of your family.
Good luck with the adolescent phase. Maybe it will be better than you think.
Suz wrote of The Surrender of Lacy Morgan: It is definitely one HOT read!! Great for the winter months!
She shared a teeny, tiny bit of the book with us, and I have to say it was definitely smokin'.
This year, I saw my younger daughter through major spinal surgery (rods put in to correct a severe form of scoliosis), found out my older sister had breast cancer, and lost an aunt who suffered from diabetic kidney disease and cancer. So, yeah, I'm kind of glad to see this year end and the new one come in. Looking forward to more positive things in 2011.
Margay
Well of course the one thing I look forward to for 2011 is publication...and setting the publishing world on their ear :D
Good health, certainly for family, friends, Banditas, Buddies and me...i.e. lose weight.
As to this past year? I found two new little pals to fill my life each day if not their litter boxes :D They have to be two of the best kitties around.....
Here's to good fortune all round for 2011!!
PS Suz...you ARE too young for SO many grandbabies!! But what lucky grandbabies they are to have a Nana like you!
Margay, OMG, you've had a very hard 2010! I hope your year to come is way much better.
Hey Joanie!!
Suz...you ARE too young for SO many grandbabies!! But what lucky grandbabies they are to have a Nana like you!
Why thank you! I think we have a lot of fun together...By the way, aren't they cute?
And girl I'm pulling for 2010 to be the year your Irish paranormal hits the publishing world big time!!!!
Will be glad to see the year end
with a hope that Honey, who rarely
was ill before 2010, will have a better year medically. We will be
looking forward to a milestone
anniversary in 2011. For everyone
who has been having a rough time
financially, our prayer for them
is a more prosperous year!
Pat Cochran
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