Dang.

It’s come and gone again.

Since November 17, Peter and I got a new dog, Jack. He’s very cute and mellow and happy. Good boy, Jack.

We also did 2 turkey dinners in quick succession–10 days apart. That was after the turkey dinner we took part in on November 13 during our trip to Freezing Michigan.

I published a new holiday book (Deck the Malls with Purple Peacocks) which is a very good book. It got some great reviews:

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/deck-the-malls-with-purple-peacocks

And I promoed the heck out of. It got 5288 downloads on its free days in December with the help of Freebooksy and ENT and Kindle Nation Daily.  Also got help from Lola at Lola’s Blog Tours with getting exposure. I was part of a big FB Christmas hop and I even started a mailing list. I also had 34 actual purchases of my books. W00T!

I sent over 100 Christmas cards and I shopped a lot online and I picked out a tree and decorated it with our great homestay student, Mizuki after the hubs and son put it up. Then I said a reluctant goodbye to  Mizuki, who had to go back to Japan to work.  I listened to a friend with a looming divorce and played many games of Words with Friends with a bunch of word addicts like myself.

I produced and directed (and wrote and coached and was the costume girl and prop boy for) our Reader’s Theater play at the Atria Golden Creek Assited Living; Let it Snow. We had a blast. My 70-90 year-olds all read very well. A Father Knows Best episode from 1953 was the basis for the play, but I had to fluff it up quite a bit to make it funny and Christmas shiny. Whew. 

I wrapped a bunch of gifts. Thank you, Amazon, for quick delivery. Plus your wish list system is the bomb. My son loved his board game and the other one loved his Instant Pot.

I swam maybe 2-3 days a week all this time and walked most days as well. I watched too many Hallmark movies because I want happy endings. (Who doesn’t?) But man, the commercials on those things really want to prepare you for the worst life has to offer in medical issues and treatments that can kill you. And the annoying soundtracks of the movies, with unnecessary, stupid music during every scene–please, Hallmark. Please!!!! You make me crazy. Plus, many of your male leads look like underwear models from the 1970s. And your writing is just sketchy.

I made cookies and coffee cakes. Oh, man. I love fresh coffee cake. I sang carols and ate chili on Christmas Eve with my friend Rita and all her gang and mine. I made brunch for the family on the big day.

And now, I am pooped. I don’t want to prepare anything for anyone. Except this blog.

Happy New Year.