2009 Gone

So after taking stock of what I accomplished in the last year, I realized I:

• Wrote over 100,000 words
• Read only 26 books (which is really genuinely horrible, but if you count all the manuscripts I edited, I really read something closer to 50).
• Ate at Cheescake Factory only twice (which is also genuinely horrible)
• Lost to my daughter at Dance Dance Revolution more times than I am willing to admit in a public forum
• On 28 separate occasions, bored young Webelos bad enough they wanted to gouge out their eyes (because I’m not a good enough leader to have Webelos every week like I’m supposed to)
• traveled to seven states (two of which I’d never been to before)
• Spent two weeks on book tour with Josi Kilpack and had the BEST time ever!
• realized I stink at word challenge on facebook (which is shaming being that I’m a writer and should be good at that kind of game)
• wished on a lot of stars
• played and read a lot with my kids and felt genuinely sorry to see the Percy Jackson series come to an end
• laughed a lot with my husband and realized that he read more books than I did this last year.
• cried a lot over life in general and had several meltdowns for which my husband had to hold me together.
• broke my foot hiking the narrows with the family
• spent several dollars worth of pennies making wishes in fountains
• signed with my agent
• despaired over my writing career
• rejoiced over my writing career
• and found solace through my family over the insanity of my writing career
• learned to make cheesecake
• learned to bottle jam
• found joy in great friendships
• let my daughter go
• found that my relationship with her didn’t change even though she’s hours away
• found yoga
• found I’m not great at yoga
• but I keep doing it anyway
• felt grateful at the year’s end for all of my friends and family who make my life meaningful. Thank you.

Here’s to a 2010 that will inspire us all to the greatness within us.