Happy January and Happy New Year 2022 one and all!
There have been many times that I've said this, and I expect many times to say it again: my observation is that every year brings both good and bad. Some years there's more good, some more bad, some in the middle. I don't know what 2022 will be, but I continue to look for blessings.
One of the blessings of 2021, was in spite of Snowmeggeddon (or, rather, because of it) back in February, I got a new kitchen. Now, a storm with broken pipes is not the way I'd PREFER to have gotten this kitchen, but I love it. So, even though the storm sucked and being out of my house for 4 1/2 months wasn't always easy, I got this brand new kitchen that is so much more me and my family than what we moved into when we first got the house.
In August, I got a non-displaced fracture in my shoulder. Yeah, I hadn't known silly detergent had spilled and I wasn't looking to perfect my detergent-skating abilities (or, in this case, inability) but despite it, it meant I got to see my husband's job in action. The ortho doctors allowed him to work with me on my PT, and I've had the chance to experience his expertise and gentleness. He also paid me a compliment, saying "Thank you for not fighting me. Some of my patients do." I had reasoned in my mind the way I do a lot of things that it made no sense for me to fight him since the way to get better was to allow him to do what the doctors told him to do. Yes, it's been a painful process (I won't lie) but I'm improving and learning. Plus, I spend extra time with my husband.
My point in sharing these things is that so many people take the bad and just focus on the bad and never look for any good. Yes, there has been a lot of suffering and that sucks bananas and I'm definitely NOT trying to downplay any of that. I lost people close to me. I mourned. I looked at the junk in the world and cried. But I also turned to my faith and found solace. I learned about joy. I learned that it's okay for joy and sorrow to exist simultaneously. Sometimes they do. I learned a deeper appreciation for the blessings and good in the world (especially good people).
I've had the chance to work with an extremely talented freelance editor (named Deb Ewing) who has helped my manuscript get polished and better than it was before. I've added stuff I hadn't thought to add, which will enhance the reading experience for my audience. Through The Author Encounter, I've met some really nice agents and other people who have answered some questions I've had regarding the industry.
Sure, I've still got learning disabilities--those will never go away, but that's okay. I've lived with them this long, I can continue living with them and learning in spite of them (and sometimes because of them).
Yes, Covid-19 still exists and that's not cool, but my family continues to do Sunday Family Zoom sessions and I've gotten to talk to my family more than I ever had done in a year (or even 2 years) so for me, that's a blessing in a yucky situation. We've continued this practice of having Family Zoom sessions every Sunday afternoon (so far only missing one or two Sundays). It's been wonderful!
My wish for all of you this year and every year is to find that place of solace and to recognize the blessings that exist. Even when it's hard, or seems impossible, this is my wish for you. Find those who can make you believe in hope and cherish them. Even if they pass on, you can have the comfort of having known them and what you learned from them.
God bless and Happy New Year 2022 to you and yours.
Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!
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The pandemic has become endemic - it's never going away. Vaccinating everyone won't eradicate it, as some people claim. The new omicron variant is apparently mild and (to my knowledge) has caused no deaths. My hope is that it will infect lots of people and give them some immunity against more dangerous future strains, while not causing sever disease itself. It could actually be a good thing in the long run.
The vaccine mandate forced me to change jobs a year earlier than I planned, but now that that's done, I can finally get back to writing. I'm working on my next western, and my short story was chosen to be included in the IWSG anthology. It'll be published later this year. Hopefully BOTH will be published later this year.