This Christmas...

All I want for Christmas is...

1. Words. The right ones. Both for my manuscript and my everyday life.

2. Peace. On earth, in my life, etc. Just that general Peaceful Easy Feeling that I hear so much about.

3. Contentment. This is somewhat elusive in my world. Just when I'm content, something happens to make me discontent. :) I just might have a special gift for making things harder than they need to be.

4. And along those lines...Simplicity. Although on second thought, maybe not so much. I say I want things simple, but seem to thrive best on Complicated.

5. My family. Games, food, laughter. Funny how now that I'm "all grown up" Christmas with my family becomes less about gifts and more about time.

6. My friends. Oh how blessed I am. I stood in the kitchen tonight and gazed at my fridge, which is adorned with Christmas photo cards from them. I'm a lucky girl for sure.

7. Time. It goes too fast for my liking. I went to bed and it was January and now all of the sudden, we're nearing the end of December. What happened? I look back and am astounded at how quickly the year went. Note to self: Live in the moment.

8. Boldness. I need a little bit of bold for Christmas this year. No more doormat. But not so assertive as to make me brazen or harsh.

9. Spontaneity. I need some of this too. Just a tad. To keep me out of a rut.

10. Organization. This should be on everyones Christmas list this year. I think with a little more organization, I'd get more of #7. Which would give me more #5, #6, and #9.

Okay, that's about it. You think Santa can come through for me?

The song of the day is Mistletoe by Colbie Caillat.

Fearless

Life is scary.

Seriously. Crazy things happen to people. Cars crash. An unexpected diagnosis changes lives forever. People go postal and innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.

I know. I sound a little paranoid, huh?

But I've been thinking lately about taking risks. As those of you who are familiar with me and my blogs know, I am not a fan of change. And I've had a lot of that lately. New city, new house, new job, new friends, new church, and the list goes on and on and on.

Sometimes it is hard to take a chance on the unknown, isn't it? Whether it is moving to a new city, going on a date with someone new, or just finding the courage to finish that book...it is always scary. At least it is for me.

Once I spoke in chapel during Homecoming week at my alma mater. One of the pieces of wisdom I imparted to the college students in the audience was "I'd rather regret something I did, than something I didn't do." I think sometimes I need to remind myself of this concept. (and notice the quote at the bottom of this blog--apparently Mark Twain and I see eye to eye!)

So this week, I promise to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. Take some risks. Finish writing some chapters even though sometimes the very fact that someone will actually read them next October freaks me out a little!

The song of the day/week/month (depending on how long it takes me to blog again!) is Fearless by Taylor Swift.

And for your amusement (and because LOVE quotes) here are a couple that I thought were applicable:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.--Mark Twain

The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything. --Theodore Roosevelt

To Err is Human...

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." Lewis B. Smedes

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." Mahatma Gandhi

So the big theme of the book I'm working on is turning out to be forgiveness. And I have to say, that was a bit of a surprise! I knew all along forgiveness was key, but didn't realize how pivotal it was really going to be.

Forgive. Seems like such an innocent little word, doesn't it? But it is a hard concept. At least for me. In the writing of some particular scenes, I had a horrible realization. I've been holding on to a lot of bitterness. Even a little anger. Let's just say it was quite cathartic to allow my heroine to let go of hers. In a way, I think I sort of learned to let go of mine.

I did have some help though. I happened to hear a fantastic sermon on forgiveness. Have you ever felt like the preacher was talking to you? Like he might as well just come stand right in front of you, point and say "This sermon was written especially for you, so listen." Well that was the uncomfortable position I found myself in a couple Sundays ago. The scripture was Ephisians 4:31--"let go of all bitterness, rage and anger." He asked us why, if God could keep forgiving us for all of the dumb stuff we do--why do we have such a hard time forgiving each other? Good point, huh?

So there you have it. Much easier said than done, I know.

The song of the day is "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley--because as he so profoundly implies, forgiveness is really the heart of the matter. I like this song so much that I've included some of my favorite lyrics:

There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down, you know they hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby; cause life goes on
You keep carryin' that anger; it'll eat you up inside, baby

Celebration!

Talk about overwhelming!

I attended the ACFW Conference in Minnesota last week—it was fantastic!

The speakers were wonderful, I met tons of authors, and really learned a lot.

The highlight was Friday after lunch. The editors from Barbour got up in front of the crowd to hand out contracts to 3 prospective authors in the audience. And believe it or not, I was one of the three!

Have you ever been in a moment that you just knew was life changing? That is what it was like for me. It almost felt like an out of body experience to walk up to the podium and accept the letter of intent from Becky Germany—they want to buy my three book series. Wow. Words seriously don’t describe the feeling.

I remember going back to my seat and noticing that I was shaking. I leaned over and said “I need to go call my mom.” And I remember the knowing glances of the people I passed on my way out of the room. They all knew I couldn’t contain myself. I proceeded to call practically everyone I knew.

I’m not sure if my feet are on the ground, even now. When will it feel real? Once I have a real deadline? Once I know for sure what the release dates will be? Or will it not feel real until I hold my book in my hand and see it on the shelf at (hopefully) Wal-Mart? Actually I’m a library kind of girl, so knowing people can actually go and check my book out might be the thing that ends up the “coolest part”. Haha.

However you look at it, I am excited. And overwhelmed. And ever so blessed.

The icing on the cake to my weekend was the awards banquet Saturday night. I actually won the Contemporary Romance category in the Genesis contest. Again, wow! I was so certain I wouldn’t win, I didn’t even prepare a speech. So I had to give my thanks “off the cuff” and felt like I could barely form words. I remember looking at Camy on the stage and saying “I don’t have anything to say” but somehow I managed to step to the microphone and speak.

I distinctly remember saying “Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to follow such a big dream.” And I mean that sincerely. For me, publication has been a big dream. And it took me a long time to begin sharing that dream with people. But you know, no one ever laughed. No one ever told me that was a good idea, but not to get my hopes up. Everyone I’ve shared it with seemed to think that it was a normal dream to follow, and many of them shared with me their complete confidence in me that it would someday happen.

And now it will.

Song of the day: Beautiful Day by U2.

Below are pictures from the awards banquet! Enjoy!



With Christine Lynxwiler


Posing with my new EDITOR, Rebecca Germany


With one of my favorite authors, Rachel Hauck


Christine Lynxwiler, Susan May Warren, me, Susan Downs, and Rachel Hauck


Just me, feet not on ground! haha!

Just Like a Friday Afternoon

First, I thought of an addition to my previous post about things coming back around...the "new" Beverly Hills 90210. How random is that? I admit I was a fan back in the day, but coming out with it again seems a little odd.

Anyway, it's funny how things seem to have moved so slowly for me for the past year while I've been working from home, yet I look at the calendar and am amazed at the time that has passed.

I just accepted a new position, which I am really excited about. I'll be moving to Memphis very soon. I've already found the perfect place, but can't move in for a couple of weeks. So my time in Arkansas is winding down.

Exciting stuff. Lots of changes coming my way. Normally I'm a girl who is a bit resistant to change, but I'm welcoming these. I've loved the time I've gotten to spend here, but it is time to move forward. The good part is that I'll still be close enough to come home often. I've never lived anywhere that was within reasonable driving distance to home, so that is good.

The decision to move to Memphis just made a lot of sense to me. I'd considered other cities, but when I really thought about it, Memphis was really the clear choice. And then I found a job that was perfect for me, and that made it even more of a clear choice.

So now I'm packing and looking for furniture and home decor! And, of course, trying to get my book finished. I'm supposed to have it done before I leave for the writing conference in Minnesota. Am hopeful that goal is one that can be reached, but as I'm writing, I'm beginning to realize that it will likely be a week or so after conference that it is actually ready to turn in.

And the song of the day....is my all time favorite song! This Time of Year by Better than Ezra. It just reminds me of crisp fall days and that feeling you get on a Friday when you have the whole weekend ahead. Great song. Enjoy!

Nothing New Under the Sun

So lately I've been noticing that lots of things seem to be coming back around...

First there was the new Indiana Jones movie. I sheepishly admit that I haven't seen it. The trio of Indy movies are some of my all time favorites. Remember the scene where the girl has "I Love You" on her eyelids while in his history/archaeology class? Love it! In college I always wished I had an Indiana Jones type professor. (but unfortunately, I did not. except for that Italian teacher, but we were actually in Italy, so that doesn't count. although my friends and I nicknamed him "Adonis" for the summer and I did end up having dinner with him once...but I digress)

Then, the New Kids on the Block reunite. Stop. It. Now. I can't take the madness. Yes, NKOTB hit their fame just as I was coming of age as a pre-teen. I loved them all, but Donnie the most. And I do have a very sad story about the time I wanted to see them in concert so badly--they were going to be at Six Flags in Atlanta and I happened to be in Atlanta and it just seemed too perfect. And wouldn't you know, the tickets were sold out. Some friends tried to pull strings at a radio station, but to no avail. So my dear mother drove me out to Six Flags just to see if we could get a glimpse. And there was the tour bus! I tried to get her to rear end it so they'd have to get out, but she refused. And imagine my disappointment when we finally got back to my Aunt's house to a message that said the radio station had found us 2 tickets. But by then it was too late. So now I'm trying to decide if I should catch a concert this time around. I have several friends who are going to catch the show in Atlanta, so we'll see if I end up getting a ticket and going.

And finally, the new back to school JCPenney commercial. That reenacts scenes from "The Breakfast Club" (an all time favorite movie) while playing "Don't You Forget About Me" from the movie soundtrack. Do teens today even know that the scenes in the commercial are from a movie? Probably not. John Hughes--you seriously need to come out of hiding and do more movies, because today's movies just aren't on the same level.

Okay. I know, it was a rambling post. But in my defense, it is late and I'm in a rambling kind of mood. :)

Song of the week....it was a tough choice. I finally settled on the aforementioned "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds. Great song. Great movie. Those were the days.

Happy Fourth of July!

Well, here it is, my favorite holiday! That's right. Even higher on my list than Christmas is the 4th of July.

Not really sure why, but it has been since I was a little girl. Something about summer, I guess. Plus I've always liked patriotic holidays. Or maybe its because I was a bicentennial baby (1976).

Anyway, this has been a pretty good day. Just relaxing, grilling out, and working in the garden.

I'm gearing up for my final work trip to Alabama. Its rather bittersweet. I'm turning my healthcare programs over to someone else while I'm there, imparting upon them all of the information I can, and then I'll be officially done with Mobile. Sort of like a chapter in my life is closing. I can't believe its been almost a year since I left there. And also can't believe I've been accidentally in Arkansas for almost a year either! :)

So I'm job hunting right now, as my contract is coming to an end. My contract is officially up in mid-August, so I still have a little time left, but it is definitely time for me to move on.

I'm sort of stuck in a rut as far as writing goes. Not sure which direction to go in. I'm guessing the best thing I can do is just keep writing. Easier said than done! I'm so busy right now, putting the finishing touches on the Summer Scrubs program I'm coordinating. In a couple of weeks though, that should calm down. Then I hope to write like the wind before conference in September.

Okay, happy Fourth of July! The song of the day is, of course, entitled "Fourth of July" and is by Shooter Jennings.

Back to the Blog

Well, I've been on a blogging hiatus for a couple of weeks. Life has gotten crazy hectic again.

I'm working a lot on the Summer Scrubs program, which is rapidly approaching. I've already ordered scrubs for all of the students (364 sets of scrubs, thank you very much) and am anxiously waiting on them to get in. They have to go to the screen printer by July 1st, so time is ticking.

And I turned in roughly 1/3 of my novel to an editor last Friday. It's okay, but I'm not satisfied with it. I think in my quest to make the hero a "dream guy" I unfortunately didn't make him quite real enough. Even the best of us have flaws. :) So now I'm trying to come up with a better, more believable character for him that makes him believable yet dreamy just the same. Any suggestions? I'm just hoping that the editor will like it enough to want more, even though hero man is a little cardboard right now. We'll see.

To top it off, I got a brown recluse spider bite last week. It's been pretty awful, but I'm happy to report that it's beginning to heal.

And the song of the day today is Closing Time by Semisonic. Might seem like an odd choice. But I've always liked it. And just for the record, despite what it sounds like, it is actually about being born, not about a bar closing. :) Seriously, I looked it up.

But I've always particularly liked the line "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Truer words were never spoken!

Ode to David Cook, American Idol Cutie

Well, I can't help it. Lately I've tried to blog all reflective like and serious, and stay away from all the pop culture, but I guess the shallow side of me wins out. Especially with Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Greys, and Desperate Housewives all having had finales this week, I have some catching up to do. Starting with American Idol.

I was so glad to see David Cook win. Not that Archuleta wasn't talented. It's just that from the get go, David Cook has performed songs that could be on the radio tomorrow. And all of them sounded different. David Archuleta needs a little variety in his repertoire. Enough with the ballads.

The finale was great. Better than last year I thought.

Moments I loved:

• Jason Castro doing Hallelujah. He's so pretty.


• Anytime Michael Johns was onstage. Sigh.


• The guys singing Summer of 69.
  
• The girls singing She Works Hard for the Money. That's my theme song.


• The medley of George Michael songs.


• David Cook fronting for ZZ Top.


• Simon apologizing to David Cook. I felt like it was a long time coming. I was still miffed from way back when he called him out for being a word nerd. I happen to like word nerds.


• And of course, the Guitar Hero homage to Risky Business. But only the David Cook one.
  

Moments I could've done without or would've liked to change:

• Anytime Amanda was onstage. Did they have to tie her up and drag her there to get her to perform? I've never seen anyone look so miserable on stage.


• The Michael/Carly duet. While I liked the Michael portion (see above) I never cared for Carly.


• Where was Kristy Lee Cook's solo or duet? Why didn't she get one and some of the others did? (She, Chickeze, and Ramile were the only ones from the Top 10 who didn't get their own stage time...)


• The Jonas Brothers. Why were they there at all?? All the other acts had AI Contestants with them.


• The costume mistakes--putting pretty Jordin Sparks in that horrid gold dress, AND forgetting to put enough material on the bottom of whatever that was Carrie Underwood had on.

My other thoughts? First, the only thing I don't like about David Cook is the pair of weird boots he wears. They are black and the toe of them points upward like elf shoes. They make his feet look like planks. Lose the boots David, and you'll go far!

Was it just me, or did David Archuleta sound better on the One Republic song that the actual lead singer usually sounds? That style of music should be his niche, he just needs to learn to do some faster songs too. (and NOT in the style of Chris Brown as we saw him do a couple of weeks ago)

As usual, I hated the hokey American Idol winner song at the end.

I predict there will be a few from this season who go on to have reasonable success in the music industry. And some who will ride their wave of fame over to the TV Guide network along with their previous season counterparts.

The song of the day was hard to decide on. Obviously a David Cook song from this season. Billie Jean was good. Hello was good. So was You Don't Wanna Miss a Thing. I was really torn, but I decided my favorite was his rendition of Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby. So enjoy!

Pomp and Circumstance

Okay, I don't dispense advice very often, at least not publicly. But as the graduation season is upon us, I couldn't help but make a list of my best "I wish I'd have known" tidbits.

I have 3 special high school graduates in my life this year, and each of them are about to embark on an exciting adventure.

So Diana, Dustin, and Jessica...here's my take on life after graduation.

1. Don't beat yourself up over mistakes you make. And you will make them. Learn from them, try not to make the same mistake twice, but forgive yourself.
2. When a good opportunity comes your way, take it. Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. I had never been on an airplane before I spent a semester in Italy. I almost let that fear, along with a controlling ex-boyfriend, keep me from going. Today, I’m so glad I went—since that summer, I’ve traveled all over the world and the boyfriend isn’t even on my radar anymore.
3. Pray. Your life will get busy. Classes will be harder, work will be tougher, relationships and social outings will become higher priorities. Even so, carve out time daily for prayer. You’ll be glad you did.
4. Meet new people. You never know when you’re going to meet a lifelong friend. The best friends I have today, those who I know will be in my life until we’re little old ladies at the nursing home, I didn’t meet until I was out of high school.
5. Your heart will get broken. You will probably break someone else’s heart too. It’s okay. Someday you will look back on it and see how it helped you to get where you needed to be.
6. Keep a journal.
7. Go to class. It will be tempting to skip. Especially in those classes where the professor doesn’t take roll. You’ll be sleepy and will have something better to do. Go to class anyway.
8. Try and eat healthy. It won’t always be possible, but don’t eat pizza and burgers every night. If you do, it will take a toll, not only on your weight, but also on your health.
9. Take responsibility for your actions. If you mess up, admit it. If you hurt someone, apologize. You’re a grown up now, and can’t expect your parents to smooth things over for you anymore.
10. Finally (and I hate to be a cliché) remember who you are and whose you are. I know, it’s something grandma’s say, but seriously. You never know who looks to you as an example. Younger siblings or cousins, friends, or maybe even someone you don’t know very well. Make sure that your actions show people that you are a Christian.

And I’m off my soapbox now.

Song of the day…the Sunscreen Song. Thought it was appropriate. And I agree with most of it, so listen up!

Who Am I?

Who Am I? My favorite T-shirt from college has this phrase written across the front. The back declares "Generation X, Freed Hardeman U, I am many attitudes, many styles, many beliefs."

The shirt is from the Student Alumni Association retreat my sophomore year and I've always loved it for many reasons. And even now, 12 years later, I still wear it and it's still relevant for me.

Not only is it a great conversation piece--I've traveled all over the world in this shirt and in every country, every language, people will read the front of my shirt, laugh, and say "Who are you?"

And many days I ask myself that same question. Who am I?

The reason it stays relevant is because who we are is always changing. Years ago, people graduated from college and said "I am an accountant" (or teacher, or whatever) and they were, forever until they retired. But today, people change careers at the drop of the hat. They try something for awhile, then try something else.

In fact, I sort of wish my shirt said "Who am I TODAY?" And I know this might make me seem a little odd, but really, I think we all wear a lot of hats. I know I do. Some days I'm a writer, some days I'm a consultant. Some days I'm a gardener and others I'm a couch potato. I try and be a good daughter and a good friend every day, but sometimes I know I fail.

But you know, I think as long as every day I am a Christian, everything else will just fall into place. In fact, sometimes we try and let too many other things define us. If God is the constant in our lives, all the other stuff can change and grow, and it will all turn out fine. When I wonder "Who Am I?" as long as the first answer is "I am a Christian" then even if I don't know what my career will be in 5 years, or where I'm going to move next, everything is still okay.

And just for fun, here's a picture I dug out of me in Turkey, circa 1997, wearing the T-shirt.

And the song of the day--Who I Am, by Jessica Andrews. No random stories about this one, just thought it fit.

Happy Friday!

Finally!

I've been so caught up with work stuff I haven't given a thought to my blog lately.

The project I'm working on is a summer program (Summer Scrubs) for high school students who are interested in health care careers. When I first started coordinating it 3 years ago, I accepted 100 high school students into the program, and had 6 health care facilities participate. This year, I have 190 students and 13 health care facilities! It's grown by leaps and bounds, and some of the students who have participated in the past are now enrolled in health care programs in college. One hospital told me recently that they had just made their first hire of someone who went through the program! It is rewarding work, but keeps me buried in paperwork, e-mails, and phone calls. When I agreed to take the project on this year as a consultant, I didn't consider that the past years I've had 2 full time staff members helping me. Now I'm a one woman show. Hence the work that's kept me from blogging. :)

I spent last week in Mobile, Alabama for work. I worked 12-15 hour days all week, but still managed to find time to go out to dinner with friends for yummy seafood at the Gulf. And I got some great news while I was there! I finaled in two categories in the 2008 Genesis Contest! Contemporary Romance and Chick Lit. Winners will be announced in September at the ACFW Conference.

And now, introducing my new blog feature....the Song of the Day! (my life definitely has a soundtrack, so I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite songs)

Nightswimming by REM....is one of my favorites. In fact, for the past 10+ years, I've always said that if I ever get married, my bridesmaids will walk down the aisle to an instrumental version of this song. Fun fact...I went to see REM in Bologna, Italy. Amazing concert. What I remember from that night--we went to eat at McDonalds beforehand. That was a real treat because for the most part we tried to stay away from "American" stuff while in Europe. After the show, we got back to the train station only to find that there wasn't a train going anywhere we needed to go until the next day. And because of the concert, there wasn't any room at any of the hostels. So we slept at the train station. It was cold and I found a cardboard box to lay on. (ahh, the glamour of backpacking...)

And The Oscar Goes To...

Yes, it's time for the Academy Awards! I'm one of those award show junkies, so with the whole writer's strike, I was afraid the Oscars would go the way of the Golden Globe and be a press conference.

A girl needs a red carpet every now and then!

And speaking of red carpets, let me just say that I LOVE to see the dresses, shoes, and jewelry. So much that I'll actually endure the horrible interviews by the E network or TV Guide Network just so I can get a better view of the fashion. At least they've gotten rid of Joan Rivers. (I'm hoping Joey Fatone and Lisa Rinna won't be as annoying, but I won't hold my breath!)

But what I don't understand is those stars who wear completely unflattering gowns. Many, many come to mind from years past. Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow chose a goth inspired look? Or when Uma Thurman wore some kind of crazy Swiss Miss outfit? And don't even get me started on Cher.

I guess I find it hard to believe that they really thought those outfits looked okay. So I'm interested in seeing who made bad choices tonight, and who actually had a little sense. (or at least a good stylist)

As for the awards themselves...there really isn't one I'm too excited about. I'm much more interested in the red carpet this year, although I would love to see Ruby Dee and Hal Holbrook win their categories. Hal Holbrook especially--I remember him as Reese Watson from Designing Women (my all time favorite show, which incidentally is now on TV Land!). And of course, I love Johnny Depp, so I guess I'm pulling for him too.

Speaking of awards and contests, the ACFW Genesis Contest entries are due next week. And I'm still on the fence about entering. I have 2 WIPs that are basically ready for entry, I just have to decide to do it. We'll see. I was a finalist last year. Really just getting the feedback from the judges makes it worth it. So I'm probably going to make my submission in at least one category soon.

Thoughts on a Random Wednesday

Where to start?

First off, this year, my birthday, Super Tuesday, and Mardi Gras all landed on the same day. Then came the devastating storms, and it became a birthday to remember.

Thankfully, we were spared. Our tornado siren went off at least 3 times, but none touched down. My prayers go out to those who weren't so fortunate.

My thoughts on Super Tuesday? Well, I'm a political kind of girl, so I had a lot of opinions, of which I will spare you. It was an exciting night though. And I'm proud of Mike Huckabee.

Mardi Gras...well, since I'm no longer in Mobile, Alabama (which has the oldest Mardi Gras in the United States...even older than the one that happens in New Orleans), there wasn't much hoopla. In Mobile, the parade route went right by my office building. So nearly everyday for 3 weeks, we had an excuse to scoot out early. We were actually off work more days for Mardi Gras than we were for Christmas. Does anyone else find that as odd as I always did?

My birthday...was okay. My family had a little surprise party for me last Saturday, which was nice. No candles though! :) I did get myself an early birthday present. A Nissan XTerra! Yay! I've been driving a Honda Accord Wagon for the past few years. And they stopped making those in 1997 if that tells you anything. Let's just say that a single girl driving a wagon, has to really fight to remain cool. But no more! My XTerra is perfect. It sits up high and there's plenty of room in the back for my dogs or my shopping bags, depending on what kind of trip I'm on.

And in other news...I send off a proposal on Monday for a series I'd discussed with an editor at ACFW conference. It was a s-c-a-r-y one to send, because it's the story I feel like I was born to write. Hopefully the editor will agree!

2008 Presidential Quiz

Not really any big surprises here, but I took a Presidential Candidate Quiz to see which one has views most like mine:

70% Mike Huckabee
69% John McCain
62% Mitt Romney
62% Tom Tancredo
59% Fred Thompson
51% Rudy Giuliani
50% John Edwards
49% Hillary Clinton
46% Barack Obama
46% Chris Dodd
44% Joe Biden
43% Mike Gravel
42% Ron Paul
41% Bill Richardson
35% Dennis Kucinich

Here's the link in case anyone wants to take it for themselves:
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

New Year, New List of Things To Do...

Well, Happy New Year!

I'm certainly hoping that whole myth about whatever you are doing at the stroke of midnight being an indicator for the rest of the year isn't true, because I was asleep when the clocks chimes/bells tolled, or whatever.

On second thought, considering that I probably still have a lack of sleep to make up for from college (and that summer I spent in Italy) maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing so spend a bit of time in 2008 in slumber.

But seriously, I love the idea of a new year. A clean slate. And my favorite thing, a blank day planner. I'm one of those people who refuses to give in to the more technological planner/calendar systems like Blackberrys or whatever. I prefer my old standby--a Franklin Covey planner.

I've been a planner girl for years. I love to make my daily to do list (and yes, I sometimes even do this on weekends and vacations, and I make no excuses for this habit because without it, I doubt I'd ever get anything done). I love to write down birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, and such in my planner.

And I hate to reveal this particular idiosyncrasy, but I also like to write down what outfit I wear each day. I've done this since high school. That's right. I could go back in my planners (which I keep) and tell you what I was wearing on this day in 1994. I don't do this so much now that I work from home. And I know it's strange, but it helps me to make sure I'm not just wearing the same thing over and over! :)

Anyway, I have high hopes for the year that is 2008. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.