Tis the Season

I'm still feeling a couple of months behind. I still want it to be October so I can carve that pumpkin I meant to carve and put out some pretty mums.

I missed summer while I was locked away writing Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio.

Then I went and missed fall finishing Love is Monumental.

No wonder I'm all off-kilter. I step outside and am honestly surprised it is cold. Where, oh where did that yummy football weather go? The warm/cool that I love.

Clearly I need better time management skills so I won't miss anymore seasons!

With that in mind, I had to make a difficult decision recently--the decision to leave my career as a special event coordinator for a non-profit. It was a dream position for me. I believe very much in the organization and I spent hours upon hours working and thinking about ways to make things better. I was consumed.

But, you see, I was also driven by my desire to be a writer. It was a dream and a gift and something I couldn't walk away from.

When you are being pulled in two totally different directions, both of which mean the world to you, you have to give things up. Like sleep. And seasons. And seeing your family and friends.

So after a lot of prayer and soul searching, I quit the non-profit. I determined that I can't have two careers. I can have a writing career and just a job. But not a career as an event coordinator (that is demanding) and a writing career (that is also demanding).

The same non-profit offered me a part time position working with their database. Such a huge blessing to me. I can pay my bills (yay) but still devote most of my time and brainpower to writing.

Which means that I can sleep again! (I assure you, after several months of working all day and writing most of the night, I feel like a new person now that I'm actually getting several hours again)

And I'm determined not to let any more seasons pass by without me noticing. So my house is decorated--I LOVE the lights of the Christmas tree, the smell of a fresh wreath and the holiday movies on every night.

I'm so glad to be going into this holiday season without the fog of stress and no sleep hanging over me. I can't wait until Thursday--when my entire family will be getting together for gifts and games and lots of food. And Friday we'll do it all over again and maybe catch a movie. Saturday, we'll do some marathon after-Christmas shopping. Then family gatherings again on Sunday and Monday. So fun!

Song of the week: Winter Song by Sara Barielles and Ingrid Michaelson. One of my favorites from my Christmas playlist.

Enjoy your family this Christmas season! Here are Buster and Arnie who refused to pose together in front of the tree...so I made them pose with my Christmas pillows! :)