A New Year: Resolutions and all that

I just checked my Blog for the first time in ages. Sorry that it has been so long, especially for all those of you who are starved for details about the inner workings of my life. (Uh-huh.)

OK, here are my Resolutions:

1) Blog more regularly,
2) Finish editing my second book of my Medici series (it is almost finished),
3) Finish the third book I am writing ( 6 chapters in),
4) Complete the new gown I am making for the SCA (Lacing holes or rings and hem the skirt),
5) Finish applying for my PhD program (How do I explain a research project?),
6) Lose some weight (OY!),
7) Eat better (see above),
8) Excercise (ditto),
9) Find and agent (PLEASE, Lord!),
10) Sell my book and have it published (See above!).

Of course the challenge is to actually do something about these Resolutions and not just talk about them. The first eight of these are things over which I have complete control. Numbers 9 and 10, not so much. It is the luck of the draw.

Now, lest you believe I am a person who has been sitting around waiting for life to happen, let me tell you about my past few months.

The carpet was FINALLY installed two weeks before Christmas. It took four (count 'em) four tries. I actually invited the woman who kept me abreast of this mess for the carpet installation company to visit over Thanksgiving since she had become my new best friend. But it is done. Looks great.

The kitchen is almost finished. Just a bit of trim on the ceiling, and it will look like something out of Architectural Digest. Well, maybe Better Homes and Gardens. It is a small house.

We went to Europe. Florence, some other parts of Italy and Germany. I would have been happy to stay in Florence forever, but I'd promised Paul his birthday in Germany. The time in Florence was spent in a Seminar about Historical; clothing, which focused (drum roll, please) on the Medici. I was in heaven. I promise to post a long essay on that soon. Stay tuned.

I was elected as the President of the Long Island Romance Writers-- Chapter 160 of the RWA. Our first meeting of the year-- and my first as President-- will be on this coming Saturday with the lovely and talented, super-agent Ms. Janet Reid.

We settled our Union contract at school. This was a real trial to those of us on the committee, but the people from the UFT and the members of our Committee were wonderful, patient and a very professional. My heartfelt thanks to all of them, especially Britta Wheeler, our Chapter leader.

I finished re-editing my thesis novel and sent it out. I am VERY happy about this! (Snoopy dance inserted here.)

I read a bunch of books. Sherrilyn Kennyon's ACHERON (awesome) and One Silent Night.
Barbara Miller's new book MUSIC MASTER-- a sweet Regency. Since she is a friend and Mentor, I keep visualizing her as she wrote this. Four Regencies from Barbara Metzgar.
Well, you get the idea. I love to see thet TBR pile get smaller. There are so many books, so little time!

Anyway, enough for now. I will be back. SOON!

Writing, rugs and romance

Hi, Y'all. I can't believe it has been over three weeks since I posted. No, I am not dead.

Writing:
So. the last post was all about revising my thesis novel. OY! Such a LOT of work. However--- Cue drum roll-- I FINISHED my revision. I am so proud of myself. I cut 4000 words, split a chapter in two and changed tenses all over the place. I can honestly say I am happy with how things came out. Hey, I have to LOVE it before any one else does, and I LOVE it. I only wish I had been able to do it back in June before I turned it in as my thesis. SIGH.

Now to sell the story to someone who loves 16th Century Florence. (Is anyone out there?)

I have also started re-editing my second novel and when that is done, I will probably send THAT out too. Then I finish the book I started and put aside for school.So many novels, so little time.


Rugs:
Back in March, my husband and I bought wall-to-wall carpet for the house. The old stuff came with the house and we have been here for 15 years, so you can do the math. It needed to be replaced. So it came in in April, and has been residing in the carpet warehouse somewhere here on Long Island.

At the same time we have been working on our kitchen. I did minimal work but my husband has been killing himself on this. However, it is not finished. We still must do trim, some wainscoting, etc. But it looks nice and will be done SOON.

Of course, TODAY we had to pull up the carpet. It is being delivered next week. So we started working at 7:30am. I left for my LIRW meeting at 11:10am ( see below) and when I got home at 5:30pm, poor Paul (darling husband) was still pulling carpet off the stairs. I felt so guilty. :-(

Did you know the padding for wall-to-wall is held by staples? HUNDREDS of Staples? The Industrial-size staples that you get in Home Depot? Yup. And when you replace your carpet you have to pull them all up? What fun.

On the other hand, I know now why people go postal. They live in homes that are all torn up with construction and nothing is in the correct place.

We will work on it tomorrow. It will be better. It has to be better.

Romance:
Today I went to a LIRW meeting in East Northport, NY. Nice Library, but who set up the parking lot? There is only a side-street entrance. If you are not familar with the town or the library, you have to ask a resident to drop a trail of breadcrumbs for you to find the library parking lot.

The guest speakers were members of LIPI (Long Island Paranormal Investigators) They gave a great program and frankly some great fodder for stories. Some of the stuff was really creepy. But what do you expect?

I also volunteered to be the Member-at-Large for the next year. I hope that does not mean I have to gain back the 15 pounds I just lost. Maybe I will ask them to change the title to "Member-at-Not-As-Large-as-Before".

I hope to get back to this blogging thing on a more regular basis. Not that anyone reads it but me. :-)