Was your 2021 better than your 2020? I know ours certainly was. Oh, the year did have its challenges, but I’d rather look at the glass as half full, so, all in all, it was a fantastic year. Of course, we chose not to go south for the winter, so that was an experience we hadn’t had for eleven years, but we managed to survive.
I used the time to write and publish my third novel, STONEHAVEN and Four Days to Midnight. The book contains two novellas, #3 and #4, in the Sophie London/Evin Foster series. They continue the story of Sophie and Evin that began in, He Never Said Good-Bye & Deception in the Moonlight. I plan to write and publish numbers 5 and 6 in the summer or fall of 2022. All of my books are available in both e-book and paperback on Amazon.com.
2021 also brought the return of camping for us as we did not camp at all in 2020. Until we took our camper out in May, I didn’t realize how much I missed being in the woods camping and sitting by the campfire. There was no technology to distract me, and I could sit by the river and watch the cares of the world float away down the river.
Our camping also made it possible to visit our favorite places in both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, our home state. In the spring and summer, my hubby fished for trout and went hunting for small game in the fall. We spent our evenings sitting by the fire and discussing the awesome days we had.
In September, I took part in a local vendor market and had a wonderful time meeting people, discussing and selling my books. The people in attendance were interested in my writing and the process I used to publish. This is the first such event I have participated in since deciding to write and publish my mysteries, and it was far more successful than I ever imagined.
October was very special as Halloween brought the birth of our beautiful great-granddaughter. It is hard to believe our precious granddaughter is a mother, but she and her husband are the best at parenting. We finally got to meet the newest addition to our family on Thanksgiving, and it was a joy watching our daughter interacting with the little one as a grandmother.
This year, I decided to do something as a special gift for our oldest son and his wife. I made them a small quilt for covering up with while they sit on the couch and watch their favorite programs or sporting games. I haven’t quilted in ages, but I had so much fun making it that I am currently making a full-size quilt for another family member. For now, the recipient is a secret, and the quilt is a work-in-progress.
I am currently busy doing the final edit of my newest novel; We Meet Again. It is the sequel to my first novel, Justice For Lindsey, and continues the story of Carron Maitland and Jake Brennan. I can’t wait to release it at the end of January.
Life for the Brennan’s was perfect until the past came back to haunt them. When will the nightmare be over?
Because I was busy writing and sewing, I simplified our Christmas card this year. I drew the design and then scanned it into my computer to print the design and greeting directly to my blank cards. All I had to do was add the cutout hat and heart-shaped nose. I have taken the time to design the 2022 Christmas card, and again I am keeping it simple.
We ended the year by having our traditional New Year’s Eve celebration spread at home. We have been doing this since our oldest was merely a baby. When our four children were little, their excitement at seeing all the food and yummy eats was catching. Of course, they also knew that bedtime was much later that night but seldom made it until midnight. Now that we are seniors, we rarely stay awake until midnight either.
My goals for 2022 are pretty simple this year: feeding my body, mind, and soul. I did a fine job of feeding my mind and soul in 2021, but I fear I provided my body with more food than necessary and not enough activity. For the next thirty days, to begin with, I have a goal to feed my mind, soul, and body for thirty minutes each day.
Feeding my mind is easy as I love to read, but I am trying something different this year. I have a challenge I have set for my daily thirty minutes of reading. I got this idea from a post on Facebook. You read a specific book each month. For January, you read a book you read in school. I have chosen to read, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. We will see if I enjoy it as much as I did fifty-nine years ago.
I plan on writing, scrapbooking, or sewing for at least thirty minutes every day to feed my soul. This will be an easy goal to follow as I would rather do this than take care of the daily chores life gives me. I have a new quilt to cut out and sew together, I have greeting cards to make, and of course, I have new books to write.
The vital goal I need to attend to is feeding my body with something besides food. I still ride my stationary bike every day, but I need to get back in the habit of spending at least thirty minutes on aerobics and yoga. I felt so much better when I did that every day. Once spring arrives, my hubby and I want to get back into the habit of walking at least thirty minutes each day as well. Staying home in the winter makes our life too sedentary for either of our liking.
What are your plans for 2022? Keep it simple and develop reachable goals that make your life easier and happier. Meanwhile, I wish all my readers and followers a very Happy New Year and best wishes for your 2022.
Until next time- “Don’t save today for tomorrow.”
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