Rats! Another Birthday Rolls Around

Happy Birthday To Me!

I know it beats the alternative, but my birthdays are not my favorite occasions. Today, as my brother accuses, is the annual celebration of my 39th birthday. My daughters tell me to think of them as gift-giving occasions or national holidays. Works for me. Bring on the gifts.

Every year I set goals. Did I accomplish mine? Some of them.

Two of my manuscripts have been published by The Wild Rose Press. My paranormal time travel, OUT OF THE BLUE, was released in June to excellent reviews. Have I made money, though? Hmmm, we'll see when the royalty check comes.  My western historical, THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE, was released this month but I don't have any reviews yet. My cover is now up for voting in the YouGottaRead cover contest. Vote now, please, for #15. I've received a lovely cover for a sweet contemporary now in edits, HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME, and it will be released in 2011.

Personal goals. I do not yet look like Cindy Crawford. (Okay, I'll admit that one wasn't realistic, but a girl can dream, can't she?) Once again I did not lose fifty pounds. Hero says to quit worrying about it and accept that this shape is me. See why I call him Hero? My lovely hairdresser, Susan, straightened out my horrific haircut of several weeks ago. Bless her! She didn't even say anything snarky about me going to another stylist. Is Susan's a saint or what? Probably she figured I'd paid for my crime.

I have not finished my WIP, which is another time travel in which the heroine is named after my sister-in-law Penny. I will finish it this year, though. On the positive side, I have taken on a different responsibility at my church for our women's group. I have become more interested in helping less fortunate in our community. My brother and I are near completion of a book about our father and his family. My maiden name was Johnson, which is now the most common name in the United States, so you can imagine how easy our line has been to trace. But I've connected with some new-to-me relatives and reconnected with others.

All in all, it hasn't been a bad year. My foot surgery wasn't a complete success, but I no longer fall on my face. As Martha Stewart says, "That's a good thing."  My thyroid cancer is supposedly under control even though so far I have the energy of a rock. The endocrinologist promised my energy will eventually increase--he just wouldn't commit to how soon.

Things are looking up. As my mom used to say, "It's a great life if you don't weaken." I don't think she thought that up, but I don't know who did.

Celebrate with me. Let's all go out to eat, all right?