Once in a Blue Moon and thoughts for the New Year

This year, on New Years eve, we will have a second full moon for the month of December, thus a blue moon.  (Though even according to the cnn article, a blue moon has had a variety of definitions through the years.)

I just love the saying, which is why I played with it in naming this blog. 

While New Years tends to be a time to look back and take stock, I also want to take this time to look ahead at what I hope 2010 will bring.  Not so much New Years resolutions, because I have made and broken more of them than I want to think about.  More of hopes and personal promises.

I am hopeful that a publishing contract will come my way.  If not for the novel my agent is currently shopping, then for one of the others that are finished, edited, and ready for submission.

Staying more physically active in 2010 is a promise I am making for my self and my future health.  As a family, we already do our part in eating whole foods, eating locally, and eating consciously.  Since we got back from our epic trip to Kyrgyzstan, where I walked and hiked miles a day, I have felt logy and sluggish.  Not getting daily activity is the first step to a negative spiral I want to avoid in the New Year.

I plan to re-organize my home office, getting on top of pesky paperwork and getting rid of clutter and unneeded stuff.  Simplify, simplify, simplify is my mantra for 2010.

My family is going to be even more of a priority in 2010.  My eldest is a year and a half from leaving for college.  Spending time together as a family is a precious gift that we need to savor.  Having those opportunities will change all too quickly.

Writing is my job now, and I will continue to approach writing, editing, and blogging as a professional.  I am looking forward to whatever writing challenges 2010 sends my way.  One of the things I haven't tried is writing a sequel or a series.  So my thought/plan is to work with one of my completed novels and work up a sequel to it.  It's a new challenge and one of the promises I made to myself when I started was to keep growing as a writer. 


To all my family, friends, and writer colleagues out there, all the best for the New Year.  May happiness come to you, not 'once in a blue moon,' but every day in your lives.