2008 Full of Promise

I apologize to the throngs of loyal readers who can't get enough of my blog. I promised at the end of 2007 that I was making a big comeback. My comeback got delayed, but I'm back for the remaining one loyal throng.

I'm changing my habits...well, a couple of them. Not because it's a new year, but because this year is almost one-sixth over. Can you believe that?

I think that time zooms by quickly for us boomers. If I'm going to finish my second book this year, I'd better use some discipline. My commitment to myself is to have the basic text down by my June birthday. I will find an agent before the book is finished.

This blog affords me the chance to write about everything that interests me, instead of limiting my easily-bored self to one topic. Yet, I love the topic of my book. You might wonder what it's about.

I'm knowledgeable enough to write a self-help book. I am smart enough (that is, lucky to have stumbled upon some concepts) to tell other people how to live their lives, or at least, a big aspect of their lives. I'm going to share my philosophy on overcoming chronic illness. I have discovered some universal truths that will enable anyone with illness to live a life of depth and fulfillment, and I will offer all the hope needed to appreciate life.

To complement writing, I have found a balance in my life that had thus far eluded me. I am still ambitious, but I find comfort and peace in my common tasks and lifestyle. Watching my grand babies is cathartic for me. My mind is 100 percent involved. I live in the present with these children in a way that was impossible when my own son was little. I am not preoccupied with making ends meet or getting laundry done when the kids need my attention. Watching the kids is almost a meditative experience.

I may sound simple, but I still love my gadgets. I just got a new cell phone, a Motorola Razr. It took me awhile but I finally understand the full range of each menu, and I am downloading ring tones.

During 2007 I bought a Nikon D40x camera, and I'm taking photography classes. To compliment my hobby, I am scrapbooking some of my best pictures of the kids. For anyone--snobby artistic types, in particular--who thinks that scrapbooking is a craft that requires no taste or artistic talent, they are mistaken. I find that scrapbooking is the perfect past time to excite the same muse that needs to write.

Does my life sound balanced? In March, my Nia dance classes start again. This style of dance is so stimulating and satisfying that I find myself wanting a cigarette. (I haven't smoked in 20 years.)

This blog is a bit of a ramble. One more thing: I've been cleaning out cupboards and going through old paperwork. I'd like to think it'll be easier to write if my house is organized first. But any writer knows that we must work even with the house is falling down around us.

I put my whole life on hold to write my first book. This time I am determined to keep balance in my life and to produce this second book with ease. I'm older now and wiser. Right? We shall see.