I’m not ready for the real thing, but it’s fun making digital snowflakes.  Here is my one-of-a-kind creation:

Make Your Own Snowflake!  (Found at Joelle’s.)

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 11:41 PM Permalink

Sheri has gone home to Chicago, the turkey is (mostly) gone, December has arrived, I’m back at work and I have many, many things to do this month, but my brain is still in vacation mode.  I want to stay in this pleasantly lazy mood for the rest of the month and not stress too much about cards, gifts, decorating, work, writing, cooking, entertaining, school and the rest of my “to do” list.  I won’t/can’t, but I want to. 

Do you think I could get away with boycotting the usual December madness by claiming to be in mourning because Martha Stewart is in prison?

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 11:00 PM Permalink

(This entry will remain at the top of my weblog for the month of November.  If you’re interested in my progress during National Novel Writing Month, I’ll be posting my daily word count here.  If you’re not interested… scroll down for something that will--hopefully--be more entertaining.)

Posted by Kristina in Writing at 11:00 PM Permalink

My To Do List For December:

--Get a Christmas tree and deck the halls.

--Write 100+ Christmas cards and mail, including personal notes in each.

--Finish Christmas/Hannukah shopping for 40ish people.

--Wrap gifts for 40ish people.

--Christmas party for work.

--Mail packages to out-of-state friends and family by December 15th.

--Bake cookies, brownies, fudge and other assorted goodies to be distributed to friends and coworkers, and included in packages to be mailed.

--Read 15+ books by January 4th so I can participate in the Mock Newbery Election at work.

--Plan some sort of holiday gathering.

--Strangle my doctor if I don’t hear from her soon about tests I had three weeks ago.

--Get student ID, parking decal and books in preparation for my return to school in January.

--Write and mail submissions for eight upcoming deadlines.

--Finish reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for upcoming book club discussion.

--Schedule a vet appointment for the dog who is past due on his shots.

--Schedule an appointment with my mechanic to figure out why my car still isn’t running properly.

--Prepare beautiful Christmas eve dinner.

--Make plans for New Year’s Eve.

--Schedule an appointment with optometrist.

--Work my usual schedule at the library.

--Finish my NaNoWriMo book and begin editing.

--Catch up on reading and e-mail (ha!).

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 12:22 AM Permalink

I received my first Christmas card in the mail today.

Damn you, person I won’t name.  Just as I was starting to feel good about having made a nice dent in my Christmas shopping in the past few days, I am now reminded that I have 100+ Christmas cards to write in the next couple of weeks.  Damn, damn, damn.  So much to do, only 25 days to do it.

I had my manuscript-in-progress validated last night by the automatedl word counter at NaNoWriMo, so I have officially “won” the novel-in-a-month challenge.  I didn’t get my entire novel drafted as I’d hoped (and I sincerely doubt I’ll get it finished in the last 24 hours of the month), but I did meet my goal of writing 50,000 words in a month (18 days!  It still amazes me) and I will hopefully finish it in December (with much editing in January).  After I take a look at the other deadlines I’ve let pile up, of course.

December will be a crazy busy month.  No surprise there, I’m just not quite ready for it.  I am already looking longingly toward January, and the chance to start the year with a clean slate and a list of goals-- and writer’s cramp from all the writing I’ll be doing in December.

Posted by Kristina in Musings at 12:04 AM Permalink