The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of 2009

Woosh! There it goes. Another year full of spastic hopes and kids that are growing just too darn fast.  Yes, the ghost children have probably gained a collective 12 inches in height over the last 12 months, though it came in bursts.  Adolescence has set in on one side and pre-adolescence is in full swing on the other.  But how have I grown this year?  If adversity is any indication, I should be a giant any minute, now.

Let's start with the bad:

• Couldn't sell house for what it was worth and it took far too long.
• Spent August 2008 - April 2009 apart from Ghost Hunk.
• Moved away from a home I loved to a cultural desert
• Still no book contract
• Best friend's mom died
• My Mom died
• We won't even talk about the Estate...

What about the ugly:

• Lost a lot of furniture in the move, (which was 2 days of driving in the pounding rain)
• Caught a horrible respiratory infection while running the Pocono Retreat
• Dealt with horrid relatives at the funeral and beyond
• Had some wicked RA flares
• Came home from Indiana with the freakin' Swine Flu
• Discovered my YA is really a better MG...not sure how to feel about that one.

Okay, let's have some GOOD stuff:

• Sold the house and reunited with Ghost Hunk
• Stayed with a wonderful writer, Joyce Moyer Hostetter, on our way to GA
• Had a FABULOUS Pocono Mountain Retreat
• Met even more awesome kidlit writers
• Put some kick-ass revision on my YA-turned-MG with my awesome agent
• Watched both ghost kids blossom in their new school
• Saw Ghost Hunk's book come out in paperback
• Got my own writing office (finally!)
• Learned to play golf again, and love sneaking out to the course with Ghost Hunk while the kids are at school.
• Got my first article in print in the Nov/Dec Cricket Magazine
• I'm still writing...

So now it's on to 2010.  Predictions?  Okay, let's play:

• My stunningly spooky MG will be sold before March
• I'll finish my brilliantly creepy and exciting YA (which will be genuinely YA)
• We'll find a wonderful place to live that will still have a writing office for me.
• We'll have another amazing Pocono Mountain Retreat
• My kids will grow and flourish
• Ghost Hunk will do brilliant work at ASU
• Dear friends will never be far from my heart
• And Danté the dog will learn to quit tugging at my clothes.

Wishing all the best to everyone out there, and thanks for following my rambling little blog.  A new website and blog is in the works for 2010 as well.  I hope to see you all there.