Why not keep looking back on things that I got to have fun doing. I didn't write any blog posts nearly the whole month of November or December due to a brutal flu. I don't know what it was, but it was out for my life.

Thankfully I eventually beat it into submission but, in it's wake, I'm still trying to catch up on all the wonderful things that happened that I failed to blog about.

"Good Boy" is horror/fantasy short story that revolves around the myth of the black dog. I enjoyed getting to push myself to try short story writing. I've never had an easy time telling a short story (just ask anyone whose ever had a conversation with me.) 

December 14th was the release party for "Ladies' Night." Check me out: I was dressed, out of bed, and able to speak. Admittedly I ended up mute from the flu again just a few days later. But, I got to keep my voice long enough to read my short story to the crowd. As a bonus I got to listen to some of the talented poets who had poems published in the same anthology.  

Now I need to get back to my other projects which include two novels (which are dragging along so slowly) and at least one more short story. 

Some very big things happened in the last months of 2019 that I let slide by without even mentioning them on my blog. I know. These things are important. I should have gotten them on here, but this one honestly makes me feel like a bad friend.

You heard me, I'm a bad friend. Sorry Mike. I've known Mike since we were teenagers, and he's wanted to be an author as long as I've known him. For anyone wondering...I'll just say it's been more than just a few years. 

But, when he got his first short story published in a book put out by Happy Duck Publishing (which published my novel As It Ends.) The book is: Reported for Duty: Poems and Stories from the War Zone, Home Front, and Beyond. I failed to shout it from the rooftops.

This book was published in November 2019. I've let two months go by without bragging on my blog that my friend Michael Lewis Beesley had his story "The Diagnosis" published. 

"That's not fair!" I hear you gasp.  "Why do you deserve to have the first book he ever signed!"
​I'll tell you. Because, as his friend, I took my job very seriously. I nagged him relentlessly until he submitted it to the publisher. 

How annoying was I? Only Michael Lewis Beesley can tell you the answer to that, but I'm sure it was pretty darn annoying. He submitted a story to a publisher just to get me to leave him alone.

You're welcome buddy. I can't wait to snatch up the first signed copy of your first published novel as well.

I have a confession. I didn't make a New Year's Resolution. I probably should have. I have a lot of things I want to improve on.

I want to write a thousand words every day. I want to be more motivated to write my blog posts on a regular basis. I want to devote more time to my social media presence to improve my visibility as an author. I want to finish my current novel. I want to write a few short stories. I want to finish the sequel to my first novel. I want to have friends over more often. I want to start more projects around the farm. I want to tackle some major building projects. I want to get more herbal research done. I want to grow a bigger assortment of herbs. I want to cook from scratch more. I want to do more canning. I want to watch the news less. I want to lose weight. I want to be more active. I want work towards zero waste. I want to go plastic-free. I want to improve my carbon footprint. I want. I want. I want.

See how hard it would be to make one actual resolution?  I have a lot of things I want to focus on this year. I'm sure I'm not the only one with such a long list.

So, I guess if I had to pick just one thing to change, it would be to forgive myself these many perceived shortcomings and just do what I can do. I can't hope to do more than that and not drive myself absolutely crazy. 

I wish you all the peace and fortitude to stick to your own resolutions!