May 2015 be your best year EVER!
Welcome back—Happy New Year!
I’d like to kick off 2015 by wishing you and yours the best New Year EVER!
I pray your holiday season was filled with faith, family, friends, and fellowship. (And some R&R, too.)
Can you believe it? Another year’s come and gone. It seems they go by faster now. (Yes. I remember hearing adults say that when I was a little girl and I never fully understood it. Boy, I do now! Ahhh… that precious commodity—time.)
During the past two weeks, I regrouped and spent quality time with my family. We celebrated the birth of Jesus, and of course we watched Christmas classics, worked puzzles, played games, ate… and ate some more! Some days were a little busier than others, but I managed to catch up on some much-needed rest. I also sandwiched in reading and writing. (Hope you did, too!)
What’s Christmas without fruitcake? (From my alma mater, College of the Ozarks)
It felt great to let go of some things during the holiday season. Yes—I must admit, blogging was one of them.
While I so enjoy YOU, the blogging process is work. Writing quality posts three days per week (and formatting, coding, and photo searching) and all that goes with blogging takes huge chunks of time and self-discipline. It also puts a dent in writing novels.
On the plus side—blogging has made me a better writer.
I believe every writer should at least have a basic web page—someplace to call home with pertinent info front and center. For many reasons, I think a regular blogging schedule is helpful, but not to the extent it affects writing our books.
Since 2011 I’ve alternated between a five-day-per-week blog format, three-days-per-week, two-days-per-week, and back to a three-day-per-week schedule.Whew! Despite exhaustion, challenges, family illness, and deaths, I’ve been consistent and posted on a regular basis.
My blogging mission is still the same—to encourage and uplift.
All this to say I think change is in order once again.
Though I’m still weighing options, in 2015 I’ll deviate from my usual MWF format. I’ll keep you posted!
Until then…
Here’s a brief holiday recap from my neck of the woods.
Jesus…the reason for the season!
(The breathtaking Nativity at the front of our church.)
A few of my Christmas present faves…
(Now I can eat, cook, laugh, read, write, sip tea, and light a candle!)
On New Year’s Eve I prepared a special meal of steak, chicken cordon bleu, baby spinach, baked potatoes, and croissants. (I lit the candles, and the little lights on my baker’s rack were twinkling. It was ohhh so special!)
We rang in 2015 an hour after the ball officially dropped in Times Square (since we’re on CST), and of course there were kisses and hugs all around. =)
On New Year’s Day we celebrated again with my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces. While the teenagers did their own thing, the rest of us watched the classic Spencer’s Mountain with Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara. (It’s a sweet movie based on Earl Hamner, Jr.’s early life and a precursor to The Waltons. However—there’s some salty language in the DVD so be forewarned.)
BUT before the movie—there was more eating!
A sampling included barbecued meatballs, Little Smokies, sausage and cheese balls, smoked turkey and cheese sandwiches, a pickle and relish tray, cooked cabbage, butter beans, black-eyed peas, cookies, candies, cheesecake, and more! (Oh—I forgot the peach tea. Mmmm…)
Sis’s black-eyed peas—A New Year’s tradition and oh, so good!
My mama’s cooked cabbage… Mmmm!
A crockpot-full of Little Smokies
Mama’s sausage and cheese balls… A delicious holiday treat.
My BBQ meatballs… Almost three pounds of ’em!
Oh, yes. We’re still eating a few Christmas cookies!
I’ve missed you, friend!
Here’s to a Happy, Healthy, Hope-filled New Year! *clink*
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Additional Thoughts You May Enjoy…
How to Write Blog Posts that Jump off the Page
Blogging: Is it Going the Way of the Dinosaur?
Individual or Group Blog: What’s Right for You?
Social Media: Take Charge and Kiss the Guilt Good-bye
AND finish those manuscripts!
The ACFW Genesis contest is now open!
I’d love to know… How was your Christmas holiday?
What goals do you have for 2015?
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See you back on Wednesday!
Blessings Always,
Comments 5
Fun post and fun to get a peek into your holiday celebrations!
My Christmas, I’ll admit, was hectic. Lots of driving back and forth to various events and gatherings. It was nice but also…tiring. Then last week I had four days off in a row over New Year’s and I spent the bulk of it by myself…by choice. I knew if I didn’t take a few days to refresh, I’d be in trouble. And oh my goodness, they were some of the best, BEST days. I think I literally woke up smiling each day.
Happy New Year (a few days late)!
Author
Melissa, Happy New Year!!!
You’ve been a busy gal of late—you absolutely did the right thing in choosing “refresh” mode. Glad it left you smiling! 🙂
Sounds like a great holiday!
Mine was pretty ordinary, until yesterday, when I had to intervene in a fight to save someone’s life. My left hand is pretty mangled, and my right leg won’t bear weight, but we won.
May have to snip off the pinkie finger, but I know how to amputate a limb, and I figure God gave us ten fingers so we could spare a few.
(No medical insurance, so it’s all DIY wound care. But someone spent a LOT of money training me.)
I did keep up the blogs (two of ’em!) through the holidays. I mean, why not?
Time to sign off. Hurts a bit.
Thank you for being here, Cindy. May I say…we love you.
Author
Andrew, {{{HUGS}}} to you and Barbara! I appreciate you being here, my friend.
Now—what on earth??? I pray you’re joking. About the fight, I mean.
Hugs back! Barbara is suffering the flu this day so she will appreciate it.
No, not joking about the fight. Things are a bit painful at the moment, but it’s just a part of life. Some things just have to be done.