2006 was a very good year

Things I am thankful for in 2006

1) My Husband- Your love and support this year has been the most important thing in my life. I'm so proud of all your accomplishments this year too. I knew you could do it. I love you.

2) My mother- No one’s got a better mother than I do! NO ONE! Thank you for everything this year (and for all the previous years too.) I love you.

3) My family- Everyone on both sides was healthy this year. This is a blessing.

4) Lady Kenpo Nikita: Our “Kiki”- That we had the privilege of sharing her last year on earth and that we were able to have her for nearly 12 years. I hope you and Kilroy are having fun in Heaven right now baby.

5) My Pets: Rutherford, Lulu and Atticus- They’ve been though so much this year (and in their lives). I'm so happy they are all healthy now and choose to be with us. We love you babies!

6) My Old Friends, particularly: B, B, C, C, D, H, K, M, P, P, R. Thank you ladies, my chosen sisters, for always being there for me. I love you.

7) Michele V- 2006 was a roller coaster for you! Diagnosed with breast cancer in February, surgery in March, chemo in April, May, June & July, bought a new house a trip to Holland to meet your father-in-law in August, Radiation in September & October, and a new job in November! You're so strong. I am so thankful for your health and your friendship this year. You've taught me so much about what's important in life and you continue to inspire me every day!

8) My new online friends- Lots of new online buddies this year. Lucky me! Dee, Charity, Caryle, Jody, Brooke, Meesh, Melodye… Also many old friends like Jill, Molly, Kathy, Barb P and Sue who I got to know better though Blogs, LJs and Cherry Forums this year. I treasure each and every one of you.

9) My job- I’m thrilled to work for the organization I’ve supported ever since I was a teen. I never realized how rewarding it could be to work for a cause I believe in so strongly. I am blessed to work there 3 ½ years (so far) and hope to still be working there many, many years from now.

10) The Dog Park Gang- J, M, K and D! What fun we’ve had doing doggie activities this year. Looking forward to more dog parties in 2007. :) Lulu & Atticus say, "Woof!" (That means "hi")

11) The outcome of the 2006 election. (Thanks to Caryle for this one. I’m stealing it!) Come on Edwards in 2008. Yeah!

12) Michele S- For sponsoring me to attend the Spring into Romance Conference in March. Without your selfless gift, I would not have been able to attend. Thank you too for your encouragement and your friendship.

13) My fairy Godmother- Thank you for all the gifs throughout the year—and not just the material ones (though they are fabulous!) but also the gifts of your wisdom, humor, patience and teaching. Looking forward with much anticipation to all the new stuff you’re working on for next year and hoping to help in any way I can.

14) All the generous donors and bidders for our Spring and Fall Michele Fund Auctions this year. I cannot thank all of you enough. With your help, it's been much easier for Michele to pay all those medical bills. Each and every one of you are angels.

15) My OCC/RWA sisters (& brothers!) Mandy, Vicki, Susan, Harry, Sheereen, Hilda, Jackie and all our wonderful members. Thank you for the incredible amount of support and encouragement. I'm so lucky to be a member of such a great group of writers. Nobody has a better chapter than we do. OCC rocks! :)

16) Jenny, Mollie & the Cherries- Thank you for another year of all things cherry. Looking forward to 2007. Nothing but good times ahead!

GOOD THINGS

Last week~

Monday: My husband and I were subpoenaed because we'd witnessed a crime back in August. Monday was the day we were supposed to be called to testify, but we were not. The guy must have pled guilty--he totally was. Yay!

Tuesday: I came down with a cold. Ok, so that wasn't a good thing.

Wenesday: I realized it was not the flu, but a sinus allergy thing. I get bronchitis every December, so having just a sinus allergy thing vs. that is actually another yay.

Thursday: I was able to keep my sinuses under control for a couple of hours (barely) so I could attend a lovely Planned Parenthood fundraiser. I purchased tickets with the prize money that my group (3 of us) won for being good little fundraising girls on behalf of the "No on Prop 85" campaign. We immediately donated our money back to the cause and were rewarded with tickets to this luncheon.

Cecile Richards spoke and she was so inspiring. She told us about growing up in an activist household. She said that her parents signed up for every cause that came to town: Civil Rights, Worker's Rights, Women's Rights, etc. "Our kitchen table wasn't where we ate, it's where we sorted precinct lists," she said. I've never wanted children, but that speech made me almost wish I had some so I could raise them to stand up for the rights of others as her parents did. Of course, she spoke a bit about her mother, the wonderful Ann Richards, as well. I had a wonderful time.

Friday: We had our employee holiday party. I won a great prize--a one night stay at a very nice hotel (that I love) complete with breakfast and evening snacks & cocktails. Color me jazzed.

When I got home, Fed Ex delivered an early Christmas gift from my fairy Godmother--a Project (Cherry) Red iPod nano. It's exactly the one I wanted. Fairy Godmothers know these sorts of things. They just know. Color me totally stoked!

Saturday and Sunday: I attended my local RWA chapter's December meeting, cleaned the house, did some Christmas shopping, had dinner out, but mostly spent time with my hubby and the pups. Atticus is really filling out. You can can hardly see his ribs now! He and Lulu are really getting along well. He is starting to initiate play. It's the funniest thing. He'll roll on his back on the dog bed and make these happy little growls, then he'll look over at her and whine at her a little, as if asking her to come and play. She pounces on him! It's halarious. I swear, she looks like she's attacking him, but she doesn't. She'll bite (without really biting down) his legs and his neck and when she stops, he'll grab one of her legs and make her start again. It's so cute.

Well, look at that, it's already Wednesday again.

This week so far: I'm still trying to get over this cold (my nose is red and peeling), took Mom out Christmas shopping last night (we both just started--yikes!), my mother-in-law was nice enough to supply us with a few day's worth of tamales (yum!) and my husband turned in his last exam for his BA degree (Yeah!) as well as the paperwork for his new Master's Program--Double Yeah! I am insanely proud of him as you can probably imagine.

Current Mood: a bit scattered and (of course) congested...not a mood, but a state of being ;)

I'm not dead

I swear I'm not.

Last week was really busy. And lots of good stuff happened too. And I also have a lovely sinus cold/allergy thing going on. I promise to post an update tomorrow.

Good night.

Christmas Meme

Christmas Meme- Courtesy of Katy

Your Name: Kim

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? I love 'em both, but I'd have to say Egg Nog because you only get it once a year.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps them. Sometimes he stuffs them in stockings. Sometimes they are under the tree.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White "chaser" lights on the tree. Chasers look all sparkly and shimmery when wrapped around and round the branches of a Noble Fir. White icicles on the house. Sometimes other colors in the windows, on lighted wreaths, etc. Depends on how creative we get. We have a buck and a doe and three trees (all white lights) which we make a little forest scene with on one side of the yard usually.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sometimes.

5. When do you put your decorations up? We usually don't do it the weekend after Thanksgiving. We aren't that organized. Usually it's the weekend after that which would be-- uh, today and tomorrow! Better get going!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Now? I'm not sure. As a child, my grandma made big Italian dinners. Lasagna! We pretty much had big Italian dinners for every holiday including Thanksgiving until I was older. No wonder mere turkey and stuffing won't ever be able to compare.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: The whole family came to our house for Christmas morning/afternoon Breakfast (brunch really). We still do this now--well, sort of. We do it at my aunt's house, which is fine, but last year they decided we should do it on Christmas Eve, which is really not fine to me. I'm not big on change. Besides, my mom and I have always felt that Christmas Eve is not Christmas yet.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I can't really remember. I went along pretending for a few more years so my mom wouldn't feel bad.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? As a child I always opened a pair of new PJs. I guesss now that my family has decided to do Christmas Eve my answer is yes.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I love Noble Firs. We never had them when I was a kid. My Grandma always preferred Douglas Firs. We decorate our Noble with white chaser lights, glass icicles, white doves, silver angels, glass balls with silver on them. Basically all white and silver.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? We don't ge it here. It looks pretty on TV, but I think it would really slow us down in the morning!

12. Can you ice skate? I could as a child. Never really got into roller blades. I'm great on old school roller skates. I probably could.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? New Breyer model horses. I collected them.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? My family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Homemade milk chocolate fudge that someone else makes. I always give Christmas cookies to neighbors and friends, but I never make fudge, so I appreciate it. I think I might make fudge myself this year for fun.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Our family's Christmas Brunch, baking cookies for all my friends and family, sending oodles of Christmas cards.

17. What tops your tree? I have a lighted star that we used to use. It's old now. It took me years to find the perfect angel, but since we usually get a small tree, she's almost always too big for it. Sometimes I make a top out of some large feathered dove ornaments.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Oh, so many... I like the Little Drummer Boy... We did killer versions of SIlent Night and Gloria in Excelsis Deo
in high school choir--wonderful 6 part harmony (I'm a contralto)...too many...

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or yum? They're ok.

Consider yourself tagged...

NaNo Woo-Hoo!

Congratuations to all my buddies who won NaNoWriMo! A great big huge Extra Congrats to Heidi, who did a Double NaNo-100,000 words in one month. An ENTIRE novel! And they said it couldn't be done!

*Heidi* -NaNoWriMo Queen

*Brooke
*Cory
*Dee
*Penny
*Robin
*Sue (Do you have a Blog, Sue?)

Since last month was one of the busiest months of my entire life, I'll consider my 7,000+ words an accomplishment. It would have been much easier not to take the time to write with all the madness that was November 2006.

If you won NaNo, leave your name in the comments and I'll add you to my list.

Current Mood: Inspired

Squee!

We're picking Atticus up from the vet today! When I called the first thing the receptionist said was, "He's doing SO MUCH better. I took him for a walk today."

I'm so happy. I just hope he remembers us.

Current Mood: Tickled Pink