Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

I read Those New Year's Resolutions on Whitley Streiber's Unknown Country website. The author suggested that businesses take year end inventories to assess performance and plan for the new year, but people usually don't take personal inventories of what went right and wrong for them during the past year. Apparently, many folks finding themselves still struggling with the same problems at year's end, just pen some new resolutions that will fall by the wayside by the end of January. So, this time I'm indulging an MMMMM retrospective here on MMMLog.

First, I shed fifteen pounds this year! I'm again wearing a size 8-10 and feeling pretty dang fabulous about it. As to how I accomplished that--I found a way of eating, and not eating, that works for me so that I don't have indigestion any more.

Second, the DH and I had three, count 'em 3, fabulous vacations this year. The first was an Alaskan cruise from Seattle to Alaska on the Holland America Westerdam with the fun people from Seattle Museum of the Mysteries. Then we did our three weeks in Europe with my sister and her DH, cruising from Barcelona, Spain through the Mediterranean, off at Venice followed by four days in London. Fabulous. We've just returned from ten days in Seoul, Korea spending the holidays with our son. That was an unexpected wonderful trip. I hadn't been to Asia before and the visit was so much more than I thought it would be. The son of MMMMM is an excellent host and tour guide. Now that I think about it, I enjoyed another vacation as well as I went to Arizona for my parents' 62nd anniversary party and my niece Jenna's baby shower. The family welcomed Wyatt Euriah Moffitt into the family on December 29.

Third, on the writing front, I developed two new projects we're all very excited about and having good fun with. Expect a whoopy! announcement about them in 2007!

The year's events weren't all so fabulous, but let's not dwell upon those. I choose instead to do more of the things that worked for me and will endeavor to do more of and/or encourage those things and experiences that make me feel good. I'm so grateful for my family, friends, my health and my creative gifts.

A Happy and Prosperous 2007 to all!

Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

We had the WordStars annual holiday party here at Chez Haynes on Thursday last. Everyone was pretty edgy as the Puget Sound was under a high wind warning. Most of the group drives in from outlying burbs to this suburb of Seattle. I had all the lanterns charged up, candles lit and bricks of batteries just in case. We got through the party great, though a couple called it a night early as they had to go to work the next day. I climbed in bed at midnight and listened to the storm roar through. The house shook and shuddered, but held its ground. However, big fur trees fell all around us. We lost power about 12:30 and it was off until 11:20 last night. When it came on it scared us to death with all the noise of the alarm system powering on, the smoke detectors beeping, even the dishwasher running. I thought it had made it through the cycle before I emptied it on Thursday night.

We did fine camping out in our house without electricity as we have a gas fireplace we huddled in front of, a gas water heater and gas stove. So we had hot water and hot food. It was cold enough that we pulled everything out of the freezers and refrigerator, put them in ice chests and emptied the ice bin on them. All the stores were out of ice, don't you know. In any case, we set the chests outside in the 20-30 degree weather. Last night we put still frozen goods back into the freezers.

I will say that this experience has left me with a pressing sense of get whatever I need to do done now. I won't wait to run the dishwasher, finish that chapter, post to MMMLog or anything else that I might think I can save for a bit later. All around, we're very blessed and grateful as we're safe, sound and happy to celebrate the passing of the Seattle superstorm 06.

Mmmmmmmmmelinda

Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

It's been too long since we've heard from the Kansas Heckler here on MMMLog. So here we go . . .

The high point of the week last week was discovering that my 26-year old scanning partner also knows all the words to the 12 days of Christmas and Zippity Do Dah. We are shoving stuff through that scanner at about 5 x's faster than anticipated and are pretty much star quality around the place right now, so we sort of take advantage of it entertaining ourselves. We sing, laugh, send our boss absurd e-mail and just keep turning out more quality work every day. THEY thought we would scan about 500 invoice packets a day. We are now doing around 3,000 per day, have hit 3,400 and are plotting to reach 4,000. An invoice packet can contain from 2 to 200 pieces of paper. A week ago we had surpassed 450,000 pieces of paper since the first of Sept. That's why we sing - it holds off the boredom. Our scanner sounds like 'weema-weppa-weema-weppa', so The Lion Sleeps Tonight gets sung and revised frequently. The biggest problem with that is that the scanner speed changes so singing it can sound like a wind up Victrola gone berserk. Keeps us awake. I am enjoying the job! No one bugs us, I like the people I work with, the work's not difficult, and there is an end in sight. Jan. 20 we move to the new building and I become the 'gatekeeper' for human resources. THEN people will bug me so I'm going to enjoy what I got while I got it!

May you all have a new year without bugs and continuing enjoyment of what you've got.

Mmmmmmmmmmmelinda

Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

The sun is always shining somewhere in the world, and that's the thought that struck me today as we're having big wind and rain in Seattle. The power was out this morning for about an hour. My main concern has been that we'll lose the weather cover on the swing in the backyard as we did the last wind storm. Though I'd repaired the cover's torn out straps, added two more and used three clips on the top to hold the cover down, I still worried it wouldn't be enough. But I couldn't do any more other than move the swing back into the garage, which wasn't satisfactory as it takes up so much space in the third bay.

When it was light enough, about 8:00 a.m., I looked out my office window to check on the swing. There it stood, cover still firmly attached BUT about twelve inches off position. We set the four legs on concrete pavers to keep them up out of the wet beauty bark. Apparently, a huge wind gust had lifted the entire swing up and moved it aside. The side yard has debris from the tall trees across the street that is also littered with bark and branches. Last storm the dilapidated tree house built within a stand of tall ash began to fall apart as if the trees were shaking it off their backs. The thing may come down completely if this wind keeps up, and I think the trees will be as happy as I to see it gone.

Huzzzah, the sun is peeking between the churning clouds, proving yet again that it's always shining above any storm. That's just the encouragement I need to get through this busy day and tomorrow when we're supposed to have hurricane force winds in the area. We may be moving that swing back into the garage yet.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmelinda

Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

You've heard the old saying that you get or manifest what you think most about--good or bad. What you may have not heard is thank goodness there's a time delay to materializing what you're thinking about, because the delay gives you the opportunity to reassess and mind your mind. If you've been patience-challenged, this rose-colored delay notion may not feel that good. But I've found it is.

I've written a fun YA time travel series that I really love. Most who've read it enjoy the concept, the writing but find something not to love about it. I pitched an editor whom I think the series is perfect for. He said straight up that judging by my short pitch, he didn't think the series was a fit for his line. We chatted a bit more and he agreed to take a look, if I liked. Yes, I like! Here's where the delay goodie comes in. If he'd had said immediately that he wanted to have a look, as I expected him to, I'd have sent the proposal as is. However, now I've had to rethink it according to his stated concerns. I worked back through the proposal and found that the opening wasn't engaging enough for a reader to get through to the really good stuff further in. I know that the story has to be engaging every page so I changed that and polished the heck out of the rest of it. I feel really good about this project again and off it goes today on the wings of my expectation.

A lovely, encouraging film the DH and I have been watching lately is The Secret. Go up to the website where you can download the film and watch online and you can buy the DVD. You'll love it.

Mmmmmmmmmmmelinda