Gearing Up....

Now that we are in the last month of 2012 I have concluded that this has been a transitional year.  For those of you who have followed my blog....2011 was a transformational year:  the death of my mother, the realization that I was now the matriarch of the family, the birth of my first grandchild, and the engagement of my son.  It was a lot to process and digest, and in hindsight, I think it was natural that this year would be one of limbo.

I have had a difficult time focusing on much of anything these past eleven months.  I have read very little, and what I have read has been mostly non-fiction photography books.  Since this blog originally began as a "book blog" you can understand how unusual this behavior is for me.  And while I have read a lot about photography, and started the year off strong participating in the 365 project, I have really done very little with this hobby since May.

Writing has been another passion of mine, but I just can't seem to commit enough to complete a project.  I was so excited to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but petered out after the first week and a mere 8,000 words.  I have not "quit" --- and I will finish this story that has been rattling around in my head for nearly three years, but apparently 2012 was not the year to do it.

And for the first time in my adult life, I have experienced health issues.  Minor ones, but issues never-the-less.  An acute gall bladder attack led to emergency surgery, and three weeks later a serious bladder infection weighed me down as well.  While I do not wish to take a fatalistic view of these events, I do know that going forward I can expect even more health issues to slow me down --- and I have too much that I want to accomplish before I slow to a crawl. So it is for that reason  I have decided that 2013 will be a year of refocus.

I have missed blogging and I am ready to return to a writing routine that includes updating my personal blog as well as reading your blogs that I so enjoy.

I am ready to read more - and while I refuse to be tempted by the enticing book challenges offered in the blogosphere, I have already started collecting books for my own reading enhancement.  For some reason I have it in my mind that I would like to write a cozy mystery --- not with the purpose of being published, but just to see if I can do it.  I have currently collected about fifteen "first in the series" cozies to read and I am sure I will add more.  I will soon write a post outlining the titles of those  have chosen, and hopefully write a blog review for each one as I finish it.

I am also ready to travel - and while the budget is not quite at the level where I can take multiple trips overseas, I plan to start local and work my way out.  I have been researching fun day visits in the Kansas City area, as well as easy weekend get away spots.  I look forward to posting reviews of these travel connections, for anyone who might be interested.

There are other changes in the works as well, but I am not at liberty to speak of those just yet.  Suffice it to say, I am ready to move on with life.  I am excited to see what 2013 holds for me and my family.  And I am ready to reconnect with long-lost blogging friends.