Welcome back!

Here were my goals for the month of December:

1. Give blood. — Accomplished!
2. Enjoy Christmas! — Accomplished!
3. Publish my NaNoWriMo 2021 Recap post. — Accomplished!
4. Publish at least two Book Reviews. — Did not achieve yet.
5. Work toward finishing the first draft of Book #3. — Did not achieve yet.
6. Participate in a fun Christmas card exchange. — Accomplished!
7. Continue decluttering. — Semi-Achieved.
8. Officially sell or donate all remaining duplicate or unwanted American Girl items. — Did not accomplish yet.
9. Take some time off work for New Year’s. — Accomplished!
10. Celebrate New Year’s! — Accomplished!

December was wild and crazy. Sometimes, it felt like time was flying. Other times, it was a slog.

I was able to give blood on December 2nd, after sitting out the October drive because of the stitches in my back. That was exciting. My iron levels have been very consistent since the summer, and I hope to keep that going. We are approaching 8,000 total units collected since we started the drives in April 2000!

I was thrilled with my success during NaNoWriMo 2021. I’m still amazed that I was able to write more than 53,000 words during the month of November! Consistency is key. I had no zero days at all, and I stuck to my plan, and it worked! I also bought the NaNoWriMo Winner T-shirt for the first time to celebrate.

Our original Christmas and New Year’s plans got blown to smithereens because of COVID-19. Al and I are fine, thank goodness, but there were four people that he and I interacted with the week before Christmas that were either exposed to the virus, tested positive, or had symptoms. Also, poor Ferb was having a lot of trouble that week as well, and sweet Al took him to three different vet visits. He was diagnosed with Canine Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (CHG), so we are monitoring him closely. We’re not sure what happened, but he’s doing much better now with a few subcutaneous fluid shots, anti-nausea shots, and an antibiotic. We knew something was really wrong when he didn’t want to eat. But now he’s scarfing down the chicken and rice and begs for treats, so we think he’s fine now.

The Christmas card exchange was super fun! We also received many nice photo cards and paper cards for our fridge!

Al and I also had a blast sponsoring a local child for Christmas. We went to multiple stores and tried to get some clothes, books, and toys that a 9-year-old would like. The child’s mom gave me an awesome list of his interests. Al really got into it and enjoyed it. We can’t wait to do it again next year. The best part was getting a text message on Christmas Day with a photo of him smiling, wearing the zip-up hoodie that we bought for him, surrounded by a multitude of gifts. I nearly cried. It was fantastic.

Al and I enjoyed our own version of Christmas, being together and safe with the dogs. We surprised each other with several nice gifts. My parents came over on the afternoon of Christmas Day with gifts and food! We spent some time together on our porch socially-distanced, and it worked out nicely.

The Book Reviews didn’t happen, and that’s okay. I really struggled with reading this year, especially the second half of the year. I’m determined to get back to it more consistently in 2022!

I’m excited to spend some quality time with my parents and Al’s parents for New Year’s before going back to work next week and starting another year! Cheers to 2022!

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of December?

Come back tomorrow to see my January Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Welcome back!

Here are my goals for the month of December:

1. Give blood.
2. Enjoy Christmas!
3. Publish my NaNoWriMo 2021 Recap post.
4. Publish at least two Book Reviews.
5. Work toward finishing the first draft of Book #3.
6. Participate in a fun Christmas card exchange.
7. Continue decluttering.
8. Officially sell or donate all remaining duplicate or unwanted American Girl items.
9. Take some time off work for New Year’s.
10. Celebrate New Year’s!

What about you? Do you have any goals for the month of December?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Welcome back!

Here were my goals for the month of November:

1. Complete NaNoWriMo 2021. — Accomplished!
2. Celebrate Grandpa’s 96th birthday! — Accomplished!
3. Celebrate six years of marriage with Al! — Accomplished!
4. Publish at least two Book Reviews. — Did not achieve yet.
5. Celebrate Thanksgiving! — Accomplished!
6. Donate more clothes and unused household items to charity. — Semi-Achieved.
7. Clean off the dining room buffet, and keep it clean. — Semi-Achieved.
8. Transition my wardrobe to fall/winter. — Accomplished!
9. Continue to sell my duplicate and unused American Girl items. — Semi-Achieved.

November flew by. I hit my stride with NaNoWriMo 2021 – It was my best one ever. Look for a Recap post about that coming very soon.

We had a great birthday party for Grandpa’s 96th birthday! My mom outdid herself – Amazing food and delicious key lime cake.

Al and I had a wonderful wedding anniversary. We went to a new restaurant in Suffolk, Amedeo’s, on Sunday night. I also surprised him with a charcuterie board in the shape of a six (6) for six years the following week. It was delicious, and we had leftovers for days. Plus, I was thrilled to support a local business!

Thanksgiving was awesome. I successfully cooked my second turkey. My parents were amazing hosts. And Al’s parents met my Grandpa for the first time! One of the highlights of the day was another Zoom family reunion with several members of my dad’s extended family – Several of his cousins from all over the U.S. (California, Kentucky, Minnesota, Virginia). Can’t wait to do it again soon!

I wrote one Book Review this month: Book Review #97: “The Breach: Devon” (The Guardians Series Book One)

I’m hoping to finish reading several books soon and publish a few more reviews in December.

I’ve donated several American Girl items to charity since it’s been really hard to sell them recently. I’m hoping that I can sell a few things in December as Christmas and other holidays approach.

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of November?

Come back tomorrow to see my December Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂