My LJ habit is this:  I go through all the friends on my LJ list, read their blogs, and then and ONLY then to do I post my own.  During my time on LJ, I've so enjoyed seeing the triumphs of my writer friends. 99% of my LJ friends are writers, and I chose them because I've liked their style, or because I enjoyed reading their stories and knew I could learn something from them.

My blogs, in comparison, have not been as "writerly" as I originally wanted when I started a blog.  I had hoped to have similar blogs to those friends, talking about writing stories, getting rejected, getting accepted, and the trials and tribulations of the writer's life.  When it came to my writer's life, it has been some kind of year.  To many of my writer friends, getting one story accepted may not seem like a big deal.  But that one story was a life changer!  Something I know my folks would have been proud of, and something that made my family proud.  Thank you to Eric Reynolds and company at Hadley Rille Books for giving a girl a shot!

And then, as many long suffering readers know, I got pregnant.  Nothing expected or planned, but welcome either way.  It did put a kink in my writing goals, though.  My focus has changed, shifted.  I still want to be a writer.  I still have those plans and stories to work on.  On hold, but there.  I regret that writing has had to take a back seat, but I've been reminded that for some people (myself included), some priorities take first place.  I don't regret that!  I love being a mom and wife.  I've been blessed with family who have cheered me on in my writing pursuits, and can't wait for me to get back to it.  But I also recognize the need for dedication to family.  I used to be able to multi-task, but pregnancy has a way of making you focus on only one thing.

The house is beginning to wake up, finally.  I hear footsteps overhead.  The day, snowy and windy, is beginning.  I'm grateful to know that writing will always be there for me, waiting for me to take up my pen again, and put that muse to work.  That my creative slump is only temporary, while other "creative" endeavors take the front seat.  Congratulations to those writers out there who have had so much success and something to show for their hard work this year!  And thank you for putting up with my pregnancy rants.  A month and a half, promise.  Until we get to hear new stories about spit up and dirty diapers!  And we all know that never gets old!  Hee Hee !

Happy New Year, everyone.  May the next year bring to you all that you desire.