It’s the last day of 2009 (good riddance!) and apparently, I’m supposed to come up with some goals for 2010. The whole “goal” thing seems to be coming at me from all corners this week. Everywhere I turn, I’m being told to SET GOALS. I should warn you…I’m in a menopausal funk, and my cat has been throwing up all over the house all day. She doesn’t act sick. Basically, I think she’s adding her own touches to the décor. Bleh . As a result, I’m bordering on crabby, so my goals may not be as high-minded and optimistic as I’d like. But here goes… 1. I would like to stay in closer touch with my friends this year. I think I may have used this one last year. Not sure I did all that well in fulfilling it. I’ll try to do better. 2. As for writing, I want to have my current manuscript’s second draft completed by March and a polished version ready by May. On one hand, that seems like plenty of time. On the other hand, OH MY GOD , I need to spend more time writing. 3. Spend more time writing. 4. Aft...

Traditionally, the week between Christmas and New Years is a week of reflection over the past and making goals or resolutions for the future. This morning, I’m still solidly wrapped up in reflection. The first half of the year passed in a frenzied blur of conference planning. It was the biggest task I’ve ever taken on and I feel stronger as a result. I made lots of contacts and new friends. And I learned a new meaning for gratitude: having a major event come together and be a success with no monumental disasters in the process. And never having to do it again. I spent the biggest part of the second half of the year playing catch-up. I finished the first draft of my current novel. I wrote and sold two articles to Pennsylvania Magazine . I spent quite a bit of time with my hubby at our new camp. Family obligations had kept our vacation time to a minimum for the last few years, so being able to escape for a weekend here and a week there was nothing short of bliss. We also tackled some hom...

...from my home to yours.

Cat Update: All creatures love to make a liar out of me. The kitties put in a return appearance yesterday morning. Four of them, at least. Pip’s back (gray kitten with big eyes), but the black and white mole-killing kitten is not. Torte cat is still missing, too. It’s Wednesday, so it must be my day to blog at Working Stiffs . I’m giving everyone a chance to dredge up memories (and perhaps ghosts?) of Christmas past. Come on over and share your memories and traditions, no matter how odd.

It’s a good thing I posted those pictures of the Katz Family when I did, because they’re gone. All of them. Packed up and moved. That’s what I want to believe. I don’t want to think of all the horrible reasons they may have vanished. After all, they’ve taken trips before and come back. But the barn has been empty for days. The neighbors’ cats showed up this morning begging for a handout (yes, of course I gave it to them. I’m a sucker for kitty faces). However, I know where they live and know they’re only trying to make me feel better. An empty barn is a lonely place.

In recent months, I’ve grown weary of my satellite internet service. Two years ago, I loved it, but back then it was either satellite or dial-up. No sooner did I sign the two year contract than DSL became available out here in cow country. With satellite, when it rains harder than a drizzle, I lose my signal. If storms approach from the south, I lose my signal. If the dish gets coated with ice or snow in the winter, I lose my signal. If…well, you get the idea. And even when I have a signal, it’s slow. Not as slow as dial up, but close. Last night, I learned that my order for DSL had gone through, and it was ready to be installed. Notice I said “last night.” I’m not a night person. Nor am I a morning person. I’m more of a two-hours-in-the-middle-of-the-afternoon person. I know these things never run smoothly. So why, you may ask, did I even attempt the installation in the evening instead of waiting for morning? AFTER my coffee, of course. The answer has to be impatience. And the eternal...

I know I owe you all a catch-up blog, but for today I'm afraid the best I can do is provide you with some photos of the Katz family in my barn. The black and white tuxedo kitty closest to the camera is the same little one who had the mole in the earlier post. The torte on the far right is the newest member of the clan. They brought her with them when they returned from their last "trip." This one, I call Patch. When I figure out if it's a boy or a girl, I may try to come up with a better name. The gray baby with the big eyes is Pip. No reason. By way of an update, there are currently only three of them here. Pip, Torte and Patch. The rest, including tuxedo kitty, have taken off on another of their adventures.

The whole idea of Photo Friday was to keep me out there, practicing with the new camera. In the hustle and bustle of the season, my plan fell flat. I was going to take the Nikon with me to the barn yesterday, but with high winds driving icy snow sideways, and me bundled up like an Eskimo, I abandoned that idea. So, instead of a photo, I thought I’d tell you about what I’d plan to photograph. Several weeks back, I posted a shot of a fierce little kitten with a mole clenched in its mouth. That kitten was part of a whole cat family (or Katz Family, as I’ve been referring to them) that had taken up residence in our barn. Several of them look alike and they seem to come and go. They dart in to get some of the food I put out and then dash into a hiding spot. So I’ve never been sure if there were initially six or seven. Regardless, the barn appears to have developed a revolving door. For a time, the number was down to three. I figured the others might have fallen victim to a coyote or a hunt...

It's my day to blog at Working Stiffs and unfortunately, the news has offered me a ready topic.

No, she isn't sick or dying. This filly at Mountaineer Racetrack takes a beauty nap every morning.