I'm a Grandma!

Well all, it happened! Chauna gave birth to a baby girl: Cecyllia Ann Hamilton (isn't that beautiful?) at 6:45pm 9 January 2007. She was 7lb 9.2oz and 19 inches long. I saw a picture of her and she is so adorable. :-) I might be a bit biased though. *huge grin*

Mom and baby are doing well.

On a darker note, my step father has been hospitalized. His health had been failing for years. They currently have him in a rehab section to try and get him to gain weight, and provide strenght training to help him get back to where he needs to be in order to remain mobile. My mother is with him, and I hope, more than anything that they'll be okay.

I'm out.

Daily Life

My step-daughter is due to be induced tomorrow. It's terrifying for both HTE and me to realize that we're going to be grandparents. We'll hopefully be able to take advantage of this four day weekend to go visit.

My writing career is well on it's way. I'm having a lot of fun and loving the angst of my characters.

All in all, good stuff!

Hehe Christmas is over and in come...BILLS

LOL.

The power bill is impressive. That's all I'm going to say about it.

So...I have little man today so Dad can go about his business and do all types of productive stuff, like "me" time. Which, btw, is extremely important if not critical. Sometimes we spend so much time in this role or that role that we forget to take time and just "be."

Right now we're settling down for a nap while Momma makes supply orders. It's tons of boring paperwork, but he's used to the sound of a keyboard so no fuss.

I'm also working on a very exciting project. More to come on that later! :-)

I'm out!

The News Is Good

Alright all, it's happened! My website's up! A story's been sold! Contract's in the mail! For more info head to my site.

AND we won the decorate the balcony contest! :-) What does that mean? $200 off rent this month. Is that why we did it? Nope. The local kids loved it. We got all kinds of oohs and aaahs. LOL. It was fantabulous.

Little man can now roll over on his tummy! All on his own!

My stepdaughter has decided to postpone the wedding. More on that as it unfolds.

The family had a great Christmas. I'm busy with Baby shower plans. A friend is due around my birthday. LOL. An aquarius baby. How wonderful!

Kim Rees has DONE IT!!!! Her book's out and you can buy it on amazon!

On a very serious and sad note, two of my very dear friends have lost relatives very close to them. They happened within four days of one another. They're in my thoughts and best wishes to them on their upcoming roles in the ceremonies.

Today I'm busy working on another submission. I'll try and keep you updated more often. :-) Right now, it's organize my space so the coming year can HOPEFULLY be more productive, writing wise anyway.

Later all.

Looking back

I received an email today that threw me for a loop. What was it? A good friend of mine from my previous assignment passed away at the age of 36. It was December 1st and I just found out about it. Well, we all just found out about it. So we're all tearing up the internet (all meaning about a dozen of us) trying to find out 1. what happened, 2. does his family need anything and 3. can we do anything for them.

He had left the military and worked as a civilian contractor for our hospital. We hung out quite a bit. So, I've sent an email letting my ex-husband know (they were close) and tried to find out as much as possible from everyone who knew him. He'd even loaned us his car when my ex and I were in California for a trip to Disneyland. For me, that's an amazing thing.

Unfortunately, the only thing I can find out information on pertaining to him is his obituary notification. So, I'm emailing everyone I know. It's a hard thing to realize that running across someone again really won't happen. I'd expected to see him again, sometime during my career. He'd moved to Hawaii and I moved here, but it's natural to assume our paths would cross. The world is a tiny place now, after all. But here it is...three years later, and it'll never happen.

It's a rough concept, even for someone who's lived the military mindset, the death of friends, associates, family members. But, you tend to think that once someone's left the military, they're somehow safer, more likely to live long, fruitful lives...

Anyway. I have a lot on my mind. Give someone you love, admire, enjoy talking to a ring or email today. Let them know you appreciate them.

To all, I'm out.

Christmas happenings...

I like random trivia. So here's one for you. What is NOEL? Does it mean Christmas? Is it just a song? So I looked it up. Noel is the Christmas Season aka yuletide. The dates? December 24th through January 6th.

Warning, Rant coming.

An international airport in the US pulled down their massive Christmas Trees this year. All six of them. Why? Because some bonehead was suing them so that they'd put up a menora next to their trees. Now, don't get me wrong all...I am in no way shape or form insulting the Jewish religion. I respect their culture and beliefs very much. But let me ask you all a question...where did the Christmas Tree originate? No one really knows. There are thousands of legends surrounding it. I do know a lot of Christian traditions and holidays were absorbed from pagan religions. Why? If you keep the celebration at the same time but change the name, it's easier to bring the unbelievers into the folds, so to speak. We KILL a tree, put it in some water for a month, then throw it away at the end. How is this religious symbolism? A tree is tradition, not a sacred symbol. So, if the airport changes for one person, how many other religions are going to scream in rage that they're religion isn't represented. I commend the airport for their stance. Get rid of all of it, we're too damn busy to cater to everyone's needs. Let's focus on getting people to and from safely.

Stop being ridiculous. PC is getting on my nerves. It's a HOLIDAY season. If I'm not Jewish or Christian or Interested at all, don't force it on me. That being said, I've a decorated tree, stockings, and quite a few pressies under the tree. I love the Christmas Season. It's my favorite holiday. I love the joy of the season, the giving that commences and the incredible sales. :-)

To all, I'm out. Rant over.

Of Deadlines and Shiny Things

So yeah...it's December. Thinking through the past year I realize how much my life has changed, how much I've changed. And I kind of shrug it off. LOL. My life is hectic, and it probably will be for the next 10 years or so. It's become more hectic lately, but there will come a time that it will settle into something managable. So, I spent some time reflecting and realized...it's time to start the deadline rush for the new year. I need to set up goals, managable goals for both my career and my hobbies. They have to managable b/c I'm not giving up quality family time.

So I've planned for six completed WIPs. That's my writing goal. Six completed, six submitted. That's the plan. Why nothing more complicated? B/C I have a brand new baby and a topsy turvy career. I'll make specific goals as I go along. :-)

On the Christmas note...I'm mailing out Christmas Cards this weekend. And going to a wedding on Friday. And decorating the balcony on Sunday. Hmmm, have I forgotten anything? Oh yeah, finishing a WIP. I'm SOOOO close.

To all, I'm out.