Friday Five for November 30, 2012

1. I'm a NaNoWriMo winner! I didn't finish before Thanksgiving, but a virus attacked me. Knocked me out for two days. I still made the goal with time to spare. I haven't managed to find time to get back to the story and finish it yet, though. It's been such a busy week.

2. Most of my Christmas shopping for the family is done. We're on a tight budget this year. I'm doing a photo theme. We had a family portrait done. It's... um, department store quality. Every family needs at least one cheesy department store photo, right? Everyone's going to be looking at my son anyway. That's what I tell myself. I also made up calendars with pictures of my son on Shutterfly. I love their site. It's easy to use and such prices for products people really love.

3. This past month I've been dealing with a health issue that secretly weighed heavy on me. I have no idea why I was quiet about it and brushed it off even with friends and family. During my recent mammogram, they found a lump. I went in for an ultrasound to confirm it and then had a biopsy done. I told myself and everyone else I wasn't worried. Yet when the results came back that it was benign and truly nothing to be concerned about, I felt so light and relieved. I guess I was more worried than I let on even to myself. I believe it's so important for women to do regular self exams and have mammograms starting at the age of 40. If there's history of breast cancer in the family, they should start younger than that. I also learned that finding a lump is more common than I realized. So many of my friends came out and told me the same thing happened with them. I had no idea. Why do women never talk about this amongst ourselves? There's no shame in it and no woman is alone in it. There may be a month dedicated to breast cancer, but talk still isn't happening as it should.

4. My mom is coming for an early Christmas visit next week. We'll be picking her up at the airport on Sunday afternoon and then going to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Mmmm. There will shopping. A lot of shopping. I'm exhausted already!

5. I've been working on posts for my 1301 blog tour. I'm so excited. I have the schedule locked in and I have fantastic hosts. If you'd still like to be part of any of my blog tours for the 13th Floor series, you can click on the tab above to find the dates for each book.

Here is my 1301 blog tour lineup:

Dec. 13 - Cherie Reich and Livia Peterson
Dec. 14 - Nick Wilford
Dec. 15 - Tania Walsh
Dec. 16 - M. Pepper Langlinais
Dec. 17 - Aubrie Dionne
Dec. 18 - Clare Dugmore
Dec. 19 - Kyra Lennon   and Jackie Felger
Dec. 20 - Shannon Lawrence

Have a great weekend! 

Holiday Snapshots - week five

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments about my Holiday Snapshots series.

It's been a lot of fun.

Here's a few from Christmas this year.

My son loved decorating his gingerbread train.

And yes, he licked the whole thing.

A new and upcoming photographer.

The camera actually takes digital photos.

Enjoying Christmas morning breakfast and talking to Granny on the phone.

Our little living room after all the present opening was done.

Happy Holidays!

Bring on 2012!

Holiday Snapshots - week four

Happy Christmas Eve! Here's another edition of Holiday Snapshots for your viewing pleasure.

My brother, my cousins on my mom's side, and I on Christmas.

We always had Christmas day dinner at my grandparents' house.

I miss it.

My son sat on Santa's lap this year, but he wasn't exactly happy about it.

He didn't think too much of the candy cane either.

Yet when he see the photo on the cabinet, he says: "Santa. Lap. Sit. Candy."

Please join me next Wednesday when I interview short story writer and poet, James Dorr.

Holiday Snapshots - week three

This is the continuation of my Holiday Snapshots series. Every Saturday this month, I'm posting holiday themed photos. My cards are out and my shopping's done. Up with the tree today and a holiday party later this evening!

That's me in the middle on the top row.

These are the kids I grew up with: The Kingham Kids.

We loved Christmas Eve because we'd get to stay up late playing while all our folks sat around drinking.

My son wasn't interested in opening presents last year.

Eating the tissue paper, well, that's a whole other matter!

Holiday Snapshots - week two

If you didn't see last week, I'm doing a series of holiday photos every Saturday this month. I thought about decorating my blog, but I still haven't gotten to decorating my house. The cards have to go out first and then I need to get my shopping done. It's that time of year!

In grade three, I was Suzy Snowflake for our school's Christmas festival play.

I really, really hated it.

I was a tomboy and I never wore pink. I think the music teacher choose me to punish me for some reason!

My two favorite people in the world on Christmas morning 2010.

I love this picture.

Holiday Snapshots - week one

It's been a little while since I participated in Saturday Snapshot, and I don't want to officially do it since I don't know if I'll have the time to look at other people's pictures this weekend. So much to do! I'm scared to go shopping. Very scared.

I'm going to post holiday photos every Saturday this month. My bit of holiday fun here. Hopefully they'll make you go "awww!" or laugh hysterically.

My brother and I way back in 1980.

Yes, disco was dead, but I didn't know it!

My son's first photo with Santa last year.

He didn't know what to make of Santa, but he loved the cute elves!

(He's always been a ladies' man.)

Strangely, this year, my son calls him "Claus." No Santa.