Mish Mash # 103 (or close to it)

1. Happy Belated Valentine's Day. I bought these little cards to send to a few special people and ended up mailing not even one. Still, perhaps I can convey the broadest sentiment of Valentine's Day right here right now. I say "broadest" because I can remember too many years when I felt alone, was alone, and longed for a valentine. Now I know one from a good friend or a four year old child counts just as much.

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2. JB and I flew home from vacation a day early and spent yesterday at the funeral of my just-30 year old nephew. The saddest part was seeing my brother and sister-in-law enveloped by such grief and loss. I know how much they appreciated their family and friends being with them, and I am glad to have the relationship I do with my brother. I can't resist a word about gun control: New Hampshire is a state where a young man can walk into a gun shop, buy a lethal weapon without a background check, and make an impulsive decision at a tough moment. Not right.

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3. Look what certain Christmas cactus decided to bloom in February instead of December:

4. I never knew cheese enchiladas weighed a half pound each. But that must be so since I ate eight mouth watering authentic enchiladas in California and gained four pounds...

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5. I will not despair. I've lost close to forty pounds and two sizes on the South Beach diet, and I'll lose another twenty, until I can tuck in my shirts and strut as I wish. I finally can see the difference in how I look. I'm not there yet but honest to god, I want to be cute (more accurate substitute: hot) and fashionable.

6. I still can't get over those energy windmills in Palm Springs. I finally figured out they looked like cemetery crosses to me and that's what made me so uncomfortable. Here's a shot to show you how damn many there were in the desert: it looked like this for 2-3 miles, maybe more...

7. ...and here's a shot to show you how HUGE each one actually is.
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8. Mr Ryan, who is now officially two years old, is talking in sentences. He can tell you what he's thinking, feeling, wanting, seeing. Just incredible!
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9. I am enjoying the release of my book more than I ever imagined. I am going to celebrate when I reach one hundred sales, which I hope will be sometime this Spring. I have begun to concentrate on contacting independent bookstores, but soon I will be mailing copies to book reviewers throughout the U.S. And libraries. And book fairs. And special events. And signings. And readings. And book clubs. It's all good.
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10. It's no secret my Christmas holidays weren't the best. Still, I pushed myself to follow many of my traditions and upon coming home two days ago JB and I were rewarded with this--in full bloom:

11. One of the characters in my new book is a woman named Claudia who has maintained a passionate affair with a married man for years. She meets him at the specialty conferences he goes to for work and dresses up in various costumes and wigs to look like an attendee and not be recognized by his colleagues. She's turning into quite an imaginative vibrant woman and I'm becoming quite fond of her.

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12. I can sense Spring readying itself. There is still plenty of snow on the ground but even the trees look like they're ready to spurt. I expect the change in seasons will do me a world of good, and for that I am quite grateful!

13. A final word about Valentine's Day: my dear blogfriend Human Being sent me a valentine that included the following message: If you wake up in a red room with no windows and doors, DON'T panic..you're just in my heart.