New Year a'coming....

My goodness I can't believe 2010 is just 9 hours away (for me anyway). 2009 has been an interesting year indeed. Ups and downs, forwards and backwards - such is life.


But as I reflect on the year, I'm looking at what I'm grateful for. My family and friends, and my writing buddies. It helps having a support system in the bad times and it is wonderful to share the good times. So from me to all of you, thank you....


It's difficult for the best of us to be there for everyone all the time. The intention can be there but it difficult - and not very realistic. Everyone has their own life with their own ups and downs. So number one - is to look after yourself. Sound selfish? I think not. Without looking after oneself, one can't look after others.


So this year, I've done this abit more at times - well during my down times anyway when my energy levels won't allow more. Thank goodness I have people that understand around me. So while I have people in my thoughts, I don't always get to be 'there' for them. I don't email people as much as I used to - hence why blogging is something I try and keep up with. A way of keeping in contact.


So I really hope that everyone has a fabulous 2010 - may your troubles be nil and your joy be vast!!!


~yia~

Moving one step at a time

It truly feels like that right now - just taking things as they come. Trying to plan around things but also just 'doing' things that need doing. Today was study day - I finished off an assignment - huzzah!! Six more to go.


Warming up in little ol' Adelaide. The air con's on....thank goodness and so I can be at the computer in comfort. 


Study progress - zero but the rest of the house is looking quite OK and can I say once again - I LOVE the pantry. It's amazing how much you appreciate having a good set up. I can FIND things. Oh my! No tearing my hair out wondering where something went because I'd seen it the week before.


I'm trying to finish off a couple of reading challenges I signed up for at the beginning of the year. A-Z Titles and A-Z Authors. Titles are almost done. The Author one I have about 4 to go and I don't know if I'm going to make it. After all there's only two-three days left in the year. But I've done an effort and my main goal was to reduce the amount of books in my TBR pile. I've done that but I've also added more to it!!


My reading has been sporadic lately and varied. I'm not sticking to the same book as my brain wants to jump around in genres and moods. Though one of the books I'm keeping for a relaxing day that I'm chilling out with no interruptions. That's Nikki Logan's 'Lights, Camera...Kiss the Boss'. OK so I've read chapter one - but I really wanted to start it and it's just great straight off the bat.


Currently reading:
Watchmen (graphic novel) by Alan Moore
Heart & Craft by Valerie Parv
Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur
Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The Morcai Battalion by Diana Palmer
Lover Avenged by JR Ward
Quest by Shannah Jay
and of course Nikki Logan's debut book 'Lights, Camera...Kiss the Boss'.


Looking at them though, only one (Q) will fill my A-Z Title challenge.
For the Author challenge I still need authors with I, U and Z (X is done but not filled out yet). Hmmm...should go checking my TBR piles for those letters. See what I can drum up and of course can't forget my e-TBR.


But what will be, will be. I'm at 69 'books' read this year. Hopefully I can hit a few more but I'm proud of that. It was more than I read last year by almost twenty I think (50).


Anyhow, happy reading all.


~yia~

New challenge for 2010

I've just seen this challenge on Book Chick City website and so I am going to do this in 2010. I'm going to go for the highest number of books - Obsessed level - which is to read 24 Speculative Fiction books in 2010.


You can check out details on Book Chick City's blog post here.


Check out these cool widgets too...
























~yia~

Happy Holidays

(OK, so I'm late)

And for those who don't celebrate Xmas, hope you are having a merry day!!

May 2010 be a great year for all!!

~Eleni~

Getting back to normal...um...whatever that is

Dad is home and is doing well (well as can be expected) and so life slowly returns to some sense of normality. Meaning I get a chance to check my emails and am slowly catching up with all of them.

I have over 2000 unread blogs in my Google Readers - OMG. Yup calls for skimming.

My work for the RWAus's Web Team is way behind and so is my writing. But seriously I haven't been able to concentrate on reading emails let alone, working on my writing. The brain cells just wouldn't fire and were elsewhere occupied (as you can imagine).

I had a couple of days where I did a little bit of this and that around the house and watched series one of Doctor Who (with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper). Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Next to tackle - an assignment. And of course skimming through those blogs.

I have sort of stepped back into the Twitterverse but not following up interested links at the moment. 

So sort of crawling back to normal...

Hopefully this means I will be more active in actual blogging again. Let's just wait and see. 

~yia~

Doing well

I just did a whole post via the phone and lost it. Grrrr.

Dad is doing well. Sitting out of bed, doing his exercises, and cracking some jokes. So family is relieved.

I haven't been at the computer for days. Still busy with stop/start clean up and am struggling abit with energy. Like now.

My muse is keeping my characters entertained while I concentrate on family. Oh oh still have some Christmas shopping to do. It'll get done but the closer to Christmas the busier the shops will be. Sigh.

Hope you and yours are well.

~yia~

D-Day

Just a quick update on my dad: his surgery went well and is is now in ICU sleeping off the anesthetic, and where they keep a close eye on him. Hospital staff have been fantastic. We popped in for a couple of minutes to see him even though he is not awake yet.

I also wanted to thank everyone for their well wishes and positive thoughts and prayers. I really appreciate them.

Be well.

~Eleni~

Unexpected twists and turns

Life does like to throw curve-balls doesn't it. I was going to start being more active again on the blog - other than my little snippets - but that may have to take a back seat. My dad is going to have a bypass on Wednesday. He's in hospital now and so there is the daily trips to visit, as well as trying to do the spring cleaning after the renovations. Would be nice if this house is in top shape for when he comes home and not have clutter around.


So while I might flitter in and out of the blog-o-sphere and twitterland, I'm not sure when things will get back to normal. Whatever that is!


Thanks to everyone's support at this time. 


As for writing - um, well the chorus isn't bugging me so much to get to their stories done. Sensible characters. They know when it's time to bother me and time not to. Now is not the time...




So be well all.....


~Eleni~