November was a wild month at M.J.'s playhouse, and I'm still playing catch-up, so this month's lessons will be short and sweet:
1. When you're faced with doing unpleasant 'business' involving close friends or family, sometimes the less said, the better. Stick to the facts and give everyone space to process emotionality elsewhere (maybe not in a blog, either!) Things often find a way of working out without a war of words.
2. Murphy's Law of Parenting: If you have a month during which you need every spare minute to get work done, your kids will be throwing up, feverish and/or wheezing during at least 80% of those minutes.
3. Being sick on Thanksgiving makes you appreciate turkey, dressing and canned cranberry sauce even more. It also makes you think of those who are hungry and lonely even more, too.
4. I learned this month that I'm a Sh*tty Mom, and so are some of the best moms I know. It's very liberating to know our kids will have each other to lean on in group therapy later on.
5. Try as I might, I think I am just not a NaNoWriMo girl. I love trying. I love failing at it. And then everything works out better. I can't decide if this is a fun annual project or a very specific mental illness. I'll keep you posted.
Many, many people are kind enough to ask me if I'm working on the next book, and the short answer is "yes." The long answer is "yes, yes, and yes," which means that I'm working on several projects at once. In addition to the NaNoWriMo project I have temporarily shelved, I have three other projects running actively. I work on them whenever I can for as long as I can, in turn, until one gathers enough momentum to warrant my obsessive attention. I'm aware it would be faster to write one book all at once, but that just wouldn't be me. I'm also aware that you guys are waiting patiently, and I thank you. My goal every day is to try to make something worth waiting for!
In the meantime, if you'd like to get an autographed copy (paperback) of one of my current books for yourself or someone else, you can now do that here. Since I don't yet have a fancy publishing house to help me with these things, I am offering these on a limited basis only. The really good news, though, is that if you order one in December, I'll donate $3 to an amazing organization that is truly close to my heart.
So, add it to your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice wish list. (Sorry, they may not be delivered in time for actual Hanukkah). Have a great December, everyone!
