Cat's Corner
Blogging About Books, Writing, Travel, Film & More
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Was 2018 a crazy roller coaster ride for you? Smooth sailing? Milestone events?
My writerly pals and I are remembering the happy moments as well as lessons we learned from challenges this past year in our blog hop: My Ups, Downs, and In Betweens on the 2018 Writing Road. Check out our personal reveals, then visit the other #Gr8Blogs linked at the end of the post for more shared recollections and lessons learned along the way. We hope you'll be inspired to dive into your own special memories of 2018! 
Lessons Learned
Attitude of Gratitude The instructor closed our killer-pilates/yoga workout with words that wouldn't leave me: "The things you take for granted are the things others are praying for." Her benediction underscored the attitude of gratitude I want to keep in my heart, especially during this wild year of rightsizing and writer's block. The things you take for granted are the things others are praying for. Having struggled and reconciled with my new status as a baby boomer orphan last year, 2018 still loomed large with challenges. Leaving our cherished home and neighbors of 20 years to preemptively transition to first-floor living was one of the toughest things I've done. Right up there after death, divorce and job loss. Waves of sadness kept me tossing at night as Harsh Critic Me hammered away:
What a first-world problem.
You're lucky to build a beautiful new home. Some people don’t even have a roof over their heads. Get over it!
If JM and I had children and our families lived closer, we’d have anchors in a sea of chaos. However, we do not. It's a reality that gets harder as we get older. BUT we have each other, AND long-time friends who are like family, PLUS more friends to discover and new neighbors to meet. 
Instead of feeling upside down, I want to reframe our transition as a lucky adventure. View change as a gain instead of a take away. I’m getting there. But some days I raise the white flag. Swinging between sadness and buoyancy, this new order is exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. It still spins me around, though less often as the year winds down.
Father Knows Best Dad was the happiest person I knew. He saw only life’s goodness. An ah-ha moment came as I remembered finding a list he scribbled on a crinkled sheet of paper, its contents: wife, children, job, church, house, etc. – totally unlike what he scratched out when running to Safeway for mama When I asked him about it, he told me it was his list of blessings. He liked writing them down because they helped him see how lucky he was. btw....Dad's life was not one of entitlement or luxury. Coming from a blue-collar background, he served in WWII and Korea, held down two jobs while attending night school for his teaching degree, and was first in his family to go to college. 
Teenager that I was then, I didn’t understand his wisdom.
Today, I treasure my father’s practice, but I put my own spin on it. My list has two columns. One side shows fears/baggage/things that hold me back. The second marks my blessings. Almost always, that second column is longer. BINGO! Life IS good. Thanks, Dad!
Upside on the Writing Road
Spread Your Wings and TRY
Maybe it was my Puritan roots and strong work ethic from a New England childhood, but I've been down on myself as an author in 2018. Mind-maxed from rightsizing, my brain shut down when I thought about writing, let alone publish another book in 2018. I felt wretched, and Harsh Critic Me took over:
You don't have anything for your readers.
There's nothing to keep your hard-won forward momentum. No new tales to enter in 2018 writing contests. Another loss! Can't you do anything? But Cheerleader Me countered with a proper pep talk:
You're plugging away on your blog and newsletter.
Keeping fresh with your SCBWI critique group. Hey, some writing contests take year-old content. Can't hurt to try a submission.
So, I sent 2017’s Sweet T and the Turtle Team to two children’s book writing contests. And I was gobsmacked! In May, Turtle Team won TWO Purple Dragonfly awards for excellence in children’s literature: first place -chapter book AND honorable mention - environment. Talk about a needed confidence boost. Over the moon!
More good news arrived in November.
Sweet T and the Turtle Team scored GOLD in the Literary Classics International Book Awards' best in children’s literature - environment. Their book review of Sweet T and the Turtle Team just blew me away. I am beyond grateful and proud! Cannot wait to attend the Writers' Conference and Great American Book Festival that are part of the Literary Classics Awards Ceremony this spring in the City of Presidents, Rapid City, South Dakota. 
Turtle Team scores again: Literary Classics GOLD
Next Chapter, PLEASE!
I struggle still deciding what genre and content to write next since my decision to end Sweet T Tales due to its high cost of printing color illustrations. A teeny space for ideas is slowly clearing in my brain. Maybe a feel-good family story for adults? MG tale with twist of fantasy? YA series that is not about zombies, vampires or dystopia, but what???? I'm on a roller coaster about my next book ... Excited. Overwhelmed. More confident I’ll find my way but still biting fingernails. PSSSST!!!!!! Breaking News A story idea niggling at me for years moved center stage last night during our 105-singer-strong community choir's 48th annual performance of Handel's "Messiah." Mercy, if I post it here, does it mean I'm committed to writing this tale?!?!?! Stay tuned -:D!)
YOUR TURN
Thanks for stopping by and HUGE thanks for keeping me company on this writing road! How was your year? What was your biggest accomplishment, event, or lesson learned? Please share in the comment section. For more inspirational recollections and lessons learned, visit more #Gr8blogs below. And if you blog and want to join us on this hop, just add the family-friendly link to your blog post in the comment section. We’ll visit and give you some blog love-:D btw....I'm taking time away from blogging to finish unpacking and enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Cat's Corner returns in January with a follow up to this post, and -fingers crossed- a solid update on my writing direction. Sending wishes for the peace and joy of this holiday season to you and yours. Catch you in 2019! #MoreGr8Blogs and Inspiration Julie Gorge - celebrating family; reconciling a parent's passing Rosie Russell - overcoming tech pain from crashed website to publishing first hardback for libraries Rebecca Lindsey - busy teacher finds time to publish; brings illustrating into her classroom Camela Dutra - don't be afraid of change Sandra Bennett - a first grand and breaking out of the comfort zone to learn new things Auden Johnson - no matter how bad things look, Auden finds some good Corrina Holyoake - brave new world of a full-time artist, Corrina transforms her career direction, inner soul
Photo Credits:
Marble: by Louis Maniquet on Unsplash Back Flip: by Persnickety Prints on Unsplash Notebook: by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash 
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 Cat MichaelsBlogging about books, writing, family life, travel and more good stuff. Meet Cat
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