See Ya Later 2016!

I had no idea what I might blog about this week, but Patricia Gligor (http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/) and Evelyn Cullet (http://evelyncullet.com/blog/) have inspired me. At this time of year, what else would one write about other than the past year?

It was here and it’s almost gone. That’s it. Nothing else to say.

You wish. (I’m smiling.)

2016 was an interesting year. I moved from Arizona to Washington a year ago this month, so the first part of the year was all about unpacking and putting things away. There were a few repairs that needed to be done to the house, too. Oh, yeah, my daughter and I bought a house together. Great move on my part! She’s a delight.

I can’t believe that in the middle of that I managed to release two books: Choosing One Moment – A Time Travel Mystery, and Having a Great Crime – Wish You Were Here, A Sandi Webster Mystery. It’s a fun year when two books are released.

I’d like to thank the authors who’ve done guest posts on my blog. Each and every one was a delight to work with, and I hope to see them here again.

It rains a lot in Washington, and I’ve had to adjust after coming from the desert. Needless to say, it’s much colder here, too. We’ve even had snow a few times, and this isn’t an area that normally has snow.

I need to get out the camera again. We’ve had a few foggy days where the fog lasted most of the day. If you look at the cover of Having a Great Crime – Wish You Were Here, you’ll see the view at the end of our street. Now picture those trees with fog swirling through them. It’s truly eye-catching.

My daughter started a new job, and she’s going to school to further her degree. She certainly has more energy than I do. Although, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to go back to work. I’ll have to think that one over.

I’ve mentioned in other posts that my two dogs have a new playmate, Clementine. Although she only weighs in at 11 pounds, and they’re 90 and 120 pounds, she rules the roost. They’re pretty funny to watch. My dogs, Sugar and Murphy, have adjusted well.

My husband passed away about a year and a half ago. Between that and moving, Sugar became quite depressed. I had no idea that dogs could go through so much emotional baggage. She has arthritis in her hips, too. I discovered a veterinarian in this small town who performs acupuncture on animals. It took several treatments, but it worked. While there, I mentioned the depression. Voila! There’s actually acupuncture for depression, and all it took was one treatment! By the time we left the vet’s office, Sugar was like a new dog – like a puppy (almost).

I wonder if that would work on me. Hmmm. I learned a valuable lesson. I lost quite a bit of weight, and the wrinkles practically leaped onto my face. True. I can’t honestly say that it’s broken my heart to have to buy some new clothes though. There’s always a happier side to weight loss.

Summer didn’t last very long. From what I hear, it was shorter than normal for this area. I planted a vine with flowers that look just like Candy Corn, but discovered it wasn’t a very hearty plant. Oh, well, it was great while it lasted. I mean, really, flowers that look like Candy Corn?

I miss my friends in Arizona, and I hope I can return one day for a visit. It’s not in the cards at the moment.

My life here in Washington is new, I’m meeting new people all the time, and I guess I can eventually get used to the cold, wet weather. Shoot! I spend so much time working on the computer that I guess I don’t really even notice it most of the time.

One thing I’d like to do in the new year is try another book trailer. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s like a movie trailer, only about books. Simple.

Well, that’s my 2016 in a nutshell.

2017, bring it on! I’m ready for you. It’s going to be an interesting year, and I hope it’s brings a few good surprises with it.

Until next time, I wish you all the best in the new year, and I hope it holds happy surprises for each of you, too.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website (sorely in need of an update)

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!