January 8, 2009
Thursday

I miss Holidailies. The portal page still pops up on the far right tab in my Internet Explorer window. It became a habit over this last month to sit down at the computer, read some e-mail, work a little, and then hit refresh to see what new pieces had been posted by the various members of the group. I do that now without thinking, and the page reloads, but nothing changes. I posted late on the last night, so my last piece will stay on the portal page all year, as well as the link to the award-winning Feelin’ Groovy. I kind of like that.

I don’t want to lose the momentum that Holidailies gave my writing. I was determined to complete the whole thirty-three days, and I tried very hard to provide some substantial content instead of retreaded memes and gosh I’m eating too much posts. It took a while for the gyroscope that is the season to slow down, wobble, and fall over. I’m not completely back to my regular routine yet (work on writing Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, gallivant Thursday and Friday), but I’m getting there.

My Thursday morning women’s spiritual study group met this morning for the first time since early December. We had two plates of Christmas cookies (gosh I’m still eating too much!), one of which had the best sand tarts I have ever eaten since my mother’s. There was lots of laughter and lots of talk about how we spent our winter holidays, if not much study of the beatitude scheduled for today. (I even forget which one it was. Next week is the one about hungering after righteousness, which is not the same as hungering after sand tarts.)

Tomorrow I am working instead of gallivanting. I have four manuscripts to read and respond to before the end of next week, when I will go to a “Finishing Your Novel” course in Cape May, New Jersey.

So far, this piece is not really what I’d call “substantial content.” But it is here, about 350 words. I’ve joined Blog 365 again, and put the logo in the sidebar along with my picture. I signed up last year, too, took the logo off when I ran out of gas less than a week into the new year and never got the rhythm going again.

I like to strive for perfection in such serial endeavors as Holidailies or Blog 365 and attending school every single day of fourth grade even though my teacher wouldn’t let me have the certificate I’d earned. Blogging communities don’t hand out certificates at end-of-year assemblies, but they do have badges. There’s mine up there above the calendar (a reference which may become incomprehensible if I change designs). I promise to put up at least 50 words or one picture every day (the Holidailies standard), even if it’s just an I-had-a-pork-chop-for-dinner post, unless I have absolutely no web access.

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