It's January 2007 already? What happened to December?

Perhaps updating my journal a little more often in 2007 should be my resolution. Some journalers have the knack for quick entries, many of them humorous. Can I do that? I think I could. The least I could do is writing updates.

I have some writing news. Four days before Christmas I got a call about a short story sale. I'll give more details when the publisher officially announces it and with any luck that will be in the next week. I'm happy about this sale. It's my third sale. The word rate is good and I'll get check big enough to pay rent!

The day after I got that news, I received my rejection for Writers Of The Future, quarter four. That didn't sting too much. I was still warm from the sale a day earlier. And I'll continue to enter WOTF until I'm officially disqualified. And I did send a story out for the new quarter by the new year.

And then there was Christmas. After a group dinner at a Chinese buffet, we gathered at our place for dollar gifts and stories. It was much fun. Three people brought stories to read: Jerry, Kathy, and Nina. Here's a picture with everyone wearing silly dollar gift Christmas hats and glow sticks (thanks to the Oltions):



Left to right: Jerry Oltion, Mary Ann Clark, Gary, Rob (holding Aston, the social cat), Roger Clark, Ximena, Kathy Oltion, Alan Roberts, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Kat, Elyn Selu. Seated: Leslie What, Eric Witchey.

Christmas morning brought more presents before brunch at Dianna Rodgers' house. I got slippers, socks, socks, and more socks, a travel coffee mug, and Charles de Lint's A Circle Of Cats with art by Charles Vess (autographed by both personally to me).

And then when Ximena got down to the bottom of her stocking, she found this:



We've talked about getting married for awhile, but now it's official. I gave her the engagement ring on Christmas. Surprised her, too!

Now 2007 will bring marriage plans!