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This was a tag from Bella back in the beginning of January, which I'm not finally getting to. (Congratulate me, friend! Two blog posts in March!) It was supposed to be a New Year's Tag, but since I'm so late, it's going to be a "2015: A Summary" tag. So whatever.


1. What was the single best thing that happened last year?

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?


4. What did you get really, really excited about?

5. What song/album will always remind you of 2015?
Josh Groban's STAGES CD. Especially "What I Did For Love" and "Dulcinea."


6. How did you spend your Christmas?
Epicly! (Epically?) We had Midnight Mass privately up near where we live, and we got some pretty awesome snow Christmas Eve, so we had these huge soft drifts everywhere, and there was a full moon that night, so I wished on it.
Christmas is always glorious in our house. We light the Christ Candle first thing and sing Joy to the World, and put Baby Jesus in the manger. My dad always gets a fire going and makes sausage rolls and puts down a pot of coffee, and we open stockings and eat food and drink mimosa and/or orange juice and coffee and pass out gifts and get really, really loud. We had a lot of people over that day, too. We have a friend who moved to Tahoe from Wyoming, and her brothers came for dinner, which was our traditional gnocchi and ham. We also had a snowball fight later that night, and it was pretty freakishly cold out there, which probably wasn't good for all of us with our wicked chest colds. We were all:


8. What were the best movies you saw in 2015?


9.What were the best books you read in 2015?
What Came From The Stars by Gary Schmidt; The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

I was briefly hooked on Person Of Interest, then a female character was introduced who sort of usurped my boys, Reese and Finch, and I later discovered she was having a relationship with another female and I lost interest. I restarted 24, though. (Still adore Jack.)

11. Did you discover any new musicals?

12. Did you write any new books?
I am mostly revising books I've already written - namely, DragonFire and Fulcrum. I had been kicking around an idea concerning nightmares, and that one has really taken off this month. I've been actively writing it a few hours each night. I'm pretty excited about it. :-)

13. Did you make any new friends?

14. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?

15. Is there some change you will have to go through in 2016?
Gosh, I hope not. Well, I'd like to move. But otherwise... Gosh, I hope not.

16. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?

17. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?
Life is hard, but trust in God. Worry gives you insomnia.


18. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"He will always hate me / No matter what I say / And there is no mistaking the love is gone."
(This is actually a man's song, so I had to change the "she" in the original lyrics to "he".)


19. What are five things you want to do in 2016?
a.) Land an agent. (That makes me sound like I'm hooking a fish. Sorry, agents!)
b.) Buy a piano and start composing music again.
c.) Go to one of the two SCBWI Annual Conferences in either LA or New York (though since I didn't get tax returns this year, that's probably not going to happen this year).
d.) Get a better job.
e.) Move.

20. Describe 2015 in your own words.


Truly, not the best year I've ever had. It had it's ups and downs, and I was mostly very worried and stressed during it. I concentrated on trying to be a bit more trusting and take it one day at a time. I sometimes felt like I was doing good with that, but then someone would say, "Are you okay? You seem sad," and I so I guess I wasn't being as brave as I'd thought I was being.

2015 did have some epic moments - Carmel and WordWave and Christmas were three incredible highlights to the year and I want to go back to check out more of the missions in the very near future. That's a definite To-Do. I also got myself submitting to agents, which is an A+ for me in regards to my courage. (Submitting to agents is scary!)

However, I seem to have grown more antisocial. The best thing in my life is going to my little home and being alone, with no people other than my sisters. And Netflix. (Seriously, guys. NETFLIX.)

And this was my relationship with last year

HERE'S TO A BETTER THIS YEAR!!! :-) 

God bless. 

The Cat

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Whether you think the Tony Awards is the epitome of Broadway talent or just another marketing device, it’s a night where everyone has a front row seat to the creative, the lively, the emotional moments that have made a home on the Great White Way.

The post It’s time to play the (Broadway) music appeared first on OUPblog.

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After Easter and the jury duty kerfuffle...

...to which I didn't have to go!

Happy dance, happy dance, everybody happy dance!

... I got a rejection on a query I sent to an agent about a month before.  Technically, she never responded to the query, which per the guidelines basically meant the same thing.  No reply, no acceptance.

Tears may have been shed.

But that's okay.  I dusted off my poor weeping query, gave it a little spruce up and sent it bravely back into the big wide world of agents.  I may have whispered a prayer to send it on its way.

Or rather:  Design ALL the flowers!

Talk? Talk?!   What makes you think I'd want to chat?  I haz nothing to say.  Unless we speak geek.  Then perhaps we speak.

Then we got BACK from the wedding and the weather has been liek dis:

Grey

Rainy

*snarf, grumble, grouch

*whaaahaaahaaaaaa!

It hasn't been NICE.  It has been the opposite.  It has been DARK.  My mood goeth downhill.

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Socializing, for me, can be physically more draining and damaging than a solid week's work, so piling MOTHER'S DAY WEEK on top of that was... was...


However, good news.  Before driving back from the wedding in Bakersfield, we stopped at Target and all four of us who had attended the wedding picked up copies of the Target Edition of Josh Groban's STAGES, which contains 17 tracks and are all of them amazing.

Make sure you get the TARGET edition with 17 tracks! The normal version only has 13, so make sure it 's the special TARGET edition you're getting!

*Oh Groban!

Speaking of Superheroes and Marvel, I also watched the first two episodes of Daredevil on Netflix during that wedding weekend, so when I got back from the wedding I proceeded to watch the other 11 episodes.


Matt Murdoch is the best!  I refuse to say anything, because, as Yoda say, "If Netflix you have, Daredevil you should be watching."  Seriously, he's a new favourite Marvel superhero.  He is so amazing and cool!  Unfortunately, now that I'm done with those 13 episode, the next season won't be up until 2016!  Netflix, why? Why? Whyyyyy?

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After this, Teresa and Jack and I started watching Harry Potter.  I have never really watched Harry Potter.

I know, right?

I had read up to the fourth book (which *I* thought was horrifying) and then watched the fourth movie which, IMHO, did NOT live up to the fourth books horrifyingness (which is not a word, but I don't care.  I'm a writer.  I do what I want).  Frankly, the fourth movie rather bored me, so I gave up on the series.

Then, I dunno, after the final book had been published and was no longer talked about, I thought I might as well finish the book series, and while I thought J.K. Rowling did a fine job with writing, I wasn't entirely sold on the series.  I don't know why.  I just wasn't a fan.

Sorry.

So I have had no urge to watch the movies until after Valentine's Day, when after a long grueling day at work I came home, ate something fortifying and turned on the TV, and discovered The Chamber of Secrets was playing.  Having nothing better to do, I watched it.

I mean, after all, why not?

Since then, I've been off again, on again wanting to watch them, and we started our sporadic marathon about two weeks ago.  While the first four were nothing special (for me, anyway - and btw, the fourth movie is NOT as boring as I remembered it being.  Perhaps one needs to have been away from books and movies for a significant amount of time or something), we just finished Deathly Hallows part 1, and I'll admit the 5th, 6th and 7-1/2th movies engaged me more and made me feel a bit more connected to the characters.  (Though, and I'm speaking from my experience of having read the books YEARS ago, I am pretty certain the scriptwriters could have clarified Harry as being The Chosen One.  That shtick sort of makes an appearance in the Half Blood Prince, and while I *think* it was clear in the book, it was NOT AT ALL CLEAR in the movie(s), and I honestly can't remember how or why or who or when Harry became this Chosen One or even what it has to do with the plot.)

I feel ya, Minion

I don't think I'm still (yet) techinically a fan.  I haven't entirely finished the series, after all.  Deathly Hallows part 2 will possibly (probably) happen tonight, but now that I've watched the movies I can see why people have become fans.  I will be honest even more and state that I do have a bad tendency to quote HISHE or Honest Trailer lines during crucial moments of the movies (such as, Wizzzzard lightning battle! or, Look out, Harry, he doesn't have a nose!, or, "Just saving your life.  And countless others.  In the future.  It's a long story.")  But overall, my favorite characters are Snape, Professor McGonagall, George and Fred, and Harry.  I like Ron and Hermione, but those first five are my favorites.

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Lastly, to bring my month to a close, the query I'd dusted off and sent back out came back with a request for the agent to see the full manuscript.

I may or may not have woken up my sister at the obscene hour of 5:00 a.m. to show her the joyous news.

So I sent the full manuscript to the agent, and now I must wait up to 60 days to see what she thinks.  It's a bit torturous, but she was nice enough to admit that it was torturous, which was good to hear.  Empathy, empathy.  So all I can do now is pray... and hope... and pray... and, you know, hope.

So, that's been my month!  I hope yours has been just as exciting and eventful as mine, albeit less gloomy.  *Rain, rain, go away, come again some OTHER day.*

Until next month...

Cat! :)

Leopold!

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Ackshully, I got tagged by Bella over at To Say Nothing of Reality.

This tag, I like it.  Another!

So the RULES to this tag are as follows:

1.) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2.) Answer the Questions (which are not supplied here, but given via Bella's blog.)
3.)Tag five (or more - hahahahaha) people.

Soooooo, I linked.  :-)

Here are the questions lifted from Bella's blog:

1.) When does the Christmas season officially 'start' in your house?
Officially?... It starts AFTER Christmas.  Right now we're in the Advent season.  However, if you're talking about Christmas SPIRIT, it kind of rolls up (on me) on Thanksgiving.

2.) What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
I remember being super little, like three or four, and waking up and smiling into one of my older sisters' face as she woke me and hissed, "It's Christmas!"  I remember thinking, "Wow, Christmas.  That's so cool!"

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3.) What is something that is something that is iconically (if that's even a word) Christmas for you or your family?
Probably the food.  Christmas morning is the only day in the world that we have Italian sausage and soft rolls and orange juice for breakfast, and usually the *main* day that we have gnocchi and ham for dinner.  We also do the Advent wreath and sing O Come Emmanuel at dinner.

4.) What are some of your Christmas Traditions?
We always listen to O Holy Night (Nat "King" Cole version and Josh Groban version) on Thanksgiving.
We also watch Holiday Inn on Thanksgiving.
We celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6 and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
We do the Advent wreath and do Christmas rings, counting down the days to Christmas.
We decorate the house, usually starting around December 6th or 8th.
We bake and make gnocchi the week before Christmas.
We watch Christmas movies.  Many, many, many. :-)

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5.) What is one of the traditions that you want to carry on even after you're married?
Just one?  I want to make gnocchi and ham every Christmas, and I definitely want to keep the tradition of Epiphany.

6.) What if your favorite thing when preparing for Christmas? The baking, decorating or cleaning?
The decorating.  Totally, the decorating.

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7.) What is a special/unique Christmas memory?
About 23 years ago my Grandpa passed, right around Christmas time, and my mom was not here for Christmas.  So all of us kids at home saved one present and left it under the tree, and when she got back in January we celebrated our first Epiphany on January 6th, and we have celebrated it ever since.

8.) What do you like better, giving or receiving gifts? 
I LOVE giving gifts.  I sit right next to the person and am like, "Open it more... and more... and more... can you guess what it is from the box? Huh, huh, can ya, can ya?"

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9.) What are some of your favorite Christmas cartoons?
Mickey's Christmas Carol.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The First White Christmas - The Story of the First Christmas Snow.

10.) What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?
It's A Wonderful Life (My absolute FAVORITE.)
Angel In the House (a recent discovery).
Silent Night.
A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen.
(These are the four I NEED to watch.)

After that I like to watch:
One Magic Christmas.
While You Were Sleeping.
Doctor Who (Eleven's) Christmas Specials.
A Keaton Christmas Carol.

11.) Do you have a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree?
We have an artificial.  I am of two minds between real and artificial.  I love the smell and authenticity of real.  I don't like how they shed needles or die so soon.  However, I don't like how fake smell... odd, but I do like that you can leave them up through the entire season.

12.) Do you have a favorite Christmas book/story? 
The Crib of Bo'Bossu.  Makes me cry.  EVERY time.

13.) What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night (Josh Groban and Nat Cole's version)
Believe (Josh Groban)\
What Child is This (Josh Groban and another version that is a group version that I can't find that I LOVE.)
Little Drummer Boy (Tennessee Ernie Ford and Josh Groban)
In the Bleak Midwinter (Julie Andrews)
The Little Road to Bethlehem (Hayley Westenra)
Peace Shall Come (Hayley Westenra)
And too many others too count.  But those are the top seven I could recall one after the other.

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Imma not tagging anyone, but I wish youse all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :-)

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I must needs be quick, here.  As excited as this post title is, I'm actually less than enthused that it's Saturday.  For one thing, I must needs go to work.  There are two weddings on Monday the 7th, and since the flower shop is closed Sundays we (meaning me and my other sisters who work there) must go into work and do wedding flowers.  If we're uber efficient, perhaps we'll get off at 4 pip emma.

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Hope youse all had a glorious fourth.  Yay, America!  We watched a couple videos, such as Josh Groban singing the National Anthem and Toby Keith's Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, and I just love Military Men.  They get so enthused with patriotic songs!!  I was watching those videos going, "I just LOVE being American!


Other than that, we just had a really nice, quiet day.  The older I get, the less "into" crowds I am, so I didn't go watch the fireworks last night.

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Instead, we had a lovely meal and drank lots of Mike's Hard Lemonade.  (Yep, HARD.  When life hands you lemons, and all that...)  Seriously, that's the way my family celebrates.  Food and drinks and food and drinks and food and drinks and food and drinks.  It's very relaxing.

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God bless!

Cat

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Oh, this is why.  Makes sense now. :)

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Rule the First:  Share eleven facts about yourself.

Rule the Second:  Answer the questions set by your nomination blogger.

Rule the Third:  Nominate eleven bloggers.

Yeah. That's not happening. I'll nominate SOME.

Rule the Fourth:  Set questions for the nominated bloggers.

Le Rules for Le Reward:

Uno: Acknowledge the blog that nominated you. Thank you, Rose from The Golden Road!

Dos: Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.

Tres: List 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that deserve some recognition.

Quatro: Post 11 questions for them to answer.

Cinco: Notify them that they've been nominated.


Alrighty! ROSE'S QUESTIONS ~

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