Minus - We're snowed in again, just as we were this time last year. It's knee-deep out there, and STILL Molly expects to be walked twice a day.
Plus - Our kitchen is ... drumroll ... finally finished. Only four months late. I hardly know what to do with all that space. Which is why I'm typing this instead of moving everything back in there.
Minus - We intended having a massive celebratory roast today (if I can remember how to cook)but only managed to buy a chicken before vehicles were abandoned to the snow yesterday - so that will be our dinner. Ah well, who needs veggies?
Plus - Am churning out a good amount for words for Novel 2 most days.
Minus - I'm still not going to meet my end-of-December deadline. Succumbed to a cold/cough/flu type virus a couple of weeks ago and, coupled with a last ditch attempt to find an available kitchen-fitter who wouldn't run screaming when he saw what a mess the last guy had left behind, I got sidetracked.
Plus - Finally had a story accepted by People's Friend. It became a personal challenge this year (I need to get out more) as they're quite fussy.
Minus - They can hang on to stories for years, so it may appear posthumously.
Plus - Finally wrestled the Christmas tree up, quite a bit later than usual.
Minus - Still haven't finished shopping. Or started, in some cases. What do you buy a 19-year old male who wants a million pounds and a Porsche?
Plus - I still have a lovely agent - it's been just over a year now - fighting my corner in the publishing world and trying to sell my novel.
Minus - It's been a huge learning curve. I now know that having an agent doesn't guarantee my novel will find a publisher.
Plus - There IS the German deal though. Better than nowt as my mum would say. And has said, several times.
And on that note ... have a wonderful Christmas if I don't see you before, and thank you for reading and commenting and being so supportive this year.
You're all marvellous.
31 comments:
So thrilled your kitchen is in, finally and just in time for Christmas.
I know what you mean about 19 year old, I have one of those too, although it's my parents who are causing me the most difficulty present-wise.
Congratulations on the PF story and on the German deal. I can't wait for you to get that English deal so that I can read your book. Hopefully it'll be very soon. x
Don't remind me about a Christmas tree and shopping for presents! We're running late this year too. The huge snowfall hasn't helped either. Oh well. Merry Christmas!
Brilliant news about the kitchen - and the PF story.
Hope you have a lovely Christmas :-)
I have been too frightened to ask about your kitchen but was actually thinking about it yesterday. (I clearly have a very exciting life of my own.) Hurrah! So glad it's done!
Congratulations on your many successes this year - long may they continue - and the UK book deal is just around the corner I'm sure - probably held up in the snow.
Merry Christmas!
Life is good when there are pluses as well as minuses. The kitchen being ready is a big plus - enjoy it, even sans veg.
Have a lovely Christmas Karen. I'm so pleased your kitchen is finished at last - and well done on the PF! x
Having your kitchen back must be worth a starred plus!
Hope you have a very happy Christmas. All the best for 2011 and may your pluses always outnumber your minuses.
Hi,
No kitchen? So it's been BBQs on the back porch then.
Re: "What do you buy a 19-year old male who wants a million pounds and a Porsche?"
Answer: two lottery tickets - nicely wrapped with a remote control Porsche. He'll need second lottery win to insure it! ;)
best
F
Congratulations on your plus points being way bigger than the minus ones!
AND on finally having a kitchen. I'm sure it will all come back to you.
debs - I never thought it would happen to be honest, but I'm so glad it's finished at last!
My mum's quite easy to buy for oddly, it's the 19-year old boys I'm struggling with, though one has just pointed out a couple of items he'd like on the Topman website!
dumdad - Snow's showing no signs of melting, but I've braved it to the local shops for provisions. Not much left though, everyone's going mad and stocking up.
teresa - Thank you, I'm so pleased, and you have a lovely Christmas too :o)
bernadette - I've been scared to think about it actually, but now it's finished I can finally move on. (Though a certain person won't be welcome in this house any more!)
Thanks for your kind words and Happy Christmas to you :o)
fran - That's a good point - thank goodness for the pluses :o) (And I did find some peas in the freezer!)
joanne - Thank you so much, and Happy Christmas :o)
christine - Thank you, and yes the new kitchen is the highlight. Don't ever want to go through it again though!
francine - Great idea about the lottery tickets actually :o) As for the BBQs we don't even have one of those - it's been the microwave, and one of those camping gas rings which is heading straight for the bin now!
jan jones - I'm sure it's like riding a bike. In fact it's a bit of a minus that I've no longer got an excuse not to be slaving over a hot stove every day!!
Excellent plus points. I think they're big enough to show those tiddly minuses what for:-)
Have a lovely Christmas Karen and wishing you lots of writing time and book deals in 2011.
What a relief about the kitchen, but sorry you are snowed in. Yes, am looking forward to the day you have an English deal so I can buy yr book too. Glad to hear words are flowing for nov 2. Happy Christmas.
Happy Christmas Karen, and may your pluses be bigger than your minuses all through 2011.
Anna May x
At last, at last, a kitchen! Yay! Wishing you all sorts of success next year, Karen, with an English publishing deal so we can all read your lovely book without having to teach ourselves German! In the meantime, in spite of snow and sniffles, wishing you a very Happy Chrismas. xxx
Clarkey, Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und ein glückliches Neues Jahr und kann alle Ihre Träume im Jahr 2011 wahr.
(Nicht sicher, ob Sie meine E-Mail erhalten hat oder wenn du ernst zu wollen ein Bild für Ihre Wand, aber bitte sei mein Gast und kopieren / speichern / drucken jede Foto, das Sie aus meinem Blog.
Tommox
Glad you've got your kitchen and huge congrats on PF story. They are lovely people to deal with so I'm sure this is the start of a beautiful relationship!
Snow all around here too - trying to think it's Christmassy and not a hassle!!
Have a great Christmas, Karen and thanks so much for visiting my blog so often and being a blog-friend. Here's hoping 2011 will be a great year for all of us! xx
www.lydiajones.co.uk/blog
You have a lovely Christmas too. And may all your minuses turn into plusses!
Told you your kitchen would be like a misery memoir with a happy ending! Have a lovely Christmas x
Congrats on the story sale. And so glad you finally have a kitchen! I must write a similar post before the year is out just so I don't feel down or too complacent.
Happy Crimbo!!!!
Yeah for finished kitchens!!! And lovely agents.
You're marvelous too. And quite hilarious! Have a truly happy Christmas... :)))
Great news about the kitchen and if its any consolation Zac too insists on being walked in the knee deep snow twice a day.
Congratulations on all those plus points. I was without a kitchen for a month or so once and never did get the hang of cooking again. ;)
Merry Christmas, Karen, and all best wishes for 2011!
Happy Christmas to you, Karen - and congratulations on the PF success.
Congratulations on all your pluses - can't wait to read your PF story.
Merry Christmas.
XX
Well done on the PF's sale - just goes to show you perseverance and determination really do pay off!
Am keeping my fingers crossed for you that the same thing will happen with the UK (and rest of world!) multi book deal. The Germans are canny so I'm sure it's just a mattter of time.
Dx
Enjoyed all your plus and minus items. Hope you enjoyed Christmas and are feeling heaps better. Congrats on another publishing success. Wow about the German deal!
It can only be good! :O)
On the whole, more pluses than minuses (apart from the outside temperature, of course). So a good, year, all told.
Onwards and upwards, once the snow has melted!
Lots of lovely pluses (not pulses as in peas, you understand) - especially the German agent - oh and the kitchen - and the PF story... I'll stop now.
x
Your kitchen is finished? *thuds to floor* Yeay! Love this minus and plus summary. Hope you and your family have had/are having a lovely time. Happy New Year!
Dropped by to wish you a Happy New Year!
I had a taste of the snow when I visited the UK. Brrr you can keep it!
Thank you all for your lovely comments.
An excellent Christmas was had, too many chocolates were consumed - particularly by Molly who ate half a box of Celebrations in the middle of the night, wrappers and all, and ended up being quite poorly - and I've finally taken the decorations down.
Bring on 2011. Oh ...
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