WEIGH IN 1-20-20

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Happy New Year, everyone!

Time to start another year of resolutions.  I have to say I don't have any resolutions. I have GOALS.

1- Open my etsy shop (coming February 1)

2 - Be serious about my Sinking Funds.. I have 3 specific ones I'll be talking about later

3 - Keeping my glucose # in check. 

4 - Publish 3 books this year - ON TIME!

The reason I've not been around for the past three months is because I've been seriously working on #1. I've wanted to open an Etsy shop for over a year. I wavered back and forth between needing to make some of this craft stuff taking up real estate to start earning its keep and wondering whether or not I needed one more thing on my plate.  I decided the 1st avenue might be a good course to take. Get some stuff out of my crafting space and maybe make a little money. I'm not out to make a killing but if I can pick up a little extra cash towards #2 then that's a bonus.

The sinking funds is a big bullet point. I want Bob to retire in 4 years or less (Less is my goal) But there are some things we need before then. A new walk in tub - with jets is one. By then our bubble tub will be almost 20 years old. I want one that we can get in, sit in and be able to get out of in our dottering old age.  Another thing we need is a new sofa, with recliners. I have one spotted at FFO and the price isn't bad. I'm just hoping by the time we're ready to purchase, this whole micro fiber thing will be history and we can go back to real fabric. When we moved the original hide a bed into my office, we bought knew recliners for the living room. After almost 5 years, we are not happy with them. One thing that bothers us is that when you raise the foot rest.. at a certain point the back reclines as well. Bob wanted this recliner and he asks for very little. I let him have the win. I didn't want power recliners to begin with. Live and Learn.  Finally, there is the new truck I'm going to need. At the three-year mark I'll be looking for a 2019. I do know I do NOT want a car payment.. especially after he retires. The house will be paid off and my truck will be pushing past the 300,000 mile mark. Ugh! I've been blessed that it hasn't needed any serious work. Snowball is a good truck but at some point, she'll need a rest.

My glucose numbers went up over the winter. Mainly, I think, because I didn't focus on them all last summer and didn't focus on them the way I should have. Since I've gotten back on track, the number is slowly getting back to where is comfortable for me... my normal without drugs. I've had to give up a lot of things but I'd rather sacrifice some foods rather than my over-all health

Three books. Book 2 of my Ozarks series comes out in late May. Book 3 will release in late September. My other book will release mid-summer after I gain rights back. My contract for Somewhere Down the Line comes up in May. That has been a long 8-year lesson I won't repeat. 

One I didn't mention is my hope to work with an editor at Five Star for my Western Trilogy. The great western author, (late) Dusty Richards introduced me to Tiffany Schoefiled after he'd done a critique of the first chapter of book 1 in the series. I had the opportunity to sit with Tiffany last october and she's ready to see what I have. That book wouldn't release until 2021 but I have enough other things to keep me busy until then. 

Okay..

that's my 2020 forecast. What's yours? Let's have some conversation.

Enjoy the Journey!