November is here!

With all that I have planned for November, I sit here today and wonder what I will be saying to myself on December 1st? Will I have accomplished all I set out to do, or will it be a disappointment like October, riddled with colds and odd deviations to the schedule? Right now I sit next to November like it is a present waiting to be opened. I am idealistic. A palm reader at a Halloween party told me as much. She also said that my idealism can easily turn to cynicism with the world. And yet I turn my cynicism around and embrace each new month. Today I am going to write like crazy, get my walk in, and await the great mysteries. As I have promised to blog (NaBloPoMo) every day, this is a journey I will take with others. As I have also promised to be grateful each day, I think I'll have a better chance of keep the cynic at bay.

So here is my first bit of gratitude: I am thankful for new beginnings and for opportunity.

NaNoWriMo & NaBloPoMo

Now I've done it. It's like at Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) when you fill your plate with an extreme amount of food and decided to try to eat it all anyway even though you didn't plan ahead and wear your stretchy pants. Whoa, baby, have I ever filled my plate.
I've signed up for National Novel Writing Month and made a commitment to write a novel in November. A 50,000 word commitment. This was brought on by a call I received from my agent last night. I had sent her a bunch of novel possibilities and we plowed through them with her notes. We touched on some reading I should do as examples and now I am chomping at the bit. Nothing like making a 2,000 word a day commitment for November.
Then, on the advise of my dear friend Elena (who the world knows as French Toast Girl), I joined National Blog Posting Month. In this effort, I am trying to gain visibility as an author and get my book out there. For this commitment, I must post once a day in November. (They didn't say how long the posts had to be.) I have also within that commitment, committed to posting a word of gratitude every day. It is the month of Thanksgiving. Did I mention that it is my favorite holiday? Did I mention that I am hosting Thanksgiving.

Goals for November:

1. Blog every day
2. Write a novel
3. Give Thanks every day
4. Host Thanksgiving and supper-go-round for church
5. Watch my husband run a marathon (Spectator! Yeah!)
6. Matron of Honor duties at my best friend's wedding shower (Easy! She is no bridezilla.)
7. Paint a portrait on commission
8. Woman-to-Woman participation
9. Parent/teacher conferences at school
10. Present a workshop at Radiance

December 1st may find me in the fetal position under my desk, but I am going to try to rise to this challenge. I have a week to mentally prepare!