Last year was full of changes in both my personal life and my writing career. Here are some of the notable aspects of 2012.

From Vermont to Virginia

Up until last year, I’d spent pretty much all of my adult life in one area, encompassing parts of both Vermont and New Hampshire. I went to college there, I got married there, my husband and I bought a house and had three children there.

And then we moved to Virginia. It was a huge change for all us, but I learned that I still had to contend with the old me.

Some of the things we miss about Vermont (besides leaving many of our friends behind): Smoke-edged, leaf-crisped fall days. The farm stand down in town. Strawberry-picking and jam-making in the summer. A continual supply of real Vermont Grade B maple syrup. Snow! (At least, my children do).

Some of the things we like about Virginia: Living close to work, church, and activities. A great neighborhood. Level sidewalks for new bikers. An awesome library system. Warmer weather for longer in the year (children might disagree–see above).

Brave New World–Online

I took Kristen Lamb’s blogging class, We Are Not Alone, early in the year and recommitted to consistent blogging. Through the class, I met a great group of fellow bloggers-writers that I hang out with on Facebook and Twitter. I learned to tolerate–if not love–Twitter and finally got the hang of hashtags. I also had a brief, passionate, and unhealthy affair with Pinterest but decided we were better off being friends (which is working out well so far).

I also spent time in the dark side of the Internet and read a book that caused me to think deeply about my relationship with instant connectivity.

The Write Stuff

I hit a writing milestone when I went away to my first-ever writers’ workshop! It was taught by David Farland, and I got five days of great teaching, helpful critiques, and lots of time with other writers.

I’m terrible at keeping track of my wordage, but last year I worked on three novellas, wrote a handful of short stories, and started two novels. I also wrote my first-ever collaboration with my good friend Jo Anderton, and was delighted to have it accepted for publication. Look for the news of Sand and Seawater’s release some time this year!

Reaching Readers

Last year, for reasons enumerated here, I self-published two collections, one short story, and one novella. I received my first fan email (that sent me over the moon). I got lovely reviews from bloggers like Tehani Wessely, Sean at Adventures of a Bookonaut, and Ivana at Willing to See Less–not to mention the thoughtful reviews left by readers on Goodreads, Amazon, and other sites. Because of my self-published work,  I received an invitation to submit to an anthology.

I got a lot of support from my family, including my husband David, who beta-reads and e-formats my books, and my sister-in-law Robin Cornett, who also gives me story feedback, makes my website pretty and functional, and designed my first three covers. Later in the year, I had the opportunity to work with cover designer Ravven, who did an awesome job with my novella covers.

But most of all I’m thrilled that my stories are being enjoyed by real, live, actual readers!

Small Joys

We started our fourth (fourth?!) year of homeschooling this fall. I watched my middle child blossom into an independent reader. Raising children is both a joyful and terrifying experience–and never boring.

Did you hit any milestones or experience big changes in 2012?

Sometimes holidays are just hard.

You might be wound up so tight from stress that the smallest setback will snap you. Or you’re so overwhelmed with the the stuff you have to do that the days go by in a blur. Or you feel sad and lonely. Perhaps, this year, Christmas leaves you cold. In spite of the festive air, the cheery music, those perfect, smiling T.V. commercial families, it’s not a merry, calm, or joyful season for you at all.

Maybe you’re worried about money: your job hours have been cut or you just can’t make the dollars stretch as far as they used to. Maybe family conflict is stressing you out.

Or perhaps it’s because it’s so dark so early in the day. Or it’s too cold, or not cold enough. All you see outside the window is brown dreariness with no hope of magical, wonderful snow. Perhaps you moved after spending more than a decade in one place, and you’ve lost the rituals you’d built around where you lived.

Maybe it’s because you picked out the perfect gift for your child, only to have your order canceled because of a ‘technical difficulty’–and then find the item is out of stock everywhere else. And then you’re angry at yourself for getting all worked up over one stupid toy, and maybe you should go spend time with said child instead of being so wrapped up (ha! pun intended) in the finding of presents.

Maybe it’s because you’re not doing enough. You feel you *should* be decorating, instead of only thinking about dusting off the Nativity Set you got as a gift eons ago. And then you go look at decorating sites for ideas, only to get depressed again because you have neither the skill nor the inclination to do any of that–but still feel you ought to, for appearance’s sake. You feel you *should* bake holiday cookies even though you hate it or buy presents for your children’s teachers and the mailman and the guy who changes the oil in your car, because it’s expected.

Or you’re determined to focus on the “meaning of Christmas” but you forgot to get/make the Advent calendar and haven’t cracked the Christmas songbook yet this year. You’re determined to be content and cheerful, to pray and reflect, but that falls by the wayside ten minutes later when you’re confronted once again with the awesome Lego set you’d love to get your child but can’t afford, or the toddler breaks yet another ornament.

We try so hard to make Christmas perfect. And often all that does is make us tired, stressed, angry and sad.

When I get the Christmas blues, I know it’s time for me to slow down and step away, and keep things simple. To reflect on the gifts and blessings I already have, instead of focusing on my To-Do list. And learn to enjoy my imperfect Christmas.

A brief note to let you know that this blog is probably going to go on an unplanned hiatus this week.

As you’ve no doubt seen in the news, Hurricane Sandy is barreling up the East Coast. I’m in Northern Virginia, and we’re likely to experience high winds, lots of rain, and power outages in the next 48 hours. We’ve stockpiled non-perishable food, filled up bottles and jugs and the bathtub with water, charged our phones.

Now we wait.

Everyone in Sandy’s path–stay safe! My prayers are with you all.