Best Laid Plans PART THREE

RIGHT. So we got over the fevers, but my middle child and I have been coughing up a lung or two each ever since. I've spent most of the last week lazing around, reading, because I just don't feel good.

That means Christmas was disorganized and low-key. The turkey breast was done in the Crock Pot (and overcooked, because you can't trust slow cooker instructions, obviously) and I totally forgot to make mashed potatoes. And I got a big box from Amazon and in my illness haze couldn't figure out what was in it, so hoped it was something someone had ordered for me. But I couldn't figure out why we hadn't received the Nerf gun for middle child. Yeah. So it never got wrapped and I pulled it out after he'd opened everything else. Oh hey! The oldest also got a Nerf gun from middle child, but everyone's been recovering and not ready for massive Nerf wars (especially the sort where we invite friends over and exchange germs).

   

All the coughing is finally tapering off, but yesterday my oldest started his fever and is coughing a bit. And he has an aversion to taking pills, so I can't even get ibuprofen in him. Or acetaminophen. Or Dayquil/NyQuil (I'm going to have to go get the liquid instead of the soft tabs).

Oh, and I forgot to mention that my husband has a new fun trick, which is passing kidney stones. (Apparently the closest men come to the pain of childbirth. WHEE!). Just two so far. Hopefully no more, with changing his diet a little. Because we don't know which type of stone it was, we don't even know if he's supposed to keep eating whole grains: All our bread is whole wheat and he eats an enormous bowl of oatmeal every day, so that's kind of a big deal for him (and for me, who does the shopping and cooking). But one place says don't eat lots of fiber and another says do. So who knows? Not me.

This morning, I suddenly realized that I need to light fires under myself and my whole RWA chapter so I can do the newsletter in a couple of days. We have a new banner, so I want to change up the newsletter a bit, too.

And I've done exactly nothing as far as writing, editing, marketing, or anything over the last ten days. WITH A BOOK COMING UP IN NINE DAYS.

I started a post about my favorite books of 2016 and need to finish that.

Nor have I exercised.

So, because all my best laid plans are going awry, why don't I go ahead and make some for the next month?

Today's goals: 
Walk in the sunshine.
Get blood test (because my veins are so small, they didn't get enough last time I tried)
Go to grocery store.
Work on Best-Of blog post.

This week's goals:
Work on new design for RWA newsletter.
Shop for oldest's birthday.
Work on book that's allllllmost done.

January goals:
Finish that book.
Find a job.
Edit next French book, Book 6, Francoise (or Future Vicomtesse? Or the Vicomte Dilemma?) (and WOW, that first chapter is rough. I must not have spent any more time on it since I wrote it a while back).

And I humbly ask that your goal be to pre-order Henri et Marcel. It's great. Honest.

Henri de Cantière has been surly since he returned from visiting his family at Versailles, but he doesn’t want to burden Marcel Fourbier, his longtime lover, with his problems. He can’t sleep and hurts all over at exactly the time when everything else seems to be falling apart.

Marcel can barely keep up with his usual duties of running their household and creating beautiful furniture in the de Cantière factory when more burdens fall on his shoulders. His estranged Huguenot family condemns him to hell but wants his help, a stranger attacks him in a dark street, an arsonist tries to destroy the factory, and Henri’s beloved sister-in-law, who has been like a sister to Marcel, is weakening after being in labor for several days.

Most of all, Marcel wants to find a cure for Henri, the man who holds his heart.