And we're off - again

Well, for the - I don't know, half dozenth? - time since my life went a little pear shaped a couple of years ago, I am once again announcing that I am back.

Sixth time is the charm, right?

Right now, I'm feeling good about this. I'm feeling settled and committed and ready to let loose. But I have felt like that before and then life got in the way.

Is it a stage of life thing, that I am finding it harder to carve the chunks of time I want to commit to myself and my writing? Is anyone else finding they are having the same problem. A few years ago, it was so easy. Now, sometimes, everyday feels like a struggle.

Okay, so it's been a difficult few years. To recap - my mother got cancer, I got cancer, I had some surgery and was fine, mum tried treatment after treatment but in the end the cancer got her, I grieved, I took on more responsibility at work, my husband's health continued to up and down and so here we are, with me two months now into what I have no doubt will turn out to be the beginning of menopause and oh, is that delightful!

Bu there's been good things too. During this time, both Much Ado About Love and The Making of Henri Higgins were released. Loving the Prince was re-released as part of the Close Up and Personal collection from Escape Publishing. I finished work on and submitted The Importance of Being Ernestine (hoping for news on that soon).

And then there's the vital things. Our beautiful budgies. My fabulous family and friends. A lovely holiday in Queensland. Good food and good wine. Laughter and singing. Wonder Woman. Oh my, Wonder Woman!!!

So the plan for the scant few weeks remaining of 2017 (eek!) is:

* Keep kicking goals at work - I'm managing another conference that takes place in three weeks, and in the meantime there are big things to be done for our 2018 conferences between now and Christmas

* Keep on top of things here at home - despite how menopause has dumped on my this week, I've managed to clean and keep clean the house and I want to continue that

* Eat better and exercise - with menopause hitting, I really don't need the spare tire currently sitting around my waist. Time to do something about that

* Spend more time with family and friends - I've been a bit too shellish and keeping to myself in order to survive but in order to thrive I need my peeps

* Write - I know I'm happiest and sanest when I am writing and I need to start again. So this week I am back into my early rising routine to exercise and write before I go to work. I'm spending the rest of the year doing miscellaneous projects and getting myself in the right headspace and working out kinks to start attacking the gadda books in 2018. I will be finishing that series. That I am certain of.

Right. Plans made, commitments made, public ones. The goody-two-shoes in me will fight for me to do the right thing and not let people down. Let's do this!