Books, bats, NaNoFiMo, broccoli, pretty leaves, and satin pajamas. All in one post.

I couldn't decide what to write about today, so here is what's going on with me:

1. This week I participated in a Career Night at church. I was the only writer in attendance. I got to talk with young people about why writing is awesome (the main selling point being that you can do it in your pajamas). I brought books & magazines I'd been published in and seeing them all together like that made me quite proud of myself. And made me realize I still have a lot of goals I have yet to accomplish. Will be working on those.

2. We have a bat living in our window. A real, live, furry, big-eared, ADORABLE bat. I love him. I have named him Bruce Wayne. He is our free Halloween decoration and I want him to stay forever.

This photo makes him look big. He is tiny. About 4" tall. But look at that cute face!!!

3. I had hoped for October to be NaNoFiMo (National Novel Finishing Month) for me so that I could use NaNoWriMo to start on my new book, but computer problems derailed that grand plan. Alas. Should I shove Old Novel aside to work on Shiny New Novel for November and try to actually finish that one? Or should I be tough on myself and finish Old Novel? Decisions, decisions...

4. I am changing the way I eat. After I heard the interview with Jonathan Bailor, author of The Calorie Myth, at the Mom Conference two weeks ago I realized what he was saying made way more health sense than anything else I'd heard, so I'm going for it, and dragging the rest of my family along with me. What did he say? He said eat more veggies. Like, 10 servings a day. He said sure, fine, eat other stuff too, whatever you want, but please, for the love of your body, eat your veggies first. It's that simple. I like simple. I can do simple. I'm eating my veggies.

5. Fall has finally arrived here in Virginia and it's so blasted gorgeous I keep squealing as I'm driving down the road and saying, "OHMYGOODNESSLOOKATTHATONE!" My kids roll their eyes and say, "We know, Mom. It's called fall." And I just keep squealing and pointing and I just know that one of these days I'm going to get into a terrible car accident and it will be all fall's fault for being so pretty.

A drive-by photo I took a few years ago of my favorite fall tree. It's right next to where all my kids have gone to preschool, about 15 minutes away. None of my kids are enrolled in preschool this year. But I still may go visit the tree. I mean, just look at it...

6. My KonMari festival is still happening! It's slowed down a bit due to a hectic schedule, but it's still going, just slowly. I am loving my perfectly organized drawers and I may not be rich, but when I put my newest library book into the bottom drawer of my nightstand (which has been designated just to hold my current reads) and I put some sweet-smelling lotion on my hands (lotions, pens, notepads, and lip balm- top drawer), and I turn out the light sitting on top of my polished and gleaming nightstand and slide between the sheets of my neatly-made bed wearing my satin pajamas (which have been tucked carefully away in my dresser drawer), I feel absolutely luxuriously wealthy. Total joy. It is a lovely feeling. I highly recommend it.

Of course, then I jump up, turn the light back on, open my top drawer and take out a pen and notepad and start writing. Because that's what writers do in pajamas. And because I have ANOTHER New Shiny Novel idea...*sigh*

Happy Fall, y'all.