One Thousand Gifts-37

Captain’s Log, Stardate 01.03.2007

I’m participating in the “One Thousand Gifts” list from Christian Women Online. Click on the picture to find out more about it.

926. It was nice to sleep in yesterday
927. It was nice having my husband home for the day
928. I had salad for both lunch and dinner
929. I brainstormed more on my new book
930. I got a wonderfully encouraging e-mail from Sharon Hinck
931. I had a good time talking on the phone with Pamela James
932. I’m enjoying listening to The Phantom of the Opera.
933. Those pistachio nuts we got for Christmas are SO GOOD!
934. I love the smell of freshly washed blanket throws that we use in the TV room
935. I snacked on dried apricots. They were really yummy.
936. I once again made that really tender chicken breast, so it’s truly not a fluke of my culinary talents!
937. I’m almost done with my Thousand Gifts!
938. I am loving the book 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. It’s really helping me in this brainstorm stage of my manuscript.
939. The book, Real Women Scrap by my friend Tasra Dawson officially releases this week! I’ve been reading it—she not only gives tips for scrapbooking, but also for how crazy-busy women can find balance in their own lives with various strategies. It’s a great book.
940. The smell of a new book is one of the best smells.
941. We got lots of nuts that Captain Caffeine can take to work as snacks.
942. Captain Caffeine’ s lattes are getting really good. A properly pulled espresso shot has very little bitterness at all.
943. I look on my pile of Regency romances to be read and feel happy. I love Regencies.
944. I got the new issue of the RWR yesterday
945. I’m really enjoying singing along to all my Broadway musicals
946. I’m grateful I got a chance to see Miss Saigon in New York City years ago (when I was in college) with Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce singing. It was amazing.
947. Snickers is so cute when she’s waiting to be fed and starts growling and pouting.
948. It was exciting to see a trailer for the movie THR3E on the TV
949. I finished assembling my latest stamps from Stampin’ Up
950. It’s uncomfortable being outside when it’s so cold, but I’m glad it’s cold winter rather than sweltering hot summer
951. I cleaned up my bulletin board and threw away a bunch of old stuff
952. I’m glad I remembered my Creative Memories tools that I can use for making cards
953. I’m glad we got lots of salad from Costco (for cheap!) so now I’ll hopefully be eating better
954. These little speakers Captain Caffeine got for the computer are really coming in handy because they’re smaller than the speakers that came with the tower and easy to move around as I changed my desk set up to stand instead of sit.
955. I think my singing with my musicals is helping me sing better at worship
956. I’m getting lots of good emotional character themes from listening to the lyrics of these Broadway musicals
957. I’m listening to Barbra Streisand sing “Memory.” She’s got SUCH a fabulous voice.
958. I resurrected my recording of The King and I with Julie Andrews and Ben Kingsley. I love this recording so much. The orchestration is lovely, making the musical interludes absolutely beautiful. The voices are great—Lea Salonga and Peabo Bryson do a wonderful job on “We Kiss in a Shadow,” and Julie Andrews is incomparable. Ben Kingsley sounds like how I’d imagine the king would sound.
959. I drank some really good Earl Grey tea today from a teabag. I’ve found that in general, I enjoy the Earl Gray teabags rather than loose tea, because the bags seem to have more tea flavor while the loose leaves have too much bergamot flavor for my taste.
960. I exercised yesterday!
961. I ate a small lunch and small snack yesterday.
962. I think the tea depressed my appetite. Yay!
963. I’m on day 33 in my Bible in 90 Days. It’s nice to see Job assert, in the midst of his suffering and bitterness, that “as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!” Apparently Job was one of the first to talk about the resurrection of the body and the afterlife with God.
964. I think that after I finish the Bible in 90 Days, I will do it again—or maybe the Bible in a year?—with my new TNIV Bible.
965. I faxed in my application for scholarship for Mount Hermon Writer’s Conference. I hope they give me the amount I asked for.
966. I made more eucalyptus and lavender infusion today for my aromatherapy diffuser.
967. My friend Crystal Miller posted this yummy-looking recipe for Swedish Melting Moments cookies that I’m going to try.
968. A contest on Writing.com has got me excited to think about my writing goals for this coming year.
969. I think I’ve decided on my Word for the Year. I’ll post about it later.
970. I think my balance on my surgery knee is getting better. I’ve been doing balance exercises throughout the day, so I think that’s strengthening the small muscles around my knee.
971. We made dark chocolate truffles for gifts for Christmas, but remembered to save some for ourselves this year. They’re so yummy. I love how they’re not too sweet, and very chocolaty. They also have liquors in them, so they have a bit of a kick.
972. Did I mention we made four flavors of truffles? Yum!
973. I put a movie on my Netflix queue that has a character who might be similar to the heroine in my third book of my series. It will be an enjoyable movie (it’s a classic) and it will be a good jumping off point for my characterization.
974. I’ve been remembering to take psyllium seed (Metamucil) and flaxseed oil to help lower my cholesterol. I wonder if it’s working.
975. I had a good phone convo with my friend Charise Olson yesterday. She’s so funny, she always makes me laugh when I’m with her. I’m hoping we’ll be able to get together President’s Day for a British High Tea style lunch. What fun!
976. I’m thankful for my alarm clock in my office, which reminds me to take my medicine on time.
977. I finally figured out how to use the special extension cord for my laptop.
978. The Genesis stuff is slowly coming together
979. The Christian Women Online Sweet Scent blog awards are up! My friend Lynn Donovan won “The Better Half” award with her blog, Spiritually Unequal Marriage!
980. My friend Victoria Gaines was a nominee for the “Most Joyful Among Us” award with her blog Windows To My Soul!
981. My friends Susan and Janice won for the “Best Group Blog” award with their 5 Minutes for Mom website and blog!
982. My lovely friend and my photographer Tasra Dawson won the “Best Scrapbooker” award with her blog Real Women Scrap!
983. My guest column spot on Christian Women Online appears the week of January 15th! I’m giving my testimony, in keeping with the month’s theme of “New Beginnings.”
984. I’m so glad my house slippers, which are slip-on sneaker/mules, have laces. I was able to tighten them when my sneakers stretched from use.
985. I stayed within my calorie limit yesterday, although I did eat more than I had hoped to.
986. One of my high school kids had an eye infection, but he just went to the doctor and it’s healed.
987. I just realized I ate a lot of fiber yesterday
988. I was able to nudge Captain Caffeine to get to bed a little earlier last night so he could get more rest.
989. So far this winter, our house has been nice and snug, no leaks or problems.
990. I’ve been able to keep warm the past week without needing to turn up the heat.
991. Captain Caffeine and I have finally seen most of the episodes of CSI Miami
992. I am getting rid of some old books and will hopefully have more room when I’m done.
993. My Genesis coordinators are doing a great job catching mistakes in the Genesis files and bringing up vague things that might cause problems later.
994. Fellow ACFW member Michael Snyder appeared in Publisher’s Weekly—his romantic comedy sold to Zondervan! I have a fellow newbie author!
995. I’m finally getting through my ACFW loop e-mails from over the holiday break.
996. It’s kind of mean, but it’s so fun tormenting the dog when she’s dying to be fed after we eat dinner. She gets all excited and antsy and starts bugging me as soon as I set down my fork.
997. I’m thankful we brush Snicker’s teeth every night so they’re pretty clean and we don’t have to put her under anesthesia to get them cleaned by the vet. Putting her under is pretty expensive.
998. I’m not taking a break between books at all—I’m starting on my next book right away this time, so I’m hopeful I can get it done early.
999. This character for the third book, Venus, is my favorite, so it’s going to be neat to write her story.
1000. I’M DONE WITH MY ONE THOUSAND GIFTS!!!!

Okay, you guys don’t have to list 1000 gifts, but what have you been thankful for last year?