As my day progresses and I am inundated with birthday greetings on Facebook, I find myself wondering with each “Happy Birthday, Michelle” how the person who left the message is doing.
I am thrilled to hear from each person who remembers me, but I want more! So this is my birthday wish:
I would like to know how YOU are doing. For my birthday, I would love to hear an update from all of you. Tell me how your lives are going and what you have you been up to.
Leave it in a comment here. If you don’t want it posted publicly, simply write “Do not post” in the beginning of the comment and I will make sure not to approve it.
Make it as long or as short as you like, but please! fill me in.
Thank you!
Magical things. Beautiful things. 
Happy Birthday dear Michelle,
It really comes as no surprise to me that you would ask this of us on YOUR special day, and so since it is your wish for your birthday, I will gladly indulge you (and your readers) as to what is going on with me – to a point of course. 😉
Your readers may or may not know that we are great friends, and so of course, hardly a day goes by where we aren’t e-mailing and catching up with each other – so I will try to add some things here that you may not know yet from my recent messages.
The holiday season is in full swing – house fully decorated (by November 1 – I am that person who can’t wait to start the holiday season as soon as Halloween is freshly burried in the ground for another year). And just in time to try to sell the house. Yes – the house is on the market, and hopefully anyone coming by to consider it will feel right at home for the holidays. That is the plan of course – and so the peppermint scents, vanilla, baked goods, etc. all adding to that sensation. And should hear very soon the news I’m waiting for in terms of my next grand adventure.
Because of the holiday season creeping up so quickly, and the unknown nature of activities between now and then, will most likely have a quiet Christmas at home and then have the parents down for New Years. Then off to a new city…
Still working on the diet and exercise – and even more so this time of year where temptation is around every corner (literally, in all the grocery stores and such where vendors try out their new creations on trapped consumers behind carts. I am happy to say that while I may try out a few of those items, I find that I resist the temptation to feel obliged to snatch the product right there off the counter, or wait around for the toaster oven to complete the next batch… And I suspect the packing and cleaning effort for the house and move will help me stay focused and out of the kitchen as much as possible.
Looking forward to a few weeks to get back to writing and being creative and such. Change is always a constant… sometimes good, sometimes bad – but when it is change that turns your life upside down, you often find you neglect the things that are often the glue to keeping yourself sane and grounded. Running around like a mad person to try to fix and survive, and feeling guilty about taking the pleasure that comes in the small things… and that is something that I have done. Since I’ve been home – I have treated my days as I would if I were not home, and so that means no TV, no movies, no writing, no exercise, no sleeping in, etc. And so, when the day reaches its usual completion time, my priorities shift once again to others. But I will be able to treat the next few weeks as a vacation, with some activities of course that can’t be avoided to prepare for the move, but mostly a time to center myself, relax, and make the most of the time that is left.
So that is the lastest for me – embracing change that is unavoidable, and bracing myself as much as possible for the unknown that lies ahead. And looking forward to sharing my journey with you as always.
Thank you, Michael! Thus far I have had only a few people respond, and yours is the only one posted here. I am always happy to hear how my friends are doing, so I thank you for sharing so much of yourself.
I hope you have as wonderful a day as I am 🙂
Well, let’s see. I have a wonderful writer’s group full of fantastic people. I have an opportunity to get a mystery published because of one of those friends who was generous and gracious enough to pass the info along to me……
How’s that?
Perfect! And it sounds like you are doing well! I can’t wait to hold your mystery book in my hands!
E-mailed ya!
And I just read your email, Amy! Thank you so much for granting my wish!
When I read this, I had to smile to myself. You are such a rare, beautiful soul. I spent your birthday quite busy, but I stopped several times to celebrate you. You have been an amazing gift, and I am blessed to be a part of your world. As for what I am doing…
I am celebrating life’s journeys, for the first time, with my whole heart. I am finding myself walking on the beach more and more, and I look forward to the day that you join me. I am watching my babies grow up (and hating it) and find their own personalities (and loving it).
Oh…and I’m writing. Honest. 🙂
I hope you had a day that was every bit as beautiful as you, and we will share some birthday cake very soon.
Thank you Chrissy! I am glad to hear that you are writing, and look forward to sharing some cake with you! 🙂
Dear Michelle,
So very much like you to want to know how all your friends are doing on your special day 🙂 I am busy at work, trying to wrap up my first ‘year-end’ in my new job. Hard to believe in the middle of January I will have been at it for a year; and I will be glad when January 18th arrives. Hopefully I will be able to look back on the past year and reflect on all that I have learned, all I have managed to accomplish and take that knowledge and make the next year even better, and easier and not having to work so many long days, lol.
On a personal note I’m somewhat behind getting ready for Christmas, but then being the professional procrastinator that I am, well I’m not too worried – it will all come together as it always does. Looking very much forward to enjoying the Christmas season with family and friends and having a week off work to do so. Perhaps I will even find the time (and inspiration) to write again myself. Beyond that, not much new in my world.
I hope you had a lovely birthday and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thank you for allowing your friends the chance to share about us 🙂
Thank you, Barbara!
Sounds like you had a fairly hectic year, and I am glad it will calm down for you soon. A week off will do you good, especially when surrounded by loved ones.
Always wonderful to hear from you 🙂
Michelle
Michelle, this is a great idea because it is sometimes so easy to meet our obligations on Facebook and then move on. I am keeping very busy writing but am going off in all directions. There are several larger projects that I would like to do but they will take time to develop.
I’ve been writing short stories and features quite a bit and trying to stay up with my blog.
I really kind of enjoy not being tied down to a big project and being able to write about anything that comes to mind. I am very excited about the upcoming election year because everything I read in the paper seems to call out for a response.
Got an article in the paper about a month ago and in the space of a few hours got an email calling me a socialist, communist and anarchist and also got a phone call from a woman, who as a young journalist in Washington in the mid 40’s and was accompanied to work each morning by Vice-president Truman taking his morning walk.
I have been sidetracked in the last few months by a very good distraction. My first grandson was born in October. My wife and I have had his two-year old sister staying with us on occasion and he stayed at our house for a week recently. I didn’t even turn my computer on for a week much less do any writing.
Michelle, this is a great idea because it is sometimes so easy to meet our obligations on Facebook and then move on. I am keeping very busy writing but am going off in all directions.
There are several larger projects that I would like to do but they will take time to develop.
I’ve been writing short stories and features quite a bit and trying to stay up with my blog.
I’m looking forward to the upcoming election year because I can’t read anything in the paper without feeling the need to respond. I had an article in the paper about a month ago and within hours had received an email calling me a socialist, communist and anarchist. On the plus side I also got a call from a woman who as a young journalist in the mid-40’s was accompanied on her walk to work by Vice-President Truman.
I have been sidetracked in the last few months by a very good distraction. My first grandson was born in October. My wife and I have had his two-year old sister staying with us on occasion and he stayed at our house for a week recently. I didn’t even turn my computer on for a week much less do any writing.
Thank you so much for responding, Phil. Congratulations on your grandson – How wonderful!
It’s great to hear you had an article published, too. I look forward to reading your short stories and features as well.
Great to hear from you!
Michelle
Doing great. Don’t miss you as much as I thought I would BECAUSE I still get to “see” you every week. Lucky me!! 🙂