{"id":4628,"date":"2019-12-14T15:34:32","date_gmt":"2019-12-14T23:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=4628"},"modified":"2019-12-14T15:34:38","modified_gmt":"2019-12-14T23:34:38","slug":"counting-my-blessings-writing-and-otherwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2019\/uncategorized\/counting-my-blessings-writing-and-otherwise\/","title":{"rendered":"Counting my Blessings, Writing and Otherwise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only ten days before Christmas and I’m counting my blessings. I feel organized. Presents wrapped, cards sent, and baking done. I even managed to re-do my banner on my Facebook Author page<\/a><\/strong>. The quote is from one of the judges of the Whistler Independent Book Awards, for which my novel was a finalist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Robert and I are off to Toronto to spend Christmas with our daughter Robyn and family. Typically, they spend it with us on Vancouver Island, but this year, our son-in-law is in rehearsal for the play Julius Caesar<\/em>, Crow’s theatre<\/strong><\/a>, in Toronto, so they weren’t able to come. Instead, we’re flying out to be with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We”ll be home in time for a Hannukah party with good friends and New Year’s with our other daughter, Karen, and family. We also plan to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas Eve on Jan. 6th and Ukrainian Christmas Day on Jan. 7th. If any of you have read Sunflowers Under Fire<\/em><\/strong>,<\/a> you’ll know some of the traditions and foods associated with these dates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019 Recapped<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2019 was a wonderful year!<\/strong> We spent the first two months in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where I attended the San Miguel Writers Festival<\/strong> <\/a>and then several days in Guanajauto. I published my baba’s story<\/strong><\/a> and learned it was up for a number of awards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in August, Robert and I went to Mississippi, where I performed a supporting role in our grandson’s second feature film, The Banality<\/strong><\/a>. And since we were so close to New Orleans, a city I’ve wanted to go to for a long time, we drove down there as well<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans for 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We were so thrilled with our experience in Mexico, that we pre-booked San Miguel de Allende for January 15-March 15, 2020. However, in November, we learned that friends had cancelled their return visit. To find out why, I phoned them and discovered they’d cancelled because two drug cartels had moved into San Miguel de Allende. To date, there have been over 70 homocides. As well, a number of bars and restaurants closed after their owners were threatened to pay up for unasked-for cocaine. We were disappointed, but fearing discomfort and possibly danger, we cancelled as well<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though we love travelling, we also like being at home. I will continue working on my sequel to Sunflowers Under Fire<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there are writer events to look forward to. I have a couple of reading events in March at the West Vancouver library and for the Comox Valley Writing Society. A granddaughter’s high school graduation back east in June. And possibly participation on a writers’ panel about writing in the digital world in September. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace on Earth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thinking ahead, we pray for peace and harmony on this beautiful globe we all share. Robert and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or whatever else you’re celebrating and a wonderful New Year! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have time to comment, let me know what you’re planning for 2020. More writing and reading? More trips? <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Only ten days before Christmas and I’m counting my blessings. I feel organized. Presents wrapped, cards sent, and baking done. I even managed to re-do my banner on my Facebook… <\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[78,1079,5],"class_list":["post-4628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-writing","tag-diana-stevan","tag-julius-caesar","tag-writing-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/PhotoFunia-1576361828.jpg?fit=1169%2C827&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1LuVB-1cE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6651,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2024\/writing\/counting-my-blessings-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":4628,"position":0},"title":"Counting My Blessings","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"23 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Though I'm thankful and am counting my blessings, 2024 has been quite a year. 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This pandemic is taking longer to get through than most of us expected. \u00a0I\u2019m using what I know to keep my spirits up. 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