With all the doom and gloom repeatedly in the news through all media channels, it’s easy to forget that it’s good to just be alive. It’s even better when we can muster some excitement to be here. In honor of this sentiment, I would like to share thirteen things I’m excited about this summer. Enjoy!

1. I’m learning to weave! I’m attending the Chicago Weaving School and wrote about it last week – with pictures. More pictures will go up after tonight’s class, where I learn to put the weft on and actually weave some fabric. Yahoo!

2. I put in a garden! We have lots of new plants to play with, even some flowers. I also, it appears, have a very industrious squirrel who is soon to be a dog toy.

3. My dog is getting better at behaving when on a walk. We might even get to have some guests over!

4. I have a house guest coming next month for almost a whole week! I can’t wait! Rachel’s visiting the first week of July and we’re going to paint the town red and even visit Madison, the setting for our first serial novel, New World Order.

5. I’ve started back up with Skep, Old Tools For the Present. It’s a blog that I write with my friend and circle partner, Dorothy.

6. I’ve also re-started Eclectica, which used to be a print newsletter. It’s now on the web in blog form, and actually has been since 2008. But I recently re-started it and am blogging about chocolate, gardening, and some other cool things.

7. My writing group is going very well. We are planning our next events, including an Artist’s Way workshop that starts this Sunday and a retreat in August.

8. I was invited back to Michigan to distill oregano again. We’ll be making hydrosol and essential oil. There are possible opportunities to go back and make lavender and lemon verbena, and I couldn’t be more excited.

9. Tunisian knitting class starts a week from Sunday. It’s only two Sundays, but I figure it will be a neat way to learn another way to knot yarn. Knit yarn. I meant knit.

10. Going to Starved Rock in August for our retreat with EWW. We’re working out details, but it should be really fun.

11. Going to Las Vegas in September for our annual writing retreat with a small group of writing friends. I’m excited, since we have a couple new people joining us. We’ll even check out Zion National Park. Can’t wait!

12. Submitted a novel to a publisher a couple weeks ago, so I’ll hear, one way or the other, this summer. Either way, it’s exciting to take the next step in being a New York Times bestselling author.

13. I’m re-doing a camera bag design I’m doing, and have a better design. I don’t know that I’m happy with a curl in this one, so I may make a third, but the design process is rewarding.

I’m so excited, I can’t stand myself! Must go clean something… (bonus points if you can tell me where that comment comes from… hint… it’s an animated movie…)

~Happy TT!~