It’s New Year’s Eve here at the tail end of September! Aren’t you excited?

Well, maybe that’s a feeling reserved for those of us who were at the ACFW Conference in St. Louis this year. Or maybe it’s unique to me, this idea of new beginnings and do-overs, of recharging the ol’ batteries that are connected to the sense of purpose and direction. A shot in the arm of determination to stick with this crazy business. After every conference, I return with with thoughts of how the next twelve months are going to be better because now I know–whatever it is I didn’t know before, now I do, and I can incorporate it into my way of doing things.

At the moment, however, I’m floating in a rather psychedelic world. I’m amped, but exhausted. Ready to rumble, but unfocused. Ideas are pinging around my mind as if they’d been swatted by pinball paddles, and if I don’t write them down the moment they clarify, I forget. I have so much to do simply by virtue of being gone for an entire week, but I want to get to the good stuff of mapping out my new plans for my writing career.

I should probably wait until my brain is functioning better. Not even coffee is helping the gray matter today. And since I’ve been away from my computer all week, I have to relearn how to work my new glasses–trifocals with progressive lenses. Seeing life through these lenses can surreal in itself, but I’m getting used to them. Well, except when I’m writing here. And except when I’m trying to focus on someone in the distance or in a dimly lit room or when I shift my eyes instead of turning my head to bring something in my periphery into focus. But yeah, I’m getting used to them. They’re great as long as I’m not being too specific about what I want to see.

Soon I’ll tell you everything–there’s so much to tell!–but today, I just wanted to check in with my readers. As far as blogging goes, last week was a bust. I was supposed to have three guests scheduled, but only one got her post to me on time. If you missed Ane Mulligan’s dog story, take a few minutes to read it. It’s short, and you’ll get a kick out of it. Tomorrow, I’ll have a rare Tuesday post featuring one of my writing buddies, Raani York, and her new release, then Wednesday is promised to C. Hope Clark. I’m tempted to just blanket this week and next with daily posts and resume my three-day posting schedule when I run out of things to say. (Yes, that has been known to happen. I know you’re surprised.) We’ll see whether I do, though I probably should. Sometime between when my brain starts working again and when I start forgetting some of the finer details.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t found a winners list anywhere else in cyberspace (unlikely, but possible), here are the links to the winners of both the Carol and the Genesis Awards. Special congrats to Jeanne Takenaka for winning the Frasier award, and to Martha Lou Rogers for winning Volunteer of the Year!

More later. I need a nap.