Post-Halloween wrap-up, 2015

I went to the doctor today.

All of my medical stuff happens in NW Portland. I really like those neighborhoods, so unless I am running late or maybe if it is raining, I will get off at MAX at PGE Park and walk to Good Sam's, then on the way back walk down to 11th where the streetcar turns. (Yes, I could catch the streetcar right by the hospital, but that's less walking).

Today's walk featured blue sky and falling yellow leaves. It felt pretty good, and I am feeling pretty good about things, even though my plans are ridiculously ambitious. Maybe I shook some sadness off yesterday.

I did not do a lot for Halloween. I wore no costume, I completed no crafts, and although I have requested one of those Halloween movies from the library, I won't actually get it until tomorrow.

I had thought it would be a cool thing to do Halloween-themed blog posts or to write a different scary story each week, focusing on different themes, but that didn't happen.

That reminds me of another thing. I got a reminder of my Goodreads goal this week, and I am pretty behind. Last year I read 100 books, including graphic novels and children's books, and part of that number is that on December 31st I saw that I was at 98 and so grabbed two books from Maria's children's collection to round things out.

When prompted to set a goal for 2015, I wanted to be kind of ambitious but not ridiculous. I chose 63, and I am fifteen away. I could grab the next batch of Caldecott medal winners and make it that way, but I probably won't, and it would still be less than last year.

I can't feel terrible about that though, because the main reason I have read less this year is that I've written more. Last year at this time I had published one book, but that was the one I wrote back in the 90's, Cara. Since then Family Blood, Family Ghosts, and Morgan are out, and Family Reunion will be out soon. Writers need to read, but they need to write too, and I am .

Also, Family Reunion is reasonable Halloween material. It's set in summer, but still, it does have a lot of vampires.

So let me tell you the other thing about Halloween - I only carved one pumpkin, there was no theme, and I did not get it carved until Halloween night. I actually went out to carve it and came back in because I saw people going next door and thought trick-or-treaters were coming and that I should not be on the porch with a knife, unless that had been the plan all along. They were not trick-or-treating, so after waiting for a knock and giving up I went back out and had it carved with a lit candle inside before the first actual trick-or-treaters came. I think the downpour helped with that by delaying them.

That's not how I like things to go, but this year I grew three pumpkins. Last year I couldn't grow a single one. They were too small to carve, because I chose the Spirit variety, and actually one is still green, but still, it feels cool. Next year I want the whole yard to be pumpkins - maybe with sunflowers and some corn. We want to redo the lawn anyway so I might as well have an in between stage.

What I am feeling now is that there is time. I will work out my costume issues some year. I have had lots of writing ideas that it took me a while to get to. Maybe I will do a rash of spine-chilling stories next year, but there were good things happening this year, and there will be other years.

It was a happy Halloween.