Full disclosure: I have to admit taking a week to breathe, away from writing and social media, was truly a gift. I’m so glad I gave it to myself.

Having finally written the ending to my next novel … even though we all know novels are never really *finished* … it was time to re-focus on all those other parts of my life that I felt had been just a tad neglected recently.

I spent a lot of time having leisurely chats and lunches with friends and family, golfing, hosting a dinner party, catching up on blogs, watching fabulous tennis from the ATP tour (the French Open, from Paris, is on right now, OF COURSE, I’m watching!!!) taking in the spring concert and amazing art exhibit at the school our 11 and 13-year-old granddaughters attend, and spending the weekend with The Adorables (our two youngest grandchildren, ages 3 and 4) while their parents had a wee break. My “Huh … ???” moment on the weekend was when Kate, only recently turned 3, asked, “Nana, am I your BFF?”  I didn’t think Dora The Explorer talked about stuff like that!

I also went to see “Cavalia’s ODYSSEO” with my DH, one of our wonderful daughters and her equally wonderful husband and our granddaughters mentioned above. It was spectacular! Cirque Du Soleil with horses and remarkable special effects! Take a look at the video in this link. If the show comes to your area, be sure to catch it.

AND I READ! Talk about joy and bliss! Books, magazines, newspapers, words written by other people. It was wonderful to read without feeling pressed to get back to my writing. In the past six months, it has become increasingly difficult to focus on anything but my own words … self-absorbed would be an apt description. *hanging head at the memory*

Writers do what they do for the love of it, there is no simpler explanation. Unfortunately, along with meeting our writing goals come challenges, research, deadlines and before long the task takes over our life. The additional demands of social media … well, let’s not even get into that here … Kate MacNicol recently shared a fabulous post about that issue.

It’s often difficult to find the balance between your writing/professional/day-job life, whatever it is you do,  and everything else. The good news is that most of us recognize this and do take steps to make amends at some point. If you feel your life has been unbalanced lately, take a tip from me and give yourself the same gift I did. Take a week to breathe … you’ll be glad you did.

Before I dive back into editing, revising, getting published and also working on a new exciting project with fellow author Susan Sommers (more on that coming soon…), I also have a couple of overdue *thank you* words to mention.

Thank you to Indie Reader Discovery Awards 2012 for making The Bridge Club a Finalist in the General Fiction category and to the National Indie Excellence Awards for 2012 where The Bridge Club was a Finalist in the Women’s Issues category.

Several weeks ago, writer/blogger Emmie Mears very kindly bestowed upon me The Beautiful Blogger award and I kept putting off acknowledging this honour because I was waiting until I had enough time to fill out the requirements. I’m supposed to tell you seven things you don’t already know about me … and I will … just not now. I do want to thank Emmie and encourage you to read her always thought-provoking, informative and entertaining blog. She is young, talented, hard-working, and full of hopes and dreams which I know she is going to make come true. I have a lot of time for Emmie.

I’m also sending a belated thank you to writer/blogger Lesann Berry  who awarded me the Smart Cookie Biscuit designation. I’m not sure how she knew but I suspect this award has something to do with the number of cookies I’d been eating while I was writing! So thanks, Lesann, and I want you to know I have now cut sugar out of my diet. Honest! Don’t miss her posts. Check out this poster from her blog. This will tell you precisely the type of person she is. Awesome.

The list I could give you of amazing bloggers simply boggles my mind and I’m determined to make more of an effort to share those names each week. Watch for them and feel free to share your own links. Many of them are on my Blog Roll in the left column here, just a click away!

Do you ever give yourself the gift of a break from your job, routines, and demands? What works for you? You know we all want to hear about it and you might just encourage someone else to do the same.