one year later...

Last year on November 22, I blogged about the 10 things I try not to take for granted. Guess what, not much has changed...including the fact that I still don't have a maid. Seriously, what is up with that?

So today, for the first time in a long time, I plotted with my writing partner, Maria Geraci (who's book THE BOYFRIEND OF THE MONTH CLUB will hit the shelves December 7...and you should totally pre-order it NOW!) Anyway, this morning I actually worked on a book idea that I've been playing with for a year and a half but haven't written much on thanks to the foggy haze of divorce that was surrounding me.

Which means, I'm adding a couple of new things to my thankful list. Because apparently I took my creative juices for granted...and I never plan to let that happen ever again.

1. I'm thankful for my imagination
2. Thank all that's holy (and possibly all that's unholy) for Maria Geraci
3. Thanks for my 'Nistas who listened to my whiny emails and supported me even though I was acting like I was the only person who had ever been foggy and sad.
4. And for my agent Deidre and editor Kristin for their patience and understanding while I took the long road back to my creativity. :)

Now, let's all go eat some pie!

Mel Francis: The 10 things I try not to take for granted

We celebrate Thanksgiving here in America this week. All over Facebook and the blogosphere people are posting the things they're thankful for like family, job, friends, kids, spouse, etc. And while I agree that those are important things to be thankful for, I also think they can go without saying. Because seriously, if we have a job (whether we like it or not) we're thankful for it in this economy. Even if our families are totally tool sheds, there is at least one person in our family that we're thankful for. And would we even have friends if we didn't appreciate them? Exactly.

So here's my list of 10 things that I take for granted but am truly thankful I have in my life:

1. Music: a day without music is a day not lived
   
2. My computer (not just for being able to stay in daily contact with my friends in other states, but for also providing me a creative outlet on a daily basis)
3. My legs so I can walk: I walk about 20-25 miles a week. It started out as exercise and has turned into a necessity
4. Rivers, lakes, oceans, etc: Water is a calming force for me which is one reason I walk along the banks of the Arkansas River so often.
5. My pets--especially my sweet faced pug Ruby: yes I just picked a favorite. Get over it.
6. The health of my family: this one isn't so weird, but it is something I know I've always taken for granted in the past.
   
7. The fact that we FINALLY sold our house in Oxford after almost 2 years on the market.
8. My sense of humor: if you don't find me funny, that's okay. I'm only trying to entertain myself anyway.
   
9. Four-leaf clovers: I find them and they make me smile.
   
10. The maid: Oh wait...that is the one thing I'm thankful for in the future...if you looked in my kitchen right now, you'd definitely know Alice ran off with Sam.

So what are some of the things you take for granted but would really miss if they were taken away?

Thank Heavens for My Portable Life

This week we've been talking about what we are thankful for. And just yesterday my bff Roxy said to me "what the heck is in that bag?" Know what? I'm not just thankful for big, roomy bags. I'm thankful for the massive, gigantic piles of crap I can cram into them. I LOVE my bag and all that it contains. And for this I give thanks. Here's why.

From my Rosetti of New York Hobo bag I can most likely launch a military invasion of Canada from Au Bon Pain or Starbucks. Now, I have nothing against Canada. I'm just saying they should be nice to me. Because I have a computer (upon which I am typing) with wifi.

I also have a small computer accessory bag in which I have included a usb connector, two jump drives, an SD card with 8mb of memory, a small wireless mouse, a spare phone charger for my cell phone, and the plug to the computer.

Should I be confused about directions, the future, the past, or anything else I can always pop out my mini tarot deck for a quick reading. This also doubles as a way to make a living if I end up trapped behind enemy lines or something. Hey, I've done it before.

I also have another matching bag in which I have tweezers, clippers, a nail file, band aids, antibiotic cream, baby aspirin, a safety pin, q-tips, lip balm, mineral powder makeup, and tums.

If you are wondering where the photos came from, I have a small digital camera and another flip camera for taking video shots. It connects directly to the computer, so I could be filming you or taking your still life right now. The video camera is very small and only take an hour of video without an SD card... oh yeah, I have one.

No, I'm not James Bond. I'm not QUITE that cool, but I am close. And if I have to prove my identity or simply share my awesomeness with the world I have two very nice business card holders. One has my personal business cards; the second has my pen name and writing info on it. For going incognito.

Bored? I have a Nintendo DS Light with both Solitaire Explosion and Assassin's Creed. You never know when you need to brush up your card skills OR practice killing people. The pink is just a smoke screen. I'm not licensed to kill but don't be fooled. I can be pretty dangerous.

I am, however, pretty blind. So I need my glasses. Also I have sunglasses. And a pad and pen in case a brilliant plot comes to me out of the clear blue sky. So I can jot down notes, then boot up my computer, and write the great American novel. Out of my purse. Just sayin'.

In case I need to fund my secret mission I keep my wallet, with credit cards and money and change, along with my lottery tickets handy. You never know when you may need a few million dollars. Secret missions get pricey.

And yeah, I have my own sound track. So my Mp3 player is fully charged and ready to go, tucked into one of my outside pockets. It's all crammed full of my action hero / novel writer tunes plus The Chipmunks and Television's Greatest themes, plus lots of other ultra cool sounds. It's an 8mb ZenV. LOVE IT.

Just in case things get tough I have oxygen. Canned. Shaken, not stirred. My man unit loves me so much he buys me the flavored kind. This is "polar rush," which tastes kind of like blue Gatorade. I prefer Mandarin Splash, but I'm out. Not crazy about Tropical Twist, which tastes like a musty pina colada. But the Fresh Mint is nice. Yeah... even when I wheeze and cough... I'm cool.

What else is in here? Gum, Juicy Couture Perfume travel size, matching lotion, extra pens, sweetnlow packets, notecards, a few paperclips, all manner of items that somebody like me, or-- say, McGeyver-- could find use for.

For all of this I am immeasurably thankful. My sack of tricks allows me to be a completely portable person, able to do pretty much anything from anywhere. So... I challenge you, readers. What'cha packin'?