Cathy C. Hall Writes

Yeah, that’s a blanket in my office chair. And I’m wearing a sweatshirt. Also, the space heater is running below AND Libs is squinched up next to me. It’s THAT cold.

I know it’s a LOT colder in a lot of places in the world, that people are dealing with blizzards and ice and below-freezing temperatures. And I’m not complaining that it’s been pretty darn cold here in my corner of Georgia; I’m just saying that when it gets cold like this, in GEORGIA, for cryin’ out loud, I don’t go out. Well, I go out but mostly when I need supplies.

So I’ve had a LOT of time indoors since January 1st. And when one spends a LOT of time indoors, one tends to notice the sorts of things one ignores when one is gallivantin’. To wit, cobwebs in the corners, stains on the carpet, junk spilling out of drawers…it’s enough to make one want to brave the cold. But instead, I’ve knuckled down and tossed and scrubbed and vacuumed (with that attachment that reaches the recesses of corners).

And I have to say, all that cleaning has reaped benefits (besides the obvious lack of cobwebs and dust and clutter in the house). When I clean, my brain goes into a different zone and I’ve been finding LOTS of ideas amongst the messiness of my life. I explain it way better over at the Muffin in “Ideas Are All Around You” so I hope you’ll take a look.

I also hope that if you’re somewhere cold and stuck indoors that you have plenty of heat! And after heat, I hope you find lots of ideas while waiting for the thaw. And lastly, I hope you have sense enough to write down all your great ideas.

Because I might’ve found lots of great ideas, but I have no idea where I put ’em.

Happy New Year, y’all! I hope 2019 started with all things wonderful for you and yours! I know lots of people choose a word for the year, but I’m not very good at choosing a word. I felt like I needed a good handful of words to get me through 365 days and so, after some long thinking (that looked suspiciously like a long nap), I chose peace, love, and joy.

Yay! Exactly what I need for 2019! But then I thought there was something very familiar about those words. I mean, besides the fact that I still had Christmas cards hanging about and peace, love, and joy are big themes of the season. So I decided to get a cuppa and think upon it.

There’s a shelf above my sink where I keep my coffee cups (and why do we call mugs “coffee cups” or “coffee mugs” but a more delicate cup, the one that comes with a saucer, a “teacup”? I only drink tea and I drink it out of the coffee mugs. Mister Man only drank coffee but he was just as likely to drink his coffee from a teacup. Is a puzzlement.)

Anyway, when I reached for a cup, here’s what I saw:

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Hahahahhaaaa! My favorite tea mug! I guess as long as I don’t break that cup, I won’t forget my words for 2019.

And honestly, I needed those words, when a few days into the new year, I received an email that…well, you can read for yourself over at the Muffin in “The Value of a Professional.”

I feel like I have LOTS more to say about the value of a professional so I hope you’ll all give it a read and then come back in a day or so (or possibly six) when I expound on that topic. Meanwhile, in spreading a little joy, I have an update about my friend, Sonia, and her book, Finding Joy in Giving Back to God that I shared with you here back in early December.

41Uy077Uf1L._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_ Sonia has not only sold her first batch of books, but several more batches (and I’m getting ready to order 50 more books for her)! A pastor from another church contacted her, asking her to speak to a group of parishioners, and so this weekend, she’ll have her very first speaking engagement (which is why I need to order more books!). She asked if she could share my Muffin post “A Christmas (Publishing) Miracle” and of course I said sure and brought her a copy of the post this morning.

Oh, my, that Sonia is a force to be reckoned with! Almost every day, she has news or questions or I-don’t-know-what-all, but mostly, she’s just full of joy. Not because of her accomplishment–though I think she still can’t believe how far the book has come–but because she’s helping so many people in different ways. That would make anyone joyful!

And her joy brings me joy. That’s the way it works with joy and with peace and love, now that I think about it. I can’t imagine a better way to start a new year, can you?