A Few of My Favorite Things

I've been tagged by a couple of people for this meme (thanks guys; you make me feel so popular!). I've been thinking of doing less memes (do y'all really care about my thoughts on me?) but I liked the looks of this one a lot.

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you (thanks guys!)
2. Write down six (or seven) things that make you happy
3. Post these rules
4. Tag six (or seven) others
5. Notify me that you've tagged six others--or that you're not in a happy place right now...


Six (or seven) things that make me happy:

1. Anticipation. In particular as I undergo the query process (it's a bit tortuous, yes, but also cool--submitting means you're not giving up, and it's something of a sweet spot between work and rejection)
2. Blogging. I never thought I'd be that girl, the one who likes blogs, but I am. It's fun. It makes me feel connected in a lonely profession. It constantly challenges me to keep up to date with writing, publishing, and networking with authors.
3. My dog. He loves me SO MUCH! Oh, yeah, and the husband. He loves me, too.
   
4. Plans for the future. Call me an evil genius, but I like to have an idea of what I want to do next. I fear stagnation and inactivity, and I love knowing that there's something coming later.
5. Writing. There is a simple joy in putting words on paper and telling a story that thrills me every time. I'm not one of those people who boldly proclaim "I have to write or I'd be driven crazy by my muse/the voices/etc." because I've never really felt that way, but it is an activity in which I find joy. Hair-ripping, frustrating joy, but joy regardless.
6. Hope. I've been feeling a lot of that lately between ms. revisions and queries on the home front and politics and change on the national front. There just seems to be an extra serving of hope on my table right now, and I'm eating it up.
7. And a bonus #7! Community. Between this blog, reading other blogs, reaching out to people via email, SCBWI, conferences, crit groups, etc., I am really starting to feel as if I am a part of the writing community. And y'all, it is a warm, fuzzy place to be.

I tag...everyone! If you wanna be tagged, then tag! You're it!