Christmas? What Christmas?

Where did Christmas go? Yesterday, I was looking for pressies to give to relatives. Today, I’m wondering what exciting thing to give my loved one for Valentine’s Day.

I know it is a sign of getting older when the days race by. As a child, a day took a week, a week a month, and a year was so far off I couldn’t remember it. Now, as each days passes, it vanishes like an hour. The whole phenomenon in reverse, as a week becomes a day, and a month a week, and a year? Feels like yesterday.
 
So, am I going to sit and watch my life flit by like a concertina? The hell I am. This year, resolutions ignored. I’m doing more than ever. So far I’ve booked over 23 events with 5 local organisers, and am considering not two, (my usual amount) but five Comicon events in 2023. Okay, I might not do all of them due to expenses of hotel, travel etc, but I’ve already booked the South-East Collectors and Gaming convention in October at Ardingly showground.
 
Comicon-wise I’m defo going to Wyntercon, but also maybe Portsmouth, Birmingham and Bournemouth. I’m looking at Fantasycon 2023 too. Fantasycon rarely comes out of the USA. The last time it came to the UK and I went was 2014 I hadn’t published anything then. I met Terry Pratchett, Robin Hobb ran a writing session, and Brian Aldiss kissed me on the cheek. (Yes, I have washed it since.) Just gutted I didn’t have one of his books with me. I met and made some fabulous friends that weekend, some of whom I’m still in contact with today. I’d love to go again this year, with six novels under my belt, I feel more bonefide as an author.
 
In addition, Book wise, Chicken Wizard half-way complete. Shea Pingle and the Swarm written and waiting to begin illustrations. Between Worlds proceeding slowly and Mustard and Marmalade Daushund Dog Detectives is hassling me. Sackful of Dragons is on the back burner whilst I get the picture books out in preparation for the summer shows.