Book Update and What I’m Reading and Tweeting

First of all, could someone please remind me that I should never try to submit a manuscript for a new book on January 3? I’m pretty sure my deadline for A Good and Perfect Gift was December 30th, 2010, and then I went and agreed to submit Small Talk today. The bad news is I got really stressed out about getting it done, though the stress only peaked on two days so it wasn’t miserable. The good news is: I have hit “send” on an email with 29 chapters and 57,000-ish words attached.

Meanwhile, I’m reading The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway (inspired by reading The Paris Wife). Didn’t love it the first time I tried. Don’t love it now. I just picked up C.S. Lewis’ Letters to Children, which is delightful, as well as Love and Salt, another book of letters, though this one is between two friends.

And I’m really excited by the books my kids received for Christmas: Pippi Longstocking, The Indian in the Cupboard, Owls in the Family, The Boxcar Children, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, among other treasures.

Incidentally, I’ve decided that my new year really begins with Epiphany, celebrated on Monday, January 6th. So I’ll be writing then about some New Year’s resolution thoughts. If you’re looking for some of that right now, check out Ellen Painter Dollar’s Unmeasurable Resolutions or Rachel Marie Stone’s There Really Is No Such Thing as a New Year.

As for articles I’ve been reading:

Faith-related (or Christmas isn’t over yet…):

“2 interesting religious questions that will probably face Americans for many Christmases to come.” nyti.ms/1cY6eaq@DouthatNYT

NORAD Tracks #Santa‘s Path on #Christmas Eve Because of a Typo @TheAtlantic ow.ly/s3OxC

#Angels We Ignore on High http://ow.ly/s99ON @Tish_H_Warren@CT_women #Heaven

“God gave us wine to remember, not to forget” How do#Christians #drink “responsibly?” http://ow.ly/s9cu0 @CT_women#alcohol

 And Disability-related

 Rolling the Dice on Race Day http://ow.ly/s9eSS@PatheosMuslim #inclusion #autism #InclusiveRacing

Messy stories: #Disabilities and the #choices parents makehttp://ow.ly/s9hCO @EllenPDollar #parenting

Ever wonder what it means to be a #Christian with a #disability?ow.ly/s3OCO #CerebralPalsy

 #TBT Touching video from #2013 http://ow.ly/s9kR0 #Throwback

What are you reading or thinking about this week?