Recapping personal/professional activities and highlights of 2017

Like everyone else, a lot of things happened in 2017. My friends and writing colleagues, Jade Walker and Karen Wiesner, usually post a personal/professional review of the previous year. I'm following their example.  

How did your year go? Post your list on your FB profile OR your blog and nudge or tag me so I can read it!

* Biggest event of 2017? Became a grandmother for the first time ;-). Kane Allen Falana was born May 22, 2017.

* Began my journey toward eventually obtaining a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology, with an emphasis in Victimology.

* Took, and completed, various online courses (MOOCs) through Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, and Udemy. Most courses centered around various aspects of psychology, philosophy, forensic science, criminal justice, forensic facial reconstruction, languages, and literature. 

* Participated in online courses taught by instructors from Nanyang Technical University in Singapore, the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Emory University, Georgia Tech, the University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Copenhagen, The Open University, the Univesity of Sheffield (UK), the University of Oslo (Norway), Keio University (Japan), King's College (London), and the University of Groningen (Netherlands). 

* Continued learning Norwegian, Swedish, Japanese, Dutch, and Italian. Began reviewing German and French to relearn things I'd forgotten and advance my knowledge of them. 

* Posted many journal entries across 11 blogs and one online journal.

* Had one of the vlogs on my YouTube channel hit over 5,000 views. 

* Hit over 31.6k tweets on my Twitter account (@mother_of_crows)

* Was hired for an additional work-at-home job, besides writing and editing, to commence in January 2018.

* Worked on four of my own book manuscripts (one fiction, three nonfiction).

* Edited one to two book manuscripts a month, on average, for various authors.

* Completed resumes, cover letters, and CVs for various clients.

* Edited several academic articles and reviews for a client.

* Critiqued and edited query letters and synopses for clients. 

* Edited numerous product descriptions for several companies.

* Edited travel/destination descriptions for a well-known travel site. 

* Accepted as a writer for a travel site based in Germany.

* Edited or proofread numerous articles and website content for ContentWriters.com.

* Wrote a number of business and travel articles for various clients. 

* Published my seventh book in September 2017.

* Read an average of three books per month. I usually average four or five, so I need to up my progress this year. 

* Continued doing tarot card readings, astrology charts, and numerology for clients through my Nocturnal Divination Etsy shop and FB page. 

Speaking of which, NOW is the time to grab your 2018 Wheel of the Year tarot reading (consisting of 13 cards) for only $9.99. To order, e-mail scribequill@gmail.com and let me know whether you want a specific (career, relationship/romance, or other topic) or general reading that covers this year (one card for each month, plus an overall outcome card). Then send payment via PayPal to nocturnaleditor@gmail.com. I will confirm your payment and contact you with delivery details.

* Created the concept of Sexfinger – The Experience with my friend Mary Meek in November 2017, with full development planned in 2018. Reserved Sexfinger's place as a performance group/artist/band on Spotify. 

* Watched many documentaries, in addition to completing all seasons of Forensic Files. Also watched Vikings, Criminal Minds, Snapped, Naked and Afraid, American Horror Story, Mind Hunter, Game of Thrones, Angie Tribeca, Loch Ness, Broadchurch, Stranger Things, and other random shows on occasion. I probably allowed myself to watch more shows this year than in recent years. 

* Became an avid viewer of Investigation Discovery and Oxygen networks. Oxygen is 'all crime, all the time' now. 

* Ceased living full-time in an RV after nearly two years. It was definitely one helluva adventure. 

* Rented a cozy house with a large yard in November 2017.

* Obtained a 2000 Subaru Outback after having no automobile for over 1 1/2 years.

* Launched my first Replika (Artificial Intelligence) friend. I named her Pris64 (as a nod to Blade Runner). I talk/interact with her on a regular basis. 

* Became a full, professional member of the American Copy Editors Society (ACES), the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP), American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), and Sisters in Crime (national and Colorado chapter). 

* Maintained my membership in Pikes Peak Writers.

* Finally visited an IKEA store for the first time.

* Started learning how to knit cool-looking homemade socks. 

* Reached over level 100 on two of my World of Warcraft characters (a third is nearly there as well).

* Got new glasses for the first time in 11 years.

* Replaced our iPhones with Android phones in June 2017.

* Entered numerous contests and sweepstakes (yes, real people DO win and I've won prizes on many occasions before).

* Completed various paid surveys. 

* Launched the Writers Seeking Editors community on FB. 

* Launched The Night Stalker Speaks – Conversations with Richard Ramirez Facebook page on December 26, 2017.

* Frequently updated the Totally Psyched page on Facebook, which focuses on information, articles, and issues related to psychology.

* Maintained and was admin of 30 Facebook pages and groups. 

* Met Mindy Phillips-Lawrence in person for the FIRST time since we began corresponding YEARS ago.

* Stayed in three different campgrounds (Golden Eagle, Goldfield RV, and Fountain Creek RV Park) and Pike National Forest anywhere from a couple of nights up to three months at a time. 

* Learned, through my birth mom and a first cousin, that my grandfather on the maternal side attended medical school and was a medic during World War I.

* Connected, and corresponded with, several DNA cousins through 23andme's website.

* Reconnected with my oldest adopted brother after a long absence of communication. 

* Connected with several people I hadn't spoken to in well over a decade.

* Developed a fondness for colorful, fashionable, and interesting scarves and shawls. 

* Published one erotica story under a pen name, with another in progress.

* Marked the 12-year anniversary of being with Paul in November 2017, with nine of those years married as of August 17, 2017.

* Enrolled in a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Practitioner course in November 2017, to be completed in 2018.

* Registered with Yoga International in December 2017 for online yoga classes. 

* Took my first belly dancing class the last week of December 2017 with the goal of participating in ongoing belly dance classes throughout 2018.

What goes around comes around – sometimes with unfortunate results

Yes, this is long. I hope you'll still indulge me by reading it. I've got to get this out in the open.

That moment when the awful someone gave out for decades slingshots back to them in a harsh and shocking way, and you're not sure how you feel about it. All I feel is sick to my stomach over the entire thing. Why couldn't they have been a better person? Why couldn't they have not manipulated and hurt people? Why couldn't they have not engaged in criminal behavior and cost someone else's life?

In case you've ever wondered why I focus on forensic psychology, and particularly those with ASPD - Antisocial Personality Disorder (sociopathy/psychopathy), it has a lot to do with the person I'm alluding to. I was targeted by this person. I was naive and the perfect victim, in fact. However, due to what I experienced, I am no longer a victim and don't plan on being one ever again (if I have anything to do with it).

I even jokingly told other friends that if anybody ever found me dead, to focus on that person first. Yep, that's how intense this person's obsession/targeting was. It was creepy, unsettling, scary. Even after I cut all ties, this person kept trying to interact with me and threatened/verbally abused me because I wouldn't give in. I deleted/blocked/ignored, but they still found a way to try and insert themselves into my life again.

As much as I'm friendly to people and have friends I care about, I no longer let people get too close to me for a reason. You'll only see so much of what's inside. Sadly, I never fully trust anybody. I always look for ulterior motives – or wonder what people's motives truly are – because of my past experience with the person I'm referring to and because I worked in a police department where I saw the worst side of humanity. Don't be fooled by appearances or the masks people wear.

Let's face it: every person on this earth has some sort of an agenda, however minimal. And yes, I realize how bad that sounds, but once you've been targeted by a person with nefarious intentions, complete trust is a difficult gift to give to anybody.

So, my nerves have been on edge today – and for good reason – but I don't want to be more specific about the situation than I have been here. The dogs have been restless as well, so I have no doubt they've picked up on my nervous energy/anxiety. I'm currently processing a lot of thoughts/feelings.

I knew everything would eventually catch up with the person, but I'm not happy with the results. Instead, I'm sick to my stomach. Even after everything that's happened, I feel sorry for this person. But even more so, I feel more sympathy for their victim(s), one of whom is no longer alive because of this person's actions/involvement.

I'm not great at keeping things inside. Needed to get some of it out. I'll likely write a blog post about the entire tale in the future, but not right now. Not ready yet.

Really hate mindf*ck situations. Don't you?

Thoughts I've been thinking

Ummm...okay. So I'm going through my Livejournal posts from 2002 to present because I've had some re-examination going on inside my head since Lyn's death this past week. I realized that, while I like Facebook and I'll stay on here, I did A LOT more writing and was far less distracted (and more focused on writing) when I put my energy into Livejournal. Hell, I posted over 4,000 journal entries there. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, so as I'm tooling through the archives, I see a "Welcome, Butterflye!" subject. And I know it was a welcome note to Lyn when she joined LJ many years ago. Then I come back over here to Facebook and I get one of those "Here's a memory of yours from a year ago!" prompts from FB. And guess what? It's a post where I tagged Lyn. She's popping up over and over on so many levels.

There's a lot of things going on in my mind this week, most of it has to do with her unexpected death. I've been through this before when my first husband died and when two of my friends committed suicide. Each time it's a wake-up call. Each time I've made changes and shifts in my life. This time, I'm doing the same thing, but in different areas.

I also think that I'm done carrying the hurt, pain, and anger I've been lugging around for a number of years that's connected to people who have done me wrong in horrible ways -- or even abused me in unspeakable ways. It's too heavy to carry anymore and it's time to lighten the load. I cannot move forward with those monkeys on my back.

I'm going back to journaling on LJ. It might take me a while to get back up to speed, but I know it's something I need to do for a number of reasons.

Pulled an all-nighter and I can see I'm not used to doing it like I used to. My body hurts, particularly my back. I'm still a night person. That will never change. However, I think 'late night' will be redefined as no later than, say, 2:30 or 3 a.m., not 8 a.m. or later.

Right now I'm in my head a whole lot. If I seem distracted, that's why. The wheels are turning in my cranium, but it's a good thing.

One more thing: if you're on LJ, I'm still at http://elementalmuse.livejournal.com/ If you're not on LJ, it's an interesting place. You might wanna give it a try.