As I look back at 2007, I am so grateful for a wonderful year. There were several marvelous events with all my children, my health was good, and I participated in just enough and not too many speaking events. In 2007, my oldest and beloved sister/friend Anna, whom I have known and loved since we were fifteen years old in St.Thomas, visited me from Michigan. Her husband, Sam, was kind enough to drive her. It was marvelous being with her, and we had a splendid visit. Then my dear friend, who moved from Asheville to Memphis, TN visited me. That was a treasured visit. I consider myself blessed to have such caring friends.

I have been invited and am honored to particpate in The Best of Our State, a yearly event of OUR STATE MAGAZINE, North Carolinas fine travel, history, and culture publication. I will join a series of speakers on art, science, history, sports, and humor at a July 4th week end at The Pinehurst resort and will be speaking at 3:00 p.m. on July 5th.

On April 8th, I will be speaking at a Red hat Luncheon in Knoxville TN. Details of both these events will soon be on the schedule page of my web site joanmedlicott.com.

People ask when another ladies novel will be out. Book #8 will be published by Pocket Books sometime this year. I do not know when or the title as yet. Check my web site at joanmedlicott.com periodically. I will have it on there as soon as I know.

I am working on a 9th ladies novel in which Grace, Bob, and Amelia visit Egypt. Hannah just couldn't make it. This is fun! As someone with a long standing interest in ancient Egypt, I am enjoying writing this. And, there is another holiday ladies novel started. So I have a full plate. I have cut way back on going to events and do not travel alone any longer. My dear friend and fellow author Celia Miles, author of that wonderful book, Sarranda, travels with me. We never go far from home as we drive. Check my schedule page every now and then.

Many of us are unhappy when others don't do or say what we think they ought to do or say. We marry thinking on some deep level, even if we don't verbalize it, that we're going to change the other person. We expect our parents, in laws, friends, children to BE a certain way, to treat us a certain way, and when they don't we are hurt, or angry, or resentful and this feeling can build with time..be carried on-- It's called gunnysacking.

We expect family members or friends to do things this way or treat us this way. If she's a real friend, she'd drop what she's got going and come when I need her. Sometimes, that's possible. What if the friend can't come? Do we say, "when I asked her, I knew she might not be able to do this," or do I nurse a grudge and say,"To heck with her. I don't need her. And here's a biggie! She or he ought to know what I want without my asking or telling and do it. Now, that's really laying on expectations, wouldn't you say? We get mad and build up resentments. But, if we're lucky we learned over time that our unhappiness, our frustration has much to with our expectations of others. The truth is we're not going to change this man, woman, parent, child, whomever. Do you want to change who you are? One definition of happiness is to come to terms with this reality and give up expecting things of others. That's hard to do! We have a million excuses. But, I do this for him, he should, and so forth. I gave and gave to my kids, the least they could do is come home for Christmas or remember my birthday on my birthday and not weeks later. When we stop trying to make him or her be or do what we want them to be, do, say and stop expecting certain behaviors, attitudes, etc, something changes inside of us and guess what? We're free. The weight of having to be right, or having to have it done or said our way is over. The struggle is done and all because, you, me, we decide to drop our expectations of others and to simply say, this is who they are and live with this and go on with your lives in peace. The results can be amazing.

I am making a change with this newsletter. I will be sending it out every other month for a while. This is January and February's letter. The next will come to you in March for March and April. I am sorry, but I am swamped with writing. It's astonishing how much time writing consumes. An author spends huge amounts of time using the thesaurus and editing and reediting their work before it ever gets to his or her agent. I hope you will understand. Thank you. Again, may this be a blessed and healthy year for you and may you be surrounded by love.