What do reading and vegetables have in common?

Since it's already mid-January, I thought I'd engage in that tried and true thing you do every January - make Resolutions. I often don't. I often just get down a list of goals, and I do have some writing goals - get The Bitter End (Book #2 in the Em Ridge series) finished and edited and covered and out there for sale. And Maybe write a couple more short stories. 

Last year I resoluted that if I didn't sell Night Watch to a traditional publisher, I would become an author/publisher and do it myself. That happened, and in October I put it up for sale myself.

But, enough of that. I want to write about resolutions and not ordinary work-related goals. So here they are:

My resolutions - 

1. Read 30 books
2. Eat 200 different kinds of veggies

#1. I have always read. Whenever I finish one book, I'm rather at sixes and sevens until I find another one to dig into. But, with all of that, I've never really kept track of how many I read in a year. It could very well be more than 30. (I'll know that come next fall.)

I've been a Goodreads member for a few years now, and I find it a wonderful place to keep track of my reading. It's also a great place to find book recommendations and meet like-minded readers. So, when I saw that Goodreads was putting forth a 2015 Reading Challenge. I decided to sign up.

There's still time, if any of you want to follow along and be my 'friend.' Here's the link to my own Goodreads' page. 

Days after I got busy with Goodreads, a friend emailed me that she had signed up for The Savvy Reader 50 books in one year challenge. It looks quite interesting as well, and on top of that - it's Canadian.

Almost two weeks into January and so far I've read The Shell Collector by Hugh Howey, and I've just about finished We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. There are a couple of books on my TBR list right now, and very soon I'll have to decide which to download first -  My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante or My Memories of a Future Life by Roz Morris. Both have piqued my interest, So, much reading ahead of me for 2015.

A bit of an aside - If you're an author I have a speech for you. You need to read. A lot. You need to carve out an hour or so each day to read. It's the only way your writing will improve. Speech ended.

#2. I've never been a great lover of veggies. There. I said it. I'm out of the closet. But veggies are good for you. Everyone says that. I can't find one single website that says veggies are meh and not particularly needed in the human diet. (And believe me, I've looked.)

I'm a writer and writers never retire. I plan to keep writing books for as long as I have the stamina and the brain power. Therefore, I need to eat good food. Over the past couple of years I've done a pretty good job of eschewing processed crap, and embracing grass fed meat,  organic dairy and fruit and fish and free range eggs. And veggies, sort of. I buy all these wonderful organic veggies and store them in my fridge crisper until they turn into compost.

About a week ago I was listening to a health podcast and the doctor being interviewed said that her resolution this year was to eat 200 different kinds of vegetables. She went on about how every single one has a different nutrient to offer our bodies. Something tweaked in me and I decided it was time for me to do the same.

So, I made myself a little list on my Simplenote app, and I'm adding them one by one as I consume said food products.

And yes, I'm fully aware that the picture to the left is apples, cheese and meat - my old favorite snack food. In the future that will be broccoli and cucumbers and cheese. 

Okay friends. If you have good veggie recipes, I'm in need.