Christie's Life List

This TV season, Ellen DeGeneres's talk show will focus on "life lists" which are nothing more than an itemization of things you still want to accomplish. They don't have to be scary--just things that you want to be sure to do. I thought sharing four of mine might tell you more about me.

1. Make my living writing books.
Yeah, I already do that, but it's something I have to work at every day. And hey, even though I've been published for over a decade, I don't have the vet credentials of Christine, Maureen, and Susan. To date, I've sold over 25 books to Silhouette, Harlequin, and Avon Books. I write contemporary romance, California style. To me, that means warm and sexy, funny yet emotional.

2. Live in a tropical place.
Okay, I reside in San Diego and I've never lived more than a dozen miles from a beach. But I loooove warm water, and the Pacific Ocean is chilly around here! I love vacationing in Mexico and Hawaii and someday I'd like to actually live in a place--not just visit--that has sand and warm water.

3. Learn to play bridge.
I've been procrastinating on this one. I have friends who want to learn too, and my husband kinda knows how to play. But I have a guess as to why I'm stalling. You see, it used to be that I thought I was quite a good card player. Then I met my husband. Then I had these two sons who seem to have inherited his skills. When I play them, I never win. Of course, maybe that's because every time we sit around a table with a new (to me) game, there invariably comes a moment when they say, "Oh, um, we forgot to tell you this part..." and then they proceed to decimate me. Do you think they do this on purpose?

4. Own beautiful home decorations for each holiday.
I love my home and I love decorating for holidays! But somehow or other I have ended up with some quite tacky items that my kids have become so attached to that it's not Halloween without Mom putting on the front door the life-size Frankenstein head that growls when you get nearby. My good friend has beautiful glass pumpkins she sets out for Halloween...I have The Head.

But I confess... Last spring I bought on sale an inflatable 12-foot tall Thanksgiving turkey. Does this say "woman willing to give up tackiness" to you?

What's on your life list? Share the first thing that comes to mind. Remember, it doesn't have to be anything scary--like ownership of a 12-foot, butt-ugly plastic turkey.