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The other morning Nick woke up and began singing as usual. I am always intrigued as to what he begins to sing. Morning songs have a theme. This time, he didn’t start at the beginning, “Oh think twice, it’s just another day for you and me in paradise. Oh think twice, ’cause it’s just another
Over the last two days, I was reminded that sometimes it takes a while for my grateful heart to reappear after the crisis passes. This week began our annual season of thankfulness and gratitude, followed by the season of love. Each year I love it. Nick enjoys everything about air travel. Tuesday afternoon we were
My perspective concerning what constitutes a crisis can change in a moment. Because of where we live, we are often without electricity for hours at a time. Although this can seem like a hardship to bear, we really are comfortable. Arden has developed a backup-generator system that is automatic. It runs the furnace, many of
Although immortalized in John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” this quote is attributed to Allen Saunders in 1957. It was certainly true in my life last Sunday. I was driving home from a wonderful writing conference. I had spent four days with other writers, attended educational sessions, heard inspirational key-note speakers, and pitched my
Lately my friends are talking to me about trying to reduce my stress. I have been using my own style of stress reducing activities for all of these years, but it seems that the professionals are now saying that sugar can actually cause a stress response in your body. That has not been my experience.
As a consequence of his Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, Nick’s mobility has decreased over time and he has experienced regression of many skills that he worked hard to master. So of course, because of this regression, his personal care needs have increased and sometimes it is hard work for us to do everything for him, especially
Arden and I have a few days to tour around Florence before my conference starts on Wednesday. The weather has been great and both of us had a list of places we wanted to visit over these three days. Sunday we did everything we planned and it was wonderful. We even took a nap in
It is a popular greeting in our culture when we are finishing a conversation with someone else. Take Care of yourself! Often we are sincere but sometimes it is just something that we politely say. This next week, Arden and I are taking this to heart. We are leaving today on a dream trip to
When I was a young mom, I was not naïve; I knew that life has it ups and downs. I expected a Merry-Go-Round, and got a Roller-Coaster. I thought that my life would go up and down, up and down, in gentle expected cycles of highs and lows. I didn’t anticipate the sudden terrifying plunges,
Castle Bridge in Buncrana, County Donegal is impressive. It has stood crossing the Crana River near its mouth for 300 years this year. Brigid Rose Higgins, local Inishowen artist, has captured the solid strength and serene beauty of the bridge in her recent acrylic painting. It is really beautiful. The Buncrana Castle Bridge has an
Announcing that I have finished a book with the working title of “The Fairy Fort.” I am currently pitching it to publishers. Keep checking back to watch the progress of my newest novel.
Here is a quick glimpse of the story.
Sarah Doherty is an 18-year-old living in rural Ireland at the tail end of the Great War. Plagued by severe epilepsy, she is protected by her parents and lives a sheltered, secluded, lonely life. The Fae, local Irish fairies, interfere with her life. She falls forward a century in time through the local fairy fort of standing stones. She had a seizure in 1918 and woke up in 2020. The 21st century world includes life-saving prescriptions, physical comforts and the independence and freedom she seeks. The locals are welcoming and Andy Mclaughlin, a handsome young historian, is intriguing. She doesn’t want to return home.
Then a letter arrives from Boston divulging the story of Sarah and Andy’s lives that are deeply entwined in the previous century. They are not yet in love but as they seek to verify the letter through online resources, they feel a growing obligation to their unborn family and to each other. What would happen to their posterity living in Boston if they don’t return to 1918? Even if they do make it back, her parents can never know what happened to her or that would change everything.
This Young Adult time-travel romance explores the question: Do we have the freedom to make choices or is free will an elaborate illusion?
This is my third book. I love reading time travel romances. I am an advocate for epilepsy awareness because my 43-year-old son has intractable epilepsy. As a genealogist specializing in Irish research, I live part of the year in the village where the story is based. I wrote the book to help young adults understand that difficult situations can change your life. Sometimes miraculously.
