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Some days for Nick are better than others. His capabilities and capacities seem to be variable. When he is having a good day, we encourage him by letting him be as independent as possible in his self-care. Sometimes if we are in a hurry or forget that he can do a task, he will remind
Yesterday as I was working on my draft rewrite of the book I am writing about being Nick’s mom, I noticed something incredible. Our lives are full of experiences that create opposing emotions. For example, Nick was almost four when Derek was born. The pregnancy was difficult for me, especially the last two months,
This blog I wrote is in response to queries I have received. The answer is YES you can travel. However some pre-planning and organization can help make the trip more relaxing. Planning Your Trip: Familiarize yourself with where you are going. There are websites and blogs about most major cities. How accessible is the
Most of the time, Nick is very sweet and compliant. However, he is human and there are times his behavior is not correct and I get frustrated at him. Even angry. As soon as he notices that I am upset, he immediately apologizes. “I sorry, mom,” he says, “I sorry, ok?” This is quickly followed
If you ask Nick, today is the best day of the year. It is even better than Christmas or Easter, or anything. It is his birthday. Born in 1979, he is 38 today. Each year, he is so excited as he anticipates the arrival of the 19th of August. There are so many facts and
Nick woke up today asking, “what day is it?” And before we could answer him, he yelled out, “It’s Blue Friday, Game Day.” Nick loves football and especially the Seahawks playing football. He knows that football season is over each year in February with the Super Bowl and starts up again with the pre-season games
25 years ago we purchased our log home in Carnation from our friends Allen and Leonie Hunt. They are visiting with us this weekend. We remarked how both families have been blessed by our friendship. When we bought their house, we inherited their friends too. That has been a great blessing to us. Allen and
Today I took Nick to his day program. He calls it school. The name really is Bridge of Promise and the program is based here in Carnation, WA. Nick loves it. They go on field trips and do group activities in the school room. There are students, teachers and volunteers involved in the program. This morning,
We took Nick out to the Malin Hotel to see his favorite singer, Shunie Crampsey. Nick is typically predictable. Some of this is his autistic behaviors, some is his determination. When we go out in Ireland, he likes a specific beverage that he only orders in Ireland – blackcurrant syrup with white lemonade in a
Nick will speak his mind. His speech is not always understood by others and often we become his translators. He also isn’t always aware of expected cultural social behavior. Sometimes this turns out to be funny, sometimes it is not so funny. In any case we all get to decide how to respond to his
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.
