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It is no secret that Nick loves airplanes. Everything about airplanes and airports. It is his passion and his hobby. He even tells us that he needs them. As expected, the day we travel is a red-letter day, clearly marked on the calendar on his wall. But so is “Final Packing Day.” Nick has termed
I haven’t believed in the Serenity prayer for as long as I can remember. Oh, it was fine for others, those who weren’t as stubborn as me. I have always believed that if I tried hard enough, long enough, persevered through the hard times, I could accomplish whatever I wanted to. After all, that is
Nick has had a hard few weeks. He experienced two tough days of seizures and then it took him about four days to recover. For the past week, he has been getting used to the new seizure med. He says, “I am much better.” We really hope so. For dinner, we decided to give Nick
Everyone experiences hard things. I have reached a point when I say “I can’t do this.” According to the American Psychological Association, resilience gives us the emotional strength to successfully adapt to difficult or challenging life experiences. Resilience is a person’s ability to withstand adversity, bounce back and grow despite life’s downturns. I have wondered,
Last week Nick spent over a day enduring an extended seizure episode. It was
grueling and exhausting and scary all at the same time.
I have known for over 40 years now that Nick has special needs. Throughout that time, I have loved him, encouraged him, supported him, fought for him so he could get the services and therapies that he needed. I understand what he is capable of and I know what is unrealistic expectations. Most of the
18 months ago I walked into a hotel in Orlando wondering if it would make a difference. It was the night before the 5th Lennox Gastaut Syndrome Foundation International Conference was starting and I had been invited to meet some of the other attendees ahead of the event. I usually shy away from meeting perfect
Sometimes I have wished that kids came with an instruction manual. This is especially true when raising a child with special needs. Most parenting books are designed to help parents gain the skills and expertise needed to raise healthy, well adjusted children. Parents of kids with special needs desire that same thing, but the message
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
Recently I was told that the definition of “hypervigilance” is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect activity. It may bring about a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion. The doctors explained to me that this was part of what I have
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.
