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.
Nick loves birthdays, especially his own. To him, it is the best day of the year. Last year on this day, the eve of Nick’s birthday, I had a huge paradigm shift. For years, in spite of my usual positive proactive approach to caring for Nick, that one day each year was a dark and
I have heard many variations of this same idea. The original quote in 1956 by Walter Hagen was, “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” Regardless of the type of flower, the idea is to take the time to notice the
When Nick was young, his physical therapist recommended that we build him a sandbox. She said that the tactile experience would be good for him. I liked the idea of him being able to do something that other kids did. The sandbox became a place where he played side by side with other children in
Recently we visited with a local bookseller here in Ireland that is selling my book, “A Cottage in Donegal.” Even though I self-published the book back in 2011, it still creates lots of interest. While we were talking about book sales, Nick kept interrupting our conversation saying, “I want a book. About airplanes.” I looked
I have heard this African proverb quoted many times. It is so popular now that we can just say, “it takes a village” and others will understand that we are talking about community, cooperation and group responsibility. This past week we experienced this. We had friends staying with us at our home in Donegal and as
The beaches here in Ireland are unbelievable. The sand is soft, the scenery is breathtaking and the water is clear and sparkling. When the sun shines, that is. We have friends visiting with us right now and Tuesday was the day to spend at the beach. Nick has always loved being near the shoreline. Sitting
Arden and I are back in Ireland with Nick after a year gap. Nick is mostly staying in the house while one of us does the shopping and runs the errands. Since Nick is not out much, people are asking about him. I never really know how to answer this question. Oh it should be
Nick is constantly my teacher. I want to share another valuable lesson he has taught me. Years ago, we noticed that whenever something bad had happened, Nick would say, “Oh well.” It might be when the stack he was creating fell over, or even when he himself fell over. It might be when I was feeding
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.
