We have all had those days. They start out great, amazing in fact. And then somewhere in the middle, a crisis rears its ugly head. Sometimes we are caught completely unawares and other times we know “the particular event” is coming. Well that happened to Nick on Sunday afternoon. To remind you of the timeline,
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
If you ask my cousin in Ireland how he is doing, the reply often is “Keeping the bright side out.” He explained this to me as when he is under pressure, he finds is easier to smile through the day, while working on keeping his thoughts moving toward the brighter side too. It is a
Over the years, Arden and I have tried to discover things that will make caring for Nick easier both for us as well as easier for him. Some ideas have worked out and others we have scrapped. Sometimes we are brainstorming and planning for awhile and other times, the light turns on and a solution
On Sunday afternoon we visited Strokestown House and the Irish National Famine Museum in Co. Sligo, Ireland. It was a unique and memorable experience. The weather was fantastic, but the warmest part was the wonderful treatment we received from the guides and staff at the site. Strokestown House is a Georgian Palladian mansion preserved with
In Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, Ireland, there is a large 767 airplane in a field. It is part of the Quirky Glamping Village. As you know, Nick loves planes and we were told we had to see it. He thought it was very funny. Over the weekend, we heard many stories about the man who envisioned
I am in Galway, alone. Oh, I am with friends. However, I am not with Nick. He and Arden are up in Donegal and I will join them on Monday. This weekend I am presenting at a conference on Mothering at Galway University. My talk is entitled, “The Unexpected Mothering Story. When the story doesn’t
In the fall of 2010, Nick’s seizures were out of control. Our epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy) was looking for all sorts of solutions including the usual medicine changes. Some of the factors used to manage epilepsy can include controlling his environment, eating or restricting certain foods, following a strict medicine schedule and
During our trip to Ireland last fall Nick had a seizure while Arden was bringing him down the stairs. Because someone was with him as always, he wasn’t injured, but we felt that it was a warning. We determined that we needed to make some changes to our home here. We needed to think outside
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.
