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Years ago, when Nick was still in high school, he began noticing social conversations more and more and wanted to participate. Often after dinner, someone in our family would say, “did you hear the one about…” which would indicate that the story telling amateur comedy hour had begun with everyone seated around our dining room table. Nick would
We love to laugh. Arden is a great one for coming up with puns or changing the words to popular songs which makes us all either laugh or groan. Everyone in our family thinks that they are a comedian, even Nick. It took Nick a while to gain the language skills to be able to share
Nick and other people like him can teach us profound lessons, if we are aware and paying attention. One of the easiest things to notice about Nick is that he finds joy in simple pleasures. He loves it when people are laughing. He loves to hug others and receive hugs. He loves to blow bubbles.
We got some great news today. After reviewing new x-rays, the doctor said that Nick’s ankle is healed up and he can retire his walking air cast. I thought that Nick would show more excitement when he heard the news. I think that the doctor wondered if Nick understood what was happening. We took the
We love traveling to Ireland. Our first family trip to Ireland was in 1986. We had our 4 children between ages 8 and 3 for two weeks in the local area where my grandparents had emigrated from. 4400 miles from home. It was magical. Having the experience of learning first hand about our cultural heritage is amazing. We
Singer/Songwriter Billy Joel wrote a song entitled, “Honesty.” The words make me sad, he said that “everyone is so untrue.” Well I have to say that not everyone is untrue. My son Nick is completely honest, even when it might be more comfortable to not be. He doesn’t have a social filter and he will answer questions
Nick’s first 4th of July was life changing. He was 10 1/2 months old in 1980 and although he didn’t cry all the time like he had as an infant, he spent most of his waking hours just looking around. He didn’t really seem to respond to any outside stimuli. We had been living in Tacoma for
Over the years, Arden and I have often heard the comment, “I don’t know how you guys do it. I couldn’t do it.” I believe the secret to our success in caring for our Nick all these years, is that God has placed people in our life that have given us support and love. Some
You might not know it, but today was National Wheelchair day. What do you think of when you see someone in a wheelchair? Does it cross your mind to think of the freedom that chair gives the person? I am very grateful to whoever it was that invented the wheelchair. It has made our life
Nick loves to work. He is always asking if he can help get pans out when we are cooking, or get the dishes out of the dishwasher or putting wood in our fireplace. He also has a formal job, with a job coach. He shreds papers in an office for a few hours each week. 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.
