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The holidays can be stressful and this year has been full of difficult situations for everyone. I believe that the Bible has messages that are valid for us today. Consider 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 8 – 10. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9
Nick is continually teaching me. Often his perception is profoundly different than mine. I learn these lessons if I am 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
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
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
In the early 1980’s there was a dessert place in Seattle, that had the marketing slogan, “Eat Dessert First, Life Is Uncertain!” Arden and I adopted this as a family motto. Circumstances always remind us that life is uncertain. It is important to find enjoyment in life and don’t put off things that you want
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
Sometimes lyrics will stick in my head and roll around there for days at a time. It is as if they are my specific mantras for a little while. Recently it has been John Michael Montgomery’s song released in 1992, “Life’s a dance you learn as you go. Don’t worry about what you don’t know.”
We all get the chance to choose. Most often the opportunity to provide service to someone else is not convenient. Typically I have had something else planned when my awareness is shifted and I notice that I might be able to help someone. To be honest, sometimes I have not chosen to help. I have
Nick is a big fan of the Seattle Seahawks. He loves watching them play football. He sometimes disagrees with the refs and will yell at the TV if he thinks that the pass was really incomplete. Some times you might think that he is not paying attention, but he is following the game very closely.
Today we had our semi-annual visit with Nick’s neurologist at Swedish. His name is Dr. Doherty. We think that he is awesome, and not only just because of his name. I was thinking today as we left his office how grateful I am for medical professionals who are very competent in their profession, and are very
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.
