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Do you know all 4 verses of our US national anthem? Nick does. Did you know that there were 4 verses? I think that most people in the US don’t. You can look it up online. I find the messages of each verse to be inspiring. Contrary to current media coverage of the NFL, this blog
It is fun to watch Nick working on Art projects. Some of them are more difficult than he can accomplish without assistance. With other projects he is completely independent, but regardless of the amount of help he needs, when the project is finished, he feels empowered. “I did it. I do Arts and Crafts.” You
Nick is a great example to me. One thing that was obvious from the first time he started physical therapy when he was a year old was that he was willing to try new things. He is open to new experiences and challenges. I often will look at the task at hand and determine in
Some days are hectic and some are relaxing. Each one carries a potential lesson for us. It is up to us to ponder, meditate and discover the lesson. Some of life’s lessons are hard, others are easy. Some lessons are learned through one experience, and others seem to take a lifetime. Quite a few times
We live in a world that honors high achievement. I was raised in a family culture that expected excellence in school, in sports and in my career. There is nothing wrong with working hard to achieve goals. However, if this intense goal-oriented life is accompanied by self-doubt and feelings of not being good enough, then
For the past four months, I have been working on the second draft of the book I am writing about raising Nick. I have such compassion for the young mother that I was. I am astounded at the things that I have been able to do over the years. I am very grateful that I
Just like most everyone I know, my calendar of scheduled appointments gets filled up. Not all of these appointments are work related, some are lunches or dinners with friends. Some of my appointments are self-care and pampering as well. My days are busy. Until something happens with Nick. Then everything changes in a moment. My
Some days for Nick are better than others. His capabilities and capacities seem to be variable. When he is having a good day, we encourage him by letting him be as independent as possible in his self-care. Sometimes if we are in a hurry or forget that he can do a task, he will remind
This past weekend, Nick had a bit of a cold. I was so grateful that he had learned to blow his nose. He was 13 then. Back in the summer of 1993, (that sounds like the beginning of a song!) we took an epic trip to Ireland with our extended family. Arden and I
Yesterday as I was working on my draft rewrite of the book I am writing about being Nick’s mom, I noticed something incredible. Our lives are full of experiences that create opposing emotions. For example, Nick was almost four when Derek was born. The pregnancy was difficult for me, especially the last two months,
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.
