The other morning we were stopped at a traffic light and Nick exclaimed, “Look mom, that man fall down.” Just as Nick said that, Arden and I both saw an older gentleman fall to the sidewalk while having a tonic-clonic seizure. Commonly called a Grand Mal seizure, they are recognized by a sudden drop to
Sometimes when the days seem hard, I seek music that will help move me through those dark times. I am grateful for the many songs that combine insightful lyrics with talented vocalists. The song writers and performers are able to express my feelings and help me remember what is important. One line of Celine Dion’s
Sometimes I have wished that kids came with an instruction manual. This is especially true when raising a child with special needs. Most parenting books are designed to help parents gain the skills and expertise needed to raise healthy, well adjusted children. Parents of kids with special needs desire that same thing, but the message
Since, as my kids point out, I have lived in seven decades, I have plenty of life to look back on and I wonder what my life would have been like if I had made different decisions. Growing older, the poem “The Road Not Taken” takes on more significance for me. It is the famous
Music is very important to Nick and often he wakes up singing. Today it was Alabama’s hit “Angels Among Us.” Some of the lyrics are circling my mind long after he had moved onto the next song. “Oh, I believe there are Angels Among Us. Sent down to us from somewhere up above. They come
We follow an Irish girl vocal group called the Henry Girls. They sing a poignant ballad called “How Do You Know?” The main question posed by the lyrics is: How can you tell if an event or a situation is good luck or bad luck? Sometimes we are quick to judge that we are experiencing
We are in Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, Ireland. For some it would be the trip of a lifetime, but since we come here a couple of times a year, the trip doesn’t have that same sense of the unknown. Don’t get me wrong, we love it here. We meet with our friends and relations. It is
I see examples of bravery all around me. A friend fighting cancer again, others watching loved ones go through difficult things. Loved ones have passed away or lost their homes to terrible fires. I wonder in my heart – Could I face that? Could I have the grace and strength that they exhibit? I really
Creating every-day routines helps with shouldering the burden of care-giving. We have found that using timing devices and lists to complete complicated medication time schedules, and having customary procedures for bathing, hygiene, as well as dressing and food preparation help us more easily complete the daily tasks required to care for Nick. It can all
Sometimes Nick says the funniest things, and the most poignant too. For the past few weeks, we have learning how to make better food choices for the three of us. We have been reading books and consulting with certified dieticians and nutritionists, as well as Nick’s group of doctors. Arden and I have been focusing
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.
