Tomorrow I am presenting at the MIRCI (Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement) conference in Florence, Italy. Today as I reviewed my notes and slides for the presentation titled, “Empowering Mothers of Special Needs Children,” I revisited some of the memories and experiences of my 38-year journey of being Nick’s mom. I am grateful
Arden and I have a few days to tour around Florence before my conference starts on Wednesday. The weather has been great and both of us had a list of places we wanted to visit over these three days. Sunday we did everything we planned and it was wonderful. We even took a nap in
Today was our 41st wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful day, exploring and learning new things. We had made arrangements for a special evening, dinner and a concert. After dinner we were waiting to go into the church about 45 minutes ahead of when the concert was going to start. Just in front of us,
Arden and I were traveling for 19 hours from the time we left our home in Carnation to when we finally were able to rest at our hotel in Florence Italy. We were exhausted and excited to finally be at our destination. The journey can be daunting. Some people recently confided to me that they wished they
It is a popular greeting in our culture when we are finishing a conversation with someone else. Take Care of yourself! Often we are sincere but sometimes it is just something that we politely say. This next week, Arden and I are taking this to heart. We are leaving today on a dream trip to
When I was a young mom, I was not naïve; I knew that life has it ups and downs. I expected a Merry-Go-Round, and got a Roller-Coaster. I thought that my life would go up and down, up and down, in gentle expected cycles of highs and lows. I didn’t anticipate the sudden terrifying plunges,
We have all heard the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The warning is to not make quick judgements about people. If we don’t dig beneath the surface, we can underestimate them, which also means we can undervalue them. At first glance, in a public setting, Nick is an adult male, typically
One of the biggest lessons I have learned from taking Nick in his wheelchair with us wherever we go is to ask for help from others. A few weeks ago we went to Portland Oregon to see the new Cirque du Soleil show titled Crystal. It was amazing by the way. We had never been
Nick lives in the moment. Yes he can have anxiety about future events, but he doesn’t spend his time strategizing to create certain outcomes in his life. He either enjoys or tolerates what is currently happening. Sometimes he does ask, “What’s next?” But that is usually after he’s finished dinner and he’s wondering what his
I received another life lesson in perspective from Nick. You might remember that almost two years ago, he negotiated with his dad and I to receive $20 a week from us. Well the past couple of weeks have been hectic in the Gremmert household and I forgot to give him his money. The other afternoon,
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.
