It's hard to believe it's December 5th already. Many things have happened since I've written last time. For one thing, I've signed a contract for my story, Light From the Glen, with Red Rose Publishing and it's in edits now. I'm not sure when it will be published, but if the time line is average than maybe about April or May. I've been wanting to tell this story for a while since it takes place in the area where I grew up-in Saratoga Springs, New York. It's a contemporary romance with a bit of suspense. Since the location is unique, I have written something about that beautiful area and a bit about the history of Saratoga Springs.
My hero is a handsome, sexy cardiologist and the heroine is a nurse. They're smarting from disappointing relationships and have their own agendas, but of course their lives will touch each other and unexpected things will occur. Stay tuned for more news about Light From the Glen.

Yesterday, my daughter and I went Christmas shopping. Yes, we're still doing that, even though we realize it's very commercial. But, with three children in the house, I couldn't resist the urge to get presents. You could say, we shopped 'til we dropped. Or almost. We stopped at Red Lobster for a delicious lunch and went to three more stores after that. Today my feet are tired and so am I, but since it's been raining all day, I've had a chance to rest and catch up with some computer stuff.

While we were in Macy's we met a very nice lady who was shopping for a family who needed help. I thought, now there's a lady who knows the true spirit of Christmas. The family she's buying things for has ten children. That's a big stocking to fill and I have a feeling she'll do it.

Don't forget to help out the food banks and other organizations however you can. My favorites this year are St. Jude's and the Humane Society, as well as all the veterans organizations. I can't put a lot in each envelope, but I guess every little bit will help.

And above all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, and whatever you are celebrating, but keep the spirit of giving and loving in your hearts.
Ann

It's November. Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans and thank you for your service.
Yesterday we had a meeting of the Nightingales and quite a few had been in the military. They spoke about their time served.
We've had several days of rain and wind and now the wind has stopped, but we still have rain. The bad weather is north of us now. There were many areas of flooding, but we were fortunate in this town as there was little damage.
I've been working on a story and will tell more in my next blog. It's an exciting time.
I wish all a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

It's been a while since I added anything to the blog. Other things have been taking my attention such as the state of the country and the world. These are confusing times and critical times and yet what can a person do about it? Well, for one thing they can say what they think, whether right or wrong. We have freedom of speech and should use it. We must preserve our freedoms. We've seen our freedom of speech put into action, especially with the healthcare issue, which stirred up thousands of people.
Sometimes I think the world has gone completely crazy and there's nothing we can do about it. But, I'd rather try to be positive in my thinking and believe, have faith that everything will turn out right.
In the meantime daily life goes on. We had a meeting of the romance writers with a very informative speaker from our group and yesterday was a meeting of the Nightingales. It's that time of the year already, when we're going to start thinking about making cookies for the student nurses at the hospital, hoping they're not all on diets.
In the meantime I do some writing with my nurses and doctors as characters. They're fun stories, love stories, with a wee bit of suspense. Each writer in our group has their own style. Some people write historicals, some chick-lit, some more serious stories, some inspirational, some mysteries. I try to read as many as I can and they're all very good. Although a handful will be published, there are many stories to tell. We are fortunate to be able to write, speak, and print what's on our mind. We are so fortunate to have freedom of the press!

REACH FOR THE MOON

This month we had another meeting of the Nightingale's and one of the nurses spoke about her experiences as a travel nurse. It sounded like a wonderful experience, traveling to different areas, not knowing what to expect when she arrived at her destination. Makes me feel I missed something by not trying more areas of nursing, but I guess we end up doing what we have to do, or maybe it's what we're meant to do. I don't have the answers, but if one of my daughter's went into nursing I'd encourage her to try at least several fields. It's an exciting time to be a nurse. It's also an exciting time to be a writer thanks to technology. More ePubs are opening up and some of the older book publishers now have ePubs along with the paper books. Everything is moving very, very fast.

The world has become a smaller place as seen by all the different groups on the internet. Maybe they will help us all to get along better in life and live in peace someday. I joined Twitter recently and was pleasantly surprised to have a "friend" from clear across the world in Japan. Who would have thought that possible fifty years ago? We can hope for the best.
My grandmother used to tell me "Reach for the moon and you'll catch a star." I think of her and of her saying very often.

Nationalized health care? No

I never meant this as a political statement, but somehow we can't avoid that when talking about health. Some time ago I mentioned that one of my grand-daughters was going for all sorts of tests trying to find out what was causing her symptoms of numbness in the hands and feet, sudden backache and pain in the heart region. Test after test proved negative, but she definitely had a physical problem. The neurologist ordered an MRI but the insurance disapproved it. Finally, months later, after much reasoning from the doctor, it was approved. Diagnosis was difficult, but the doctor came to the conclusion she was probably at the beginning stage of MS.
Why I'm mentioning this is because it was so difficult to get the tests needed for the doctor to make a diagnosis. Imagine how it would be with the government having to approve tests. I believe there must be a better way than nationalized government health insurance. The doctors need to use their knowledge to diagnose the problems and cannot do this if they are told by the government what they can and cannot do for tests, which patients are worthy of these tests, etc. And it will take much longer. When I was working as a nurse in the hospital we had many foreign doctors. They came from their countries to escape the socialized medicine. They were not able to make a decent living as a doctor unless they were from prominent families or after many years. They also had to abide by the approved government rules. We, in the U.S. have good medical care as compared to many countries I do believe. We have modern equipment to work with. I don't think this will improve with government control.
I do agree something has to be done about the costs. There are people who just cannot afford the insurance, and not all insurance is that great, but I think I prefer it to government control. We should go over more options. If companies have to pay for everyone to have insurance than it will cause some companies to go under. Not everyone is working. There are problems whichever way you look at it. Medicare is due to have some of their benefits taken away.
There are many things to discuss and it shouldn't be done in an overnight, sign here, package. There are options! They are being discussed.

FOURTH OF JULY, 2009

Yesterday was the birthday of our country and in this part of the U.S. the weather was nice for celebrations. Some people in my family were working since they are in retail or food industries. It seems like they are working all the time, which is a good thing in this economic climate I suppose. I was very happy to have a day when there was quiet in the house so I could write a short story, send it off to a publisher, read a little and watch the spectacular Macy's fireworks. My grand-daughter took her little one to Busch Gardens where they also had some firework celebrations. They both looked beat when they came back and especially the little one. I think that her little legs must get very tired doing all that walking and she's too big for Mommie to carry around. Dad, in retail, had to work and he's the number one barbeque operater here so we didn't have that this year, but it will be another day.
On the serious side of the Fourth, our country has been a refuge for people all over the world who want freedom and a better way of life and for this reason I cannot understand why some people want to tear it apart. Of course we have problems and make mistakes. That's to be expected. No one in this world is perfect. But, when something isn't right, why not work to make it better?
I think we should be proud of our country, proud of the red, white, and blue, defend it from the negative forces who would like to destroy it and protect our freedoms. My husband always said this was the greatest country in the world. He was from Italy and had been to some of the European countries as well as South America, but he never wanted to leave the U.S., not even for a vacation. If people from other countries love the U.S., then shouldn't we love our country, too? I'm very grateful to have been born in a country where I was free to go to school, to read, write, vote, work and yes-blog.
Happy birthday U.S.A.

Memorial Day 2009

We honor our heroes today who have sacrificed their lives to keep us safe and free. We owe them so much.

Today is just about as perfect a day as anyone could hope for. It's sunny, but not hot. Comfortably warm, about 73 degrees, with a gentle breeze. If you close your eyes you might think you're in Hawaii.
It turned out to be quite a busy month of May.
We had a delightful poetry party with our online group, thought up by our one and only party planner, Leigh. She is great, always creative and cheerful. Especially fun were the limericks made up by some of our own talented members. Years ago I used to like to write rhymes and wrote a couple children's stories in verse. Also had a couple published in poetry books.
Mother's Day at my house was a barbeque. My grand-daughter's husband is the official barbeque griller. Family get togethers-that's what are important. We've had too many crowded restaurants on the holidays and want to give them a rest.
Besides those events, the Nightingales had a very interesting meeting and heard about cadet nursing in the 40's, by a nurse who trained through them. She had pictures and even kept her cap. We all agreed the uniforms of the cadets were very nice looking. They must have been a great help to the military.
Next on the agenda is my grandson's graduation from college. We're all very proud of him. He's going on for a combination Masters/Doctorate in chemistry. Wow!
Well, back to work.

Nurses Week and Mother's Day

Nurses week is almost here and soon after is Mother's Day. It seems to me they have much in common. They both are about caring , protecting and about hard work. A friend of mine and I would celebrate Nurses Week by going out to lunch together. One year her husband bought us both small corsages to wear on our dresses. I thought that was very nice of him. He often showed his appreciation for his wife and that was nice to see. That girl had a lot of sadness in her life, but I'm trying to remember the good times, mostly the times in nursing school.
Speaking of sadness, I went to a funeral a few days ago, of a nineteen year old boy. His mother also is a nurse. I keep thinking no-one should have to die at nineteen. What a tragedy for the parents, the siblings, and the friends. I didn't really know the boy, but I knew a couple of his brothers and wanted to pay my respects by attending the funeral. When tragedy hits others it does remind us of what we have in life, what is important. It's not all the money or things we can accumulate, but the loved ones here with us now. The Irish had it right when they celebrated the person's life in the Irish wake.
My friend is no longer here with us to celebrate Nurses Week, nor is her husband, but I'll celebrate it without her and think of her and all the other nurses I've known in my lifetime, then I'll celebrate Mother's Day and think of my mother and all the other mothers I've known in my lifetime. I hope everyone will take time to celebrate the lives of their mothers and of any nurses they know.

New life

Spring is in full bloom here in Virginia. Daffodils and tulips adorn the front of houses and along the roadsides. Virginia is beautiful in the spring. The redbud bushes and flowering trees are planted along many highways making it almost a pleasure to drive for miles and miles. Spring and the flowers bring new life to the world.

Soon Easter will be here and it's time to begin to color eggs, find something nice to wear on Easter day, to go to church, have Easter dinner with your familes and celebrate the day.

Easter in the Christian religion is the celebration of when Christ rose from the dead and the Easter egg has become a symbol of new life all over the world. It is interesting to read about the way different nations use the egg to celebrate Easter. Some countries paint the eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ, some have very elaborate painting. Most people in the U.S. color the eggs solid colors and might decorate them with pictures or various designs. It's a memorable thing for parents and their children to do together. Our family, like many others,
fixed Easter baskets with colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and pretty
ribbons. Children learn from traditions and hopefully keep them alive.

The Shamrock

The shamrock has been used to symbolize Irish pride. The three leaves of the shamrock, it is said, was used in St. Patrick's time, to symbolize the Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as three persons in one Godhead. This is at the core of the Christian religion.
Being partly Irish by heritage, I find Irish history interesting. I read recently that St. Patrick was captured and enslaved as a young boy and taken to Ireland to tend the sheep. Eventually he made his way back home, but later in life, as a priest, came to Ireland to preach Christianity and convert the Pagans.
The Irish have many sayings, blessings, poems, authors and have given much to the world. They have long been known as having famous authors. A few are: James Joyce, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, and on and on. More recently there are the Irish dancers on tour and singing groups. Angela's Ashes is a book that people of Irish heritage should like to read.
Many of the settlers in NYC became policemen and firemen and many lives were saved by these brave men and women.
As you wear your green, eat your corned beef (or Irish bacon), and cabbage, drink the green beer and watch the parades, find something to read about Ireland and the Irish in America.

What is love?

When I was a young teenager I asked my mother how I would know when I fell in love. Her answer wasn't very helpful as I remember. She told me I would know. Well, I didn't. There was always a question in my mind. Was it love? Was it infatuation? A crush? Some sort of obsession?

Science has studied love and attraction and come to some conclusions as to why a certain person might be more appealing to the opposite sex, etc. Psychologists talk about the father and mother complexes. Astrologers see it in the stars.
But what is love? And what sort of love? Certainly there is the love of a mother or father for their child. Love of humanity. Love of nature. But I'm talking about the love between man and woman. And is it really love or is it a mating game?
And why doesn't it always last?

I'm sure there are many stories around how someone knew he/she was in love.
If anyone wants to tell a story, you can comment here.
Happy Valentine's Day. Ann

I am privileged

Today I feel privileged to have witnessed a great historic event in the history of our United States, the inaugeration of the first black president. Regardless of our political standing, this day will go down in history. I was the daughter of a southern mother and northern father, neither of whom were very politically minded. I grew up in the north. When I was a little older I saw a few things that shocked me and never forgot them. I was very happy to hear our new president emphasize the need to be one united nation.
I was also privileged to have been born toward the tail end of the depression years, hear about days gone by in the old south, about the rise of Hitler, about unions and then World War 11. There were some terrible times in history, but I feel privileged to have been around to hear first hand about them. There was industry moving south and then to Mexico, competition from foreign countries, wars and skirmishes, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam and most recent the problems in the Middle East. I feel privileged to have been around for parts of history that we would like to have been erased. I have been privileged to have known very fine people and read wonderful books. If I'm very, very lucky I'll be around to write about some of the things I
can remember. Most of all, though, I'm privileged to be an American.

New beginnings

Well, the holidays are over and people are beginning to get back to their usual ways of life. Some are still dieting, others have given that up. I never promised myself to stay on a diet because I know how terrible I am at that, but I did decide to try to eat sensibly. That means less sweets, generally.

I had a wonderful beginning to the new year. I received a check for a short story I wrote called "Cooling Off the Fireworks." It's published in the new Love Stories Magazine. Right now the magazine is by subscription, but soon will be on the stands. I'm wishing it lots of luck. I like writing short stories, but most of what I've written is not about love, but other topics. I have written a few about nursing subjects, sold two of them and would like to try to sell more if I could find a place to send them. I hope short stories comes back as a popular form of publication. I remember my mother spent many an hour reading short stories from women's magazines. I used to like Redbook Magazine with all its stories and it was a great place to try to sell what you've written. Other women's magazines used to sell more short stories, also. With today's economic problems, it's anyone's guess what's to happen.

Well, have to get busy catching up after the weekend. I'm going over a story I wrote.