T.P.R.

How were your holidays?

2011-01-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

How did you spend your holidays? It was a busy time in our house and especially nice that all the children were there. My grandson was home from college. My grand-daughter, who lives in Phila. was here and the rest of the family was here. Some of their friends dropped by also, which made it a very special time. I love the holidays.
In our house, it seems like there is something to celebrate every month. There is either a holiday or someone has a birthday. I feel especially blessed to have so many people around.
It's unfortunate that my husband didn't live long enough to be surrounded by all the children. He loved children and they all seemed to take a liking to him. I often told him that I thought he should have been a pediatrician. We'd go to the store and children in line would befriend him as though he was their grandfather. I think they realized that he liked them, too.
Which makes me think of heart disease. It's so prevalent in the U.S. We do work very hard here and have wonderful hospitals and research, but there is a long way to go. If you are anything like me, then you received many requests for money for this and that during the holiday season. Hopefully, it will go to the right places and people will give.
That's all for now.

Quick and easy Quiche

2010-12-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Everyone's in a hurry during the holidays and this little recipe can help.

Quiche:

1/4 lb. bacon
1/4 lb. Swiss cheese
2 C. milk
1 heaping cup bisquick
4 eggs
Pinch salt and pepper
minced onion

Crumble bacon into greased pie pan. Break up cheese into pieces and layer in pan.
Put ingredients in a blender for one minute and pour into pan over the bacon and cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 1 to 1 and 1/4 hours. Cool.

Merry Christmas

Adirondack Mountain area

2010-09-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Pictures of some animals found in the Adirondack mountains. The picture below is Lake Placid, I believe. In the background of the top picture you can see White Face Mountain. There are many lakes in the area and this became a place for treatment of tuberculosis. The air is cooler, dryer and less polluted than in the cities where tuberculosis became prevalent.
Please excuse the picture taking.

2010-09-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Edward Trudeau, M.D. was a physician from NYC in the late 1800s who was affected by a death from Tuberculosis of a close relative. Tuberculosis was a major cause of death at the time. He had heard of a M.D. in Europe who was using fresh air to help cure his patients and so he decided to open up a practice in the Saranac Lake area to treat this disease.

People rented out their homes and cottages around the lake and patients were placed in glass enclosed porches where they were given lots of fresh air, sunshine, and good nourishment. When author, Robert Louis Stevenson came down with T.B. he rented a cottage in Saranac and Doctor Trudeau was his physician. He did improve and left the cold climate, which he hated. I have read that today they are not sure if he had T.B. or something else, like bronchiectasis, but at that time I believe there was no question.

Today the Trudeau Institute is still in the Saranac area and does research on not only Tuberculosis, but other respiratory illnesses. We were fortunate to happen upon the institute while driving near the lake.

The cottage where Stevenson lived, wrote, and was treated for tuberculosis (shown in previous blog) is now a museum holding some of the author's belongings and books.

When driving to Saranac Lake you can see many little cottages that were used for the treatment of tuberculosis at that time. They were called "cure cottages." I was told that people could be seen walking around with masks over their faces and there were strict rules about wearing them and about spitting. This form of treatment did "cure" many people and was used until the discovery of Streptomycin.

Robert Louis Stevenson

2010-09-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

While on a trip to the Saranac Lake, Lake Placid area a few years back, I came across a small frame house that had been made into a museum for author, Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote such endearing stories as Treasure Island, A Child's Garden of Verses, Kidnapped and the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Mr. Stevenson had spent some time at this place when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The Saranac area was a well known place to treat tuberculosis at the time, before the modern medications.

It was told to us, by the owner of the museum, that he did not like the cold weather and could not wait to go visit his friend in Tahiti, the famous artist, Gauguin.

There was some dispute, at the time we visited here, whether his things should be allowed to stay here or put into a more modern and apparently safer place in another building in the town, so this place might not exist any longer. But, wherever his things are stored, it is worthwhile to go see it as some of his original books were among them.

New England

2010-09-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

The weather is gradually cooling off as September progresses and today was a New England sort of day. There was a beautiful, fresh breeze. My daughters and I ended up eating at a favorite place that has become very popular since its opening and has an attached outdoor cafe/porch .
Long ago I wrote a little poem (well, kinda) about New England. Here it is:

New England Village

Annabelle Ambrosio

Twinkling lights distant

Surrounded by greenery

How proudly hold your heads

For all to see.

Above you rests a sky of blue,

All clean, and clear, and

grandly new.

Awake in me my vital breath,

So I may catch your glory left.

Of years gone by,

America great,

The land on which our

Forfathers spake.

Fill my lungs so I may give

Life to those who after me may live.

Speaking of New England, I've been watching some CDs of Murder She Wrote. They were wonderful t.v. shows of Jessica Fletcher, the mystery writer who resided in Cabot Cove. They are a real classic.

Bye for now.

Mirror Image Twins

2010-09-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

I've recently finished and sent in for consideration a story where the hero is a mirror image twin. The mirror image twin occurs in about 25% of the twin cases. They are identical twins, where the DNA is the same, but there may be some small differences, such as left handed and right handedness. This occurs because the split in the fertilized egg came late, usually about nine to twelve days.
The reason I became interested in this was because I once saw someone who looked so much like someone I knew I could hardly believe it was not the same person. However, it was not the same person and in the back of my mind I thought they must have been twins. This sparked an idea for a story and so I began to put it together. Ideas are all around us and now I have another one I'm working on. Have to get busy.

2010-09-11T05:42:00.000-07:00

9-11. Today, the nation hangs its head in prayer. Years ago I wrote a little poem that I felt at the time and would like to share it with you.

Free

Annabelle Ambrosio

As I lay beneath my oak tree,

And gazed into the sky,

How peaceful was my home life,

No troubles, thought I.

The nails held down my shutters,

The chimney worked all right,

All was "peace" and secure,

Through the stillness of the night.

Then along came my neighbor,

And warned me of a plight,

"They're chewing beneath your foundation,

Working quietly with all their might."

The sounds, the signs, were only foolishness,

I told him with triumph,

No great threat to my fine home,

Of love, and peace, and warmth.

I could not be bothered to look for them,

Or protect my foundation more,

For the windows were down,

The glass was clean,

And I had shut the door.

So today I lie here gazing,

Beneath my old oak tree,

Out toward my shaky timbers,

My home that was "Brave and Free."

And I wonder why I hadn't seen them,

Hadn't heard their cries,

As they were chewing my foundation,

Beneath my very eyes.

The Drawing Board of Life

2010-09-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

Transitions and backstory. Transitions in a story should be smooth and backstories should be filtered in gradually, to make for easy reading. How much of life can we say is a smooth transition? We hurry here and there, seldom thinking of how we go from one thing to another. If we have been trained well while growing up or are pragmatic by nature, we might have every bit of our lives planned out, preferably on paper. The backstories of our lives, hopefully, are where they're supposed to be-in the background. But, as in a story, a little bit filters in today, a little tomorrow. The pieces of our background affect the stories of our lives, like the imaginary characters we have written. The background of our characters make them who they are. The more they are planned out, the easier it is to write the story. I usually begin a story with an idea, then work on the characters. I have only done a real outline of two stories I've written, but suprisingly found they were the easiest to write in the long run.
The children here were excited to go back to school and see their friends again. They had new haircuts, new shoes, clothes, washed and pressed, baths taken the night before and they fell asleep early. Up and eager to go in the morning. Now, after a couple days, they stayed awake longer the night before and woke up with more difficulty. It took longer to get dressed and out of the door. What happened to the transitions? They weren't smooth. And maybe we need to go over the backstory .

Happy birthday, America

2010-07-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, America. The fireworks were spectacular and it made me think that this country will always have a spirit unlike no other. We're made up of tough, strong survivors from all over the world who looked for a better life. We might lose some battles, but we'll never lose the war.

PREPARATION

2010-05-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, while at Lowe's, I thought I'd pick up a hummingbird feeder and let the children see the beauty in these small birds, if we could attract some. I remember, as a child, having seen hummingbirds quite often, but haven't seen any in years. They are so tiny that it's possible I thought they were large bees. Now I know nothing about hummingbirds, but made a mixture of sugar and water, having some long ago memory of this for the nectar. Today I finally looked up a website on hummingbirds and now know that I need a one to three part mixture of sugar and water. I also learned how to clean the feeder and how often. Then I went on to look up the flowers that would attract them. Next on the list is a small flower garden.
Like everything else, it's preparation. It takes so many years to go through school, to write a book, to gather information, but mostly to learn, learn, learn. And we are fortunate to have the resources available. Let's hope we will always have free libraries, the internet and all available sources.
For some great pictures of hummingbirds, look for Terry's Place.
That's all for now.

2010-04-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've been working on something about the area where I grew up to go onto Terry's Place blog sometime this month. Please visit http://terryodell.blogspot.com

TPR

2010-04-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Time runs along quickly and the weather has changed to beautifully warm. The flowers are out here in Virginia and people are out doors, walking, jogging, and driving. I see a big increase in traffic lately. More and more people are moving here to this delightful state and to our lovely town. Soon we'll be finding lots of places to swim outside and the children will be on summer vacation. Busch Gardens has changed hands, but probably not much has changed about the place otherwise. Water Country is another popular place in the summer. There are many new restaurants and some new entertainment.
The one complaint I have is that life goes too fast. There is not enough time to do all the things a person would like to do and stress shows up on everyone who is overextended. We're overextended in time and in money. We need to take a break and just enjoy nature and enjoy life and family.
Tomorrow is Easter. How did this happen so quickly? I don't know, but I'm taking some time to relax this year and smell the flowers. I hope everyone else does the same. This summer take a day to enjoy the pool or the beach, read a book, go to dinner with friends and family. These are the things that help to unwind us and bring us together. What are we all rushing around for anyway?
Bye for now. Happy Easter. Enjoy!

January 2010

2010-01-15T23:44:00.000-08:00

December was a very busy month, with 15 people for Christmas dinner. It's fun having lots of people around and of course the children are the center of the festivities. It's always a beautiful time of the year with many fond memories.

Here it is in January already and we have to get used to writing a new year. 2010. Doesn't seem possible so much time has gone by.

Tragic earthquake in Haiti the other day has killed thousands of people. Of course our country and other countries sent in people and supplies to help, but it will take a very long time to clear up things. Looking at the pictures on t.v. you ask yourself how can it be? Doesn't seem real. It's just unbelieveable. Thoughts of 9-11 return to haunt me. Those poor people have had so much tragedy in their lives already. Contributions flooded in from all over to many organizations that are helping. It is difficult getting supplies to many areas due to the damage and the many streets broken up and clogged with debris.

On a more cheerful light, yesterday we had another meeting of the Nightingales. We did not have a speaker, but talking among ourselves and getting acquainted was nice. We had thirty people, which was a very good turnout. I think this very young organization will begin to want to do more to help others. It's the nature of nurses to want to help, especially in an emergency situation such as the earthquake in Haiti.

Edits are done on the story I sold and information for the artist, blurbs, etc. were done. Can hardly wait to see how it will turn out.
While I'm waiting I'm trying to catch up on a few things and think about another story. I'm going over one I wrote and am planning on writing a couple new ones. One, a sequel and the other something entirely different.
Until the next time. Ann

2009-12-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-09-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-02-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

The season and the spirit

2008-12-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas will soon be here. The lights are on the tree and outside around the door. Christmas music plays on some of the radio stations, displays are in the stores.
There was much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. Most of the family was together and that's what made me most thankful. My grand-daughter was home from India, safe and sound one month before that terrible event. We have much to be thankful for in this country.
Christmas was always my favorite time of year. The good wishes around the town, the cheerfulness of friends and family. The spirit of giving and wondering just what would be the right gift for someone and giving to your favorite charity. This year I sent for the DVD of the Christmas show at Rockefeller Center. I was fortunate enough to go there many years ago and see the Christmas show. I'll never forget it or the rockettes. It truly is spectacular. I wish everyone would have an opportunity to go there someday.
Yesterday the writing group I belong to had its Christmas/Holiday party. It was so nice to be together with them. They are a great group of people and we all had a wonderful time. The people in charge worked very hard to have things perfect.
I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Ann

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween and soon the little goblins will be coming to the door asking for treats. Thankfully, people don't seem to mess up things as much as they did years ago by soaping windows, cars, wrapping trees in toilet paper, etc. Halloween parties are the way to go.
The little ones look cute and enjoy the thought they are scaring someone. Don't forget to tell them not to eat anything from their bag of treats until they get it home to the adults in the family so they can check it out to make sure it's safe.
I've noticed there are so many people walking on the sides of the road lately in dark colored clothes. Please tell them to carry a light and try to find some article of clothing that is light in color or have a fluorescent patch, or something that will show up easily with the headlights of oncoming cars.
Above all, have fun. Life is to be lived.

Cookie anyone?

2008-10-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've been spending the morning making cookies. That seems like a strange thing to do as a nurse, but that's what's happening. We have an organization here, in Williamsburg, called The Nightengale's. Appropriate for a bunch of retired nurses, and there are quite a few. Once a year we make cookies for the student nurses at the local hospital. I remember when I was a student nurse how some homemade food was so tasty and hope the students, here, like the ones I made.
Student nurses are a blessing. They are so caring and comforting. They want to do everything perfectly. What would we do without them? I remember when my mother was a patient in the hospital. She was in a coma for three months. Those were the days when the hospitals sometimes kept patients for long periods of time. The students would come in and care for my mother and they were so gentle and nice to her. I loved the students.
I have written a story about student nurses, which takes place in the 1950s. It took me a year to complete this story and that was in 1995. It is around 90,000 words long. I was going to try to publish it myself, but the cost is very high. Now I've decided to try to get it published. I know that will be difficult, but I have a reason to want it published. There were certain differences between the 50s and now and I wanted people to be able to see some of this in the context of a fiction story.
Well, got to go check on the brownies that are in the oven. Decided to add them to the bunch of cookies. Just about everyone I know likes brownies.
Bye for now.

The Joy of Writing

2008-10-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

The kids are all home and so are the adults so it's too noisy to think straight. The world was on the brink of disaster it seems, a bill was passed and everyone is holding their breath. Not many people are looking to see how much money they have lost, but optimistically are counting on it coming back.
So, what do you do when things seem to be beyond your control?
I began to think of what, besides publication, is good about writing?
The old saying, "it keeps you out of trouble" would be one thing.
Preventing early Alzheimers would be another. Flexibility of the hands and fingers. I've been fortunate not to have arthritis, but know people who are plagued by this unfortunate condition and it's not pleasant. It gives you a space in the house you can call your own. It's that little cave you can crawl into when you feel the need. It's a great outlet for your creativity. One thing I think is great about writing is that it gives you a very good excuse to travel. It gives you mail if you get the submission back. You might have friends or organizations of other writers. Most of all, though, it gives you hope and joy. You're doing what you love most.
And that's the joy of writing.

Strength

2008-08-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

When I heard that a woman was chosen to be the Republican running mate and that she hunted moose I knew someone with a great deal of guts had been chosen. Moose are very big and if provoked I believe they can do a lot of damage. See the picture of the moose in a previous blog. Three cheers for women.
Another group of people with a great deal of strength are writers. It takes guts to tell the world what you think and to send in stories and have them rejected. And even more strength to send them in again.
Three cheers for writers.

2008-08-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

There's something about palm trees that puts you into an island mood. It makes you want to lie in the sun, shade your eyes and listen to the ocean. It's a good time to take along a book, preferably written by a romance writer. To get back to the medical reference, there were two doctors aboard our ship. We didn't meet them since we stayed healthy, thankfully. One or two people were sick when we first left and they were using alcohol wipes and telling everyone to wash their hands. Apparenly they were just sea sick because no one else was sick during the trip to my knowledge. In the story I'm editing now there is a scene that takes place at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg and I thought it was interesting to find out that they do have two nurses there at the First Aid Station. I imagine they keep busy since there are so many people who go through Busch each year.

2008-08-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda. The water is so clear you can see the bottom and the waves are just high enough to be fun. The color of the water is turquoise with darker shades probably where it's deeper or there is something like seaweed, reefs or rock. Lighter areas can be seen where there are sandbars. The sun is very hot and you need to use plenty of sunblock. On the far side of the beach are rock.

2008-08-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is the ship that took my family and myself to Bermuda from Norfolk, the Royal Carribean. It was my first cruise and I must say it was delightful. Everything was well organized from beginning to the end. The entertainment was good, the food was terrific and all the workers went out of their way to give us great service. Bermuda was beautiful. The water is turquois with variations of light and dark areas, according to depth and sand. The island is shale rock. The houses are made of stone from the shale and covered in stucco, then painted in white or light pastels. All the roofs are made of the shale, sliced like bread, according to the driver of the taxi in which we drove from Horseshoe Bay and then the roofs are painted in white, which is a requirement.

2008-08-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

As a student nurse I came in contact with quite a few people from the southern Russia area, Ukrania and Poland. The school of nursing was in an area heavily concentrated with people from these areas. I found them to be fun loving, friendly and warm people and so I found it disturbing to see Georgia invaded the other day. The people want to be free and independant. I think all people want to be free and sometimes pay a hefty price for freedom. Now you have to think of the casualties. People killed and wounded, homes destroyed. I do wish them well. Thank God for nurses and doctors. Thank God for America.

2008-07-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

The loon is an interesting bird that looks somewhat like a duck with red eyes. This is not a very good picture but you might be able to see the image somewhat. It's from an old calendar put out by the National Wildlife Fed. The loon has three distinct calls which some people feel sounds like the cry of a baby. It is a eerie sound. "It is said when you hear the call of loon, someone will drown." It is also said that "if a loon calls during a funeral, he's helping the dead person's soul to make it;s way to heaven." The native American people had many myths and legends built up around the loon. Some other points of interest about the loon are that it can dive very deeply without coming up for air and that it carries its young on its back for protection. The library north of Lake Placid is a wonderful place to do research. Unfortunately I had very little time to spend there. I would like to go back someday.

2008-07-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

I'm editing a story which takes place in the Adirondack mountains in upstate New York. This is a beautiful animal that is prevalent in that area and is the cause of some auto accidents. Like the deer, we have invaded the territory where they have lived and their long legs sometimes go over the hood of a car. The picture of the lake is where most of the story takes place. This particular lake is named Loon Lake and is north of Lake Placid. The loon is an interesting bird that looks somewhat like a duck with red eyes. I hope you'll be able to read the story to learn more about it. Ann

2008-07-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

I finally have a picture. My grandson put this one on for me as I am not that familiar with this technology. This is me, years ago, when I was working as a nurse in the nursing home next door to my house. I was working at night and ready to go home when someone took the picture.
Just thought I'd add it to the blog. Now we have to get ready to celebrate a birthday. There are five in our family this month.
Ann

Health issues and the family

2008-07-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

I've been involved with a health issue with my grand-daughter lately where the insurance company doesn't want to approve an MRI. Of course they're expensive and might mean that something more expensive will come from the results, like surgery. I realize that sometimes tests are ordered when they aren't needed, but I do believe the majority of doctors order tests which they believe are necessary. I think it's a shame that the doctors have to fight the insurance companies in these cases, but that's what it leads to and sometimes the families have to fight also. All that means time wasted, which could be vital for a patient.
I'd like to hear your comments on this matter.
Ann

2008-06-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

2008-06-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

I was working on a story the other day and thought I had a theme in it which was in some of my other stories. I never plan on themes when I'm writing, but somehow they creep through. It seems to me what we learn and experience through life, our lessons learned, become our beliefs and account for our themes in the stories. Romance stories have an overall theme about the power of love, but as we write, our characters show us their natures, beliefs and views on life. This might reflect our own or in some of the characters may be the direct opposite. Think I'll look for themes now when I write something.

T.P.R.

2008-05-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

I was reading a message on a loop today and they were mentioning the stories of survivors of Nazi Germany. It made me think about the importance of writing as a means to record history. We don't think about it when we write a contemporary story, but we're recording society as it is.
We record the dress, food, slang, what our houses and communities look like and what is important to us, even the type of crimes that might be in the news today and our social mores. I think romance books do a very good job in this respect.
I once gave a blood transfusion to a woman who was a survivor of the second world war and had been in a concentration camp. According to her she was used in an experiment which left her with blood problem and so had to get transfusions. Some of the survivors wouldn't talk about their experiences because it was too painful for them, but the ones who did left the listeners with an indelible impression. What if we were to tell all these survivors that what they said was unimportant and shouldn't be told? How much we would be missing of history.

T.P.R.

2008-05-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled today to receive a contract for a short story for the new Love Stories magazine to be published by GrassRoots Publishing. I'll keep typing with my fingers crossed until it actually comes out. I wish the publishing company the best of luck on their new pub.

2008-05-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hello,
It's quiet in the house for a little while, so I can concentrate on the story I am beginning. It will be a romance/mystery of a sort. Mysteries are fun because you have to figure out what persons can be suspects, why they hated the person who was murdered and how you can make it look like they were the ones who "did" it. They are also pretty hard to do, as I'm finding out now. As usual there will be medical personnel involved.
At the same time I'm still mulling over the long story I wrote about the student nurses. I pretty much have decided to draw out some of the stories in it and use them to write another story. This could go on
forever. Too bad I'm not younger.
Well, there's lots to do today so I'd better get some coffee and start. Have a good day. Ann

T.P.R.

2008-05-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

The letters, T.P.R. stand for temperature, pulse, respiration. That's what nurses did all the time when I was working in a hospital. We had regular times when we went around taking everyone's temperatures, pulses, and respirations. The more critical patients had their T.P.R.s done more often.
In between times, I wrote. I was editor of the school newspaper in my first year of nursing school.
My love of story telling began when I was a pre-teen and helped to watch a toddler. Another girl and I would make up stories to entertain him.
In junior high school I had a column in the school paper I named "Flash". I went around every month and tried to get information and news to put into my column. In high school I helped out on the year book staff. I loved my English lit. class.
In college, after nursing school I took quite a few English and writing classes, which I enjoyed.
Life gets busy, as you know, and the next time I began to write was when I ripped the tendon in my knee. I was working at a nursing home at the time and the halls were long. The work stopped and I began to read some of the Harlequin books. One day I decided to try writing one. That was a happy day because I found I enjoyed making up stories and characters almost more than I enjoyed reading about them. I wrote a couple short stories and had them published in a nurses magazine. They asked if I would write articles and I did that, too.
That comes down to the T.P.R. I write mostly, but not entirely, about nurses and doctors. I write short stories, novels, and some poetry, too.
I'm looking forward to having a short story in a magazine soon.
I wrote a long story about six girls going through nursing school in the 1950s and am trying to decide what to do with that. I might break it up into smaller stories. Next time, I'll try to tell you more about the nurses.
Have to go for now.