How were your holidays?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

by

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

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.

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

by

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.