If you’re my friend on Facebook, or if you follow my blog, you know I’ve been watching and reviewing Christmas movies. In the past, December was what my husband and I called “sappy Christmas movie month.” I decided to continue our tradition, in Ted’s honor. Here’s a recap of my movie ratings on a scale of 1 (terrible) to 10 …
Sappy Christmas Movie Reviews #2
Continuing my review of Christmas movies. The Christmas Secret The struggling single mother of two adorable kids saves a stranger’s life, and is therefore late for work. She then loses her job, and her ex-husband threatens to take the kids away from her. Sounds like a real downer doesn’t it? The acting is really good, so her struggles are vivid. But …
Sappy Christmas Movie Reviews #1
In the past, December was a month when Ted and I would sit together and watch sappy Christmas movies. Most of the time he watched westerns, and I was totally not interested. But in December we had an agreement and we watched heartwarming love stories together. Watching movies this year is kind of like being with Ted again. I miss …
Surviving the Holidays
For those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, navigating the holidays can be like tiptoeing through a landmine. Three big ones come one right after another – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s. BAM! BAM! BAM! Memories erupt unexpectedly, and some feel like punches in the gut. I lost my husband, Ted, in July. Since then the holiday season …
Blarney Castle, Ireland
October 2, 2023 was the culmination of the Ireland trip for me. The whole reason I wanted to come to Ireland. As some of you know, I have three books coming out starting next August 2024, that are set in Ireland. In Blarney, to be specific. Today we visited Blarney! Oh my gosh, it was so amazing. Especially Blarney Castle! …
Ireland!!!
Back in early 2020 I received a book contract from Annie’s Publishers, a direct-to-consumer book club publisher. I love Annie’s. My editors there have been awesome and amazing, and I’ve published more than 10 books with Annie’s. Anyway, my editor said they were considering launching a book club mystery series set in Ireland. The main character would be a woman born in …
All Saints Day 2023
Today my church celebrated All Saints Day, a day when we remember those in our church family who have died in the past year. I forgot–until I walked through the door and saw the banners. One had my husband’s name on it. The service was beautiful, but unexpectedly difficult. I am thankful to all those who comforted me during and …
Life After Ted and Changes
It’s been a while since I posted anything here. I’ve been distracted, and trying to come to terms with Life After Ted. It has been almost four months since he died, and to be honest I’m still struggling. Whatever those “terms” are, I don’t like them. It’s interesting that I’ve found myself wanting to change things. Nothing huge or life-changing, …
A Life Well Lived
On July 10, 2023, I lost my husband. We have been married 32 years. He hasn’t been well for the past few years, and has had several major setbacks since January. Even so, his death was completely unexpected. He fell down a set of stairs in our home and suffered a skull fracture. He did not regain consciousness on this …
What Am I Working On?
I get this question a lot. Probably because I’ve been such a dismal failure at sending newsletters and keeping people informed. Mea culpa! I’ve been busy with … well, with a million things. Not an excuse, really, but definitely the reason! I’m super excited about the two books I’m working on right now. The first is for Guidepost’s series “Extraordinary Women …