January 30 was Grandma Betty's 100th birthday. She passed away in early January, 1994, after a long battle with breast cancer and the after effects of chemo and radiation. Our kids were so fortunate to have all four grandparents for much of their lives, but unfortunately, they lost them all in a row in the 1990s.
When she lived in Van Buren Bay, we spent our summer days at the lake where my sons played happily in the shallow warm water or built forts, castles and cities in the sand. She bought PVC pipes of all shapes and sizes for them to use in their construction projects. When they returned to the house sunburned, thirsty and tired, she had popsicles ready.
On cooler days, there were bubbles to blow, play doh to mold and stories to read. One of their favorite pastimes was to write and illustrate stories for her. They would dictate stories to me and I'd type away on our old Commodore 64. Then, they'd do drawings, make a cover and present the finished book to her. She always cherished the gifts.
Today, a new Quest backpacking class begins. We've enrolled 61 students including 10 from Silver Creek, (if the leader gets all the paperwork in), 12 from Cassadaga and 39 from Fredonia. Most of them came in at the last moment. The 39 ties Fredonia's lowest number, but at least we didn't break the record.
My heart is so heavy today because the country is falling apart as Trump's team savagely attacks the justice system and FBI. I see traitors all around Washington and I feel profoundly helpless and frightened about the future. Quest carries me when I'm down. Yesterday, meeting with the Cassadaga kids was refreshing. We played games and I breathed in their innocence, enthusiasm and energy. Today, I hope the Fredonia kids exude that same kind of optimism and excitement about hiking.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Day 1874: My foray into Politics
Today, the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee met in Mayville to endorse a candidate to run against Congressman Tom Reed. All week I worked behind the scenes to promote Tracy Mitrano of Penn Yan. She is an extraordinarily brilliant, qualified and skilled candidate.
I wrote a long letter evaluating all seven major candidates and sent it to the chair and many of the committee members. It's a very strong field, except for the one who won. I have been attending events since August and have met and spoken with all of them multiple times. I've read their platforms, considered their positions and listened to their speeches. In the letter, I highlighted all of their strengths and weaknesses both professional and personal and assessed their chances of winning against Reed.
Tracy has been an educator, lawyer, business person and public official. She has PhD in American history, is a specialist in cybersecurity and information technology. She set up a certificate program for unemployed factory workers to help them retrain in IT. Her expertise is essential considering the assault on our democratic process by the Russians. That's expertise we need in Congress right now.
During the voting process we had an opportunity to ask a question of all candidates. I said, "We already know what you hope to do for our district, but what I want to know is what you have already done for your communities, your county, your state and your nation. I want evidence that you can get things done." I hoped the question would highlight Eddie"s shallow resume and it did. The others had performed extensive service throughout their lives, but not Eddie. Unfortunately, it didn't matter.
The chair interjected comments pointing out the critical, strategic value of our county in defeating Reed and that finally swayed folks over to Eddie. How on earth can people vote for someone simply because he's from our county? I actually made a speech in favor of Tracy and pointed out that we need to consider what the nation needs too. Competence, experience, insight and knowledge. Not an endearing comic.
Did she win? Of course not! The Dems endorsed a 29 year old Jamestown man with absolutely NO experience in government at all. It took four votes to get to that point, but we could see the trend. Tracy finished second and Max Della Pia was third. Another under qualified male defeated a super qualified woman.
I have been raging since it happened. Time to think about other things tonight. It's not over. There are more counties and I don't think Eddie will be as successful in the eastern part of the district.
I wanted so badly to march again this year, but tomorrow is our Penelope Christmas party. We set the date months ago because so many folks were away at Christmas. At the time I wasn't thinking about the march. I'm charged with cooking the turkey and I wouldn't let the group down for anything! It should be quite a celebration. It's the 35th anniversary of our group and it's the 30th anniversary for me. In honor of our group, I've made a slide show of some of the photos I've taken over the years of our parties, meetings, poetry readings and funerals.
We're watching an intense, suspenseful movie tonight so perhaps I can let go of my anger.
I wrote a long letter evaluating all seven major candidates and sent it to the chair and many of the committee members. It's a very strong field, except for the one who won. I have been attending events since August and have met and spoken with all of them multiple times. I've read their platforms, considered their positions and listened to their speeches. In the letter, I highlighted all of their strengths and weaknesses both professional and personal and assessed their chances of winning against Reed.
Tracy has been an educator, lawyer, business person and public official. She has PhD in American history, is a specialist in cybersecurity and information technology. She set up a certificate program for unemployed factory workers to help them retrain in IT. Her expertise is essential considering the assault on our democratic process by the Russians. That's expertise we need in Congress right now.
During the voting process we had an opportunity to ask a question of all candidates. I said, "We already know what you hope to do for our district, but what I want to know is what you have already done for your communities, your county, your state and your nation. I want evidence that you can get things done." I hoped the question would highlight Eddie"s shallow resume and it did. The others had performed extensive service throughout their lives, but not Eddie. Unfortunately, it didn't matter.
The chair interjected comments pointing out the critical, strategic value of our county in defeating Reed and that finally swayed folks over to Eddie. How on earth can people vote for someone simply because he's from our county? I actually made a speech in favor of Tracy and pointed out that we need to consider what the nation needs too. Competence, experience, insight and knowledge. Not an endearing comic.
Did she win? Of course not! The Dems endorsed a 29 year old Jamestown man with absolutely NO experience in government at all. It took four votes to get to that point, but we could see the trend. Tracy finished second and Max Della Pia was third. Another under qualified male defeated a super qualified woman.
I have been raging since it happened. Time to think about other things tonight. It's not over. There are more counties and I don't think Eddie will be as successful in the eastern part of the district.
I wanted so badly to march again this year, but tomorrow is our Penelope Christmas party. We set the date months ago because so many folks were away at Christmas. At the time I wasn't thinking about the march. I'm charged with cooking the turkey and I wouldn't let the group down for anything! It should be quite a celebration. It's the 35th anniversary of our group and it's the 30th anniversary for me. In honor of our group, I've made a slide show of some of the photos I've taken over the years of our parties, meetings, poetry readings and funerals.
We're watching an intense, suspenseful movie tonight so perhaps I can let go of my anger.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Day 1873: S***hole President
Yesterday, our infantile president was at a meeting where a bipartisan committee of Senators presented an immigration reform proposal. His reaction, "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries coming here" like Haiti, El Salvadore and African countries? Repeatedly he referred to these countries in this vile and derogatory way.
Only one Senator in the meeting, Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, was willing to condemn the "hateful, vile, and racist" comments. Lindsay Graham, who was also present, says he addressed Trump directly about the comments, but he won't condemn him. Two other republican Senators, David Purdue and Tom Cotton, can't remember hearing the comments. Sure they can't. The cowardice and moral corruption of these lackeys makes my stomach turn.
Congresswoman Mia Love, R of Utah, is a Haitian American and she strongly condemned the remarks and demanded an apology. Sen. Jeff Flake, R of Arizona also spoke out strongly. So some congress people had the courage to challenge him, but not enough. Why has this behavior become acceptable? How has it degraded America's moral authority around the world? How has it damaged US relationships with other nations?
When I taught, we discussed current events every single day and we did not shy away from uncomfortable or controversial stories. But, how on earth do teachers tackle this vile, racist language? And so many of his supporters are unfazed by it. The impact of this man on the office of the presidency as an institution is profound. I'm sure he doesn't realize how much he has weakened the nation on the global stage and how much he has diminished the office for future presidents. One of my hopes is that when he's done, Congress passes laws that formalize many of the norms that he has shredded, like his failure to release his taxes.
I got the December report on the sales of my book today. Forty-three were sold in December which is a bit disappointing. That brings the total to 163 in six weeks. Lovely.
When we got up this morning, the temperature was 56 degrees. Now, it's 22 and heading down. Rapid thaw = flooding + rapid freezing = ice. Steve was out at flooding in Silver Creek yesterday, but they were lucky and the ice passed right through and spilled out into the lake. Crazy winter.
Only one Senator in the meeting, Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, was willing to condemn the "hateful, vile, and racist" comments. Lindsay Graham, who was also present, says he addressed Trump directly about the comments, but he won't condemn him. Two other republican Senators, David Purdue and Tom Cotton, can't remember hearing the comments. Sure they can't. The cowardice and moral corruption of these lackeys makes my stomach turn.
Congresswoman Mia Love, R of Utah, is a Haitian American and she strongly condemned the remarks and demanded an apology. Sen. Jeff Flake, R of Arizona also spoke out strongly. So some congress people had the courage to challenge him, but not enough. Why has this behavior become acceptable? How has it degraded America's moral authority around the world? How has it damaged US relationships with other nations?
When I taught, we discussed current events every single day and we did not shy away from uncomfortable or controversial stories. But, how on earth do teachers tackle this vile, racist language? And so many of his supporters are unfazed by it. The impact of this man on the office of the presidency as an institution is profound. I'm sure he doesn't realize how much he has weakened the nation on the global stage and how much he has diminished the office for future presidents. One of my hopes is that when he's done, Congress passes laws that formalize many of the norms that he has shredded, like his failure to release his taxes.
I got the December report on the sales of my book today. Forty-three were sold in December which is a bit disappointing. That brings the total to 163 in six weeks. Lovely.
When we got up this morning, the temperature was 56 degrees. Now, it's 22 and heading down. Rapid thaw = flooding + rapid freezing = ice. Steve was out at flooding in Silver Creek yesterday, but they were lucky and the ice passed right through and spilled out into the lake. Crazy winter.
I took this shot of two resilient little pansies in a backyard pot yesterday.
I love pansies. Although they appear colorful and delicate on the surface, they are actually very tough.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Day 1872: Dianne Feinstein, my hero!
Today, Dianne Feinstein, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the testimony of Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson. It's 310 pages that I have to read soon! It reveals Trump's money laundering activities and other criminal acts, yet the Republicans have been trying to suppress the information and refused to release the papers. The public has the right to know everything about the Russian influence on our election and on Trump.
It's been almost all politics for the last week. At CC WAG on Saturday, we heard from Democratic hopefuls Ian Golden and Max Della Pia. Saturday night, we attended a meet and greet house party for Tracy Mitrano. Tonight, we met seven of the candidates for the congressional seat at the Democratic Party meeting at the library. All of these candidates would be serve NY 23rd better than Tom Reed, but I favor Tracy. Although each of them has strengths and weaknesses, she has depth, experience, humanity, knowledge and compassion.
I've not felt this hopeful in more than a year. There's a lot of hard work ahead of us and we'll all have to work together to make the blue wave a tsumami!
Tomorrow night I'm hosting book club and we're discussing The Book of Joy which is a series of conversations between the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. It's a moving and thoughtful book that should stimulate significant discussion.
I spent all of yesterday working to decide on student leaders for the 2018 expedition, writing letters, making copies and then sending them out. We took 25 and four alternates. Since we don't know how many kids will enroll, it was difficult as it always is.
Then today, I framed some favorite photos to hang in the living room. It's a job I've wanted to do for years.
It's late and I have so much to do tomorrow. I don't understand. I'm not writing for hours of every day, yet I feel rushed and overbooked. Next week will be better.
It's been almost all politics for the last week. At CC WAG on Saturday, we heard from Democratic hopefuls Ian Golden and Max Della Pia. Saturday night, we attended a meet and greet house party for Tracy Mitrano. Tonight, we met seven of the candidates for the congressional seat at the Democratic Party meeting at the library. All of these candidates would be serve NY 23rd better than Tom Reed, but I favor Tracy. Although each of them has strengths and weaknesses, she has depth, experience, humanity, knowledge and compassion.
I've not felt this hopeful in more than a year. There's a lot of hard work ahead of us and we'll all have to work together to make the blue wave a tsumami!
Tomorrow night I'm hosting book club and we're discussing The Book of Joy which is a series of conversations between the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. It's a moving and thoughtful book that should stimulate significant discussion.
I spent all of yesterday working to decide on student leaders for the 2018 expedition, writing letters, making copies and then sending them out. We took 25 and four alternates. Since we don't know how many kids will enroll, it was difficult as it always is.
Then today, I framed some favorite photos to hang in the living room. It's a job I've wanted to do for years.
It's late and I have so much to do tomorrow. I don't understand. I'm not writing for hours of every day, yet I feel rushed and overbooked. Next week will be better.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Day 1871: Buffalo Blizzard
The nightly news on channel 4 featured four stories from Buffalo tonight. Not only was there a lot of action in Buffalo today, but the anchor, Jeff Glor is from the Buffalo area.
First, a very narrow snow band blowing off the lake has created a blizzard right through Buffalo, Cheektowaga and West Seneca. It trapped thousands of vehicles on the thruway and caused a massive pileup involving over twenty cars. Unfortunately, one person was killed, and several were seriously injured.
Elementary students were kept in their schools because conditions were too severe to send them home. Imagine. A long vacation and on the first day back, the kids and teachers have to spend the night at school. More extreme cold is coming later in the week.
The intense cold has caused 40% of Lake Erie to freeze and a good part of Niagara Falls. In winter the Falls are spectacular and the spray coats the trees with ice that glimmers in the sunlight. Our friend Mark Thomas who is director the western division of NYS was interviewed!
Of course, the big news from Buffalo this weekend was the Bills victory and the end of the 17 year playoff drought that came about because the Cincinnati Bengals also won. That was spectacular, but even better was the fans' response to the Bengal's quarterback. They have sent over $170,000 , mostly in $17 increments, to his foundation that supports needy children. As he said, he's the hottest thing in Buffalo right now.
DT went back to work today, along with millions of other people around the country. Poor baby has to take a break from his daily golf games. He began his work week with a stream of nonsensical tweets. In response to Kim Jong Un: "I too have a nuclear button and it's bigger..." Protests in Iran spurred by years of unemployment and economic distress have exploded across the country and jerk face taunted the Iranian government which will only hurt the protesters. He took credit for having no fatal commercial airline accidents, even though there haven't been any fatal domestic accidents since 2009. Such ego! His ignorance knows no bounds. The damage to our nation and world is immeasurable.
This weekend, three of the Democratic candidates for Congress will be in town and several will speak to our group, CC WAG. Very soon, the county Democratic Party will make an endorsement so this is a great opportunity. I've met all of the major candidates and currently favor Tracy Mitrano. She is one of the top three thus far as evidenced by several straws polls and fund raising efforts. It will be very tough to beat Reed, but it's essential as one step to flipping the House to a Democratic majority.
All through the years of working on the book, I kept lists, lots and lots of lists. Things to do, people to interview, chapters to revise, research topics. We use lists to organize Quest, too. So much to remember to do. Now, I'm making different lists, this time of household tasks, places to go, people to call, trips to plan. Not very exciting, but absolutely necessary to maximize outcome and not waste the many hours I've freed up each day.
We spent a few hours researching companies to support our hike in Scotland. We'll be hiking 95 miles from Glasgow to Fort William on the northwest coast. It's a heavily trafficked trail that is rugged, but well maintained. All along the way, we'll experience the spectacular scenery of the lochs and rocky hills. It won't be true backpacking because we'll be staying in the towns each night and eating in a pub. We're planning to hire a service that will make the reservations for accommodations and transport our luggage. We will still take a backpack but will carry only daily essentials like rain gear, water, lunch, first aid supplies and my camera.
This morning we distributed the Quest DVDs at school during their lunch periods. It's quite astonishing how much the boys grow from May to January. Some were hardly recognizable. One boy told me he had purchased the book and was enjoying it very much. It was an opportunity, too, to check the references of a couple applicants for student leader. Very soon, we have to make those decisions.
First, a very narrow snow band blowing off the lake has created a blizzard right through Buffalo, Cheektowaga and West Seneca. It trapped thousands of vehicles on the thruway and caused a massive pileup involving over twenty cars. Unfortunately, one person was killed, and several were seriously injured.
Elementary students were kept in their schools because conditions were too severe to send them home. Imagine. A long vacation and on the first day back, the kids and teachers have to spend the night at school. More extreme cold is coming later in the week.
The intense cold has caused 40% of Lake Erie to freeze and a good part of Niagara Falls. In winter the Falls are spectacular and the spray coats the trees with ice that glimmers in the sunlight. Our friend Mark Thomas who is director the western division of NYS was interviewed!
Of course, the big news from Buffalo this weekend was the Bills victory and the end of the 17 year playoff drought that came about because the Cincinnati Bengals also won. That was spectacular, but even better was the fans' response to the Bengal's quarterback. They have sent over $170,000 , mostly in $17 increments, to his foundation that supports needy children. As he said, he's the hottest thing in Buffalo right now.
DT went back to work today, along with millions of other people around the country. Poor baby has to take a break from his daily golf games. He began his work week with a stream of nonsensical tweets. In response to Kim Jong Un: "I too have a nuclear button and it's bigger..." Protests in Iran spurred by years of unemployment and economic distress have exploded across the country and jerk face taunted the Iranian government which will only hurt the protesters. He took credit for having no fatal commercial airline accidents, even though there haven't been any fatal domestic accidents since 2009. Such ego! His ignorance knows no bounds. The damage to our nation and world is immeasurable.
This weekend, three of the Democratic candidates for Congress will be in town and several will speak to our group, CC WAG. Very soon, the county Democratic Party will make an endorsement so this is a great opportunity. I've met all of the major candidates and currently favor Tracy Mitrano. She is one of the top three thus far as evidenced by several straws polls and fund raising efforts. It will be very tough to beat Reed, but it's essential as one step to flipping the House to a Democratic majority.
All through the years of working on the book, I kept lists, lots and lots of lists. Things to do, people to interview, chapters to revise, research topics. We use lists to organize Quest, too. So much to remember to do. Now, I'm making different lists, this time of household tasks, places to go, people to call, trips to plan. Not very exciting, but absolutely necessary to maximize outcome and not waste the many hours I've freed up each day.
We spent a few hours researching companies to support our hike in Scotland. We'll be hiking 95 miles from Glasgow to Fort William on the northwest coast. It's a heavily trafficked trail that is rugged, but well maintained. All along the way, we'll experience the spectacular scenery of the lochs and rocky hills. It won't be true backpacking because we'll be staying in the towns each night and eating in a pub. We're planning to hire a service that will make the reservations for accommodations and transport our luggage. We will still take a backpack but will carry only daily essentials like rain gear, water, lunch, first aid supplies and my camera.
This morning we distributed the Quest DVDs at school during their lunch periods. It's quite astonishing how much the boys grow from May to January. Some were hardly recognizable. One boy told me he had purchased the book and was enjoying it very much. It was an opportunity, too, to check the references of a couple applicants for student leader. Very soon, we have to make those decisions.
Our home on Christmas Eve.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Day 1870: Where has the time gone?
For six years I've kept this blog and now I'm having trouble letting go. When I first began writing every day, it was meant as a means to keep track of the progress on my book, record daily activities, recount amusing backpacking anecdotes and most importantly, share fabulous nature photos.
I have loved every minute and found the discipline of daily writing to be very satisfying. The public venue helped me mentally and emotionally prepare to have people read my book. And the blog became a forum where I could express my views on political issues. I held back on my most intense feelings, believe it or not. I was constantly aware of having an audience so I self-edited, even when I need an outlet for rage, disappointment and frustration.
On the negative side, it was very time consuming, especially the editing of photos. The last month has been so busy that I could barely get through the day without collapsing, never mind write an entry in the evening. But, that's happened before and I managed to at least post a photo or two. One of my big mistakes was that I did not make a copy of each post on a document so I'd have a permanent printed diary of the past five years.
It's the first day of the new year. All the remains of Christmas have been stowed away and hours of vacuuming have cleared away most of the artificial pine needles, glitter and cat fur. The hard physical labor has a way of liberating my mind because sorting ornaments and bagging lights requires very little thought.
For days I've been considering whether to resume the blog or move on to another project. Plus, I've been considering my goals for the coming year. I thought perhaps that completing the book would create a huge void and leave me depressed. It hasn't happened yet, or perhaps it won't happen at all. However, I will admit to being exhausted. I've sought quiet and alone time which is pretty difficult during the holidays.
Suddenly, I have four or five hours free each day. Although I began working on the book in Nov. 2008, the intense work began in Nov. 2010. From October to March each year, writing consumed 3-8 hours a day. So, now what will I do?
Read, write, hike, swim, visit with friends, travel, take photos and my new pastime, political activism. All my favorite activities, but more intensely and often. Typically, I read 12-15 books per year, but now perhaps I can read 20-30 books. Last summer, when my book was in the final stages, I only swam 80 miles, so perhaps 100 miles will again be in reach this coming summer. We also have big plans to hike across Scotland in September along the West Highland Way at a rate of 10 miles a day. That means serious physical preparation in the months ahead.
My new camera was greatly underutilized last year, so I hope to learn how to use the two micro lenses. As for writing, I have lots of ideas floating around, but I need time to sort out what project will come next. I think I may start with some short stories or essays from my childhood. Several groups have asked me to speak about Quest and writing a book, so I have to prepare for those presentations.
Most importantly, I intend to work to defeat Congressman Tom Reed and help elect a Democratic majority in the House and Senate. We will not tolerate the status quo for another year! A blue wave is coming!
I am so very grateful for the many blessings in my life. A loving family, excellent health, the means to travel all over the world on grand adventures, wonderful friends. I'm also thankful for the US Constitution and the fundamental principles of our nation. I feel very hopeful about 2018. It will require intense effort and some unity that usually evades Democrats, but it will bring us a few steps closer to the end of Trump.
So, because I still haven't decided what to do about the blog, I will think about it a few more weeks and in the mean time, continue to write. It may not be every day, but I will keep writing.
I have loved every minute and found the discipline of daily writing to be very satisfying. The public venue helped me mentally and emotionally prepare to have people read my book. And the blog became a forum where I could express my views on political issues. I held back on my most intense feelings, believe it or not. I was constantly aware of having an audience so I self-edited, even when I need an outlet for rage, disappointment and frustration.
On the negative side, it was very time consuming, especially the editing of photos. The last month has been so busy that I could barely get through the day without collapsing, never mind write an entry in the evening. But, that's happened before and I managed to at least post a photo or two. One of my big mistakes was that I did not make a copy of each post on a document so I'd have a permanent printed diary of the past five years.
It's the first day of the new year. All the remains of Christmas have been stowed away and hours of vacuuming have cleared away most of the artificial pine needles, glitter and cat fur. The hard physical labor has a way of liberating my mind because sorting ornaments and bagging lights requires very little thought.
For days I've been considering whether to resume the blog or move on to another project. Plus, I've been considering my goals for the coming year. I thought perhaps that completing the book would create a huge void and leave me depressed. It hasn't happened yet, or perhaps it won't happen at all. However, I will admit to being exhausted. I've sought quiet and alone time which is pretty difficult during the holidays.
Suddenly, I have four or five hours free each day. Although I began working on the book in Nov. 2008, the intense work began in Nov. 2010. From October to March each year, writing consumed 3-8 hours a day. So, now what will I do?
Read, write, hike, swim, visit with friends, travel, take photos and my new pastime, political activism. All my favorite activities, but more intensely and often. Typically, I read 12-15 books per year, but now perhaps I can read 20-30 books. Last summer, when my book was in the final stages, I only swam 80 miles, so perhaps 100 miles will again be in reach this coming summer. We also have big plans to hike across Scotland in September along the West Highland Way at a rate of 10 miles a day. That means serious physical preparation in the months ahead.
My new camera was greatly underutilized last year, so I hope to learn how to use the two micro lenses. As for writing, I have lots of ideas floating around, but I need time to sort out what project will come next. I think I may start with some short stories or essays from my childhood. Several groups have asked me to speak about Quest and writing a book, so I have to prepare for those presentations.
Most importantly, I intend to work to defeat Congressman Tom Reed and help elect a Democratic majority in the House and Senate. We will not tolerate the status quo for another year! A blue wave is coming!
I am so very grateful for the many blessings in my life. A loving family, excellent health, the means to travel all over the world on grand adventures, wonderful friends. I'm also thankful for the US Constitution and the fundamental principles of our nation. I feel very hopeful about 2018. It will require intense effort and some unity that usually evades Democrats, but it will bring us a few steps closer to the end of Trump.
So, because I still haven't decided what to do about the blog, I will think about it a few more weeks and in the mean time, continue to write. It may not be every day, but I will keep writing.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Day 1869: Published!
On November 16, 2017, about 2:00 pm, my book went live on Amazon.com. I spent an hour composing a Facebook announcement and posted it around 4 pm and then I waited. The response was instant and overwhelmingly positive. Over the next six hours I watched the comments roll in and my heart swelled.
Hundreds of people helped make this book possible and were waiting eagerly for its publication. When it appeared, BOOM! I think Anna Gullo was the first to purchase a book and lots more followed. In the next few days, the books began arriving and a few folks posted pictures of it in their hands. That made me very happy.
It's a bit surreal to see a book I worked on for nine years finally in other people's possession. I feel a bit exposed and anxious because it's my creation, and I can't help but wonder what they think. We mailed a book to Steve's army buddy, Chuck and he sent a lovely email in response. My Uncle Jerry is an avid reader and very ill with cancer, so I sent him a book, too. When we saw him last weekend in New Jersey, he raved about it. But, these folks have personal ties and are not objective.
Plans are developing for the launch party and I've lined up a few helpers. Colleen, a former student and excellent organizer, has agreed to run the set up, decorating, and clean up. My friend Rachel will take photos. Heather will oversee the cake cutting and distribution. Amy and Laraine will be cashiers. I still need to speak with a few more people.
We spent Thanksgiving week in NYC with Evan and Justin. Unfortunately, Steve was horribly sick with an upper respiratory infection and upset stomach. The 88 kids in the middle school musical hacked and coughed all over him the previous weekend and he was totally exhausted. He hasn't been that sick in many years. Both of our sons were also fighting colds, so I was surrounded and doomed. Sure enough, on Friday, I came down with the same garbage. At least I'll get it out of the way before we go to Laurie's and the launch party.
This year we went to see the musical Come From Away on Broadway. I enjoyed it very much, but Evan thought it was "cute." Oh well, not every show can compare to The Color Purple. The trip home from the show was dreadful because Steve was so ill. There are no short cuts in NYC! Plus, in the middle of the street, I stepped on a champagne cork, rolled and fell hard on my hip. I was so lucky not to break anything.
On Thanksgiving we stayed in, cooked in Evan's oven for the first time and watched six episodes of the new Star Trek series called Discovery. We loved it! All day, Steve dozed while Justin and I made the meal. By Friday, he was much better.
Then we traveled to my cousin Rick's house in New Jersey where we had an O'Donnell family reunion. Thirty-five people came from all over. It was so good to see everyone.
The trip home was full of surprises. When we arrived in White Plains, we found the car's battery had died. I knew we did not leave the car on because I even took a photo of the dashboard to ease our minds. But, the combination of an old battery, the cold, leaving the overhead light on, and sitting for six days must have drained it. Within an hour, AAA was there and gave us a jump.
The weather was perfect for driving so there were no difficulties along the way. Just after we got off Route 86, a huge deer was standing in the middle of Route 430. Fortunately, I spotted it and Steve stopped in time. By the time we got home around 6:45, we were completely drained.
Parent meetings started this week, so I'll write an update in a few days. No parents showed up at Brocton last night. We'll see how it goes in Fredonia tonight.
Hundreds of people helped make this book possible and were waiting eagerly for its publication. When it appeared, BOOM! I think Anna Gullo was the first to purchase a book and lots more followed. In the next few days, the books began arriving and a few folks posted pictures of it in their hands. That made me very happy.
It's a bit surreal to see a book I worked on for nine years finally in other people's possession. I feel a bit exposed and anxious because it's my creation, and I can't help but wonder what they think. We mailed a book to Steve's army buddy, Chuck and he sent a lovely email in response. My Uncle Jerry is an avid reader and very ill with cancer, so I sent him a book, too. When we saw him last weekend in New Jersey, he raved about it. But, these folks have personal ties and are not objective.
Plans are developing for the launch party and I've lined up a few helpers. Colleen, a former student and excellent organizer, has agreed to run the set up, decorating, and clean up. My friend Rachel will take photos. Heather will oversee the cake cutting and distribution. Amy and Laraine will be cashiers. I still need to speak with a few more people.
We spent Thanksgiving week in NYC with Evan and Justin. Unfortunately, Steve was horribly sick with an upper respiratory infection and upset stomach. The 88 kids in the middle school musical hacked and coughed all over him the previous weekend and he was totally exhausted. He hasn't been that sick in many years. Both of our sons were also fighting colds, so I was surrounded and doomed. Sure enough, on Friday, I came down with the same garbage. At least I'll get it out of the way before we go to Laurie's and the launch party.
This year we went to see the musical Come From Away on Broadway. I enjoyed it very much, but Evan thought it was "cute." Oh well, not every show can compare to The Color Purple. The trip home from the show was dreadful because Steve was so ill. There are no short cuts in NYC! Plus, in the middle of the street, I stepped on a champagne cork, rolled and fell hard on my hip. I was so lucky not to break anything.
On Thanksgiving we stayed in, cooked in Evan's oven for the first time and watched six episodes of the new Star Trek series called Discovery. We loved it! All day, Steve dozed while Justin and I made the meal. By Friday, he was much better.
Then we traveled to my cousin Rick's house in New Jersey where we had an O'Donnell family reunion. Thirty-five people came from all over. It was so good to see everyone.
The trip home was full of surprises. When we arrived in White Plains, we found the car's battery had died. I knew we did not leave the car on because I even took a photo of the dashboard to ease our minds. But, the combination of an old battery, the cold, leaving the overhead light on, and sitting for six days must have drained it. Within an hour, AAA was there and gave us a jump.
The weather was perfect for driving so there were no difficulties along the way. Just after we got off Route 86, a huge deer was standing in the middle of Route 430. Fortunately, I spotted it and Steve stopped in time. By the time we got home around 6:45, we were completely drained.
Parent meetings started this week, so I'll write an update in a few days. No parents showed up at Brocton last night. We'll see how it goes in Fredonia tonight.
Here it is!
The Amazon entry on Nov. 16, 2017
Evan's new apartment building in Long Island City.
He's moving in on Dec. 30.
Walking in Central Park
The O'Donnell Clan
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