Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort: Review

December 4, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

Fellow blogger, Leslie Noyes (Praying for Eyebrowz) has a quirky style that often brings a smile, so I was curious when she published a book to know if I’d have the same response. I put Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort on my Amazon wish list and was excited when the 490 […]

Burnout: A Review

May 9, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

I first heard sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Brené Brown’s podcast, Unlocking Us. Wanting to know more, I ordered an audio version of their book Burnout: The Secret To Unlocking the Stress Cycle. As a woman, their words resonate from beginning to end. Emily Nagoski, PhD and her twin sister, Amelia Nagoski, DMA, exam […]

Caring Lessons: A Review

January 5, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

I ordered Lois Hoitenga Roelofs’ book, Caring Lessons: A Nursing Professor’s Journey of Faith and Self, after having been a fan of her blog for several years. Lois writes with candour about her life challenges, and on the blog in particular, about her journey through her husband’s terminal cancer. It is the candour with which […]

“When Breath Becomes air” Review

July 29, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

Just as Paul Kalanithi’s future looked bright, cancer struck. As a doctor (neurosurgeon) he knew all too well what he was about to face, and guided by his oncologist, had to make difficult life choices. Kalanithi bravely decided to commit his journey to paper, offering an inside glimpse of illness from the eyes of a […]

“I’ll Give You the Sun” Shining

July 5, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson is a poignant, multi-faceted approach to many issues facing young people today; a coming of age story that examines both the female and male experience through the voices of twins, Jude and Noah. Not surprisingly, this novel has won many awards (click on link above for listing). […]

“Best Boy” Heartwarming

May 24, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

Despite my need to regulate how much time I spend listening to audiobooks (my mind balks at overstimulation), I could not tear myself away from Best Boy, by Eli Gottlieb. Bronson Pinchot lends his voice to the audio version, skillfully imitating the stilted speech of someone who struggles with semantics. Todd Aaron, the first person […]

“The Other Daughter” Review

April 22, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

Admittedly, I looked at the novel, The Other Daughter, by Lauren Willig, several times before deciding to give it a try. A story about a woman who discovers that she is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl, seemed too predictable, however; nothing about this tale is predictable, and I must confess that once I got […]

Autism, I’m Aware

April 6, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

Just finished listening to Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism by Ron Suskind. Suskind, a Pulitzer prize-winning author, writes a very intriguing and enlightening memoir about parenting a child with Autism. His son, Owen, once unable to speak, finds his voice and self through the magic of Disney. The story of Owen […]

The Car Crash

That time, playing in the muck,foot emerging without a boot,hopping and laughingall the way home… Then, later, on the busthe impact of the carthe windshield crackinglike a giant spiderblood all overthe dead lady’s face All in the past –sunroof openkids riding along,music blaring But trauma is a spiderArachne reaching into happy placesand as much as […]

Empty Surges

Measured in spoonfulsprogress imperceptible Still feel the angst ofno-time-to-breathe lifestyle pressured from withinto get-it-done spend unavailable resourcesruminating solutions push against the wallswith little to show surrender to impotencyand wait for the next surge.

Hurricane

Sister was a hurricane –destruction her path Tried to calm, encouragebut her core was damaged Try to reach her now, across death’s abyss understand beforeher legacy swallows me.