It was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime. Part my daughter's birthday present, part her senior trip. But mostly the trip was meant to temporarily put  some joy back in our lives since my husband's unexpected passing just a few months prior.
 
We were no strangers to Disney. Two years ago we visited there, despite the fact that my daughter had broken her ankle four weeks before our departure. 
Three years before that we took a trip there also, even though I had fallen and tore my ACL eight weeks before we were supposed to leave. I simply purchased a wheelchair and went about our vacation as if nothing was wrong.
 
This time I wanted the trip to be perfect. My daughter and I pinkie swore that neither of us would get hurt before we left, and to that aspect we held 
true. It was four days into our trip that our promise was accidentally broken. I fell trying to enter the pool. Pop went my knee, and for the next few hours
we  spent hanging out in the emergency room instead of the theme park. I left with a  knee brace and crutches. Not very fair I thought, since my daughter left Florida  with a tee shirt.
 
In the days following the accident my grief and depression increased. Ifelt I had deserved it, and my getting injured was my husbands way of telling
me  I shouldn't have gone on vacation so soon after he had passed. Who was going to  take care of us now? This grieving widow and her teenage daughter with special  needs. Dan had always been our rock. Taking his vows of in sickness and
health  seriously. He never faltered in caring for us when we needed him the most.
 
A few days after we returned home I drove by a festival that my town was having. One of the vendors on the corner caught my eye, along with a parking space close enough where I could hobble to get to them. I got my crutches out of  the car, and slowly made my way to the booth. As I did, two women made a bee line for me. They started talking as if they knew me, and my brain started to scramble to recognize them. Then they introduced themselves and asked if they could pray for my healing. Having nothing to loose, I obliged. They both took my hand and the one woman who had started the conversation attempted to begin
the prayer, but got chocked up and stopped. The other woman instantly stepped in and  prayed for my health. Then they simply walked away.
 
The next day I had some errands to run. As I was going about my business, I noticed something was different. My knee no longer resembled a basketball, but was in perfect symmetry of the other. And suddenly I had the strength to get around without the aid of my crutches. Not perfectly, or even at a normal speed, but I could walk on my own two feet, as long as my knee brace was still on.
 
I was so excited about my sudden improvement, then my mind flashed back to the day before. Those two ladies who prayed for me...could it be that somehow my husband sent them to me? Or perhaps he himself had taken a human form and came himself, and that is why the one who started the prayer was so chocked up they couldn't finish. Had I just been blessed by an angel? I may never know for sure, but as I walk around looking at the clouds in the sky, I do know that my husband  wasn't punishing me for trying to get some normalcy in my life. He is, however, always there to protect me. Even from beyond.
  
  
 

You descended here on Earth, sent from the Heaven's above
A little bundle of joy, for your mother and dad to love
Quickly you grew into a kind, caring man
And touched the lives of many, my sweet loving Dan
  
Like a warm summer breeze the days went by
You tested your wings and learned to fly
Lost at first, you finally found your way
Into my heart you will safely fstay
 
When the light shined down on you
Angles waiting to bring you home
You returned to Heaven from which you came
In peace and never alone

Your time here in the physical world,
As short as it may have been
Was enough for you to spread your love
Amen

~ Amy Quonce

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Dan,

I want to thank you for being part of my life. Our time together was cut short, but I am greatful that we made the most of what we did have together. You were always there for me, and never for a moment did I ever question your love. I'm so sorry that I never got to say good-bye, but I know that you will be waiting at the pearly gates to welcome me into Heaven, then we can just kiss each other hello again. It will just take me a little longer to accomplish what I need to do here, so please be patient. I am sure you are watching over me until then, as I can feel you with me on most days. It helps to ease the pain knowing you are still near. I don't ever want that feeling to fade.

Today you would have turned 51. We're going to celebrate by taking you to the races. You'd really get a kick out it. They are running an extra lap just for you, and your brother and I get to present the winner with their check. It's a pretty big deal. The guys at the race track loved you just as much as I do. I hope you know how much you meant to everyone.

As much as I told myself I wasn't going to cry, my tears are getting in the way so I must stop writing for now. There is still so much say, and eventually I will be able to express it to you. Until then I'm giving you a great big kiss, and holding you tight in my arms. I couldn't think of a better birthday present to give you than that.


Happy 1st Birthday in Heaven, Dan.
I love you honey.
I DO I DO I DO  !!!

Love forever and always,
your wife Aimee

XOXOXOXOXO
<3  <3  <3  <3  <3

Have you ever had the chance to pet an elephant, watch penguins being fed or spent an exclusive night at the zoo while it was closed to the public? Neither have I until tonight.

Our Dream Night at the zoo (hosted by the Rosmand Gifford Zoo) was a spectacular evening for families who have a loved one with a disability to spend quality time with the animals in a sensory friendly environment. Special demonstrations, exhibits, and fun activities were planned for all, including dinner and snacks (glutten free as well!).

This staff and volunteers at tonight's event did a marvelous job and despite the mild rain, there was a huge smile on everyone's face. My favorite part of the night? Nearly getting eaten by a tiger...but that's a story for another day!

A big thank you goes to the Mexico Public Library for hosting a local author's night! Lisa M. Buske, Alyshia Hull, and myself all had an opportunity to share our work to the public.

Lisa brought her two books- When The Waves Subside and Where's Heidi. Both these stories about finding hope in the wake of sadness.

Alyshia shared her novel A Thousand Miles. At only 15 years old, this brave young girl took to writing about her 8th grade year which at first she feared, then found what she feared the most was the though of it ending.

My books Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child and Breaking The Silence (A.L. Daniels) were also availble for sale.

It was a wonderful night for the community to come together and celebrate the success of local writers and those who love to read. I look forward to meeting everyone again soon.

This coming week is packed with exciting things. On Tuesday I get to receive the honor of taking 2nd place in the Oswego Reading Council's annual writing contest. It is especially important to me this year because the piece I wrote it about my late husband Dan and the love that we shared. Taking his place escorting me this year will be my mom and my sister. Thanks guys!

On Wednesday I have been invited to take part in an author's night at the Mexico Public Library. Books will be available for sale- autographs are free! There will be several other local others there as well so I am hoping to meet alot of new faces and share with their experiences. The event is free and starts at 6:30 on May 22nd.

I encourage you to come out and support your local writers, from the young to the young at heart.

Six weeks ago I lost my husband, my friend, my soul mate. In the aftermath of my pain, I sat down one night and wrote a tribute to him. I then submitted it to the Oswego Reading Council's Annu7al Writting Contest.

Today in my mailbox I received a letter letting me know my piece won 2nd prize. While this means alot to me, putting into words what my husband meant to me means a whole lot more. In memory of you Dan, here's my words for you:

Where I Come From

He had courted me for months, being a true gentleman along the way. Patiently he waited, breaking that sturdy wall down around my heart one
piece at a time. It had built up slowly over the years, cemented by the pain I had endured. Where I came from, I learned not to trust, and that if I let anyone
in, hurt would be my only retribution.


Dan didn’t seem to mind that I made him wait three months before I let him kiss me, or that I replied with a kind thank you when he expressed his
love. It was his willingness to let me slowly open my heart that made me fall in love with him in the first place.


Chivalry was second nature to him, yet all new to me. Where I came from men didn’t respect women. But Dan quickly changed that. He knew how to
treat a lady. Always opening doors for me and helping me put on a jacket. Love notes would be found on my pillow at night and warm tender kisses touched my lips every morning before he left for work. He never, ever, went a day without
telling me how much he loved me. That was my Dan. My sweet loving Dan.


Oh, how he loved sending flowers. For no reason at all I would be surprised by a brightly colored bouquet that smelled just as sweet as the morning sunshine. Often he would take pleasure in handing them to me himself, but every once in a while I would be surprised with a delivery truck dropping
off an arrangement. It was just his way to show how much he cared, and that I was special to him.


Off all the flowers I have received over the years it is the basket of yellow roses with white daises that I will treasure the most. A purple butterfly was perched on the side handle of the basket and the note attached simply said “Thinking of you, Love Dan.” These will forever be my favorite as you sent them to me out of the blue the day before you went to Heaven. 
 

Now I have an angel watching over me from up above. I may not be able to see him, but I can still feel his love deep within my heart. When I
close my eyes tight the vision of him softly caressing my cheeks with his fingertips comes rushing back as vividly as it had when he was still lying by my side.


Time may have changed things, but there is one thing I know for sure now. Where I come from, there was a kind and gentle man who showed me the
true meaning of love. 


 

Book Review
April 30, 2013
Breaking the Silence by: A.L. Daniels

     The book I read for this book review was Breaking the Silence by A.L. Daniels. The genre of this book is fictional with true life events many true life events you would never think that could happen, you can find this book on Amazon and also at Rivers End Book Store in Oswego on West 1st and Bridge.
     The way I would describe this book without giving away anything about it would be a page turner.  This book shows a mothers love and how she will go to no extent to keep her  child safe and in her care. This book will give you knowledge about how the court system will deal with a sexual abuse of an innocent child.
     Once you start reading this book you honestly will not be able to put it down, it’s honestly
one of the best novels I have read in a really long time. The best thing about this book would have to say was that I was very intrigued on how the court 
system wouldn’t listen to Kate. What kept me going to keep reading the book was that there was stuff about the family I didn’t know. I knew a lot about what had  happened but I didn’t know everything till I read the whole book. What was
the  best thing about the ending of this book was that, everything turned out in Kates favor and everything was solved in the end.
     One of my favorite quotes that I came across in the book would just so happen to be,“I drove forty
  minutes in the middle of the storm to get you. You knew I was coming. Why didn’t  you call ahead and tell me you wanted to stay here?”
     “Because I wanted to  see you waste your time.”
     This honestly have to be one of my favorites, why  because it shows how much she is trying to have her son in her life and trying  to make things work but he is just trying to cause problems
with her and get her  to break. She is such a strong woman and she keeps her calm and down the page  she makes him get his things and get ready to make the forty minute drive back  to her house.
     I know a lot about this author considering she is my neighbor; she  has a big heart and will do anything for you. She is honestly one of my  inspirations. She wrote this book to inform
people about the life story about  this family and the struggles that they went through. The type of person that  this book would apply to would be a person
that has a big heart and can sit and  read something so unbelievable. You wouldn’t think this could happen to you and  your family but it honestly could.
With Megan having autisms and her bravery to  go and tell her mother what had happened gives me so much hope!
     By the end of  the book I had cried, laughed,
smiled, and had so much excitement. When you have  a connection to an author and have them write a book and be so proud of them for  what they have accomplished it’s a feel no one could every explain. I really  hope that you get a chance to
read this book, and be able to share what I have  felt reading it.
     A.L. Daniels has touched my heart forever and I hope I’m able  to watch her grow and expand
her writing and in hopes to her writing a new  book.

The past few weeks have been especially hard, but I carved out some time to help make a positive impact on the lives of other people. This year I was once again a book giver for World Book Night USA, and I wanted the books I passed out to be meaningful. So I choose to contact CreekSide Counseling to make arrangements for their clients to receive copies of Look Again by Lisa Scottoline.

Pictured above is one of the counselors at the agency who was very excited to be able to help distribute them to clients. I hope the recipients enjoy  their books and will continue to read in the future.

He courted me for months, being a true gentleman along the way. Patiently he waited, breaking that sturdy wall down around my heart one piece at a time. It had built up slowly over the years, cemented by the pain I had endured. Where I came from, I learned not to trust, and that if I let anyone in, hurt would be my only retribution.

Dan didn’t seem to mind that I made him wait three months before I let him kiss me, or that I replied with a kind thank you when he expressed his love. It was his willingness to let me slowly open my heart that made me fall in love with him in the first place.

Chivalry was second nature to him, yet all new to me. Where I came from men didn’t respect women. But Dan quickly changed that. He knew how to treat a lady. Always opening doors for me and helping me put on a jacket. Love notes would be found on my pillow at night and warm tender kisses touched my lips every morning before he left for work. He never, ever, went a day without telling me how much he loved me. That was my Dan. My sweet loving Dan.

Oh, how he loved sending flowers. For no reason at all I would be surprised by a brightly colored bouquet that smelled just as sweet as the morning sunshine. Often he would take pleasure in handing them to me himself, but every once in a while I would be surprised with a delivery truck dropping off an arrangement. It was just his way to show how much he cared, and that I was special to him.

Off all the flowers I have received over the years it is the basket of yellow roses with white daises that I will treasure the most. A purple butterfly was perched on the side handle of the basket and the note attached simple said “Thinking of you, Love Dan.” These will forever be my favorite as you sent them to me out of the blue the day before you went to Heaven.

Now I have an angel watching over me from up above. I may not be able to see him, but I can still feel his love deep within my heart. When I close my eyes tight the vision of him softly caressing my cheeks with his fingertips comes rushing back as vividly as it had when he was still lying by my side.

Time may have changed things, but there is one thing I know for sure now. Where I come from, there was a kind and gentle man who showed me the true meaning of love.

What an exciting week it has been! Thursday I came home from work to find my shipment of books have arrived. The feeling of opening that book knowing that six years of hard work was sitting inside is overwhelming.

Later that evening I brought down some autographed copies of the book to the River's End Bookstore. Some people had already reserved their copies! If you're down that way look me up in the local author section of the store.

To top off this busy week my first two official reviews have been posted to Amazon.Com....both received 5 stars !!! I'm so excited that I had to share them with you:

5.0
out of 5 stars A  must read March 9, 2013  
Format:Kindle Edition

One of the most heartwarming and heartbreaking books I've ever  read. The courage this woman and her daughter have shown is amazing. A book I  would recommend to everyone. 
 
5.0
out of 5 stars Breaking  the Silence
March 3, 2013 
Format:Paperback

This is a heartbreaking story but the mother in the story has  such resilience. It is amazing what people go through and are still able to carry on with a smile on their faces after it is all said and done. You have to read the book and see what I mean. Great book!

I am so touched that readers took the time to post the reviews. A big Thank You goes out to them!!