I am stuck in a quandary of a past love and a current reality. My daughter brought home the next novel on the school's mandated reading assignment: Flowers for Algernon. One of the best books I have ever read.  In high school this story touched my heart and when I got the chance to be in the school's production I was thrilled. ( I played one of Charly's friends). At the time I thought it was great. Now the reality of it hits too close to home.

For those of you who have not read the story it is about a very kind young man named Charly who has an IQ of 68. Charly desperatly wants to" be smart" and volunteers to be the first human to undergo an experimental procedure to raise his intelligence. The treatments works so well that within weeks he has now surpassed the intellilgence of the doctors who performed the surgery on him. Now Charly has realized that the people who he once thought were his friends were really laughing at him and not with him. Life was suddenly a cruel ephipany now that he had extreme intelligence but no one whom he could trust. Watching the lab rat Algernon who received the same experimental treatment achieve greatness and then subcomb to his death made Charly wonder if he was better off prior to the procedure.

The story is soul wrenching, yet I am happy that the school district chose now to introduce it to the students. Tomorrow marks the first day of Developmental Disability Month, and this book is a wonderful tribute to all of our local individuals who are struggling with this same adversity. When I read this book in 10th grade I knew it made an impact on but thought nothing of it. Now that my daughter is reading it I can't help but to wonder two things. 

One: Will she even understand the book and make a connection to her own life? 
Two: If there was a new breakthough in science, would I allow her to take the treatment in hopes of improving her life?

I would be lying if I said I never wondered what she would be like if she didn't have any problems. But would I want to take the chance of ruining her pure sweet innocence and loving disposition just so that she could be smarter? Not likely. Yes, I would love to know that one day she will graduate from college, marry the man of her dreams, and live a productive life that included a career and family. The reality of it is that she will most likely live with me my whole life, tell me twenty times a day that I'm her girl, and give me hugs & bed bugs each night before bed. I have a forever child and I wouldn't change that for the world.

As I am writing this I am sitting in the lap of luxury. Tranquil music is playing in the background while the scents of aromatherapy fill the air. A small pool is in front of me and the whole room is lit entirely by candlelight. Fresh fruit is sitting on an end table while assorted teas and water is across from it. The call this the quiet room. A place at the spa where one can go to escape and find serenity.

I arrived early and enjoyed a dip in the waterfall hot tub. Sitting under the rocks I allowed the hot water to trickle down my back, releasing all of my tension. The sun was just ascending into the sky and there was just a hint of snow on the balcony to cause a glittery reflection. The birds started chirping which evoke more bodies out of bed so I climbed out of the water to dry off for the best part of the day.

Wrapping myself in a plush robe, I walked down the hall into a room that offered all five of my senses a warm welcome. Relaxing music played in the background while I was offered a choice of scented oils for my massage. Inhaling each delicate fragrance, I decided to go with “Sun”. A blend of vanilla, blood orange, grapefruit and amber. In essence it smelled like a mixture of vanilla and baby powder…two of my favorite scents! My eyes set their gaze upon the
fireplace in the room while I sipped a glass of cucumber water. (It was delicious) Snuggling in under the warm blankets, my body began to relax as the masseuse unlocked all of my tension.                                                                            It was one hundred minutes of pure bliss.

My very relaxed body sauntered back into the locker room after I was finished to hit the sauna and take a steam bath. I’m not exactly sure what was in the bath but all I can say is that it smelled like Vicks Vapo Rub was being circulated into the air. Anyways, I came out of it breathing quite well! Now I would have been just as happy to come up here and hang out in the locker room all day. It was breathtaking. Every amenity you could want was available. My gym locker room definatly fails in comparison!

When it was time to face reality again, I returned home with a clear head ready for creativity, a rejuvenated body ready to tackle all of next month’s goals, and my patience restored just in time to head back to work. It was the perfect ending to my mid winter break !

There are times when I consider myself lucky for having a child that is different.

I have avoided most of the teenage drama and peer pressures that typical children ahear to.  Never will I have to worry about my child sneaking out at night to date a boy, or that she will spend wild weekends drinking and partying. Things any mother would happily do without.  Yet there are times when having a special needs child breaks my heart.


Often I have been asked if my daughter knows that she is different. While I have wondered that myself, I have never had an answer for that.  Today I got an inkling that just maybe she is starting to realize the differences between her and her peers.

Last night my daughter announced that the next time she is at school she is going to sit at The Cool Table for lunch. Caught off guard, I remained speechless for what seemed like an eternity.  Part of me was intrigued that she knew about social status in school, the other part was saddened that she felt like she was not part of the acceptable group.  "Where is the cool table?"  I asked her. "I don't know but I'm going to sit there." she said.  I have to say I was impressed with her confidence.  "Who sits there?" I inquired. “I don’t know” she shrugged.  “But I’ll sit there by myself and eat.” Okay, she obviously didn’t grasp the concept of what a 'cool table' was. 

Dying to know she even came about the idea of wanting to sit with the 'in crowd', I pushed for more information.
“How do you know about the cool table?”  I asked. “It was on TV mom.  The kids sat at the cool table and I want to too.” she said matter of factly.  Thank you Disney Channel. 

Am I wrong to have encouraged her to find that cool table at school and sit there no matter what?  Will I be setting her up for failure if she is shunned by the popular kids or will I be building her confidence by showing her that she has no limits to hold her back?  I guess we'll find out when she returns to school. 

This past Tuesday I was blown away by my readers. As a special Valentine's Day treat, I had offered a free Kindle download of my book Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child to everyone who had visited my blog that day. I did not advertise in advance what I was planning so whoever happened to read that day's post found the surprise.  97 people downloaded the book to their Kindle in less than 20 hours.

Never had I envisioned such an overwhelming response.  I know that many more people had visited my site on that day and did not have a device to download the book to, but they still read my blog post for the day. Others mentioned to me that they had shared my information to their support group and passed the word along to their friends. I am very excited that so many have found this book to be helpful.  Here is some of the feedback that I have received:

*All you wrote in the book names so many things. Thanks to you I see life in so many ways, thank You.

*I am finding such strength in your book. I just wanted to say thank you for  contacting me to see if I was
interested I'm submitting , but at point things  were so New . I was still processing and wasn't sure how to share. Just wanted  to say Thank you for Sharing all these Wonderful Parents & Special Children's Stories with The
World.

*Just want to say I have found this to  be inspirational. I can't put it down.

*What encouragement "Sometimes the Wind Blows Sideways" is to mothers of a special needs child. A compilation written my moms who live victoriously when the wind blows against them is just what every mom needs.

Your responses have been wonderful and I hope that for the next title I can get more writers to submit. If anyone wishes to purchase a paperback edition, it can be found at Amazon.Com via the following link.
http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Wind-Blows-Sideways-Quonce/dp/1466419180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329480372&sr=8-1

Or you can visit the River's End Bookstore to pick up a copy.  Tonight I will be there for a reading of a piece of prose that I wrote and if you stop by at 7:00 to listen to all of the readers I will be more than happy to autograph a copy for you.  Refreshments are free and the readings have always proven to be wonderful.  Hope to see you there!

February 14th.  A day for celebrating with the love of your life. Many couples will be having a romantic evening out, while those who are not attached may be wishing that cupid would toss an arrow in their direction. This Valentine's Day I will be celebrating with someone very special in my life...my special needs daughter.

Last year instead of having a date with my husband, he and I spent the holiday in the hospital awaiting for my daughter to come out of surgery.  The needs of our children, special or not, will always come first before our own wants. But when when you are raising a disabled child, this often becomes more of the norm rather than the occasional habit. These parents given relentlessly twenty four hours a day, seven days a week...with no complaints.  We love taking care of our children, and wouldn't trade them for the world. 

Even when we are stressed out, tired, and our children have drained every ounce of patience that we had within, they still mean the world to us. That is why on this Valentine's Day, I want everyone to remember the little things that made you fall in love with you child. I am giving everybody a free kindle download of my book Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child.

Simply click on the link below and it will automatically download to your Kindle or Kindle app. 

http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Wind-Blows-Sideways-ebook/dp/B00757ISSM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329096128&sr=8-2

Don't forget to return to Amazon after you have finished the book and post a review. If you have friends, family, or 
co-workers who might benefit from reading it as well, let them know about the title.  Together we can make this just as widely known as the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Interested in submitting a story for the next title?  Email me at [email protected] or find me on facebook under WindingRoadBook. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL !!!

We've shared our stories and connected with one another through the power of words. Now thanks to the Oswego Arise, we will get the chance to met one another in person!

Celebrating the kick off of Developmental Disability Awareness Month, every partcipant who submitted a story to Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child will be invited to a special get to know you session at the Oswego Arise Office in March.  The families will enjoy a casual dinner while socializing with one another. It will be a wonderful opportunity for both the kids and adults to make new friends!

Having a child with a disability, whether physical or mental, is a daily challenge.  Arise is a non profit organization that advocates for the individual and their families.  The following is their mission statement:

ARISE’s mission is to work with  people of all abilities to create a fair and
just community in which everyone  can fully participate.

We  embrace the guiding principles of independent living – that individuals
with  disabilities have a right to dignity, personal responsibility, and 
self-determination. ARISE offers advocacy and support services to people of all 
ages with all types of disabilities.

I am very excited to be teaming up with Arise to extend this offer to all of the people who shared a part of their lives with the world via my book. The feedback that I have got from my readers have been overwheleming. Over and over I have been told that Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child has brought inspiration, laughter, tears, and joy to many people's lives. This night will be a way to say thank you and to connect everyone involved. 

I love the digital age. Not only was I able to revise my print edition to add a bonus story, I was also able to convert my files into a kindle ready book. The title can be digitally downloaded within seconds to your kindle or ipad, which includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet.

Product Description from Amazon.com:

Raising a child with special needs can be both challenging and rewarding. In this special collection of short stories, families and caregivers share their struggles, laughs, and tears as they celebrate the lives of individuals who
have  triuimphed over unimaginable hurdles.
  
With topics that range from Autism, Down Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, Developmental Delays, Brain Tumors, physical impariments and even the death of loved one, this book is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, friends and neighbors whose lives have been touched by a disability.

To purchase a kindle edition of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child, you can click here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00757ISSM

Since I am a member of KDP select, those of you who are a kindle owner AND a member of amazon prime, you can download this book free of charge.

To purchase a paperback of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child, you
can click here:
http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Wind-Blows-Sideways-Quonce/dp/1466419180/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328327597&sr=1-1

**Remember that customer reviews are always welcomed on Amazon.Com.

Today my newphew is celebrating his first year of life. Last year when the rest of the world was waiting to see the groundhog pop out and see his shadow, my family was waiting for this little guy to pop out and make his grand entrance into the world.

This huge smile is always the first thing that you see when Aidan is around. The spitting image of his father (my brother -in-law), he's a happy go lucky fellow who loves to socialize with absoltely everyone who crosses his path.

It's hard to believe that just one year ago I was holding him in the hospital. Now he is totting himself around the house like a tornado, leaving a path of destruction around him. Curious, inquisitive, and adorable, he keeps his mother on her toes all day long. 



So in honor of this momentous occasion, I have composed a little tune for ny newphew:


                                                                          Congratulations Aidan for turning one
                                                                          Now the world is much more fun
                                                                          You can run and chase your brother
                                                                          Laugh and spit at your mother
                                                                          Congratulations Aidan for turning one
                                                                          Your adventures have only just begun

                                                               HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIDAN !!!!