Tomorrow morning my dear friend and writing accountablity partner will be packing her bags and leaving.  While I will miss her, I am very excited at the same time.  No, she is not leaving forever, but instead venturing on a journey of a lifetime.

Lisa is heading to the Greater Philedlphia Writer's Conference to pitch her book to agents in hopes of getting it published.  This very well could be the last step that Lisa needs to take before finding her memoir on the bookshelf of Barnes & Nobel. 

The past several weeks for her have been spent perfecting her elevator pitch, studying the do's and don'ts of interviewing agents, and of course deciding what to wear when she becomes discovered.

While Lisa will be missing her friends and family while gone, she will busy around the clock absorbing the huge wealth of knowledge that surrounds such conferences.  The networking possibilites for her are endless, so she is going prepared with fresh contact cards and minature chocolates labeled with her name and website to hand out.  Now there's a girl who knows how to get noticed!

So I bid you farewell Lisa as you embark on the first day of the rest of your life.  The search begins....for your book, your sister, and a new life.

    Recently I visited my local bookstore and picked up a copy of Chicken Soup for the Special Needs Soul.  A book  full of stories from caregivers on how their lives were touched by disabilities.  I was so inspired by the stories that I started to ponder how we could incorporate something similar in our area.  New York state has the largest number of special needs individuals in the U.S. because of the extensive services that are offered to them.  I believe that this is exactly why Upstate NY would be the perfect place to start our own anthology.  And so, the From Caring To Sharing project was born!
    With the help of some local organizations, the word is quickly spreading and the response from the community has been overwhelming.  I am pleased that so many feel that a project like this is valuable.  If you have a story that you would like to have considered, please contact me at WindingRoadBook.Weebly.Com. (The tab above will bring you to the page with the flyer and you can find it on Facebook/From Caring To Sharing.) Multiple submissions are welcomed and the writing can be from a caregiver, relative, teacher, or from the individual themselves.  It would be wonderful to have entries from the entire Upsatate Ny area so please spread the word.
    For the next few weeks you may notice some changes in my website. My homepage has been dedicated to the anthology and some of my others pages like the excerpt from my manuscript have been temporarily disabled.  Not to worry, as these will be back up and running soon.
    I would like to send out a big thank you to all of the organizations who have shown interest in assisting with getting the word out:  Oswego YMCA, Oswego County Autism Task Force, Arise, Inc., ARC of Oswego, Parents of Special Children, Oswego County Opportunities, Farnahm, and many others.  Your support is greatly apprecia

As I check the stats on my blog each day I realize that while I have no idea who is reading these posts daily, the fact is that they in turn may not know that much about me either.  And I couldn't think of a more fun way to bridge the gap between reader and writer than to list 10 random facts about myself that should make me more human in the eyes of my audience. 

1. I am the world's pickest eater.  Anything that contains cheese,
   butter, ketchup, or mayo will make me run in the other
    direction.  Ice cream on the other hand is my weakness.
2. Someday I dream of going horseback riding along a secluded
     trail with my best friend of 33 years.
3. While in high school I served as editor for my high school
     yearbook and particpated in the drama club.
4. Martha Stewart I am NOT !  I do not claim to have any domestic
    skills what so ever and I am completely content with this fact.
5. I took paino lessons for 3 years and I can't play any better today than I did on the day I started.
6. When it comes to bargain shopping, look out!  I am always on the prowl for a good deal and ready to brag about it at a moments notice.
7. There are days when my OCD gets the better of me.
8. I suffer dearly from having the middle child syndrome.
9. HIdden in the back of my closet are all of my old cassette tapes, 45's and albums that I listened to endlessly as a teenager.
10. I have no desire to go skiiing, watch more depressing stories on the news or try the latest diet fad.

And just because I like you so much for reading my blog I will give a bonus fact: 

BONUS: I change the spelling of my name almost daily.  Yes, today it is Amy, but watch closely and tomorrow it may be Aimee and you will think that you were the one who has been
                                                                                      spelling it wrong all along!


Now that you know a little about me, I invite you to leave a comment and tell me one thing about you.  What makes you tick?  Your funniest moment or your biggest pet peeve.  I promise to comment back for each response I get.

~Amy  (A.K.A.  ~Aimee)

On a recent day trip to the beach I thought I would take my husband's antique convertible along for the ride.  Why not...the whole idea was to enjoy nature and the thought of the wind blowing in my hair while I drove to the
water  intrigued me.  Down went the top and off we went.  Our picnic in the front seat  and my daughter and her friend in the back.

It was a glorious day.  Gentle waves greeted us on the soft sandy beach, and the sun was perfectly portioned in the sky to offer just the right amount of  heat.  We swam, played, and relaxed for most of the afternoon.  But as good 
things always do, the time had come for it to end.  Home was our destination but  our hearts were still by the water.  Sadly we put the keys in the engine and  headed back.

It wasn't long before the car started spitting and sputtering on the hot asphalt.  Crossing my fingers that nothing was wrong I cautiously pulled over to  the side of the road.  As luck would have it, the car stopped completely. 
The  engine refused to restart and we were stuck with the top down in our bathing  suits.  Great...

I called my husband to come to our rescue and while we awaited his arrival we made the most out of the situation and played silly games until our hero arrived.  75 minutes later (because he had thought we had gone to a different 
 beach 40 miles in the opposite direction) he was by our side to escort us safely  back home.  As it turned out, the gas gauge was not working properly and as soon  as we refuled her with a drink we were up and going again.

The very next day I was mowing the lawn and dejavu....the mower ran out of gas!  Twice in two days I was out of steam and couldn't go any further as much as I had wanted to.  And so another lesson was learned.  As much as we would like to just go without stopping, we need to take a few moment and refresh ourselves.  Too often we run around ragged trying to be super mom and accomplish  more than we can handle.  Take a break, a sip of your favorite beverage, and  breathe deep.  Recharge your mind and your body will take you where it is you  need to go.  This is your vehicle..maintain it accordingly.

~Amy