#CelebratingOthers with Christine Flanagan - Recent Bone Marrow Donor!

In my recently self-published memoir, The Focused Fight, on page 172 I mention that if an age qualifying person donates saliva through a cheek swab, they could eventually become a bone marrow donor. There is a 1 in 430 chance to donate blood or marrow to save someone’s life. On Thursday, June 10, 2021, a born and bred Crofton, Maryland, 29 year-old lovely young lady by the name of Christine Flanagan, donated her blood and plasma (PBSC or peripheral blood stem cells) for a child with cancer. Her efforts in sitting in the hot seat at Georgetown University Hospital manufacturing sunshine through her blood donation...was all to save a life! 

The same blood-forming cells that are found in the bone marrow are also found in the circulating (peripheral) blood. The only detail Christine knows and shared is that the recipient is a 16 year old girl living in the United States with a diagnosis of ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—same as Ryan’s). She told me that our family’s story and Ryan’s cancer journey inspired her to do the cheek swab at University of Maryland Baltimore County Campus (UMBC) donor drive, as well as the free Chick-fil-A sandwich coupon given to every student that walked through the clinic doors. Free food will catapult a starving college student to donate a quick cheek swab hands down. No one at that age realizes they could be called up for duty despite the free sandwich giveaway. When Crofton had the huge bone-marrow drive in 2004, Christine was 12 years old then and not old enough to be in the registry (need to be 18 years old to register).

Christine was a PBSC donor (blood removed from one arm and then after apheresis/through a machine) the blood goes back into the other arm) instead of a bone marrow donor. She revealed that her procedure took (5) hours, a lot less than the typical donation of close to (8) hours. Apparently, she has good polys (large white and red blood cells - especially for a woman). Christine further explained that for (5) days leading up to her blood procedure, she had to be given injections of filgrastim to increase the number of blood-forming cells/stem cells in her bloodstream. She admitted that the shots were the hardest part compared to the donation, but was extremely honored that she was a great match for someone, somewhere.

The entire process was about two months. Christine was first notified on April 1, 2021 that she was a potential match. Further testing was needed to confirm she was a good and viable candidate. When she was processed into the program, time passed quickly until her donation this past week. 

Our family has known Christine and the rest of the Flanagan family since we moved to Crofton in 1996. She is one of five children born to her parents, Georgia and Richard. She is the second oldest of three girls, then two boys followed up to round out the crew. They are all awesome and we’ve remained close to them throughout the years. Her dad, Rich, in fact, has three Guinness Book of World Records on a wheelie/one wheel (bicycle).  He dedicated one of his rides to Ryan in May of 2016. If you’d like to read more about this feat - please click on my older blogpost.   https://quiltsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/search?q=richard+flanagan

All the Flanagan kids are great athletes. Christine and our daughter, Olivia, played on the same local soccer for a couple of years, as well as swam on the local pool's swim team. A grade ahead of Olivia, Christine graduated high school in 2009 and then graduated from UMBC in 2013 with her degree in psychology. She currently works for the Applied Physics Lab in Columbia, Maryland, as a financial manager. She loves her job and is good at it too. She currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with a couple of roommates and her dog, Cliff, a German Shepard mix. She added she has had a wonderful childhood and is enjoying her life and adventure at every turn. Her greatest joy is being Aunt ‘Tine (pronounced Teen) to five nieces and nephews (some cannot pronounce Christine!).

If my family is excited and proud about Christine’s recent PBSC donation, her family is off the charts happy and very proud of her too! Who wouldn’t be? 

Due to Be The Match’s https://bethematch.org/ time constraints on when a donor and recipient can meet up (after one year from transplant), they are, in fact, allowed to write cards and notes to each other anonymously through their cancer centers. Christine plans on doing just that—keeping in touch. She added that she will wait patiently through the next nine months because after that time period ends, she will be able to get an update on her recipient. 

I hope and pray this all will be a miracle! When they meet up eventually, my hope is through Christine’s willingness to donate and create sunshine for someone else, she will be able to see how her donation brought sunshine (life) into a 16 year old girl with a new lease on life!  

Christine with her Red Stem Cells

Red stem cells and White Plasma (recipient needed plasma too)

Flanagan Clan

Christine and Cliffy

Oh What a Week! Kelleys Island Respite 2021

Remember those vacations of years past, and last year a bust for many? Hopefully, not this year as we are ready to move about the cabin...and more. A trip to our beloved Kelleys Island, Ohio, was a perfect segue to get back on the horse of being with our tribe of family and friends. Except for one day of liquid sunshine, we had a grand week of stellar sunshine (mostly) with fun, laughter, bike rides, visits and the KI annual 5K and 10K races. A good time was had by all. 

Laughter...what a great medicine!

BSoleille!

Terri

Can't beat an Ohio sunset (#nofilter) 

Shell Beach, Lake Erie with Tom/Rosalie Franek and Jodie Smith

Jodie and me

Go Speed racers! 5K and 10K'ers

Welcome to Lake Erie - Rosalie and Tom

Last dinner together at the Island House Restaurant

Medal winners/placers: Olivia (5k); Rosalie (10k); Beth Tomoff (10k) Bill (5K) in their respective age brackets!

#CelebratingOthers with Susan Myhr Fritz's Memoir Recently Published!

Bill and I had so much fun writing in the Akimbo's Writing In Community 1 and that signed up for WIC2 over two months ago. We 'met' people all over the world writing powerful words with the hope that those words will be published. It's a big deal for that day to finally arrive and I would like to shout out Susan Fritz with her moment this past week.

Hot off the press is Susan Fritz’s memoir Everything Relevant Has Already Been Said. A Cancer Love Story. Susan’s book was the first thing packed in my backpack for our vacation. Now it’s a toss up on who reads it first and we are “fighting” over who gets that pleasure. From the photo below, it looks like Bill has the advantage. Not so fast.

On the Kelleys ,Island with Lake Erie all around us, unpacked, fed and watered I'm ready to sit back with a good book- Susan's book. A nice bike ride around the island is already under our belt too. 

Bill and I are thrilled for Susan and her book that is now out to share with the world! Her words are poignant, powerful and very “Susan-esque.” 

I can’t wait to dig into it pronto! 

BSoleille!

Terri

Fighter Moms...

There are fighter jets and fights on the playground during lunch time. There is always some type of fight going on, most of them not good. Cancer fighting moms are in a league of their own. They are in the trenches with their child on good days and bad days. Then they have to deal with or take care of the siblings as well. 

The photo below are two of the cancer fighting moms, Marilyn Eichner and Patty Lubin, that shared the burden of that distinction with me from the beginning with my son and their children in 1996-1997. We have formed an unbreakable bond. There were times no words needed to be exchanged as we went into our own battles. We understand (or understood) all the feelings and goings-on in our hearts and minds. A sisterhood, if you will, that very few moms (and dads), thankfully, have to be a part of.

So on a beautiful Annapolis evening, we celebrated our friendship with an outdoor meal on the water. It feels so good to "move about the cabin" once again. We caught up with our lives since being in lockdown and it felt great to be together and just hang out for a spell! 

My hope is that we can all re-acquaint with the various tribes we belong to as the summer unfolds. This can only help our psyches and definitely our hearts after fighting through the madness of lockdown and the other "C" word and all that it entailed... worldwide.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

BSoleille!

Terri

The Focused Fight Zoom Chat with the Just Tryan It Foundation

A few weeks ago I was interviewed by Maureen Coburn, executive director of the wonderful foundation Just Tryan It. JTI is a kids triathlon fundraiser that helps families in financial need. My family and I have been involved with the foundation over the last 10 years as volunteers at their super fun/family friendly races. https://justtryanit.com/

Maureen and I had a lively conversation on my recently published memoir, The Focused Fight. It was a delightful zoom call that I was able to share further about the story of advocacy and resilience and what it took to fight through the ferocious fight of our lives. It's 30 minutes long if you decide to watch it (I hope you do). 

The interview flew by like a New York minute! If interested, you can tune into the candid chat at: https://youtu.be/By8nRstyuTw

I cannot thank JTI enough, as well as Maureen, in spreading our message of families fighting through courageous battles like Ryan's and Co. 

The photo below was at the Germantown, Maryland Top Golf kick off fundraiser for JTI on May 16, 2021. 

BSoleille!

Terri

Ryan, me, Olivia, Bill and Linda Misencik

Backyard Book Club & Signing for The Focused Fight

Backyard Book Signing 

Even though it was hot at 91 degrees in the neighborhood yesterday (Sunday), there was a breeze coming through at the start of book club this afternoon—featuring the author of The Focused Fight… me! I am thrilled that my neighbor two doors up suggested that “one of our own” would be discussing her book. She was also prepared with delicious food (some of RyGuysBBQ smoked cheeses), along with thoughtful questions plus a bit about post production and self-publishing. The whole book signing party was lovely (I even sold a few copies!).

What I thought was also very kind was that I was available to chat with some folks individually, who then were able to articulate to me how and what the book meant to them. I was touched with their sincerity. Some of the ladies have health challenges now that did not have them when my son/family was going through hell 20 years ago. They were also a large part of the power of community I discussed in the book (though a few thought they did not do enough.)

I will be forever indebted to my neighbors! One even said when she passed my house all those years ago, she would offer up a prayer to me or my son or the family…depending on the day. I was floored! However, those silent prayers offered moved mountains for us time and time again. We would not be standing proudly today without those unscripted efforts of so many.

Angels in my community...and a huge shout out to Mary Kay Carlo for hosting the entire event! Delicious food and camaraderie with our neighbors rounds out this great afternoon. I was over the moon!

BSoleille!

Terri

Me & Ewa Gorski

Me & Tammy Wates

MONSTER Traeger Grill

As a prolific quilter I am in love with all things fabric plus the tools that go along with my avocation. Of course I have several sewing machines, but I simply love scissors and hot irons. I typically have a fleet of irons that I use for different purposes. So when my son decided to purchase a bigger and “better” Traeger grill to add to his fleet of outdoor cooking ware (he does most of the family’s cooking of late rain or shine), I was all in on his decision. I know that feeling of providing the best tools for the task at hand. He does too!

To me his new grill is a monster grill (I don’t have monster iron but my long arm sewing machine could be considered one). It’s much larger than the entry level grill he bought himself a few years ago. There is nothing wrong with the original grill, but he wants to spread out the grilling space needed to cook a meat/fish dish plus a decent size side. Apparently, this bigger grill can do just that. He saved up for a year to purchase it and deliberated for quite some time to finally pull the trigger and buy it. It was on order for a few weeks and was able to pick it up this week. He is just as delighted with his new purchase as I am with a new iron. They both get hot and make our jobs a lot easier to accomplish, mine with fabric, his with food. We are kindred spirits like that. 

One of the most delicious things he smokes are cheeses. They are a fan favorite. However, his smoked macaroni and cheese is out of this world. It’s rich, creamy and smokey and he adds the right punch and combination of spices that truly makes it mouth-watering (are you getting hungry and have a hankering of mac-n-cheese now?). The whole neighborhood knows when he is grilling something delectable as the intense smells plus wafting scents rise from his grills and flat top to noses near and far. He’s actually become a somewhat of a master griller. He got that way with trial and error, of course, and not only are his smoked cheeses spectacular, his grilled/smoked chicken are the bomb! 

I am thrilled he is in the ‘business’ of manufacturing sunshine in the form of appetizing food for his waiting customers - his family. Sometimes we could be considered guinea pigs for trying a new dish he’s working on, but once he’s perfected it, we have a front row seat at the table of divine scrumptiousness!

BSoleille!

Terri

 

Creating Weekend Adventures with Linda Linda

As the "coast is clearing" a bit for travel, we were blessed to have a visit from our dear friend, Linda Misencik, now residing in Colorado! She came for a long weekend, and it did not disappoint. Interestingly, Linda Linda (it's what we affectionately call her) was fascinated with the emerging cicadas coming up and out of the ground in our backyard. We sat and watched the birds swooping in for a tasty bite of an emerging cicada, or flying off with their treasured catch to eat elsewhere. 

In addition to all the animal watching, people watching by taking a stroll (fast walk) with "The Best Daughter" on the mall in DC was also a big highlight for us. It was a beautiful Sunday morning that we had to take advantage of. The beauty of Washington and Maryland alive with deep green plants, shrubs and trees showing off as they burst on the scene with leaves forming canopies, as well as their cousins, azaleas and knock out rose bushes, all dolled up with their abundant colors. A riot of color was busting all over the city, much to our delight. 

I'd love to give Mother Nature a big hug right now!

BSoleille!

Terri

Cicadas Brood X

The East Coast ground is bursting with the 17 year Cicadas, and of course, bursting through my weeds, er grass, in the backyard with great delight. They are inching they way out of the ground and into the trees to mate and proliferate for another 17 years. They are the most defenseless creatures on Earth. Birds and snakes are on a feeding frenzy. 

Apparently, they are as tasty as shrimp sautéed in butter, but we have no takers in my household for this supposed delicacy. Maybe next time in 2038! 

BSoleille!

Terri

Marigold Hunting

My hunt every spring is to find flats of marigolds that don't break the bank. I’d rather not buy them in a one quart pot or anything larger, but in a four-pack of various colors like orange, yellow and a combination of yellow and orange (looks red sometimes). For the past week I couldn’t get my beloved marigold flowers out of my head. Thankfully, I was lucky to work in my flower beds on Mother’s Day, with help, but that did not include going to a store or nursery to buy them.

Today when I went out to return some extra split rail fencing I purchased a week ago that we did not need, I checked the garden department for marigolds. I was on the hunt, and this big box store had nary a marigold in sight. About a half mile away though, another big box discount store that has a garden center just had to be my next stop in my quest for what I’m thinking is an illusive flower. 

I was tickled to see that this next stop store had overflowing racks of flowers along the brick front near the garden center entrance. I was thinking there had to be marigolds somewhere here. I pulled out a nicely wheeled cart from the cart corral, and perused all the flowers along the front of the store very carefully. Still, no marigolds. Now I am getting suspicious with no marigolds in sight. Are they always that popular every spring? It’s early-ish May, I know, so am I late in purchasing them? Maybe all the presidents of the local garden clubs put out a memo that they are wonderful, colorful and very hearty flowers to grow. But sheesh, nada so far. 

Maybe the word is out too that there is no annual flower more cheerful or easier to grow. Maybe people know that they can bloom from April to November in the Mid-Atlantic in gold, copper and brass color-ways and they don’t really have to be watered. Can the attraction be that they thrive in full sunshine and can withstand very hot summers? Maybe they are all out because they grow pretty much in any soil and have very few pest problems. In fact, they are companion plants in gardens and farms all over the world. Honeybees love them too! Hey, they even repel snakes, whiteflies, Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs, tomato hornworms, and, the biggest nemesis of all: mosquitoes! Marigolds are a definite crowd pleaser I’ve come to reason. 

After my mental rant, I entered the outdoor garden area of the store. There just had to be some marigolds here, I was convinced of it. Once I entered the sacred area, I was met by a friendly staff member. I wanted to find them on my own, but after looking down several rows of flowers, I came up short. The friendly staff member was happy to assist me when questioned about my flower choice and where were they hiding them. He laughed and said,” you are bit late for them.” What? I didn’t know I could be late for the marigolds? I guess one learns something new every day—this was my day to learn when to plan to buy marigolds in the future. He then pointed out the only rack I did not look over. Sure enough, there were my marigolds - low on the rack. There were not many flats of four-packs left, but I am proud to say I was able to purchase (8) packs! I was thrilled to do so, and since I was so elated, I decided to buy a few begonias and spikes for my pots too. 

If I learned anything today, it’s to get your annual marigolds early in the season! I’ve tried growing them from seeds from the previous year (keep them dry and in a glass ball jar), but they never germinate for me. 

So how about those geraniums?  

Mother's Day 2021

No one would be here on Earth throughout time without a Mother. This is the first Mother's Day without mine in the world...but she left a great legacy of three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Happy Mother's Day to one and all!

Here’s one of my all time favorite photos I ever took (Feb. 2015) - a baby elephant with her Mom and Aunties!

A Mother's Day Story of Manufactured Sunshine

South Africa 2015 - On The Fly Cooking in the Drakensbergs

When one of my college buddies, Helen, and her husband, Dan, moved to South Africa in 2014 (her husband was transferred there by a large US company), several other college friends wanted to pay them a visit. Not everyone was able to go once the dates and times were set. However, three were left standing ready and willing to go. Laura from Michigan, Jodie living in Amsterdam at that time, and me on the East Coast. Laura and I coordinated our trip and met in Atlanta to fly to Johannesburg, SA. Going that far, we went for two weeks which left plenty of room to visit a lot of places throughout South Africa. Our fun included a Safari, hiking in the Drakensbergs, and visiting Cape Town as well the wine country of Stellenbosch and Franschhoeck. It was a wonderful trip with lots of memories made with smart, funny and compassionate women (and two husbands for some parts of the trip). 

Helen planned the entire trip. She utilized the fact she was living in SA to pay rates and travel expenses under Rand instead of USD. Smart girl she is! Since we are all very active, a trip to hike in the Drakensbergs Mountains (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000) was high on our list. Helen secured accommodations in a cabin there, and after our Safari in northern SA, we headed southeast near the Lesotho border. The mountain range was spectacular! They are kind of like the Rockies of Colorado in the states. 

On our way down, we stopped at a grocery store to buy our provisions for several days. We never thought about purchasing salt/pepper/spices or any type of butter, oil or spray for cooking purposes. But ... we had plenty of wine! After one long and grueling hiking day we came back to our cabin hot, sweaty, sore and hungry as bears. Jodie volunteered to cook that night. For the four of us, everything was quite seamless in KP duty. One made a salad, another set the table and poured wine in four glasses and the last gal would clean up and wash the dishes. 

Once Jodie started making the chicken in the frying pan she realized we did not have any oil/butter etc to help with flavor or stickiness on the old beat up pan. On the spot she began frying the chicken very slowly so that it would release some fat. And here is where she manufactured sunshine…in cooking. She opened another bottle of wine to assist her in cooking the chicken. It served a dual purpose. It brought an unbelievable and unexpected flavor to the chicken, and nothing ended up sticking to the pan.

Since we were in baboon country, these cabins were empty of any food supplies. Not even a packet of salt was found in any drawer or way back in a cabinet. Nope, those baboons can open doors and windows and can do a lot of damage in the cabin if no one is occupying them. They would even destroy cleaning supplies, and of course we did not have, or buy, proper cleaning supplies either. I don’t think anyone of us got the memo about the baboons and their crazy behavior. We used soap from our toiletry bags for our personal use, as well as all the cooking clean up. Our cabin did provide kitchen towels and bed linens, so that helped. Apparently, baboons don’t mess with towels—but they do jump on the beds we heard! 

Necessity is the mother of invention - a good story for this Mother’s Day Weekend! 

BSoleille! I'm shouting a huge Happy Birthday to Jodie's 60th today! 

L-R: Laura, Jodie, me & Hp 

Publicity for The Focused Fight

When you self-publish a book, guess who has to do the publicity? If you guessed the author, you are correct! It's super helpful for folks to share the book on social media, but then what? A review on Amazon is helpful and is one of the best compliments you can do for any author. I am thrilled and very thankful for those who took their time to write beautiful reviews on the Amazon platform, and it's never too late to write one and post—for me or anyone of your favorite authors!

This has been an exciting week for me with PR work. I am a newbie at all of this, but slugging through the nuances every day. Yesterday, I did an hour long Twitter Chat with #indieAuthorChat host, Tim Lewis, of London, England and https://stonehampress.com/  (spreading the love over the pond). It was exhilarating but I felt like I was in the middle of the three ring circus answering questions and remembering to include the hashtag with each answer I gave. It was a little hard to keep up with some of the extra questions posed by those on the chat as well as the host's questions. I did my best. The hour flew by at lightning speed. I let out a big cleansing breath at the top of the hour when we were all done. My fingers never flew so fast over my keyboard! Ha! I was thrilled to be a part of Tim Lewis' Indie Author Chat (his chats are every Wednesday at 3:00pm EST).

I met Tim Lewis through a woman named Clarice Lin who my husband Bill met on LinkedIn several years ago. Bill liked Clarice's posts so much that they started chatting via social media. When we traveled to London two years ago, we met up with Clarice for breakfast and had a delightful time with her. She actually gave some sound business advice to "The Best Daughter" that was invaluable. Fast forward to a month ago, and Clarice reached out to me on whether I'd like to meet her friend, Tim, who does frequent Twitter Chats for Independent Authors and thought I would be a good fit for his program. I was! 

Today, I did a recorded Zoom chat with the Executive Director, Maureen Coburn, with the Just Tryan It  foundation that will be aired in a few weeks. https://justtryanit.com/ 

This is all new and exciting! However, my ultimate goal or hope is to reach that one person or one family, or one community by reading The Focused Fight. We can all do small things with great love to help others—Mother Teresa

BSoleille!

Terri

May Day - Love is in the Air - Pagon Wedding!

Attending a wedding no matter where in the world is a sacred time, not only for the beautiful bride and groom, but their respective families, friends and guests. I felt honored to be invited. Well wishes for a happy life floated over the venue like the endless and abundant sunshine that their day provided (a great thing for typical Ohio weather in early May!). 

My travel partners embarking from Cleveland to Columbus, Ohio, Debbie M. and Sarah M., made the adventure all worthwhile! With three talkative chicas, the almost two hour drive breezed on by. We traveled to celebrate this wonderful occasion of the marriage of Nicholas and Rachel Pagon; along with Nick’s parents, Kata and Len. It was a very lovely day - from soup to nuts! 

The stunning venue at Oak Grove at Jorgensen Farms was the perfect backdrop for the bride and groom to say their, “I do’s.” I always feel weddings are one of life’s loveliness of being human and making a connection to another human to share a life together. There is something that is cherished that wedding day for the couple and their families, and the feeling of starting something anew. 

Love was certainly in the air! BSoleille! The bright side of a newly married couple - Nick and Rachel Pagon!

The Bridget Franek Track - Crestwood High School - Mantua, Ohio

Ryan and I were thrilled to "get out of dodge" for a great mother and son weekend trip back to our "hometown" of Cleveland, Ohio.  First stop was to visit Tom and Rosalie Franek in Hiram. We got in at nightfall, with a lot of rain and dark skies for most of six hour drive West. When their daughter,  Track and Field Olympian Bridget Franek (London 2012), had the track  dedication ceremony at the school a few weeks ago in her honor, I was unable to attend. 

I was thrilled for Bridget, her the entire family and her friends and fans she wowed through the years while racking up records and championships at Crestwood High School and Penn State University. I knew the next trip to Ohio would include a trip to the track with Rosalie, and Ryan as my co-pilot. I pretended I heard the crowd cheer her on and the standing ovation as her plaque was revealed! All so well deserved by this humble young lady. 

The weather was cool and rainy at times on Friday, but that did not stop us (no snow, thankfully!). We took care of business in visiting Bill and Jordan Gawne as well as other errands before arriving at my sister Kimberly Kocan and her family. We were giddy to "move about the cabin" in our travels, feeling good about our 2+2 and masks/social distancing when applicable. 

We are looking forward to more adventures - Ryan playing a round of golf with his cousins, and me to a wedding in Columbus, Ohio! 

BSoleille!

Terri

Rosalie and Ryan

Terri and Rosalie

Sandy Hearts

A natural sand heart found on the sidewalk that is long gone now with all the strong winds and rain over the last couple of weeks. Hearts are everywhere I look it seems. I'm sure this sandy heart turned into a muddy heart that was totally unrecognizable except those who knew its original form. I'll keep the sandy one close to my heart...

BSoleille!

Terri

Mousework!

Yesss! The mouse for my computer arrived a week or so ago. I couldn't comment on it until I took it for several spins on the dining room table with toggling back and forth with cutting and pasting and zooming around two monitors like a champ. I use it quite regularly and have been liking it more and more each day compared to my trackpad. Moving files around is a cinch for me now with the mouse. There were instructions on downloading a complete manual on this cute little mouse, I guess for more mousework! Ha! Supposedly it has over 70 days of juice in it before it needs a charge (and I turn it off after each use.)

BSoleille! The bright side of: this thing has way more capabilities than I know what to do with...or at least for now.

Terri

Tracy's Kids Zoom Fundraiser

Can there be "Too Many Chiefs in the Kitchen - Risotto and Politics?" Maybe it can be with the two former White House Chiefs of Staff featured speakers: John Podesta  (President Clinton) and Josh Bolten (George W. Bush). This was the program for the Tracy's Kids Art Therapy fundraiser last night that was simply awesome. I cannot believe how wonderful it is to see nonprofits and organizations pivoting their programming to keep people invested in their mission. We received a goodie box of various foods and beverage yesterday. We could have cooked it then, or save it for a later date and watch the show. We opted for the second one, except we munched on the appetizers that was sent in the goodie box and looked too delicious not to partake. 

It was also a real treat to hear the behind the scenes eating habits of former presidents and how the staff interacted with them while they were in office. A huge thanks to Tracy Councill and Matt Gerson, founder of Tracy's Kids! 

For more info on Tracy's Kids please check out: https://www.tracyskids.org/

BSoleille!

Terri

I Heart Phlox Flowers

Isn't it true that when we tune into nature, it has lots of answers for us?  Take it from my front walk of a carpet of phlox. It is blooming beautifully. When "The Best Daughter" noticed the heart as we walked out of the house yesterday, I just had to stop, take it all in then snap a photo per usual. All in a day's work. Enjoying the beauty...

Hearts in flowers! Oh so breathtaking. Tuning in for the magic that is everywhere in new blooms (not counting the pollen and a lot of folks with watering eyes).  

BSoleille!

Terri

Self-Publishers Wear all the Hats!

When my editor Linda Blachly, of The Focused Fight, came over for a visit the other day, we had lots to catch up on with our lives since the book was published. She had let me borrow a few of her books on various subjects that I wanted to return to her, and my author book shipment arrived to give her a few. Ryan (my son) and I signed copies for her to take home and share with two other beta readers she knows and lives close to. A win-win!

My husband couldn’t resist a photo op and led us outside to take the photo below! WE did it!

We met Linda over 20 years ago when she called us out of the blue to do a story on us for the now defunct Crofton News Crier, about our family and Ryan’s earlier stages of his cancer journey. She happened to be near the fax machine (remember those?) when a press release came in from a cancer organization called: Special Love, Inc., stating something to the effect that this local family joined Special Love.

I’m glad we said "yes" to her as she went on to write a series of articles in the ensuing years. Linda then won an award in the state of Maryland for small newspaper reporters doing human interest stories.

Late last summer I contacted her to see if she could read over what I had written up until that point. She was elated. When I called her and explained what I was doing, she said, "sure." Linda then became my structural (sometimes call substantive) editor, and also did some line and copy editing. It was exactly what I needed then!

I cannot thank her enough for all she did to help me with the book, but her friendship and grace is the most important thing that came out of the entire process! I am over the moon. 

BSoleille!

Terri

Two In! Covid Shots!

Bill and I are two for two in Covid-Shot-Land. Now the wait for the next two weeks to hopefully be fully immunized.  We headed to the beach again (can't believe it's been three weeks since we last went), and stayed the night in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. We walked the beach for about 2 hours yesterday (on the boardwalk). It was cold, cloudy and grey at first, but then the sun poked out to brilliant sunshine for the rest of the day. Gorgeous! We enjoyed every minute of it! 

I actually had an appointment for my second shot this Friday. However, the mass/vax site in Salisbury, MD does not have many customers. That fact enable me to get my shot there with no problem at all (cancelled the one in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium). 

As a PSA, there was a nurse who watched over the "crowd" for the 15 minutes following the inoculation who said she came up from Florida to help at this mass/vax site. She went on urge me to tell all my friends in Maryland to go to the beach and swing by the Civic Center in Salisbury to get vaccinated! They would like more people seeking the vaccine to head out there; no wait times and super friendly staff all the way around. I must admit though, both my vaccination sites were awesome! Well-oiled machines at this point of Phase 3.

BSoleille The not so bright side of some sore arms tonight though...

Terri

First Posted Video of a Short Story - Trusting My Gut / My Dubai Driver

Hello folks! This is something brand new for me...a video short story! It's not easy, but I wanted to try it out on my blog! The Story Skills Workshop (SSW) that I am in has given all the students the tools on writing a short story. I've worked on a couple of them for the past two weeks, even shared this video in written form a few days ago. Today's lesson was a culmination of the past two weeks—a stand up version, if you will. 

Maybe with some practice I will get better at telling a story through video! I'm having a ball in this workshop and very happy to share this rough draft with all of you! 

The video is 6:52 long. It is longer by 20 seconds (7:12) because the edited version where I took out the last 20 seconds of me fiddling around with stopping it, would not load the cleaner version (need to also work on that aspect of the whole doggone thing!) It's all a work in progress!

BSolielle!

Terri

Cardinal Quilt Block

At Christmastime last December I ordered myself a wooden 3'x3' cardinal quilt block. These are typically called barn quilts. They can withstand all kinds of weather and for me, show that a quilter lives here. The red cardinal is a spiritual messenger from God, and when my mom died last July, I felt that the cardinal quilt block would be a great tribute to her. 

Today I got it hung up on the house between the two front windows. It brings me joy and looks great! We've had several neighbors stop by to say how much they liked it. Perhaps instead of giving my address out to local people, just give them my street name and tell them I live in the "cardinal house" on the left side of the street.

BSoleille!

Terri

Story Skills Workshop - Dubai Driver

I am currently taking a sprint workshop that is 4 weeks long.  I am thrilled to hone my skills and have been learning a lot in the Akimbo's Story Skills Workshop. We are crafting short stories by doing a story outline and then using the 5 C's of storytelling: context, catalyst, complication, change and consequence. 

The plan is to work on the 5 C's. The first part of the workshop was broken down by writing one C at a time. The following is my completion of my short story. It's a start. 

While relaxing on an Emirates Airbus flight from Ethiopia to Dubai, my mind began wondering how I would find my driver once that big honking plane landed. Frankly, that’s unusual for me to worry about a little travel snafu if it came to be. But I wanted to do what is culturally correct in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the rest of the visit. The tiny bit of trepidation on how I would get from the airport to my hostesses home in Umm Suqeim 1 interrupted my viewing pleasure i.e., a good movie. My hostess gave me explicit instructions in a back and forth series of Whatsapp texts in the two days prior to my flight to Dubai. Her ultimate recommendation was to use a pink-topped taxi upon my arrival to get to her home. She said it would be best for me as a woman to use a woman taxi-driver; hence the pink-topped taxi.

Besides these thoughts, the flight was so lovely that I told my flight attendant to tell the pilot to keep on flying, even perhaps to go around the world because the experience was so exhilarating on this beautiful airplane. I was happy and comfy and snug as a bug in a rug.

When I made my travel plans earlier that summer, I knew I would have a layover as part of my itinerary. I decided to extend the layover from four hours to four days. Why not? It was my chance to see a part of the world I may never get the chance to visit. Part of my Ethiopian trip was to deliver over 30 quilts to children with cancer, and who lived within 400 kms from the Mother Teresa Home in Addis Ababa (a full residential home for the child patient and one parent and treated at one of the local hospitals in Addis). My first few days there were with my son’s oncologist (my son’s a cancer survivor) and her executive director of the Aslan Project. They travel to the area a few times a year to provide cancer care treatment as well as teach/train Ethiopian pediatric oncologists. It was my first trip there as part of her team.

The second part of my trip was to travel solo to two areas of Ethiopia, and then travel solo through the UAE.

Unbeknownst to me and while in-flight, my prearranged hostess whom I met through a series of Facebook inquiries on whether someone could host an American solo traveler over 50, must have had a change of heart. All that worry was for naught! She decided to send her driver, Osama, to the airport to pick me up on my late arrival —about 10:00 pm. I learned of the change of events through another round of texts on Whatsapp, more one sided on her part, upon landing and immediately tapping into the airport WIFI. Relief for me and a new set of instructions. She sent both of us photos of each other for recognition and connection once I landed.

Once through customs I was elated that I was on my way to explore the Middle East country of the United Arab Emirates. I felt on top of the world like the Burj Khalifa. I like to think I was dressed appropriately too, with long pants and long sleeves despite the temperature outside the airport hovering over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Thousands of passengers were coming and going, mostly from the Middle East. They filled the airport in the long expanses of hallways leading to gates numbered in the hundreds, the shops inside the airport, and several money exchanges sprinkled throughout the concourse. I was awestruck by the parade of beautifully dressed families that passed by me quickly getting to their gates, as well as a cacophony of languages from all over the globe which added to the allure of this huge marble floored airport.

Through the throngs of people swirling around me, I knew that I had a great challenge, or so I thought, to find Osama, a sort of needle-in-the-haystack. I was so mesmerized by the sights and sounds before me I did not want to focus on that one small detail of finding my ride to my hostesses house. With my two suitcases in tow, I still had one free hand to hold my phone. As I continued walking quickly through the massive concourse, I held onto my phone like holding the hands of a lover. Tight and sweaty! I kept refreshing the screen with Osama’s photo to compare each person that may have been him as I neared the exit of the airport.

Several minutes ticked by with the adventure of hide and seek to find Osama not panning out. Strangely, my hackles went up a smidge though I knew in my gut I was safely ensconced inside the airport. However, when I looked at every young guy between 25-30 years old, who kind of looked like the Osama on the phone in my hand, and were not, a wee bit of dread seep into my thoughts and my sleuthing skills. How hard can this be? I wasn’t exactly sure I would find Osama but my mind and body took over with the power of positive thinking, even perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy that it will all work out in the end!

If Osama and I could not find each other, I realized that I could fall back on the second option of hailing a pink-topped taxi as originally suggested by my hostess. But that option gave me pause on how to coordinate hailing a pink-topped taxi. My thought then, does one even “hail” a taxi in Dubai? How would I go about with this wrinkle?

As I continued my trek down the concourse caught up with the expansiveness and architecture of this imposing building, I dutifully followed the Arabic and English signs to the exit. When I glanced up to see the doors to the outside about 100 yards away, I saw a young man headed my way. Lo and behold it was Osama! His face matched perfectly to the photo on my phone. Instant relief! Through broken English he showed me my photo on his phone while grabbing one of my suitcases and said that I was the only passenger with blond hair and blue eyes on the whole plane. Everything worked out. I knew then that the rest of my trip would go without incident.

I was an easy mark—Osama found me. I became the needle-in-the-haystack.

BSoleille!

Terri

Book Cover with Ryan!

Life imitating art...or a grown young man imitating the cover of The Focused Fight.  What a great ride it's been, with this memoir on the market a week and a half today! 

I believe there are exciting times ahead for the book! As a self-publisher, there are many hats that need to be worn, including publicist, and that means self-marketing. It's a challenge I'm willing to take on.

BSoleille! The bright side of taking the book cover photo on our first Wish Trip to Disney in 2000! It was taken outside the Polynesian Village. 

Terri

Easter Greetings

Easter Sunday 

No travel for us yet, but my immediate family has gathered in our home on this beautiful Easter Sunday for a meal or two in celebration of the holiday. My son made us a delicious brunch, and has designs on making a late lunch too. He loves to cook, grill, and make concoctions that keeps our mouths (and neighbors) salivating with the smells coming out of his “outdoor kitchen.”

Earlier this morning, in private moment of meditation, I couldn’t help think back to the rock-hewn churches I visited in Lalibela, Ethiopia in 2018. The churches were miraculously built into rock. I took many photos, but one photo I took stands out to me—even today. It was the way the light shone down on the rock that reminded me what Easter means to believers the world over. I am delighted to share this photo with you today!

Wishing a Happy Easter 2021

Although the country is not totally back to "normal" with visits with our loved ones near and far (by the way, what's normal nowadays?), we can still wish Easter greetings through social media and other outlets. I hope everyone can and will enjoy the longer days, preferably with sunshine, and that you will spend this holiday any way you please. 

Happy Easter to one and all!

BSoleille!

Terri

Photo from this week on the Crofton Parkway - blooms at full peak!