New Price for Kindle Edition

I just lowered the price of the Kindle version of "Because of Katie," and enrolled it in the Kindle Matchbook program. If you buy a print copy, you will have the opportunity to buy the Kindle version for just $2.99. At some point, I may write an updated version of it, but for now, I want to lower the Kindle price.

I would love it if everyone would shop at their locally-owned, independent bookstore! But if you don't have one, or they won't order the print version of the book for you, here are two options:
click on Liberty Bay Books and they will help you, or
you can click HERE and get the Kindle Edition for just $2.99 when you buy the new print edition of this book. Learn more about

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Trembling Buns of Stage Fright

yesterday's sunrise. the hanging silverware is part of wind-chime

"In the inner wine cellar 
I drank of my Beloved, and, 
when I went abroad 
Through all this valley 
I no longer knew anything, 
And lost the herd which I was following...
I no longer tend the herd
Nor have I any other work
Now that my every act is love." 
 - St. John of the Cross, on the Journey of the Soul to God by Contemplation, from The Spiritual Canticle

What a beautiful way to see our life's journey! 

"I lost the herd which I was following...now...my every act is love." 

How I would love to live that way! 

The final National Speakers Association Northwest Academy's class presentation went well. I was one of the last in the queue to present, so I got lots of practice in "the art of being present" under pressure. Since my topic was The Art of Healing Presence, that was appropriate!

Have I mentioned that I really do not enjoy public speaking? 

One of the reasons I enrolled in this Academy is that I am increasingly uncomfortable at the podium. Having given speeches to benefit The Moyer Foundation, Seattle Children's Hospital and Camp Goodtimes West (now The Goodtimes Project) in front of hundreds of people, I find it is not getting easier; it is getting more difficult. I thought that studying with professional speakers would help me to get over that.

That's not what happened. I learned that even professional speakers get stage fright, but they learn to manage it - and to manage many of the things which give rise to fear about taking the stage, such as mechanical glitches, unexpected problems with venue, etc. 

My greatest fear is that I might go completely blank, mentally, forgetting what I mean to say in the midst of saying it. I have to use notes. This is one of the reasons I went to the effort of creating a video a while ago. My topic is very dear to my heart, and it contains painful elements; the story is emotional, which makes it hard to repeat in speech after speech. 

Since the video is unusable in its current form (too long, & without a navigable menu), and my relationship with the videographer/editor fell apart a year ago, I found myself with an important message and a broken vehicle. I decided to get out of that vehicle (imagine the video was a car, in a ditch) and get on a bicycle (the bicycle is public speaking). It's far more labor-intensive in every way than showing a video, but I wanted to give it a try, to see if I could grow, improve my skills and share the message in another way.

There is a great deal to learn about the business of public speaking; it's larger and more complex than I imagined. I learned that I am better suited to lead an interactive workshop than I am to give a keynote speech - at least, that's where I am now. I prefer feedback and dialogue to having the entire spotlight on me.

Here's the funny part of the final exam: over the past six years, when I have been invited to speak, I have experienced various symptoms of stage fright. I've had "butterflies" of nervousness, shaking legs and knees, felt like I might faint or be sick - all of which were managed, and, fortunately, not noticeable to the audiences. On Wednesday evening, I experienced a brand-new symptom of stage nerves: my buns trembled uncontrollably. That's right: for the first time ever, I had a shivering derriere. 

It would have been hilarious, if I hadn't been so busy concentrating on my speech, and hoping that no one could see my behind shaking in fear, from the semi-circular seating arrangement in the auditorium. I could certainly feel it! I stood at a table with a lectern on it, so the lectern blocked that part of me; no one noticed, by grace. Here's hoping that the video-camera didn't pick it up!

I gained a great deal from attending the Academy, but (obviously) still have stage fright.

Here is a photo of our group that night, courtesy of facebook:

Our wonderful Dean, Jan McLaughlin, is the one wearing orange. If you ever need customer service training for your business, see Jan at www.yourcommunicationconnection.com

When I got up the next morning, God was showing His artistic flair. The sunrise progressed from the photo above, to this

to this (these photos were not retouched):

What a gift! The beauty of nature lifts the heart; thanks be to God for the glory of His creation! 

I have recently been in touch with some professors who have invited me to speak to their medical students, and am so looking forward to the opportunity to share with them what I've learned because of Katie (and from my classes in the Academy). I pray to go forth from here, now a bit better equipped to serve, so that "my every act is love"...even if I go with trembling buns.

NieNie Dialogues, Childhood Cancer & Me

If you are a fan of the NieNie Dialogues, as I am, you'll be interested to see that Stephanie has a posting up today about Childhood Cancer.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, as you know if you've been a reader here in past years, and it is wonderful when a blogger with a big following (like Stephanie) writes to raise support and awareness.
Please follow this link to The NieNie Dialogues and read about a precious young girl who is in treatment for the 2nd time. There are beautiful items for sale right now to raise support for her family's medical bills. If you can't make a purchase, perhaps you can send a message of support.

Stephanie has included a wonderful little paragraph about my book - thank you for the shout-out, NieNie! If you haven't read Stephanie's book, "Heaven is Here," I recommend it; it's the true story of her survival of a plane crash (and burns over more than 80% of her body). Her faith, her truthfulness, joy, healing, deep love of family, and the outpouring of support they experienced are inspiring and encouraging. I read it, enjoyed and learned from it, and gave a copy as a gift to my mom. Click on the link to check it out!

Dottie's Treasure

Last week, when Gregg was in Spain on a business trip, I received a package. I knew it was coming - I was looking for it - but there was no way to prepare for what was inside.

I wrote previously about sending Katie's clothes to Dottie A., and posted photos of the gorgeous quilt that Dottie made from Katie's T-shirts, which is now on Katie's bed. Last week, Dottie finished and shipped a second quilt, made by her loving hands out of Katie's other favorite clothing. There really are no words to describe how I feel about it, so I will show it to you.

Here is beautiful Dottie, holding the quilt

Here it is, on Dottie's bed, before she sent it to us

This is the fabric I chose for the backing

Here is a detail of one of the squares.
Katie chose this Blondie cartoon fabric when I taught her to sew.
She made a pair of pajama pants, and wore them a LOT.

This is the label which Dottie sewed onto the back of the quilt.

When I called and left her a message of thanks, Dottie replied, "I could just see you snuggled up in that quilt last night! Remember the quilt is truly from Katie, my hands just made it possible."

It's impossible to adequately thank Dottie for a treasure so precious - beyond price. And not just the gift of the finished quilt, but the time she took to find the right fabrics to go with Katie's clothes, the design that went into it, the labor of hand-stitching, the way she handled Katie's clothes, felt her spirit, saw her essence. This gift is an experience of the heart, not really expressible in words. The quilt is now on our bed, bringing plenty of comfort each day.

Dottie, thank you for this treasure!
I'm sure Katie would be very happy to see what you have made from her clothes with your loving hands.

Katie in her Blondie P.J. pants, with Latte (when he was a kitten)

All of this has happened because of Dottie's daughter, Linda, the physical therapist who took such creative care of Katie in the hospital. That relationship grew beyond Katie's passing. The circle of love and caring keeps growing out of that terrible, difficult time; it is transformed by loving hearts and hands.

Words Cannot Do Justice, but I'll Try

Words cannot do justice to the excitement of the events of this past week, but I am going to try to express it anyway.

First things first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREGG!

Gregg as a baby in his sister Linda's arms

Last week's book event at Eagle Harbor Books was a success. I know that it's bad manners to toot one's own horn, but I must tell you that I heard from the Events Coordinator (thank you, Victoria) that I was the bookstore's best-selling author last week.

"Because of Katie" outsold J.K. Rowling's new book!

YES, you read that correctly - my book topped the Harry Potter series' author's new book! See for yourself (and order a copy) here.

At the book event with Dr. Jensen (photo credit: Eagle Harbor Book Co. website)

It was a joy to have Dr. Michael Jensen and some of his family attend the event. It helped enormously to look out at the dear, caring faces in the audience and have the privilege of introducing them to this man who is changing the way cancer is treated, here and now. To have him answer their questions was a gift.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this event was the feedback I received from those who attended. Several people who have not been active in this area told me personally that they are now inspired to get involved. They realized after listening that there is something that they can do to help - and this is always a blessing to hear, because it is an important part of my message: you are not helpless; everyone can do something to help others.

I spent most of the following week writing on a deadline. I had about 18 essays to complete, limited to 125 words each. I invite you to try that - write an essay on a deep topic, and then whittle it down to 125 words. It's much easier to write screeds than to be concise! I'm applying for acceptance to an educational program (which I will announce if I'm accepted; if not, we'll say no more about it). I did my best with the application, and now, will let go of the outcome.

The Ben Towne Foundation's 3rd annual BENefit was Friday, September 28th. There were 1,100 people in attendance; the BENefit has more than doubled in size since its beginning, just two years ago!

On the ferry, en route to the BENefit. I think this is the only photo of us from the evening. Imagine a blue silk dress and scarf, belted at the waist, with blue suede shoes on me and a gorgeous blue, Italian suit on Gregg , with jacket - no tie.

We filled a table with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and our friends Reba, Bill, Mary Jane and Brian. Reba and Bill's daughter Hannah, and Mary Jane and Brian's daughter, Jenny, both died from brain tumors - both near the same age as Katie. It was their first time at the Ben Towne Foundation BENefit, but they have all been active in pediatric cancer research support.

We saw old friends among Seattle Children's Hospital staff, and met the new president of the hospital. We hugged, we celebrated, we remembered - and we were moved. Jeff and Carin Towne both spoke eloquently, as they always do.

At the BENefit, Dr. Jensen spoke and brought us to tears with this news (quote borrowed from the Ben Towne Foundation's facebook page update): "the first ever clinical trial application from the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research for treating relapsed pediatric leukemia using reprogrammed T cells was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration!"

This is the kind of treatment about which we could only dream when Katie was sick, with rapid results and no long-term, debilitating side-effects. We have actually seen more than one video of T-cells EATING cancer cells - it gives me the chills and makes me cry, in a good way. In five short years, we have moved from "we don't understand how the immune system works well enough to harness it for cancer treatment" to "it's happening, NOW." And it can be applied to adult cancer, as well as pediatric cancer; everyone benefits.

It's the answer to prayer - many, many prayers. You can watch this clip about it on the website of local news station KING 5.
 If you can give anything to pediatric cancer research, this is the place where I suggest you give it; this is where the income from the Katie Gerstenberger Endowment for Cancer Research goes.

Early in the morning after the BENefit, Gregg & I took a spur-of-the-moment mini-vacation to Victoria, B.C. It was Gregg's idea to go away for one night and two days on super short notice. We had a blast, as we usually do in that city. I would love to live there.

Lunch in our favorite Japanese restaurant.

Autumn light on the Empress Hotel.

My love, laughing over breakfast.

The view from the breakfast table.

The past couple of months have been a bit bumpy here, and this was a welcome time of rest and refreshment, a time to simply enjoy the natural beauty of a city we love during one of the most spectacular times of the year. Sunshine, crisp temperatures - perfect for 10 miles walking all around the neighborhoods we admire. We ate and drank well, browsed and window-shopped, went to a pub for live music and slept as late as we wanted to sleep. Up again the next morning for more walking and sightseeing.

The people in Victoria are polite, kind and helpful. We know our way around pretty well after all of these years, but when we stopped to discuss which way we wanted to go, several people saw us and offered help, thinking we were lost. We weren't lost, but we were impressed by their kindness!

Our dear neighbors took care of letting the cats in and out while we were away (thanks, Cami & John!). Upon our return, Liger climbed on my lap, and I felt something sharp when I petted him. Upon investigation, I discovered a cat's claw embedded in his head! I'm not sure what happened while we were away, but Liger is fine, and some other cat (we suspect Latte) is missing a claw. Serves the aggressor right!

Liger (a.k.a. "the Baby")

Today is a catch-up day for me, and when he gets home, we will celebrate Gregg's birthday. I'm thinking that "joy, awe and gratitude" are the best words to sum up the events of the past week.

Shout it From the Rooftops

We've had a fantastic week here. I am in a rush, so I'm going to give you the "Reader's Digest" version, and hope to fill in later.

-Maribeth was here for a visit.

-I gave a presentation to over 50 people at Eagle Harbor Book Co. about "Because of Katie," Katie's Comforters Guild and Dr. Michael Jensen's work at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research. Dr. Jensen was there, and answered the questions that were over my head. Awareness was raised. Hope grew. Books were sold and signed.

- An article is in the works for the fall edition of Pomona College Magazine (the publication of one of my alma maters) which will tell about Katie's Comforters and the pediatric cancer journey, also highlighting "Because of Katie."

- I received the following message via email (and permission to share it) from one of the oncologists who worked on Katie's treatment protocol at St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Check out his title (below), as he is now at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital:

"Hello Karen:

 

Thank you very much for sending me a personalized copy of your wonderful book as well as copy of the CD’s. I greatly enjoyed reading  your book, and was very moved and inspired by the way you told your story. I really liked the practical tips of “ what to do and Don’t” at the end of the book, and I advised Child Life and Hospice services at our Hospital to purchase the book and distribute copies to selected families.

Yesterday...I was able to watch the CD’s and learned a lot from your narration as well as from the interviews with different HCP and spiritual team. I applaud you for your efforts and really am of the conviction that the book and CD’s will fill a gap in the education of parents of cancer patients as well as many health care professionals taking care of children with cancer.

 

Again, warmest Congratulations on accomplishing this project and thanks for sharing it with me.

 

Best regards,

Bassem"

 

Bassem I. Razzouk MD, FAAP

Clinical Voluntary Professor, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Medical Director

Children's Center For Cancer and Blood Diseases

Medical Director , Pediatric Hospice Services

Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent

Indianapolis IN

Now, we can shout it from the rooftops: "Because of Katie" and our DVDs are in use at two eminent children's hospitals! Thanks be to God.  
Now, to spread the word to other institutions!

 

Thank You!

Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers of support for me after my last posting. I really did not intend any judgment, condemnation or harm to that well-meaning lady. I just needed to vent, and vent I did.

Your understanding and compassion helped me. The passing of a few days helped me. Venting to my husband and a few other trusted friends/family members helped. And a few choice words from people of great wisdom and spiritual practice helped. Here are a few of them.

Fr. Richard Rohr wrote:  “ 'Thy kingdom come,' as we say in the Our Father, clearly means that the Kingdom is something that enters into this world or, as Jesus puts it elsewhere, the Reign of God 'is close at hand' (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17). Don’t project it onto a later world. The Kingdom of God breaks into this world whenever people act as God would act.

When that can happen in terms of structures or groups, then you have a taste of the Kingdom descending to earth. To be realistic and honest, this seldom happens with more than 'two or three' rightly gathered (Matthew 18:20). It is the critical mass, or 'leaven' and 'salt' who can and will change the world. This is Jesus' basic and first image of church, yet it is found only in Matthew’s Gospel. It is sad to say, but institutions as institutions can seldom operate at a Kingdom level, except on paper and by occasional courageous decisions. They can also educate, protect, and promote enlightened individuals, as many churches and organizations often do." - Adapted from Jesus' Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount, p. 110

Georgia O'Keefe wrote: "I got half-a-dozen paintings from that shattered plate."

Pema Chodron wrote: "It’s not impermanence per se, or even knowing we’re going to die, that is the cause of our suffering, the Buddha taught. Rather, it’s our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation. Our discomfort arises from all of our efforts to put ground under our feet, to realize our dream of constant okayness. When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment, or awakening to our true nature, to our fundamental goodness. Another word for that is freedom—freedom from struggling against the fundamental ambiguity of being human."

There are several lessons to learn from what happened at Bible study. One lesson is to recall with great humility and honesty that I might have taken just that sort of stance ten or 20 years ago, due to my world-view; horrible thought, but true! Another lesson is to be grateful that no one, up until now, has spoken to me in that way. Another lesson is that perhaps - just perhaps - I don't get out in "uncontrolled social situations" quite enough.

Whatever the take-away from this, thanks to you for your kindness and supportive words. May all of us (including me) learn more compassion for others! 

And a reminder: tomorrow at 3:00 P.M., I'll be presenting at Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island about progress in childhood cancer research, Katie's Comforters Guild and my book, "Because of Katie." I hope you will join us!

Please Join Us at Eagle Harbor Book Co.!

 

On Sunday, September 23rd at 3:00 P.M., 

I will be signing and reading excerpts from my book, "Because of Katie," and showing a brief video about the Ben Towne Foundation's work

at Eagle Harbor Books 

at 157 Winslow Way East on Bainbridge Island. 

There will be quilts from Katie's Comforters Guild on display, and information about progress in childhood cancer research, all in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Please come and join us!

A Request for Your Help

Dear friends, if you've read "Because of Katie," would you please consider writing a review of it on its Amazon page? I know that time is precious (particularly if it's a sunny day in Seattle!), so I don't want to presume on your time, but if you liked the book, or thought it had something particularly helpful or valuable, would you consider putting a few words together?

The place to post your thoughts is just below the other reviews on the Amazon page (use the link above); there is a button to click, and that will take you to the sign-in page, and then on to the review form. Even a short sentence would be a help to others who are considering buying the book. Thank you very much - and special thanks to those of you who have already done this!

If, after reading "Because of Katie," you find yourself wishing that all hospitals and clinics were like Seattle Children's Hospital, would you consider sharing the book with a doctor, nurse or other medical personnel you know? It's available on Kindle as well as paperback, and Kindle format is even more affordable than paperback.

Everything and anything that you can do to spread the word about "Because of Katie" will enable me to share what I've learned on this path. My hope is to gently transform the state of medical care by expanding and deepening medical personnel's understanding of what it's like to experience medical care from the inside. Thank you very much!

New KINDLE Price for "Because of Katie"

Exciting news for you Kindle users: "Because of Katie" is now available on Kindle for just $10.95!
This price reduction will take effect during the next 12 - 48 hours. If you've been waiting to order, click on the link above, and it will take you directly to the Amazon.com order page - or go to your local, independent bookstore (like Poulsbo's own Liberty Bay Books) and request a paperback copy. You may also order directly from the publisher, Createspace, by following the link on my sidebar or clicking HERE.

I have hesitated to drop the price on Kindle, because I don't want to favor e-Readers over print readers, but the reality is that market prices for e-Reader books are lower, and I need to be in sync with them. I have yet to explore other e-Reader platforms for the book. If you want a particular platform to be available, please leave a message here.

Please share this good news with anyone you know who might be interested - your primary care physician, a nurse, family member, friend, pastor, etc. Thank you!

What's Been Happening

This post contains a little bit of what's been happening here, lately...
David has begun working at his summer job, taking new responsibilities as part of the boats' crew. I've been getting up to make breakfast for him before he goes to catch the ferry to Seattle and on to work.

Our NYC Cosmopolitan magazine-editor friend, Anna, returned to Seattle to give two book readings. The one in Poulsbo at Liberty Bay Books was so much fun; Anna gave us a real look at the world of N.Y. publishing. We had so many questions that she didn't even have time to read from her book!

After the book event, we hosted a little party here so that Anna's local friends could gather, catch up with her and celebrate her success. Of course, I forgot to take any photos. Fortunately, Paul Dudley came (fresh from shooting a wedding, with his son Miles) and took this shot of Leslie, Shelli, me and Anna (holding her new book, "Wrecked"):

Pretty great stuff, considering we're a group of people who met through a camp for children who have cancer. This is not a depressing crowd!

Gregg is now working with suppliers from Spain and France. He is going to hand off the Italian work package, but still covers that when others are traveling or on vacation. He loves working with overseas suppliers and traveling to their plants.

I am sending out information about my book to nursing schools all across the country. I'm also working to shepherd the DVDs through the last few "gates" so that we can edit them further. The next step will be to share them with other hospitals and groups who want to/need to learn about family-centered care.

David worked overnight this weekend (a graduation cruise), and kind-hearted Laura and Tom invited him to "crash" at their house when he got off work at 3:00 A.M. (there is no ferry service at that hour). He never did go to sleep; Tom got up at 4:30 and they went golfing at dawn! Then they took the ferry & came over here for lunch; David went to bed after we ate, and slept for about 16 hours. Tom, Laura, Gregg and I went to the Harbour House Pub to raise a glass in honor of Laura's father, Moe Drabowsky (Sunday was the anniversary of his passing).

Due to mobile phone issues, I am now on my fourth Droid 3 this year. Each one has had a problem with one thing:  the camera, the keyboard, the opening/closing mechanism. Fortunately, this one seems to be okay. I've been testing the camera on each phone, and here are some of the results, tweaked (for fun) in Picasa:

Native Americans launching a canoe on the beach near our home

Latte insisted on taking a walk with us.
He went 1/2 mile and started panting like a dog,
so we turned around, and I carried him most of the way home.

We planted some new lavender.
There has been so much rain here that everything is growing like crazy.

I love playing with these photo filters.

Neighbors' roses make a nice contrast against their shed.

Maribeth made a lightning-fast visit to Poulsbo after her daughter's graduation from college. Taylor has accepted a job at Seattle Children's Hospital after graduating cum laude from Seattle U., and we couldn't be happier for her. After one day & night here (complete with our favorite Thai take-out dinner and a visit with Gregg, David and the cats), MB has returned to the city, and will be on her way back to Kansas tomorrow. It's always wonderful to sit on our couch and talk into the night, and then resume the discussion in the morning over coffee in our p.j.s. God was so good to bring us together 12 years ago, and to allow us to share our lives since then. She is a treasured friend.

The coming weekend will bring a visit from blog-friends from Ohio, and Father's Day celebrations. Meanwhile, back to work on marketing "Because of Katie."

Thank you for your orders from the Pampered Chef fundraiser, Elizabeth & Karen!

Book Talk

Let's talk about books! There are two new books that I want to discuss with you. One is just out now, and the other will be out in August. Let's start with the present.

Through Camp Goodtimes West, I met a lovely woman named Anna. She is sassy, strong, fun, intelligent, independent, courageous, kind...I could go on and on. Anna is living the life that many young women dream of leading: she is a senior editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, living and working in NY, and writing books on the side.

This song could be written about women like Anna, who have the courage to follow their dreams to the big city. I tried it (in Boston), and I only lasted a year. Anna is doing fabulously.

Anna Davies (by Paul Dudley Photography)

She has just published her first novel, which is called "Wrecked." I'm in the midst of reading it, and it is good. It's a novel aimed at a young adult audience, yet even at my age (!) I can feel its appeal. In fact, it is related to one of my favorite stories (The Little Mermaid), and is set in an island community, complete with ferries for transportation. So far, it deals with issues of loss, comfort, mystery, life beyond this one, hard choices and consequences...and it includes friendship, family and romance, too. Good stuff!

The big local news is that Anna is coming back to Seattle to have two booksignings, one in Seattle on Friday night, June 8th from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. at a store called "The Secret Garden" (Ballard), and one right here in POULSBO! The Ballard store is owned by the mother of a Camp Goodtimes staffer, and part of the proceeds of that event will benefit camp. Thank you for doing that, Anna!

The Poulsbo event will be held on Saturday, June 9th at 4:00 P.M. at Liberty Bay Books (owned by our friend, Suzanne Droppert). We are going to attend with local friends and camp friends - everyone is welcome.  Here is a little bit more "scoop" on Anna and her new book:

Anna "Jiffy" Davies will be reading and signing her novel, "Wrecked", on Saturday, June 9th at 4:00 pm at Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo. "Wrecked" is an updated version of The Little Mermaid, and is a paranormal romance for ages 12+. Anna is also a senior editor at Cosmopolitan magazine and, before writing "Wrecked," worked on the "Gossip Girl" series and the "Vampire Diaries" books. Come, mingle and ask questions. For more information on Anna, check out www.annakdavies.blogspot.com or @annakdavies on Twitter.

The other book will also be available at Liberty Bay Books - it is due to come out in August. Suzanne loaned an advance copy to me, and asked me to review it. It's by Maria Semple, and is called "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" It's set in Seattle, and the author is a "transplant" here, so she has what I'd call a fresh take on all things Puget Sound Area.

The book is written in an unusual format, using letters, memos, emails and the like to construct the story of the disappearance of a mysterious woman - a wife, mother and former award-winning architect. It is quick, engaging, witty and funny in a way that will especially appeal to people who have lived in the Seattle area. She makes fun of many of our local idiosyncrasies (such as the need for "blackberry abatement") in a way that had me laughing out loud (see pages 90 - 91 for a good example). I recomment this book to anyone who is looking for a fun, fast-paced, light-hearted read.

I hope you'll check out both "Wrecked" and "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" at Liberty Bay Books (or Secret Garden Books, or your own local, independent bookseller).

Lastly, remember this book? If you haven't read it yet, please do (it's also available through Liberty Bay Books), and tell me what you think!

My Love Has Returned

Gregg is back at home after a week in Spain! It's so good to have him here again. I don't mind the fact that he gets to travel in his work - he loves it - and what makes him happy, makes me happy, but I am thrilled when he returns safely to me.

I had a busy week while he was away. On Monday, went to my friend Reba's house to make a stepping stone for her sacred garden space, in memory of her daughter, Hannah. Though I didn't know Hannah, our families have been on a similar journey. Reba was kind enough to ask me to contribute a stone. She has a good number of them awaiting placement in her garden, and I can't wait to see how they will all look when the landscaping is finished. I used a butterfly outline, and placed the pieces of glass within it while holding in mind the following story:

The Unknown Shore by Bishop Brent
"A ship sails and I stand watching till she fades
on the horizon and someone at my side says
She is gone.
Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all.
She is just as large now as when I last saw her.
Her diminished size and total loss from my sight
is in me, not in her.
And just at that moment, when someone at my side
says she is gone, there are others
who are watching her coming over their horizon
and other voices take up a glad shout -
There she comes!
That is what dying is.
An horizon and just the limit of our sight.
Lift us up O Lord, that we may see further."

Wednesday, I went to Seattle to pick up 120 gallons (that's four 30-gallon tubs full) of fleece from the Guild Association. Some generous donor contributed this, and the kind people at the Guild office thought of our guild, and offered it to us. If you would like to make fleece blankets for the hospital, please let me know - you are welcome to share in this bounty!

I also took a walk in the sunshine at lovely Magnuson Park with a dear friend from high school days, who is back in town briefly (before heading up to Alaska for the summer - thank you for taking time to get together, Angela)! Afterward, I dropped off a batch of blankets and quilts at the hospital, and had visit with Julie, our beloved Childlife worker. Julie tells me that they plan to use my book in training their Childlife interns.

While at the hospital, I ran into one of the doctors who took care of Katie (Dr. Brogan). He told me that he had finished reading "Because of Katie," liked it, and wanted to share it with his staff. Another of the doctors told me that he has read it, and said that "it was well done." I also read an endorsement (on facebook) from a doctor who took care of Katie, and who has since moved to another part of the country.

A cousin who lives across the country, contacted me recently, saying that she had read and shared the book with the chief pediatrician of a hospital in her area. The pediatrician read the book, commented positively on it, and stated her intention to use it in training other doctors (thanks, BJ!). These reviews from doctors really encourage me to keep spreading the word and promoting the book. My dad continues to help me with this (thanks, Dad!). I appreciate all feedback, and feedback from medical professionals helps me to know that the book has potential to achieve its purpose. If you haven't ordered a copy, you can do so by clicking here

or using the links on my blog's sidebar. Please consider sharing a copy with your own doctor, or anyone you know who is in the medical profession. If you have already ordered a copy,

Thank you!

Feel free to leave feedback for me, as a review on the book's Amazon page (accessed by clicking on the ad above), in a comment here, or an email message.

During Gregg's week away, I worked on sanding and oiling our deck chairs. I have four more to go, but the two that I finished look much better, and ready for our spring and summer (which always includes days of rain). Here is a picture of the progress:  before

and after:

We've had many days of gorgeous weather, but they have been replaced by a streak of spring showers. On the bright side, beautiful flowers are blooming all around us, peeking through the lush greenery.

Lilac and

rhododendron, our state flower. This huge beauty is an annual feast for the eyes, which our neighborhood anticipates and enjoys. It has a "brother" cut from the same shrub, a few hundred feet down the street.

Field's End Writers' Conference

Robin, Linda, Reba and me at dinner at the Treehouse Cafe,
after the conference

Saturday was a rich gift: a day spent at a conference, put on by the Field's End Writers' Community of Bainbridge Island. My friend Robin is a dedicated volunteer for Field's End, a group which was founded 10 years ago by Nichole Vick and David Guterson - yes, the "Snow Falling on Cedars" David Guterson.

I've known about Field's End for years, and would never have DARED to attend one of their events, because I didn't consider myself enough of a "real" writer to mingle with others, but a few weeks ago, Robin and I were having coffee with our friend, Reba after taking a walk together. Robin encouraged Reba and me to sign up for the conference. Both of us balked, but said we'd think about it...and then we both jumped in and registered.

Yesterday, we met at the fabulous IslandWood Center with their friend Linda, and immersed ourselves in a community that was warmer, more inviting and encouraging than I would ever have imagined a creative gathering could be. I knew that I was a "real" writer at the Fields' End conference.

The structure of the day was perfect: opportunities to listen to published authors, teachers of the craft, and those versed in the business side of things, all discussing a variety of topics, from craft to art to marketing to first novels, practices and writing strategies, as well as changes in the publishing industry. There were large gatherings and small group sessions. I attended sessions addressed by Jonathon Evison, David Guterson & Nichole Vick, Judith Kitchen, Barry Eisler, Sage Cohen, Isaac Marion and Susan Wingate (and there were many others from which to choose). It was stimulating, inspiring, encouraging, and joyful.

Islandwood itself is a place of rare natural beauty, and the staff could not have been more welcoming. The food served (breakfast, lunch and a wine-and-cheese reception during book-signing, at the end) was so good that it truly defies description, unlike any "camp" food I've ever tasted. IslandWood is the perfect venue for a conference, classes or a wedding.

I am so thankful to Robin for encouraging me to take this step, to all of the volunteers who made the conference possible, and to David Guterson and Nichole Vick for founding this community. I learned about many resources that will be helpful to me as a writer, and am interested in taking more classes and participating in Field's End's roundtables. I felt affirmed by everyone to whom I listened and spoke, and was excited by their experiences, readings and successes.

After the conference, we met our husbands at a local cafe for dinner (all except Robin's husband, who was visiting their son at college). It was a wonderful time of fellowship and discussion, a good way to let off some steam after taking in so much information in classes during the day. I have many handouts and notes to review, and can't wait to go over them.

The four of us women decided that we could create a reading/writing group, to gather for shared critique and support. That is an exciting prospect, and one that inspires me to keep writing, even as I continue to work on marketing "Because of Katie."

I felt the love of God in this event, gently guiding me as I take another step in my life as writer, and I am thankful!