Wednesday, June 15, 2005
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The pubication of "Smiling Through Your Tears" is the fulfillment of a dream I've had for years. When "regular" publishers rejected the book (grief is a hard sell) my co-author, Dr. Lois Krahn, and I decided to try Print on Demand (POD).
POD sounded like a good match for us but I didn't know how I was going to pay for it. To keep the printing costs low I edited the book and indexed it. Still, I had to come up with several hundred dollars.
The idea for "Smiling Through Your Tears" came to me when I was caring for my mother, who had probable Alzheimer's disease. I wouldn't have had the idea were it not for my mother.
Years ago, my mother had given me her sterling silver tea set. The Gorham set, decorated with flowers, meant a great deal to her. She saved up money for the set and bought it piece by piece.
Mom bought the tea pot first and set it proudly on the dining room chest. Next came the sugar and creamer and she displayed them proudly as well. Finally the day came when Mom had the entire set and it was her prized possession.
I have a really busy life and used the tea set only once. After lots of thought I decided to sell Mom's treasured tea set and use the money to publish "Smiling Through Your Tears." To me, this was a logical decision. The idea for the book came from my mother and the publication of the book came from her as well.
The tea set was sold at auction and generated more than expected. Much to my surprise, a local realtor purchased the set. I found out about her purchase by accident. She was touched by the fact that I had sold something of my mother's to publish a book that would help others.
"It's a beautiful tea set," she declared, "and you may come and visit it any time you wish." Though her comment brought tears to my eyes I didn't regret my decision. Parting with a tea set was nothing compared to writing a book that would help people.
I hope "Smiling Through Your Tears" helps you and those you love.
POD sounded like a good match for us but I didn't know how I was going to pay for it. To keep the printing costs low I edited the book and indexed it. Still, I had to come up with several hundred dollars.
The idea for "Smiling Through Your Tears" came to me when I was caring for my mother, who had probable Alzheimer's disease. I wouldn't have had the idea were it not for my mother.
Years ago, my mother had given me her sterling silver tea set. The Gorham set, decorated with flowers, meant a great deal to her. She saved up money for the set and bought it piece by piece.
Mom bought the tea pot first and set it proudly on the dining room chest. Next came the sugar and creamer and she displayed them proudly as well. Finally the day came when Mom had the entire set and it was her prized possession.
I have a really busy life and used the tea set only once. After lots of thought I decided to sell Mom's treasured tea set and use the money to publish "Smiling Through Your Tears." To me, this was a logical decision. The idea for the book came from my mother and the publication of the book came from her as well.
The tea set was sold at auction and generated more than expected. Much to my surprise, a local realtor purchased the set. I found out about her purchase by accident. She was touched by the fact that I had sold something of my mother's to publish a book that would help others.
"It's a beautiful tea set," she declared, "and you may come and visit it any time you wish." Though her comment brought tears to my eyes I didn't regret my decision. Parting with a tea set was nothing compared to writing a book that would help people.
I hope "Smiling Through Your Tears" helps you and those you love.
# posted by 
: 7:30 AM
: 7:30 AM
ARGUING OVER FAMILY POSSESSIONS
Ever since I started writing about Alzheimer's disease, aging and grief I've been innundated with stories about arguments over family possessions. "You should write about dividing the goods," a friend suggested.
"I don't think I'd have enough material," I answered. Was I wrong!
I've heard horror story after horror story about "dividing the goods." One of the worst stories I heard was about a young man who wanted a family painting so much he went to his relative's home and took it off the wall when she was in the hospital. Apparently his desire for the painting was greater than common decency.
Sibling arguments can last for months or even years. And relatives you haven't heard from in years may suddenly call and ask for their share of the family goods. Arguing about family possessions can be nasty business.
I've had my own share of family arguments over possessions and they're painful to think about. These arguments can tear a family apart and once it's torn apart it may not go back together again.
Do you have a story about "dividing the goods?" If so, please share it with other bloggers. Clearly, we need to find workable solutions for "dividing the goods" and keeping families together.
Ever since I started writing about Alzheimer's disease, aging and grief I've been innundated with stories about arguments over family possessions. "You should write about dividing the goods," a friend suggested.
"I don't think I'd have enough material," I answered. Was I wrong!
I've heard horror story after horror story about "dividing the goods." One of the worst stories I heard was about a young man who wanted a family painting so much he went to his relative's home and took it off the wall when she was in the hospital. Apparently his desire for the painting was greater than common decency.
Sibling arguments can last for months or even years. And relatives you haven't heard from in years may suddenly call and ask for their share of the family goods. Arguing about family possessions can be nasty business.
I've had my own share of family arguments over possessions and they're painful to think about. These arguments can tear a family apart and once it's torn apart it may not go back together again.
Do you have a story about "dividing the goods?" If so, please share it with other bloggers. Clearly, we need to find workable solutions for "dividing the goods" and keeping families together.
# posted by : 7:43 AM
: 7:43 AM
LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
All of us know there are things we should do to be healthy. We have to eat right. We have to get regular physical activity. We have to stay upbeat, if possible. Though we know these things we may not do them.
I didn't monitor my health very well when I was my mother's caregiver. Now that I've had time to think about it I realize I was preoccupied with caring for my mother and all that it entailed. My "To Do" list became longer by the day.
After my mother died I had to adjust to life without her. Suddenly, there were more hours in a day - hours I could spend on anything I chose to spend them on. One thing I could do was pay attention to my health. For during the nine years I was my mother's caregiver I had put on weight steadily - 25 extra pounds.
To get back to my healthy weight I started walking regularly. At first I walked two miles a day. Gradually, as the months passed, I increased this distance to three miles, four miles, and the five plus miles I walk today. This decision had a huge impact on my health.
My blood sugar had been slightly elevated and it returned to normal. I was more energetic and could walk up several flights of stairs without feeling short of breath. Best of all, I went back to my college weight and continue to maintain this weight.
How do you stay on a healthy path? Maybe you changed how you eat, or your job, or your hobbies. Please share your healthy living tips with other bloggers. The bloggers who stick together stay healthy tgether!
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All of us know there are things we should do to be healthy. We have to eat right. We have to get regular physical activity. We have to stay upbeat, if possible. Though we know these things we may not do them.
I didn't monitor my health very well when I was my mother's caregiver. Now that I've had time to think about it I realize I was preoccupied with caring for my mother and all that it entailed. My "To Do" list became longer by the day.
After my mother died I had to adjust to life without her. Suddenly, there were more hours in a day - hours I could spend on anything I chose to spend them on. One thing I could do was pay attention to my health. For during the nine years I was my mother's caregiver I had put on weight steadily - 25 extra pounds.
To get back to my healthy weight I started walking regularly. At first I walked two miles a day. Gradually, as the months passed, I increased this distance to three miles, four miles, and the five plus miles I walk today. This decision had a huge impact on my health.
My blood sugar had been slightly elevated and it returned to normal. I was more energetic and could walk up several flights of stairs without feeling short of breath. Best of all, I went back to my college weight and continue to maintain this weight.
How do you stay on a healthy path? Maybe you changed how you eat, or your job, or your hobbies. Please share your healthy living tips with other bloggers. The bloggers who stick together stay healthy tgether!
# posted by : 10:23 AM
: 10:23 AM << Home
