Author: Gina Wilkins

I’ll admit I know very little about astrology, though I find it interesting. I’ve heard people joke that “Mercury must be in retrograde” whenever anything breaks down, but that didn’t mean much to me.

Since I arrived in Seattle with my daughter at the beginning of March, we’ve been hit with a series of mechanical malfunctions. Her car wouldn’t start the first day I tried to drive it, leading to her having to buy a new battery and a couple of belts. Her car tags were due and I had to take the car for an emissions test, which was never properly reported to the DMV, causing additional problems. The elevator in her apartment building broke down, stranding us in her apartment for several hours (while she’s recovering well, she’s not quite up to using the stairs yet after her stroke). My cell phone touch screen froze, so that I couldn’t make outgoing calls, forcing me to purchase a new one (fortunately, it was time for an upgrade!). Courtney’s printer stopped working, requiring yet another purchase. And then, two days ago, her two-year-old laptop made a funny popping sound, emitted a noxious odor and died without any warning. Because so much of her research work is computer based, she had to make a frantic trip to the big-box electronics store for yet another expensive purchase.

This latest failure had me shaking my head in bewilderment. “Mercury must be in retrograde,” I said, quoting my friends. And then, just for curiosity, I looked it up. Only to discover that it was, indeed. According to the site I visited, Mercury in retrograde causes problems with cars, computers and cell phones and interferes with other types of communication. Hmm.

Okay, I’m still a skeptic, but I have to admit I was very happy to read that today is the end of this particular planetary phase!

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Don’t forget to enter the drawing for two books from my backlist. Details are on the Enter to Win! tab above.   And watch for my next Special Edition, A HOME FOR THE M.D., coming in June!

I’ve spent the past three weeks in Seattle helping my daughter settle back into her apartment and her job, and I’ll stay a few more weeks until I’m comfortable that she has reintegrated into her life here. She’s having to make adjustments to her former routines, and has to learn to work around the post-stroke deficits she’s still struggling to overcome. She’s back into therapy with the same skilled therapists who worked with her in the month immediately following her stroke – though sadly, her insurance coverage for therapy sessions will run out before her need for them does. Still, her courage and her determination to regain her former independence continue to amaze and impress everyone who knows her. She’s already back at work in her research lab, and although she’ll have to make adjustments there, too, her wonderful boss and coworkers are making the transition so much easier for her. I’ve been spending the hours while she’s at work in a university library working on my next Special Edition (the third in my Doctors in the Family series) and enjoying the energy of being surrounded by undergrads, grad students and medical students.

It has rained almost every day since we arrived at the first of March — more rain than usual even for Seattle. But this weekend has been beautiful. Cool, but not uncomfortably so, and with hours of sunshine now that the days stretch longer. The snow-capped mountains surrounding the city are simply breathtaking against deep blue skies. Daffodils are in full bloom and flowering bushes and trees are just bursting into color. As we drove past the walking trails around beautiful Green Lake on the way to church this morning, we smiled at the sight of all the walkers, runners, bikers and skaters who’d come out to take advantage of the near-perfect weather. One thing about Seattlites, we commented, they appreciate every nice, sunny day. They don’t take such pleasures for granted.

My daughter and I attended a meeting yesterday of stroke survivors, ranging in age from a sweet young teenager to more elderly members and all ages in between. Some of the people we met had their strokes as long as twenty years ago, and are still dealing with deficits. Others, like our daughter, are just learning what it means to have survived a stroke, and still don’t know quite what the future holds for their recovery. During the meeting, they discussed advice they wanted on their website for other stroke survivors and caregivers. Among their tips were to never give up hope, never stop trying. And all agreed that they should always celebrate the small blessings. Friends. Family. Advances in recovery, no matter how seemingly minor. The yummy cookies and cake being served during the meeting. Pleasant outings on pretty days. The little things that make life worth living despite its trials and challenges.

I hope to remember the lessons I’ve learned during our daughter’s recuperation, from her and from the many other brave survivors of stroke and brain injury we’ve met during these five months. I think one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to celebrate the small pleasures. Like this time with my daughter. The phone calls connecting me to my husband and son back at home, and my other daughter in New England. A cozy library nook in which to write, with a window next to me and bright yellow daffodils just on the other side of the glass. The warm and friendly members of the church congregation who welcomed us with coffee and bagels this morning. A good romantic suspense book waiting for me to relax with it when I finish this post. Maybe I’ll brew a cup of my favorite hot tea to enjoy with the book. There are still a lot of challenges to be faced by our family — as there are in so many families — but those obstacles are so much easier to tackle when balanced with rewards, no matter how small.

May you find your own small things to celebrate in the coming week.

It’s no secret that I enjoy stories set in the medical profession. I’ve written quite a few books about doctors and medical students, including my current Special Edition series, Doctors in the Family, three stand-alone books about siblings who all happen to be pursuing medical careers — as well as romance! With one of my “kids” in medical research and the other two both training to practice medicine, I’ve had plenty of research material and heard lots of anecdotes that have inspired story ideas.

Since our daughter’s stroke on October 30 of last year, we’ve become familiar with many others who make their careers out of helping patients recover from serious illnesses and accidents. We’ve encountered many kind and caring nurses and technicians during both in-patient and out-patients treatments and medical testing. And my daughter has been blessed to work with some absolutely wonderful physical, occupational and speech therapists in both Washington and Arkansas.

Therapists are a very special group of professionals. Their jobs require intensive training, physical endurance, and inexhaustible patience. During the past four months, we’ve met so many interesting and courageous survivors of strokes and other traumatic brain injuries, and we’ve heard their stories of how therapists have helped them regain at least a part of their former independence — and they’re grateful for every inch of progress. The therapists celebrate along with their clients, and I’ve seen them cry with them, too. Their jobs aren’t easy, but what a valuable service they offer! My family is especially grateful for the ones we’ve gotten to know since our daughter’s stroke, from which she is still on the mend.

I’m already fantasizing a sizzling romance for a dedicated therapist, so don’t be surprised to see a story like that from me soon. In the meantime, my next doctor book, A HOME FOR THE M.D., will be available in June, 2011. Keep watching here for more details!

Don’t forget to sign up for my next drawing, which will be held on May 1, 2011. Click the Enter to Win! tab above for details.

My daughter and her husband who live in the northeast have been trying since Tuesday to get to Arkansas so my daughter could serve as maid of honor in a dear friend’s wedding tomorrow. They had hoped to spend a day or two visiting their families before the festivities this weekend. Because of the “monster storm” that hit most of the country on Tuesday, they were unable to depart until yesterday (Thursday). Though they had expected to land in Little Rock and spend one night here with us, their connecting flight from Chicago was canceled and they were forced to change their plans yet again. They landed in northwest Arkansas (where the wedding will be held) at midnight. Now the concern is whether they’ll be able to get back to Massachusetts in time for my daughter to report to work Tuesday, as scheduled!

Being on the receiving end of several exasperated calls from her, I couldn’t help thinking back a few (cough) years. My husband and I were married on February 4 (happy anniversary, John!). We planned every detail of the wedding – the clothes, the music, the food, the program … but we learned to our dismay (being very young and very naive), that we could not control the weather. An ice storm hit central Arkansas that very weekend, making it impossible for several of my husband’s out-of-town relatives to attend, and somewhat tricky for my in-town family to be there.

So when my daughter told us what date her friend had chosen for a wedding, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Arkansas doesn’t have a lot of snow and ice, but late January and early February are always iffy for making travel plans. Already this year, we’ve had several snow events, as they’re called by weathercasters, and I am watching snow fall as I type this. Three inches or so is predicted for today and more snow is expected in the middle of next week. Nothing like what my daughter and son-in-law have seen in Massachusetts, of course, but any snow in Arkansas is a big event, shutting down schools and making roadways treacherous. That’s the time of year I am most likely to cocoon in my den with hot tea, a crackling fire, a bowl of popcorn and my always-toppling stack of books I’ve been eager to read.

I’m sure the wedding will be lovely. Having been privileged to visit with them several times during their almost 10-year friendship with our daughter, I know the bride will be beautiful and the groom very handsome as they exchange their vows. I predict a long, happy marriage for this charming, bright young couple. I hope the weather cooperates for all involved so that their memories of this special weekend will all be happy ones.

Congratulations, Jenn and Lance. As someone celebrating 34 years of marriage today, my only advice to you is to always nurture the friendship that has drawn you together. You’ll find that the challenges life will inevitably throw your way are much easier to handle with your best friend at your side.

The winner of the February drawing for two Valentine’s Day themed books is Rose McKinney of Oklahoma! Congratulations, Rose.

I know I’m behind on blog posting — I’ll be back later this week with an update. The next drawing will be held on May 1, and it will be another choose-your-prize contest! If your name is drawn, you’ll win any two titles from my backlist (subject to availability). Click on the Enter to Win! tab above for details on how to enter.