It’s one of those tropes in literature and TV and movies. At the height of their struggle, Hero does what must be done and then conks out, only to wake up three days later, in their bed at home. With no sign of having had any bodily functions while they were asleep. #thingsthatmakeyouwonder +++It has…
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Novelist, composer, choir director, hobby photographer, mom of four, and budding disability rights activist--why yes, in fact I do have my hands full.
Learning To Love Myself
Last week, I finished a major novel revision. The kind of revision that takes 6 months to complete. This is far from the end of the process, but still, it’s a big milestone, and one I’ve been working toward with increasing intensity as the months have passed and it took so.much.longer than I wanted it…
Read MoreA Song for the Road on “Hear Us Roar” podcast
I have been a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association almost since it was founded, and I am so thrilled to have “A Song for the Road” featured on WFWA’s “Hear Us Roar” podcast this week. Click the image to listen! (A Song for the Road is available at Amazon and Bookshop.org) *Note: This…
Read MoreThe Celiac Report, Week 9… plus related updates on my daughter
We’re 9 weeks into the celiac journey with our daughter. My past celiac reports have resembled diatribes more than anything, so I thought I’d do something different this time. Bear with me a minute. Item 1: Julianna has always been a bit of a cutup. She laughs—loudly and lustily–whenever anyone laughs, even when she doesn’t…
Read MoreThis is not “the best health care in the world”
Strap yourselves in, folks, because today I’m talking health care. I know, this is an author website. But I’m also well aware that any post I write about Julianna and Down syndrome touches some visceral spot in my readership. I accept this without fully understanding it. So let’s talk health care, because as a disability…
Read MoreHave Laptop, Will Travel
Thursday morning, I dropped my husband off at his (closed) office so he could declutter his desk and continued south to a giant, bubble-enclosed pool so my 12-year-old could fulfill the last of his Second Class requirements. I walked in carrying my computer, and the adult, who’s seen me sitting on the floor outside many,…
Read MoreThe Celiac Report, Week 6
Our adventure with celiac-disease-inspired gluten-free cooking has progressed in the last month, so I thought I’d share my updated insights. 1. I have done so much web searching that Google now knows to add the words “gluten-free” to any food-related search string. 2. I’ve looked up so many ingredients. If you’d asked me two months…
Read MoreWhat my kids think is an “emergency”
Those who know me, know I am an anachronism: I do not use a smart phone. I don’t like them. I recognize their value, but I hate texting, I hate typing on a flat screen, I don’t like being that available, and most especially, I like being able to go places where I CAN’T be…
Read MoreThe Celiac Report, Week 2.5
We’ve been doing the celiac thing now for 2.5 weeks, and I have a few initial experiences to share: Gluten free ≠ celiac gluten free. I keep hearing, “This is the time to be gluten free. There are so many options there didn’t used to be.” This is all true, but nonetheless it’s a big…
Read MoreUnwanted Adventures
Last week, my chromosomally-gifted daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. Let me insert this appeal up front: We’re getting tons of advice from all quarters, so please don’t fill up the combox with that; I can’t process it all anyway. I have to learn things bit by bit. That was true when she was born…
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Kathleen M. Basi 