Gail McGaffigan Stricken, at Home; Grateful for Survival

Dear Friends,

I have been hospitalized in Neural Intensive Care since Wed., Jan. 21, after suffering a ruptured brain aneurism. I will be here for some time. Although my recovery is a very painful road, I am expecting an excellent outcome.

It will be a while before I'm well enough to write again. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy my existing blogs and books.

Please do not send any flowers or money, but cards and letters would be very much appreciated; not just for myself, but also for my husband and children who are struggling with this.
(I do not wish to attract spammers, but please be sure to address this as you would a typical PO Box)...

Mrs. Gail McGaffigan
Post Office Box SIX TWO TWO TWO
Warwick, Rhode Island ZERO TWO EIGHT EIGHT SEVEN

This is also a critical time to pray for me not to have a relapse; I am at high risk for that for at least another week, before my chances begin to improve. Pray that I do not suffer any "vasospasms," or at least that I am strong enough to bear them.

Sincerely,

Gail

Positive Living has Paid Off!

 

I have not posted here for a long time. Above is a sample of what has kept me away for so long - I have become an author. It was a long time in the making, and when the opportunity came along to publish my work, I embraced it. I have now published 18 books (not counting various editions of the same book: paperback, Kindle, etc.). I have also launched two more blogs, and hope to begin doing podcasts sometime this year. Above are a few of my covers.

Among my books are a picture books and a handful of novels. There are also several curricular titles which have made "top ten" lists over at Amazon.com.

In many ways, this has been a very difficult year for me, too, with many trials and much sadness. It is only my determination to stay positive that has pulled me through.

I look back fondly on this blog, and hope I can get back to it sometime. In the meantime, I can be reached at any of my blogs, and am also on Twitter, so please join me, and  - most importantly...

...stay positive!

http://classicalreciter.blospot.com  recite one of our classic poems on video

http://classicallygail.blospot.com  free classical music appreciation taught in simple English through biographies and awesome performance videos

http://lovinglyrestored.blospot.com the latest on my books

Twitter:
@ClassicallyGail

@gailsbooks


Author Pages:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/gailmcgaffigan

http://amazon.com/author/gailmcgaffigan

Kids Today: Kids Clean up Sports Fan Graffiti

     We all saw the disgusting images of the wreckage left by Canucks hockey fans this past Winter.  Too bad the media didn't give as much play to this bunch of schoolkids, who cleaned up after them.  Good job, guys!  And thank you to the adults that banded these kids together and supported them in their efforts.  I understand this clean-up is an annual event, and I sure hope some of the players drop by and thank the children personally, hint, hint...

Kids Today: Boy Scout Builds Bocce Court for Seniors

     Matt Deneff of Troop 71 Cowessett (RI) has completed an Eagle Scout Project in which he created, from scratch, a bocce court for his local senior citizens center.  It took 175 hours, several volunteers, a discount from Lowe's home centers, and a lot of backbreaking work to complete this project.  Anyone who has ever tried to dig in our rocky New England soil can just imagine what I'm talking about, especially considering that the entire court had to be level.
     For the full story, go to:

http://www.warwickonline.com/stories/Eagle-project-has-scout-on-bocce-court-at-Pilgrim-Senior-Center,63436

WeekendTunes

     In honor of the end of the school year, what song could be more appropriate than See You in September by the Beach Boys? Click that link, it awaits you on iTunes.... But I'll see you right back here on Monday!

WeekendTunes

     New this week on the Positively Gail  playlist: The Doughnut Song by Burl Ives.  The iTunes link below will get you to the download page for this happy song.  Watch the doughnut, not the hole!  Speaking of doughnuts, Allie's in RI is my fave place to get them.

 See you on Monday!

An Inspirational Poem

     Sometimes, when I feel discouraged, I like to recite this poem.  I made my son memorize it, as well (someday, he'll thank me!) (artwork by my 8-year-old daughter)

It Couldn’t Be Done

by Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,

But, he with a chuckle replied

That "maybe it couldn’t," but he would be one

Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin

On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that;

At least no one has done it";

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,

And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

There are thousands to prophesy failure;

There are thousands to point out to you one by one,

The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,

Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start to sing as you tackle the thing

That "couldn’t be done," and you’ll do it.