Category: Awareness

a field of round hay bales at sunset

Thank You to Paramedics Everywhere

· Leave a comment ·

One of my favourite scenes in the summer is the hay fields, with their bails (round or square, it doesn’t matter) all spread out in neat rows. It’s picturesque and beautiful and reminds me of my country upbringing. I have had seasonal allergies, or “hay fever”, since I was young and have taken some form of medication nearly every year from about May to October. The exception to that was when I was vegan–I didn’t seem to suffer from pollen enough during that time to warrant medication, which is interesting. Growing up, I had many friends with farms. I used to help with haying and would sneeze, itch, and get hives, but it didn’t really stop me from doing much. It was manageable.

room with 7 white doors to choose from

What’s the Difference?

· Leave a comment ·

One of the things that I always tell the authors I work with is that print on demand has changed the self-publishing landscape. Previously, self-published authors had to source a printer, negotiate a contract, purchase hundreds (if not thousands) of books, and store and ship the books themselves. Instead, print on demand is when book copies are printed only as they are ordered, in the specified quantity, and shipped directly to the customer from the printer. For a relatively small piece of the royalty pie, self-publishing companies handle the orders, printing, and shipping and you get representation on their website. But, there is no huge up-front fee to buy thousands of books and no warehouse necessary.

image of a brain scan

Brain “Cavity”

· 3 Comments ·

I have always taken great pride in my teeth. My dad used to “motivate” us when we were kids by paying us every time we came home from the dentist with no cavities. It worked very well. Until about a month ago, I had never had a cavity. I enjoyed going to the dentist because everyone was amazed with my teeth. Then, a month ago, it happened. The dentist told me I had a cavity. He immediately started setting up to drill out the cavity and fill it in. Thank goodness for the dark glasses they give you because I cried the whole time. It didn’t hurt, but I was crushed. In the grand scheme of things, 42 years with no cavities is still an accomplishment. One cavity is no big deal, right?

But what happens when the bad part is in your brain? What happens when it can’t be drilled out and filled back in?