A Year in Pictures

 January 2014

Silver Moon by, Katie Fallon

 

2.14.2014

My Big gets married!

March 2014

St. Mary's 56th Annual Sports Night

 April 2014
 New Additions to my Delta Family

May 2014

Caroline's Senior Prom

 

June 2014

 Caroline's High School Graduation

August 2014

A day at the Wineries

September 2014

Delta Love <3

October 2014

My First Hockey Game

 November 2014
Tri Delta Founder's Day - 126 years
Frozen on Ice





Christmas 2014

2015 Here I Come ...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of my family and friends! May you all have a happy, healthy and safe holiday!

2014 has been quite a year for us in the Fallon household! We are definitely looking forward to good tidings in the new year.

xoxo

Prayers for my Mother

A post this week to make up for the weeks I have not, an explanation of sorts as to why my Blog has fallen by the wayside in the last few weeks.

You see dear friends, family and readers shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday had ended my mother was admitted to the hospital after having an episode of disorientation at home. Thankfully my father, who was present at the time, had the wherewithal to know that something was seriously wrong. My mother is normally quite the intelligent, well-spoken and articulate woman but in this instance her speech could only be described as gibberish and nonsensical.

And yes it was very frightening.

A hospital admission, tests, CAT Scans, MRIs, days later she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the episode she had at home classified as a seizure. After her initial diagnosis the doctors and surgeons at St. Francis Hospital decided the best course of action would be to perform surgery to remove the tumor, which was not only close to the skull but also small enough that removing it in its entirety was possible. Her surgery was scheduled for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving; it was a long day for our little family.

But as of now my mother is home, she’s in good spirits and truly you would not even know she had to have brain surgery. Alas she was mourning the fact that her doctors needed to shave part of her hair off in order to work their medical magic; having only just returned from the salon mere hours prior to her episode. I, however, have taken a more positive outlook on the matter! It’s the style now to have shaved half of your head and constantly assure her that her new look is in fact in style.

I’ve even supplied her with several pictures of Demi Lovato, evidence that it is in fact a style! Although I do not believe I have convinced her to adopt the style for long. I try.

Since her return from the hospital she has had a few follow up appointments with her doctors and even some with new doctors. Currently we are in step two of the healing process, the brain tumor was diagnosed as a cancer.

Yes, a cancer, one that we must fight and fight we will.

Now I plead with you, my readers, as my family navigates these unexpected events. We plead with you all for prayers ad good wishes.

We need positive thoughts. We need prayers. Right now my mother’s name is on the “Please Pray” list with three local parishes. We have reached out to family and friends in other counties, other states and even other countries. My Father’s reach has extended from New Jersey to Seattle. My mother has reached all the way to France. In Uruguay thanks to my cousin’s fiancée and all the way down to Africa and across Europe to Asia thanks to my uncle.

So please keep my family in your prayers, add Virginia Fallon to the “Please Pray” list in your parishes. We are keeping positive and praying hard, that’s all we ask in return!  Prayers and faith.

An Excerpt!

Amelia kept vigil at the window late into the night and soon fell asleep there. I had to move my sister from her spot in the window seat to her own room down the hall, as I’ve done many times before. Amelia has always been tiny, which is why she gets tossed in the air during basketball games, but to me she’s always just been my baby sister that I need to protect.

Gently placing her in her bed I make sure to pull the covers up around her shoulders and shut the door as I leave. It was on the return trip to my own room I heard my father come home, my mother waiting at the door for him; they spoke in hushed tones that only I could hear. I chose to remain hidden behind the wall and not go out onto the landing

“It was another,” dad says calmly, his tone tinged with sadness and anger.

“What?” mom gasps quietly. “Who? How?”

“I don’t know,” dad replies. “But I’m going to find out.”

“I don’t understand I thought there were precautions, protections in place to prevent this,” mom whispers.

They move to the kitchen and I listen; a plate is placed in the microwave and the timer is set. The hum of the appliance makes me refocus; I need to block out the machine and focus on the voices of my parents. In the few moments it took to adjust I missed a few words of their conversation but not much.

“They will not come for us,” dad states. It’s a firm promise to my mother, it’s a promise to protect us but from what I’m not sure. We live in suburbia, nothing happens here but the occasional egging on Halloween and maybe a missing bicycle or two.

“You can’t really promise that anymore though can you? This is the third one this year, Amelia …”

“She’s coming of age I know.” Dad sighs; I can picture him loosening his tie in my mind and slouching in his chair.

“You must protect her,” mom pleads. “I couldn’t stand it if …”

NaNoWriMo

“Marguerite I will not let anything happen to Amelia.” His voice is firm and determined.

The microwave timer alarms making me wince with the sudden piercing in my ears. One of my parents stops the chiming and the plate is moved from the microwave to the table, my father’s leftover dinner.

“I know it’s irrational and I don’t get to keep her forever. But she’s my baby.” Mom’s voice is wavering and my heart goes out to her, my sweet, sweet mother who’s affectionate but rarely cries.

“It’s not irrational Marguerite and I will protect her for you. I will do whatever I can to keep her safe.”

“Thank you.” 

Veteran's Day 2014

The Veterans Site

Happy Veteran's day to all who served and continue to serve in the armed forces!

Today we remember all those that have fought, died, and lived to serve again to keep our country safe. A thanks especially to both my Grandfathers (WWII) and my Uncle Jack!

My To Do List ...

So this week is one of those busy, busy weeks ...

Last night I celebrated 126 years of Tri Delta at the Long Island Alumnae Chapter's Annual Founder's Day dinner. Founder's Day is always one of my favorite events to attend as an alumna, it's a mix of both the alum and the collegiate members of Tri Delta but we're all coming together for the same thing.

Twitter: @NaNoWriMo

Today is the real exciting day however, at some point today my father and I will make it out to our local polling place and go Vote! 

I also have some serious writing to do today! As a writer and a participant in NaNoWriMo this is what I do whenever I am not at my job and even sometimes then. I always have a notebook or notepad with me where I can jot down notes and ideas so I can later get to a keyboard and create something out of it. Recently I've been unfailingly thankful for the Notes app on my phone because ideas keep hitting me in the middle of the night, rather than getting out of bed for a pen and paper my Notes app works just fine!

Twitter: @DisneyOnIce

TONIGHT! Tonight I am most excited for! Tonight I am Disney on Ice's Frozen with one of my favorite people! Victoria and I have been seeing Disney on Ice every year for the last four or five years. This year's show we are especially excited for!

So that's my To Do List for the day! Best get going ...

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

NaNoWriMo 2014

Excuse my brief pause in blogging this week as I prepare to throw myself, wholeheartedly, into NaNoWriMo this year. November is right around the corner and I plan to do even better than last year.

My final word count for November 2013 was 53,055. Let's see if I can do better this time around!

I've already got my concept in mind and a few notes here and there to refer to. I've got plot points I want to hit. All in all I'm way more organized this time around, so I'm hoping that this year's novel is infinitely better than last year's.

Things I Remind Myself ...

First and foremost I am allowed to say NO.

No is a complete sentence and I do not need to explain it or justify it.

I do not need to make someone else’s problems my own. I can be supportive without taking on problems as my own.

I have my own life, my own wants and my own needs that need to be attended to. It is okay to make time for myself and I should do so without guilt or reservation.

Just because someone wants me to feel guilty does not always mean that I should. Have I caused you harm? Did I hurt your feelings? Did I apologize?

My friends are the people in my life that make the effort to be in my life an I in theirs. My friends are the people that know my wishes and my dreams, they do not try to steer my life for me.

My friends are my support system. I make the effort to be apart of their lives because they make the same effort for me.

I do not need to carry a friendship all on my own. It is okay to step back and say “I will not alter my life to fit theirs. My time is of value too.”

My family is important, more than anything else.

It is okay for me to drop everything for family when they need me.

I will give the respect that I receive. I am a human being deserving of being treated as such and respected as a person, an equal.

These are a few things in life that took me a long time to learn. Little mantras I chant to myself through the day when I need them. But most importantly these are the things in life that allow me to live a happy life.

These are the types of reminders I need every now and then when I find myself between a rock and a hard place in any given relationship. Because while I would do anything for the people I love I will not prioritize my life when I am only an option in theirs.

The Mortal Instruments ... TV?

The Hollywood Reporter: Full Article Here

Okay so at full disclosure when I first read City of Bones, the first in The Mortal Instruments series, it was when there were previews and trailers all over the place for the movie. Now it had been recommended to me when it was first released back in 2008/2009, or somewhere around there, but I just never really saw the appeal in it. And I would be lying if I said seeing the trailer and getting a glimpse of that world is what really drew me in and made me finally read the books.

I read City of Bones, flew threw the next few books in the series, and saw the movie in theaters ... it was good. It wasn't the greatest film adaptation I've ever seen, but definitely not the worst either. I of course was upset by the delay in filming the next portion of the franchise, the stalled release of City of Ashes but time has passed and I've finished City of Heavenly Fire.

I'm torn between whether or not I want it to continue on screen. If they continue as movies the ending to the final installment will leave me just as satisfied as the book did. The story itself in that final part will leave me unsatisfied. City of Heavenly Fire is a book that I, and many others, waited over a year for after reading City of Lost Souls. To me the ending just fell flat and there was almost nothing redeeming about it, it took me a month to read because the desire and the drive just weren't there.

Six months ago I would have loved the idea at attempting to continue the series and maybe a switch from film to TV would've been the right move to keep it current. But now I just don't see any move being the right one. There are a number of fans that are over the moon by this change of pace, fans mourning the fact that there will need to be a recasting, and then there's me. I'm not happy and I'm not angry I'm just indifferent to the whole thing. If Cassandra Clare had given me an ending that made me mourn the end of her primary series I would be more excited about it, she's failed me as an author in my mind so I can't get excited. I just can't.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by, James Dashner

Today a review! No complaints, no nit picking, just a straight up reader review of a book I recently finished. Now bear in mind I have not yet seen the movie, I do plan to, but as of right now all I know is the novel. That being said ... not one of my favorites.

I will respect and give praise to James Dashner because it was quite the concept he had. He came up with a very intriguing world; a

world that is in shambles and essentially experimenting on children in an attempt to fix it. Their memories wiped the Gladers must rely purely on their own human nature and desire to survive, to escape.

The memory wipe I think impacted my opinion on the characters. Since they did not remember the outside world they were never really sure what they were fighting, struggling to return to. The Gladers were essentially like mice in a cage being forced into certain situations. Their lack of memories made me question why they didn't try harder to remember? In my opinion knowing as many facts as possible, having as many memories as possible, would be essential to a successful escape.

Barnes & Noble

Let's recap, they only figured out how to solve the Maze after Thomas's attack on the Grievers. His pure need to remember and his willingness to do anything to get his memories back are what the Gladers ultimately needed.

The book; not one of my favorites! I will probably continue reading the rest of the series and I am planning on seeing the movie while still in theaters but I don't know that I will recommend it. I have my hopes for the movie, particularly in regards to the environment in that I hope it is visually stunning. I hope the casting and the actors draw me closer to the characters. And as always I hope the essence of the book, the life's blood of the story, seep off of the screen to the viewer because that's the most important part of any adaptation.

Banned Books Week (September 21-27)

BannedBooksWeek.org

Banned Books Week has officially come to close, but I've spent some time reading through the website and seeing which books have made the list in recent years. Why were they challenged? What makes them so terrible that they must be censored?

Here's A Few:

1. The Hunger Games
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
3. The Glass Castle
4. The Captain Underpants Series
5. The Catcher in the Rye
6. The Harry Potter Series

.......... I mean the list goes on and on! Now I don't know about you guys but some of the books that make the cut on this list were some of my favorite books from childhood and adulthood! They're banned for reasons citing offensive language, sexuality, violence, unsuited to the age group, religious viewpoint, etc.

Now not every book is for every person, not every genre is suited for every reader and that's okay. But this censorship I have simply never understood. I've seen a number of Banned Books lists that include books such as the Bible, Anne Frank's Diary, and so many others that just blew my mind!

So I proudly read Banned Books!

Because I will not let someone that's sensitive dictate my literary choices, or any choices I make.

Blue Bloods: Gates of Paradise ... The End

Barnes & Noble

Let me just start out by saying that Melissa De La Cruz's Blue Bloods series I have been following since my early high school years! So now that I've finally finished the series I'm left with that usual feeling of sadness. I'm finally done with characters I've been following for years, the story is complete and it's time to move on to something else.

That being said, the sadness I felt was not as profound as other series I've been following for years. I mean I was following Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series for almost the same amount of time and yet I felt a deeper sadness over the graduation of Cammie & Co. than I did for the Blue Bloods that finally found salvation. 

Unfortunately I know exactly why my sadness is not as profound ... a typo on the last page.

Put aside for a moment that writing and being published is what I want to do as my career; I'm a bookworm! I love to read and I've been a reader since I knew what books were. So a typo in a book is like a knife in the heart to me, but on the last page ... it makes me want to hurl said novel at the wall and scream. In those last few moments of being in that world that the author has created I'm ripped, rather abruptly, back to reality and have to think and process what the line is supposed to say rather than what the words on the page actually read.

And truly the most unfortunate part is that I wish I could say this was the only typo I'd found in the entire book, sadly that was not the case. There were several bumps along the road and while those were frustrating enough the last page really just killed it for me.

I don't even place the entire blame solely on the author; I understand that when you are close to a project your brain will automatically correct mistakes without actually correcting them. But there are so many people involved in publishing a book, an agent, an editor, a publisher, proofreaders that for the sheer amount of mistakes I found was astounding! How could just so many typos and mistakes fall through the cracks and make it to the final copy? Especially such a glaring on as the one on the last page!

I finished this book days ago but this still makes me annoyed when I think about it! When this is your job these are the kinds of mistakes I, nor any reader, wants to see. Proofread, double check, edit, revise, give it to someone else to read, anything to prevent these types of mistakes that will pull your reader from whatever it is you have written.

**For the record: We'll almost there.

Three paragraphs remained after this line and made the ending completely unsatisfying because there simply was not enough time left to re-immerse myself into the world again.