The stories my dad told and retold me years ago about his parents kept creeping into my consciousness. Basically, they wouldn’t leave me alone and I finally had to admit these tales were simply too compelling not to share. I will also acknowledge that I love to write historical fiction.

Edits completed, Harry and Grace: A Dakota Love Story is presently undergoing its final prep before release. At times it seemed I’d never arrive at this place, though if there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing my first two books, it is that the editing and rewriting process take time. The wait for edits offers the opportunity for the book to “rest” in my mind. The finished copy can’t be rushed, but needs time to simmer and brew, adding or subtracting words or scenes to clarify, elaborate or expand. Bottom line: It takes both time and patience to birth a book.

A sneak preview: This novel begins when my grandpa joins a traveling carnival in the Midwest in 1909, eventually leading him to a tiny town in North Dakota, where he meets my grandmother. The book, set primarily on the Dakota prairie, is a blend of my father’s stories, peppered with enough fiction to fill in the blanks and topped off with a wee bit of magic.

My sweet black dog is now on Hospice care. Although he still hobbles some of the time, the pain medication appears to be helping, at least for now. I hope it will keep him comfortable as we journey forth. Our long goodbye has begun. From what I’ve read, he probably has around two to three months (or maybe more?). Since we don’t really know, we’re doing our best to enjoy every day he has by giving him unexpected doggie treats and plenty of attention, showing him how much he is loved. Ah, this is not an easy road. It takes little for tears to wet my cheeks.

For brief periods, I can forget what the future holds. When he acts like himself on walks, prancing down the sidewalk like he owns it, offering a bark of “hello” to a few lucky people we meet along the way, I can forget. His appetite is good and there is no lack of pawing at my pant leg, asking me to play “chase” (involving me chasing him around the dining room table—sometimes on three legs—with a squeaky toy in his mouth). At these times, I wonder if maybe the vet made a mistake, but realize that is magical thinking. I have only to look at the x-ray to see the obvious pockets of formerly white bone that are now grey, indicating the thinning.

While I’ve long recognized a dog’s lifespan is much shorter than a human lifespan and that one day I’d lose him, it always felt way out there in some future place. Now it’s finite, he’s been assigned his place in the line. It’s knowing, but not knowing . . . knowing it will happen in the near future, but not knowing when—a form of limbo. The best part of this is that he’s blissfully unaware.

I choose to believe the years of companionship and unconditional love will soften the pain of letting go. Of course, as I write this, unstoppable tears are once again spilling over my cheeks. We’ve just returned from a long walk and my BEST dog ever is snuggled happily in his bed beside me, snoring (not so softly) and probably dreaming of barking at squirrels, one of his favorite winter past times.

I’d love to hear your story of saying goodbye to a beloved pet.

2/17/22

We’re not shedding our furniture or home décor, artwork or travel mementos. Belongings which bring us joy or that we use on a regular basis will remain. No, it’s the “stuff” we’ve hung onto for years and years that we never look at, nor no longer need.

Back in the mid-2000’s, I transferred our family videos from video cassettes to DVDs (which of course will inevitably be replaced by some other form of technology). Yet, along with the DVDs, I still kept all those VHS tapes. Why? Was it anxiety over tossing family memories recorded on these videotapes—even though they are all safely stored on DVDs—that kept me from letting go? I don’t know, but today I’m ready to let go.

Remember long, long ago when we used cassette tapes? My husband has at least 300 cassettes of musical recordings from that era. On the other hand, I had over 100 favorite paperback books saved from years gone by. We discussed this and came to an agreement THREE years ago. Since he hasn’t listened to more than a couple of these music tapes in over twenty years and I have not spent time with or reread any of the old books, we decided that if I’d give away my books, he’d dispense with the cassette tapes. It has taken me three years to arrive at this place of letting go, but last week I sorted through the books, selecting a few treasured ones, plus several that I do plan to reread (someday!). My husband also picked a few of his favorites. My daughter-in-law selected a sack full and another stack went to the Little Free Library down the street. Nestled into four boxes, the remaining 84 books were delivered to our Public Library, where they’ll find new homes through the Library’s book sale. Still waiting for the husband to fulfill his part of the bargain, however . . .

Taken in small steps, I realize the completion of our sort-out will not happen overnight, but will be a process. I am determined to see it through, though. It is our gift to our children.

Have you gone through a similar clean-out? What was it like for you?

AlzAuthors is the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer’s and dementia from personal experience. I am fortunate to be one of the three founders of this nonprofit organization. This sale is an excellent opportunity to pick up new books about Alzheimer’s and dementia at discounted prices. Some are even free!

The books represent a variety of genres: non-fiction, fiction, memoir, children’s books, and more.

AlzAuthors Book Sale & Giveaway in Honor of Caregiver Appreciation Month Starts November 10th

They cover a wide range of situations: caring for a parent, a spouse, Alzheimer’s, early-onset dementia, and more.

All are available in a variety of formats, including digital, paperback, and audio.

Find them here: https://alzauthors.com/2021/11/09/book-sale-caregiver-appreciation-month/

Sale ends November 17th.

Thank you for your support of AlzAuthors.

A woman approached us as we walked along the sidewalk in the hospital corridor near my home.
“May I ask you a question?” she asked.

“Sure.”
“Is it okay if I approach your dog?”
“Of course.” She walked up to Jaxon and kneeled down to pet him.
“Oh, I so needed a mini Schnauzer ‘fix’ this morning. We don’t live here and our dog is back home. I miss her so.” She looked up at me. “My husband is in the Intensive Care Unit.”

“Oh, dear. Covid?” I asked.
“No, he had a heart attack. And, last night they had to take him back into surgery where he then suffered a second heart attack.”
“Oh, I am so sorry.” I put myself in her place, thinking of being in a city far from home with a husband in the ICU. Tears spontaneously streaked down my face. “I cry easily,” I apologized.

She nodded as if she understood. All the while, she is petting Jaxon, who acted perfectly content to soak up as many pets as possible. After standing up, she went on to say, “We have had four mini Schnauzers over the years. Our current dog is fifteen years old. It was hard to leave her behind with someone.”

“Jaxon is older too. He’s twelve.”

“They are such a playful breed, aren’t they? Up until the very end, always wanting to run and play,” she said.

“This is our first Schnauzer, but I’m not surprised. He generally has boundless energy.”

“All four of ours lived to around fourteen and a half to fifteen years. Two of them had dementia.”

“Really?”

“Yes, one of them would tilt sideways now and then. The other one ran in circles over and over and over, and became so thin we had to put her down. They were memorable pets.” She paused. “You have no idea how you and Jaxon have lifted my spirits this morning. I so needed this.”

I offered her a hug and she also began to cry. “Whenever someone hugs me, I cry. Hugs are such an unexpected kindness. My name is Kathleen, by the way.”
“I’m Vicki.”
We talked about mini Schnauzers a few minutes longer.
“Well, I best get on to the hospital. Thank you again for giving me this gift. It will sustain me as I face the day.”

We parted ways. What are the chances my dog and I would be walking down that particular sidewalk at the same moment Kathleen intersected our path from the parking lot?

Her words about kindness caught me off guard. For me, hugging her seemed the natural response. I thought about it and realized we all left with a gift. My dog enjoyed the unexpected petting which, in turn, offered this stranger comfort and her perception of kindness allowed me to enjoy a warm and satisfied feeling in my heart. Serendipity at its finest. What better way to start the day?

Kindness. It is always the right choice.

I’m excited to announce that  Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia was selected for BookAuthority’s Best Alzheimer’s Books of All Time.

BookAuthority collects and ranks the best books in the world, and it is a great honor to get this kind of recognition. Thank you, dear readers, for all your support!

I’d like to know more about the whole narration process, so I have a few questions I’d like to ask you. Let’s get started!

First of all, how did you come up with the lovely name Mathilda Joy Productions for your business?

It is a tribute to my grandmothers. I took a name from each, combined them and liked how it sounded. It is a way to honor their memory and it is a way to avoid having to explain how to pronounce my last name! Two for the price of one. I like a bargain.

Tell me, what do you love most about narrating audiobooks?

I have had a lifelong love affair with reading books, so reading aloud and telling a story is such a joy. In my previous life as a children’s librarian, I had the opportunity to read aloud often. The very best part of being a narrator is after doing all of the preparation, actually doing the recording in the booth. I love getting inside character’s heads, fleshing out their motivations and making that come alive in the performance. In the book, “Maggie,” I had so much fun finding the various character voicings, and being inside the characters’ lives. When I narrate, as when I am portraying a character on stage, it can become all-consuming. I basically live the story. It is in my dreams, and in my dinner!

That sounds similar to what it’s like writing a book. For me, writing is also all-consuming, as my characters chatter in my mind, day and night.

Do you prefer to read in print or listen to stories in audio?

Well, I do a lot of both. I have stacks of books in my “to be read” pile, along with countless books on my Kindle. I can’t read print books while traveling, but for some reason, reading in the car on my Kindle works for me. Obviously, when I am driving, I am listening to audiobooks! I find that whenever I listen to an audiobook, I never fail to learn something, whether it is picking up a tip on characterization or finding a new cadence in non-fiction narration. There is so much to be gained from listening to narrators who have a wealth of experience.

How do you select a book to narrate? Do you prefer specific genres or types of characters?

I was drawn to the book, “Maggie,” because of the rich characters, historical basis, and amazing writing. It doesn’t feel like a “job” when you get to spend time with believable characters and a compelling storyline. When I am auditioning, I look for something for which my style and voice is a good fit. I also tend to choose things that interest me personally and that I feel have value. In other words, I am not looking at it as a simply “for profit” venture necessarily, because as a narrator, I will be spending many hours with the text, reading, preparing, taking notes, etc. besides the time spent actually recording, proofing and mastering the audio. I want to therefore spend my time with a book I can enjoy and believe will have lasting interest and benefit.

Do you ever get specific notes or ideas from the writer about how something should be read? What is a helpful note, and what is, shall we say, less helpful?

The authors in my experience have been wonderful. Most are very generous with answering questions I might have about specific characters and of course, the pronunciation problems inherent in proper names and places. I enjoy working in a collaborative process with the author, especially when doing fiction. It helps me to know the thoughts of the creator with regard to their vision for certain characters. Good writing makes my job easy, in that I can find character’s attributes through the context of the writing and make them both relatable and believable.

Do you have any ritual or routine you do before sitting down to record the audio?

Oh, boy! If you heard my vocal warm-ups routine, you might think I was crazy or possessed or something! So I won’t go into that here. However, I will share something big I have learned. You really have no idea how many noises your body makes until you are in the recording booth trying to maintain a silent surround. I never eat carbs before recording! My stomach makes crazy noises when digestion begins and no one wants to listen to that! Also, lots of water before, during and after sessions to keep the vocal folds hydrated. I also take frequent breaks to step outside the recording booth to stretch and to walk around, clear my head, and get some air.  I have come to the conclusion that standing for performance is better for me when lots of character voices are needed. I get enough sitting time when all of the technical aspects must be attended to.

Did you invest in a lot of equipment at the outset?

There is a basic list of necessities that every narrator needs. A good computer with no fan noise is a must. I have an Apple mini which is basically solid state, so it doesn’t create additional noise. Many narrators will locate their computer outside of the recording booth, which is best. A solid hard drive backup is a necessity, because, problems happen. You also need a good headset, a really good microphone with a good shock mount, pop filter and stand. Then you need to get a good DAW, Digital Audio Workstation. Some are easier to master than others, so do your research and buy what works best for you. Invest in your education. There are wonderful video tutorials online, but I recommend investing in some actual course time with someone reputable in the business to really begin to understand the nuances of recording, mastering, acting, work processes and so on. You will never know it all in this business, so on-going education is a must. You can build a recording space inside a closet or go ahead and invest in a professional recording booth. Warning: they are spendy. Since I had a spare closet under my stairway, I basically applied sound treatment to all of the surfaces and have a cozy little Harry Potteresque space. It can get stuffy, so hence, breaks are needed. Also, if you don’t like spending lots of time alone locked in a tiny space, this is not the career for you. A hermit mentality really helps!

Ha, ha. “A hermit mentality . . .”  That sounds like some writers I know, myself included. Julie, your answers were most enlightening and I really learned a lot. Thank you for being my guest today and for sharing so much interesting information about the narration profession. And also, thank you for your most complimentary words about Maggie: A Journey of Love, Loss and Survival. 

Readers, you can listen to a sample of Julie’s narration of Maggie: A Journey of Love, Loss and Survival  by clicking here or go directly to the book on Audible.

Connect with Julie at Mathilda Joy Productions:

Website: http://mathilda-joy.strikingly.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MathildaJoy1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/mathildajoyproductions/photos/?ref=page_internal

By Vicki Tapia

I gravitate toward an orderly life. Perhaps it was instilled in me by my mother as a small child. Repeat after me: A place for all things and all things in their place.

Numbers have always been the constant in my life through which I can find a wee bit of harmony in a disorderly universe. I am often unconsciously lining up numbers; adding, subtracting or multiplying them. I believe that five minus four equals one. People have been known to say to me, “You should have been a bean-counter.”

I find numbers to be calming. They ground me. If she were this age, what age was he? How many books did I sell in January compared to December? How much have I paid for advertising this month compared to last? How old was my mother when her first grandchild was born in 1960? Numbers sometimes roll around in my head like balls on the billiards table.

Trivial numbers reside in the recesses of my brain, such as the phone number for our auto insurance representative. I have no idea why I randomly remember particular phone numbers, but it does eliminate the need to look them up on my iPhone, plus I’ve read it’s a healthy way to stimulate memory.

Numbers somehow help bring a sense of order into my daily life. My husband affectionately calls me “The Count” from Sesame Street. Have you ever felt numbers help you to create a sense of order in our madcap society of fake news, insatiable social media and conflict?

While I’ve always felt I don’t quite “fit in,” a couple of years ago I learned I actually do share an oddity with about one percent of the world’s population. I am a synesthete, meaning I experience grapheme-color synesthesia. Huh? What is that? Is it contagious? Is it dangerous?

Well, no, it is neither. Grapheme-color synesthesia means my perception of letters and numerals is associated with color. Yes, that’s correct. Whenever I think of a letter, word or number, it has a color or hue in my mind. This perception has been with me as far back as I can remember, is involuntary and completely consistent over time. Experts say it is not related to mental illness (whew) and it is possible that people who experience it can perform better on certain tests involving memory. I do, in fact, remember being able to memorize easily during my school years. First described in the 19th century, evidence for this perceptual phenomenon points to an “excess interconnectivity in the visual cortex of the brain.”

Over my lifetime, the colors or hues of individual letters and words have always remained the same. Some of the colors are of a hue that I can’t describe with language. For nearly all of my life, I never mentioned this quirk to anyone, because on some level I thought everyone saw words and numbers in color and simply took it for granted as “normal.” One day, an article describing grapheme synesthesia caught my eye and I suddenly had words to describe my idiosyncrasy. Scientists have now confirmed there is a strong genetic compenent, which holds true in our family. One day, I asked each of my three children what color the letter “B” is and my youngest said “yellow.” The other two looked at us like we were missing a few cogs.

Curious about the “color” of your name? Letters and numbers are different colors for different people. My blue “A” may be green for another synesthete. I see the letter “V” and also my name “Vicki” as a blue-violet color and my last name “Tapia” as a shade of brown.

Any other synesthetes out there?

Although this information is not breaking news, for some reason lately, I’m more acutely aware of the possibility. I suspect the heightened awareness of my mortality may have something to do with holiday memories of departed loved ones.

A trail of trickling tears can be set off by sentiments in a book or news article, something someone says or does, thinking about my kids or grandkids or by simply sitting and gazing at my husband or dog . . . or more often than not, no reason at all.

Time does, indeed, march on. Is it weird not to want to miss the ending? I’ve led a wonderful life, so how could I have the audacity to feel sad that the story of my life will be over before I also know the ending of the story of those I know and love? Yes, curiosity is part of my psyche.

Why do thoughts of the past lead to lamenting an unseeable future?

When my mind hovers in this realm, I sternly remind myself to redirect my thoughts and refocus! I firmly tell myself to live in the moment because . . . I. Am. Alive. Now. Pinch myself, if needed! And then, remind myself I can walk, talk, see, hear, touch and love. Acknowledging this, I have made a resolution to concentrate on being present in this now, as there’s no reclaiming the past, nor any way to predict the future.

Sigh. Now, if only the keeping of this resolution could be as simple as writing the words . . .