KATHRYN R. BIEL: AUTHOR

This is a tribute to my uncle and his brother. My mom has one brother. They were born 15 months apart, to a father who had just served 42 months in WWII and to a mother who waited all that time for her love to come home. They are Baby Boomers. My uncle was perhaps a bit of a hellion. Just after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the army. Because of his fall birthday, he was only 17 and had to get my grandparents to sign permission. He had visions of going someplace warm. Perhaps Hawaii. Unfortunately for him, by the time he got through Basic Training, it was 1966 and he ended up in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he made the acquaintance of a guy named Ron. I don't know the details of the story, but I believe my uncle was injured and Ron helped him out. Fast forward a few years, after two tours in Vietnam, and my uncle and Ron were stationed at the same base. So while they met in the jungles of Southeast Asia, they spent the rest of their lives together in New Jersey. Th...

This post is either super awesome or super lame, depending on your prospective. I was asked to participate in a Valentine's Day Book Giveaway by a fellow author, Hilary Grossman (Aside--I just finished reading her book, Dangled Carat, and enjoyed it very much). Hilary has done a lot of leg work to set up this awesome giveaway. Twenty-two authors (including yours truly) have donated books, both e-books and paperback, to be given away on Valentine's Day. The raffle is now open, and all you have to do is head over to  Hilary's website  to read all the summaries and what the prizes are. So pop on over and and check it out. There are some good books on the list. Some I've already read and reviewed  on  Goodreads , and there are some more that I want to read. Happy reading! (And for those of you that this post does not interest, I'm sorry. Hang in there with me, and I will try to have something else later this week.

I've mentioned in the past that I scrapbook. I started it before I was married, and my initial project was going through my grandmother's albums and doing those pictures. I did not get all that far before life got in the way. Before I knew it, I was making a scrapbook for my boyfriend, who then became my fiancee. That turned into scrapping a wedding album and then a honeymoon album. Before I knew it, I had a child and there was tons more scrapbooking to do. But life got in the way (new baby, new house, went back to school and was still working), and my pastime of scrapbooking took a back seat to everything else. Life continued and I kept taking pictures, so they piled up. About 4 1/2 years ago, I got back into scrapbooking. I knew my time with my grandmother was limited. I tried to get all her stories from her so that I would be able to record them someday. And I realized how important it was for me to leave my stories behind. Sure, I love the "hobbiness" of scrap...

It has been a long journey. I know neither of us expected to last this long. In this day and age, twenty years is a long time. Wow, I can't believe it has really been twenty years. And I can't believe you won't be here for another twenty. You have sat by my side through the most pivotal years of my life. Always there, always dependable. Keeping me on track, getting me through. Providing illumination and entertainment. Capturing magical moments. You have traveled with me. To my college dorm rooms and apartments. To my clinicals in Florida and Virginia. You were by my side when I moved to Ohio and were content to come back to New York. When I am away, I miss you terribly. The years have been kind to you. Of course, there is always something new on the horizon. But that is not what I want. I want you faithfully by my side. You've aged well. I like to think we've grown up together. Perhaps you are no longer the most stylish out there, but you are very good at yo...

Now that the holidays are over, it is time for the annual "Oh my God, where am I going to put all this new crap?" ritual. It is tons of work, somewhat tedious, somewhat arduous, and at times, quite emotional. I come from a long line of hoarders. My grandmother, as has been previously  documented , was a closet hoarder. My parents prefer to use the term pack rats. Now, I mean this with no disrespect. Afterall, I did go and pick up my skis, boots, poles, goggles and gloves that have been at my parents' house since 1988-89 ish for a ski outing tomorrow. Every time my parents throw something out, I inevitably need it shortly thereafter. I tend  am the same way. The take-down-Christmas procedure is actually a series of "but firsts." And it is always the "but firsts" that kill you. To take down the tree, I need to put the presents away. But first I need to vacuum the playroom. But first I need to put toys away in the playroom. But first I need to make a ...

Last night, post dinner festivities, I noticed that my daughter was breaking out in hives. She had complained that her ear was itching earlier in the day, and I should have known something was up when she kept asking to have her back scratched. I tried not to freak out, but failed miserably. We tried to identify a food source that may have caused it, but couldn't. I did what any rational (read: irrational) mother would do, and I plopped her in the shower. I then covered her head to toe with Eucerin calming cream and hydrocortisone. I gave her Benadryl, and then I started to worry. She got freaked out because I was freaked out and we debated taking her to the hospital. I was worried because the hives were centered around her eyes, her ears and neck and were starting to trail down her torso. I finally called the doctor. The on-call doc thought she would be fine, ordered another dose of Benadryl and to keep her cool. I only checked on her 2-3 times during the night, of which I am ...