School starts tomorrow for my boys - as it does for many students across the country. We are sad summer is over, but also looking forward to the excitement of a new school year.

The past two weeks we have vacationed with family and friends, and once again I have been reminded how important a sense of community is.

A dear friend of our family’s - of my parents’ - passed away last week. He was 62 and I have known him almost my entire life. He and his wife, my mom’s dearest friend, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary just days before he passed away. I have cried for her and for their children with whom I grew up.

But their family will be okay. They will mourn and be sad and carry their father/husband with them each day of their own journey. But they have built a community that will sustain them through this difficult time. They have friends and family members who will go above and beyond to make this time more bearable. We all need that in our lives - and I am thankful they have it, and proud that our family is a part of it. They were always there for us.

I also, by happenstance, ran into an old friend from our days in Philadelphia. We were both vacationing on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This couple was the very first friends my husband and I met after we got married. A few years ago, Tracey - at age 38 - was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She battled and she suffered, but when we went to visit them - I was so comforted to see the community they had built for themselves and for their two daughters. They too would be okay.

We all need this - but it doesn’t just happen. You have to create it. You have to live your life contributing to a community, so when you need it, it is there.

The old saying is true: what you give, you receive back tenfold.

Happy Labor Day! I hope you take a day to relax and enjoy your family and friends. I hope you enjoy a bit of your own community.

Last night I stayed up too late watching the Olympics…how can I not? And how can it ever be ”too late” to watch such amazing athletic and personal feats? Is anyone getting enough sleep? I love the fact that China is 12 hours from Eastern Time, and that so many events are shown live. I’m not sure I would stay up as late if I could look up who won on the internet. But how could I not watch Michael Phelps attempt to win gold medal #7? And in the 100-meter fly, no less… it was my favorite event to swim.

What a finish! That’s all I can say. Anyone who saw it (is there anyone out there who didn’t see it?) knows that it doesn’t get any closer than that. Nor more exciting. Well, maybe the men’s 4×100 Free relay was more exciting - or at least equally so…

This is such a great time for the sport of swimming. Those of us who swim - or swam - or know a swimmer - know that there are years of hard work, dedication, sacrifice and setbacks that go into these 8 days of competition. I hope that the main-stream interest in the sport lasts long past the Closing Ceremonies. Our athletes deserve to feel our support more than once every four years. 

GO TEAM USA!

What an adventure today - at my book signing. It took place at a great local bookstore, Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers, in downtown Annapolis. We - myself and another author, a fiction mystery writer - were set up just outside the store front. Just steps away was City Dock, the water and everything I love about Annapolis.

The foot traffic in a tourist town in the summer was crazy (but great too)! It was also Plebe Parent weekend at the Naval Academy - and I had the pleasure of meeting one of our new plebes and his mother during my book signing. My husband and I are a sponsor family for the Naval Academy, and each year welcome two new plebes (freshman) into our home. We look forward to it and enjoy the fine young people who grace our - and our childrens’ - lives.

Today gave me the opportunity to do what I love most about having written this book: meeting one on one and interacting with people who will read (or have read) the book. It is such a personal story, written from the heart with at times very raw emotions, that I enjoy the personal interaction with my readers. Even via e-mail, those who have reached out and written to me, and shared part of their lives with me, find the connection is mutually inspiring.

As I love to write in each book I sign: Share the Inspiration!

Thank you for everyone’s patience in waiting for video! The first of (hopefully) many videos has been posted under the VIDEO link.

While in Arizona I filmed a spot for Swimming World TV. I will also be taping a reading from the book and a Q&A session in September. Those will be uploaded shortly afterwards.

Thanks for visiting!

I am in San Diego for a few days with my family. We came here every summer as a child - as many families from Arizona do to escape the heat.

My Uncle has always owned a condo in Del Mar, just north of San Diego - and we were fortunate to stay there for several weeks each summer…going to the beach at Torrey Pines, the races at the Del Mar Racetrack, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, etc… There is so much to do here.

The time I spent here in the hospital was bittersweet. Certainly, the summer of 1992 was painful in many ways. The surgeries were difficult and I was still trying to heal from physical and emotionaly wounds. However, I was in San Diego - my home away from home. I had my Uncle’s condo at which to recover. I could sit and listen to the waves at the beach. I had family members nearby as a support network while I was away from Notre Dame. It was difficult, but it could have been worse.

San Diego will always hold an emotional place in my heart and in my life. I am thrilled that my husband and children love to come here as much as I do. Even though my home has changed - moved from Arizona to Annapolis - San Diego (Del Mar) remains a constant as my home away from home.

We flew into Phoenix this weekend. My oldest son asked for my IPhone as soon as we landed to see what the temperature was: 107 degrees. “Wow Mom, it’s three degrees hotter than when we left!” (He had checked when we got on the plane.) It has never hit 100 in Maryland - at least in his 6-year-old memory. It was an exciting moment in his life…although not as exciting as swimming all day with his Arizona cousins.

We are here for 10 days - with most of it spent in the White Mountains- three hours northeast of Phoenix, and about 25 degrees cooler…Much to my dismay: I LOVE THE HEAT.

On Tuesday, July 29th, I will be filming a spot on SwimmingWorld TV here in Phoenix - which is exciting! I will post the date/time it will be on as soon as I know.

Thanks for reading!

I am thrilled to announce my 1st Book Signing scheduled for here in Annapolis! I will be at the Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers on Sunday, August 10th, from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. in historic downtown Annpolis at City Dock.  Hard Bean Coffee and Booksellers is one of those great independent, hometown bookstores that supports the community and its local authors. I am excited to be a part of this Annapolis establishment.

Come by, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some time in downtown Annapolis - City Dock is a great place to spend a summer Sunday afternoon!

Last night while out with some good friends to watch FIREWORKS (love them!) I met a woman named Terry, a former swimmer from the University of Maryland, who had just started reading my book. She said she was honored to meet me. But really, it was my honor to meet her.

Terry has four children (ages four to ten- I think - who were so well-behaved), and her husband is in the Navy serving our country in Iraq. I got tears in my eyes as I took a picture of Terry and her children, standing in front of an American flag, to e-mail to her husband and their dad. He will be home in October.

On the Fourth of July we celebrate our country and its history. This morning my son talked about how he saw the ”real” Declaration of Independence in Washington with his Uncle Stephen (of course, he also mentioned he saw it in the movie, National Treasure).

For me the holiday has meant different things in different years. Certainly back in 1992, the summer I was in San Diego, I celebrated my independence from the hospital. Several years later, I can recall a picture of my family: Jamie, the boys and I, wearing red, white and blue sitting in a hammock at my cousin’s house: in San Diego. I had a lot to celebrate.

This year I again celebrate with my family, here in Annapolis: boating with friends, watch Olympic Trials, thinking of our families and friends celebrating afar.

And praying for a family I just met, whose father is afar - and thinking of all our military families who are separated on this patriotic holiday. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

Check out tomorrow’s USA Today newspaper - July 1st - the Sports section! After reading about the World Records that are falling at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials- you can turn to page 3 and read an article about What Though the Odds.

This is an exciting week in the sport of swimming. The U.S. Olympic Trials meet might just well be the fastest meet in the world. Last night Ryan Lochte broke the World Record in the 400IM and didn’t even win the event! Of course Michael Phelps is just amazing. As is Katie Hoff. The 400IM is a tough event -and they make it look easy. World Records are falling!

On the USA Swimming website there is a box where you can vote on how many World Records will fall during Trials. I voted for 4-6. That might happen in the first three days.  GO TEAM USA!!!

I have been asked and contacted about putting together a discussion guide for the book - for Book Clubs or other groups. Soon (once I figure out how to do it!) I will carry a link with suggested Book Club questions. I have solicited a few friends who are members of a book club to help with these. If you would like a copy of this discussion guide before it is posted, just send me an e-mail and I will mail it back to you.

Additionally, if you have any suggested questions or discussion topics, please send them and I will include them in the Guide.

Thanks for everyone’s support and help! And thanks for visiting!