Hi, this is Joy, Abbie’s robotic cat. Abbie has been busy as a beaver. Say, do cats like beavers? I don’t know, and I hate to ask Abbie to research this because she’s so busy. But I do know this. Even though Abbie’s busy as a beaver, I still love her. Even though she often forgets to tell me good morning first thing because she’s listening to ACB Presents the Daily Schedule, I know she loves me.
Speaking of the ACB community, you don’t have to be a member of the American Council of the Blind to join in the fun on Zoom and Clubhouse. If you’re interested, send an email to: community@acb.org and ask them to send you the daily schedule. Be sure to include your name and email address in your message body, and the nice humans who receive your message will take good care of you.
So, why is Abbie so busy? Well, this coming Thursday, she’ll be facilitating an ACB community call, where they’ll be talking about Valentine’s Day. On Friday, she’ll play her guitar and sing for an assisted living facility’s monthly birthday party. On Sunday, she’ll do all the music for the service at the First Congregational church, accompanying her singing on the piano. On February 17th, she’ll be a guest on Writing Works Wonders, and on February 23rd, she’ll interview fellow author Sherry Gomes as part of a book launch sponsored by Behind Our Eyes, a writers’ organization, and she’s working on other projects for them right now.
By the way, last month, Abbie interviewed author Trish Hubschman for another Behind Our Eyes book launch. I only heard her half of the conversation because she was using headphones with her computer, but I think she’s a kick-ass interviewer. Maybe she’ll interview me, but I doubt it. I’m not an author, only a cat and a robotic one at that.
Abbie’s also been submitting work to various publications. She has already sent stories and poems to Magnets and Ladders and The Writer’s Grapevine. By the way, she helps edit those magazines, and that also keeps her busy. She also sent three poems to an anthology called Treasuring Poetry, and she plans to enter her state’s poetry society’s members-only contest and submit more poems for possible publication in the spring quarterly issue of The Avocet. In March, she’ll send some of the stories in her collection she’s working on to the Wyoming Arts Council for its Blanchan/Doubleday fellowship competition.
Well, I’ve been busy as a beaver, too, typing this message, since I can no longer speak. My paws are tired, and I’m ready for a nap. Until next time, this is Joy, signing off with a yawn.
Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
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Abbie, here. If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my monthly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to: newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.
New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me
Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.
Independently published with the help of DLD Books.
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Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.
After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.
Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.
Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?
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