If I Was The Sunshine

A breathtaking picture book about the relationships we share from New York Times bestselling storytellers Julie Fogliano and Loren Long in the tradition of The Runaway Bunny and Guess How Much I Love You. if i was the sunshine and you were the day i’d call you hello! and you’d call me stay if you were the winter and i was the spring i’d call you whisper and you’d call me sing… Through clever, thought-provoking verse and warmly evocative art, New York Times bestsellers Julie Fogliano and Loren Long explore the awe-inspiring nature of relationships, love, and connection.

Welcome to the real world of broken things broken people, broken dreams and dark seasons. But, it is all-well! Don't give up; your journey can be bright. The pain of not being able to do things as I used to, travel and enjoy the scenery never crossed my mind that I would switch worlds that quickly. I find it to be a different world, and very stressful when you don't want to accept it. In the year 2002, after having surgery on my eye followed by two series of Laser interventions. I had to face reality and the fact that after working as a nurse for thirty-seven years, I would no longer work at my career. I can still hear the surgeon saying to me after my recovery, "I don't expect to see you except for your annual check ups. There isn't anything more we can do for you." I remember walking out of the office looking across the parking lot for my husband's vehicle. I could hardly see! Blinded by the sunshine I looked up to heaven and uttered these words, "God, I thank you! You said what is impossible with man is possible with you! With tears streaming down my cheek, a car drove up . . . . .! These are comforting and inspired words of Jesus, "I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Having to face these periods of adversity and brokenness matures us and prepares us for greatness. It also makes us a witness of his abounding grace to others. Let Him become your only source. This book: "If I Never See Another Sunshine." will encourage and empower you though there will never be a tomorrow."

I have always been under the impression that children were only removed from their families when in severe and life threatening abusive situations. Never did I think for a moment that the very people who the public put their trust in are actually guilty of gross negligence and outrageous behavior far worse than some of the reasons why children may be removed from their families. To top it all off there are no penalties for DCF workers who remove children without cause. My child was kept from me for absolutely no reason, totally without justification nor my knowledge and tossed in a system for almost 3 years by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) that failed to abide by their own statutes, internal procedures, policies, rules and regulations. During this travesty of justice my child suffered lifelong visible scars and irreparable damage. I was totally oblivious to what could and would take place in my child?s life as well as my families and my life. Upon feeling compelled to write this book I am in hope that my story will enlighten other parents that maybe, by no fault of their own, are faced with a similar situation?I am in hope that my story will somehow inspire changes to be made in a now very broken system, a system that seems to be totally out of control?.

Nicholas wrote the poems in this book to satisfy his creative desire to use words, to form rhymes, and to tell stories. ‘A Mind Full Of Poems; In This Present Moment’ is his first collection of poems, inspired by the beautiful moments in life which we often take for granted. A lot of the poems in this book are directly inspired by mindfulness. Being mindful we let go of struggle and simply allow things to be as they are. By doing this and experiencing life with a ‘beginners mind’, we step out of autopilot and become more aware of the present moment. Nicholas’ poems are wondrous, uplifting and humorous. There are some monumental poems detailing his visits to London and Manchester, and a very special moment in Amalfi Cathedral. The joys of cycling, discovering real ale, and taking an exhilarating dip in the sea at Whitby, are some of the magical things that Nicholas describes in stunning detail. The title of the book is a play on words. Literally meaning that his mind is full of poems, but also relating to the practice of bringing mindful awareness to the everyday activities of his life.

This is a no spin story of how I endured and survived sixteen successive attacks by four enemy aircraft in WWII.

Inspired by lives of real women, this work of fiction reveals a story of courage as two women struggle to adapt and succeed despite a cycle of family violence that could perpetuate itself. Grace Wilson, from Pennsylvania, moves to the Florida Panhandle in the early 1950s. She falls in love with a man whose father endured beatings as a child from a violent mother. Once married, she finds herself trapped in a nightly recurrence of abuse as her children hide from their father’s drunken rages. Marie Butler, an ambitious Southern girl from a large family, marries a man she thinks has ‘potential’ and can move her from a boring life to a world of excitement during the depression years of the 1930s. Throughout her life, she uses her beauty and wiles to influence her ambitions. Despite setbacks, losses, and betrayal, she seizes opportunities to build a legacy where her name and deeds will be remembered. Their paths cross throughout the years, and their personal relationship changes as they grow older in this fictitious county in northern Florida, whose landscape is transformed as dramatically as the lives of our two heroines. In Keystone Girl in the Sunshine State, the author hopes the reader will bond with two women in their quest for love, success, and second chances.