OK everyone for my FOURTH post today, I promised that I would make a very special announcement for our very good friend, AUTHOR SANDY PATSY.
Ever since Amy and Mrs. Patsy met, they have been very close. They met while planning a review of her book and an interview! Needless to say, they've kept in touch almost everyday since! It's true! They stayed tight, and have told each other all sorts of things. She's been nice, caring, sweet and protective of Amy. Not to mention generous. If you know Mrs. Patsy, you know how she is. This is what she wanted me to say for her. (It says it on her blog too and on the Author Island Author Blog too).
I'm not sure EXACTLY ALL the specifics or things we may add on later, but for now, here's what we have. As most of you know by now, Amy is in the hospital fighting as hard as she can against a very horrible disease that touches so many lives. THIS IS PERSONAL, because she's MY very BEST FRIEND! I see her each day laying in that bed not looking a thing like herself. She pretends to be happy for all of us and it hurts me because I know this and I can't tell her that right now. I miss when she's genuinely happy, which is ALL THE TIME! The doctors are talking about two very big things now that she's had her first surgery. The first is that she is not moving her left leg especially on her own and the other one isn't as bad but not moving on it's own normally either, which could mean she would lose that ability. She is also facing an infection, which could mean amputation which would just crush her and I can't even imagine being in her position. So please just think about what Mrs. Patsy would like to do and her reasons why.
This is what it is. Amy's birthday is JUNE 15th, which is her father's birthday as well and father's day. Her son's birthday is a week and a day later on the 23rd. And last year she was in the hospital from MAY TO SEPTEMBER! Can you imagine that much time in such a horrible place. She doesn't like the way it smells and you know what her most vivid memory is? Being rushed to the O.R. and looking up seeing those long lights flashing by. She will tell you that story and the hair on the back of your neck will stand up. I know you want to know why I keep going off on a tangent and what this has to do with her birthday and I do apologize but I'm hurt. I'm so very hurt. Not to mention ANGRY and ANGRY with the world. My faith and hers have been tested many times along with her family's and her son, her ONLY son's.
Sandy Patsy found it in her heart to want to make Amy's birthday a very happy one for her even though she is in the hospital. SO Dawn, Kim, Mrs. Patsy and I have started a Birthday Box for her. We hope that by a few days before her birthday it is filled with things for her birthday. It doesn't have to be something huge, just something that will let her know that you care about her and love her as well. I don't care if you write it on a scrap of notebook paper and send it, ANYTHING will do. You may send a gift, a card, a note, a gift certificate or you may contact any one of us if you'd like. PLEASE KNOW YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS. It's just something sweet for Amy's long and dark road ahead of her.
Mrs. Patsy is of great help and will do what she can for you. She's also trying to get as many author's involved as possible. The following are the important email addresses you need to know and then I will post links to blogs. You can leave comments here as well. AND because I'd like this to get ALL OVER the blog-o-sphere, I think I'm going to offer a prize for the person with the most entries. How you'll get entries yet, I'm not sure. But, I like this idea. Please POST ABOUT THIS ON YOUR BLOG and write a note back here saying that you did it. If someone doesn't have a blog or says "Trish" sent me here to leave a comment...and TRISH has posted this on her blog, than that is TWO ENTRIES for TRISH. IF TRISH also posts this on her MYSPACE or any other page she has, than that's another entry for TRISH. (sorry Trish I hope you don't mind me using you as an example) I'm thinking the winner will get something like a gift card to Amazon or something like that but I will discuss that with Mrs. Patsy as well and post more about it later. I will take ideas on how to get names in for more and more entries (Dewey, I heard you're excellent at this. And I apologize that I haven't been able to Weekly Geeks. I know Amy was excited about it). So, we'll figure out something for the person who helps us spread the news. Unless you'd like to do it out of the goodness of your heart, and then that's up to you : ) But PLEASE try to make a little note of this post on your blog or leave it on the side up until the 12th of June or so to make people aware. OOPPSS! DEWEY...I just reread this and it makes it sound like I want you to coordinate this thing. With all the "yous". The ONLY part I questioned for you would be maybe coming up with a way for each person to earn points toward a gift because after reading your blog, you have the most amazing ideas, so I HOPE this clears that up! I do apologize. OF COURSE if you can't think of anything at all, don't worry about it. It was just a suggestion that popped into my head.
Email addresses are as follows:
Amy's ~ which we check daily is IAmHiMaintenance at aol dot com
Vanessa ~ Vanessa dot Wrenn at Yahoo dot com
Kim ~ LilkimCohen at Yahoo dot com
Dawn ~ Dawn dot Kessler at Yahoo dot com
AND THE COORDINATOR OF THIS SURPRISE PARTY BOX IS
Mrs. Sandy Patsy ~ SandyEllenPatsy at Aol dot com
I hope those help you.
If you would rather LINK your POST to SANDY PATSY's BLOG, That's fine. I am Pretty Sure it's alright if you LINK you POST to the AUTHOR ISLAND AUTHOR BLOG as well. I am going to give you every link you will need as well.
I know that Trish did just ask you to send Amy a card for her box, but as a special favor, Mrs. Patsy asked me to do this for Amy and since she has done so much for me, I would never say no to her AND I think this is a great idea with plenty of time. If you don't want to send things through the mail, you can send an e-card or e-certificate to her email address and Sandy will have the box sent for you all. I have to work like crazy these next few weeks coming up. I work nights and Dawn and Kim work Days. Kim has two boys so this is tough that's why we're going to catch up when we can. Please leave posts here in the comments section and you can leave them on any of the spaces for comments on the blogs I left for you above. If you could maybe make a simple reminder weekly within one of your posts, that will help BIG-TIME! Let's not just post this and say "OK I'm done." Alright? Thank you for taking the time to listen to this message that Sandy so wanted you to hear! I t was important to get out. Amy went through something really unnecessary right before she went into the hospital and Sandy made sure that it was made right, even though it wasn't her place! She deserves a lot of credit!
Mrs. Patsy MAY be the easiest to get in contact with, so you may want to try her first. I will try to answer you as quickly as possible.
Lastly, I'd like to thank you all for all of your support, interest, kindness, caring, loving, sweetness and just being the WONDERFUL PEOPLE YOU ARE. Also, thank you again to all that participated with Trish's blog post. I would like to have some more traffic through here, so let's just see what we can do for Amy ... she's be FIRST on the list for anyone else! I've known her for TWENTY YEARS and I KNOW this to be TRUE! Let's make this a HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR AMY ~ SO Don't forget to send your PRAYERS!
God Bless,
Vanessa, Mrs. Sandy Patsy, Dawn and Kim