My Next Prediction

I predict that August, 2011, is going to be a BIG month for me.  In Feb, 2011, I predicted that March was going to be a big month for me...AND IT WAS!!!  In March, 2011, my first two books were published and available for sale (The Princess and the Dolphin & The Princess and the Puppy);  I was on the TV News TWICE on March 8th (Channel 4 News and First Coast News); several newspaper articles were written about me being a quad who is writing children's books; I had two "Meet the Author" presentations that month and March was also when I became an official "client" of ATrue Productions with Brandon Ayers as my incredibly wonderful and talented marketing manager. August will be when my next two books will get published and become available for sale (The Princess and the Parakeet and The Princess and the Rabbit)... plus whatever Brandon has in store for us.  I just feel that whatever happens is going to be BIG.  Stay tuned...

New home therapies for me

A company called Americare Home Health has been sending me a Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist 2-3 times a week for the past 2 weeks!  I can actually move more parts of my body now, than ever before!    I know I am a quadriplegic, but if I try real hard, I can move every part of my body (even if it's ever so slightly). I'm giving it all I've got because I can see the results and I want to get better at everything I try to do.

My BIGGEST handicap is my speech.  I have been praying so hard that God will grant me the gift of better speech.  I've been told that I have a good sense of humor, that I am mentally alert and creative (which is why I have become a published author of children's books) and that I have a brilliant mind, but what good is all that if I can't express my thoughts clearly enough to be understood when I speak? Or fast enough to interject my thoughts into the conversations going on around me? I am also seeing a speech therapist, but that doesn't seem to be helping me much.    I am very frustrated right now, but I have the faith to believe that God will get me through this....somehow.

My Speech

Some people have to learn how to walk all over again after their legs have been injured. I have to learn to SPEAK all over again after the speaking part of my brain was injured.  It's not easy.  I need constant reminders to  NOT open my mouth when I want to say something.  I have to CLOSE my mouth, breathe in through my nose, put my chin down (and control it from not going back like it always wants to do) and then speaking (slowly and clearly - only ONE WORD AT A TIME) while I am exhaling through my mouth.  I need a LOT of practice learning how to speak this new way, but it is what I am being taught to do in Speech Therapy. Everyone has SOMETHING they have to learn to deal with in life and speaking so that anyone can understand me is definitely MY biggest challenge.

My Birthday

I had a very nice 32nd birthday on June 8th. Brandon Ayers, my marketing manager of ATrue Productions, made it special by taking a few hours out of his busy schedule to come by and visit with me. He brought a huge bunch of Happy Birthday helium balloons with him. Several photos are posted on my facebook.  It was exciting to see that 65 of my friends on facebook also took the time to wish me a happy birthday. I think life is all about having friends and being there for them.  Facebook has given me so MANY new friends....I LOVE it!

Physical Therapy

Brooks Rehab in Jacksonville has a new gym for people like me with neurological disorders, or brain injuries, to use!  My mom took me to be evaluated there today.  I don't think she was very happy with me because all I did was complain that I was cold and it hurt to use any of their equipment. I don't think I will ever choose to have more pain by forcing my body to move.  I always like to sit with my head leaning back in my wheelchair because my hips hurt if I sit up straight (probably because my back was fused with rods about 10 years ago). There isn't much you can do if you can't even sit up straight without pain.  I know she was hoping that I would become motivated to want to start going there once or twice a week, but it just wasn't for me.  Since my body and speech don't function very well, I'm sure glad my brain is still sharp so that I can continue to be an author of children's books.

My future as an author

When people purchased one of my books at the "Art and About" Fair on April 30th, they got a free Smencil to go with it (my favorite pencil smell was root beer).  I loved meeting so many new people and lots of people loved meeting ME!  Pictures taken that day are on the facebook of Atrue Productions.  I am excited to have now become one of their latest new clients.  I have total faith and confidence that Brandon Ayers, head of Atrue Productions, will make sure everyone knows that I am the quad who writes children's books. He is super talented in knowing how to promote his clients.

Art and About on April 30, 2011

I am REALLY looking forward to my first "show" as an author!   I will be one of the artist vendors under a tent at the Art and About event on the corner of Hwy 17 and Kingsley In Orange Park, Florida, from 11-4,  My space will be somewhat near the entertainment stage. I will be there with my mom and caregiver.  I will have my books to sell and a large cloth castle that was handmade and  matches the castle in my books!  PLUS there will be a real live Princess Ava dressed in a blue princess dress (just like the one in my books) who will be walking around my display, talking to people.  Brandon Ayres of Atrue Productions in Fleming Island is setting it all up for us, having banners and hand-out cards made.

How much of me is really ME?

Everything that is written on my website or facebook is written by my mom, because I can't type on a computer. My mom always knows exactly how I feel about everything and writes what she knows I want to say.  Can I talk?  Of course!  Do I understand everything going on around me?  Absolutely!  Is my hearing good?  It's excellent (eavesdropping is a favorite pastime of mine). Can others understand me when I talk? Not always, but a lot of times they can.  My speech is sometimes very difficult to understand.  The most important thing to remember is that I am a happy quad and I love being an author of children's books.  For the record, my mom may type my stories, someone else may illustrate them and someone else may publish them, but the creative story plots are ALL MINE!  The part of my brain that controls intelligence and creativity was not destroyed at all.

Another Author Presentation

This time I visited The Plantation Nursing Home in Fleming Island.  There were about 15-20 women there (all in wheelchairs, like me) and one 35 year old girl, Jennifer, a lot like me (hit by a truck) - also in a wheelchair.  My mom read both of my books to them and told them all about me.   I had a very nice time.  I enjoy going out and meeting people.  I like it when people tell me I inspire them.  I think this is what God wants me to do with my life.

I want my books to be inspirational, also (after the first 4 princess books, that is). I am actually working on the next four books that will follow them right now.

My first presentation as an AUTHOR!

I loved it! All the children in Grades K-2 filed into the Media Center at Swimming Pen Creek Elementary School, by grade level, and sat down on the carpet in front of me.  My mom told each of the three groups all about me and why I was in a wheelchair.  She showed them the splints on my left arm and foot.  I was wearing a pink princess hat. I hate pink (MY favorite color is blue) but pink is a princess color so I wanted to look like a princess. Then, my mom read one of my books to them while it was projected onto the big screen behind me and someone turned the pages.  The children had more questions than we had time to answer!  They were very interested in knowing everything about what happened to me.

I feel like we left the message:  If some part of your body doesn't work, do what you can with the part of your body that DOES work.

Mom told them how I was also writing more books (after The Princess and the Parakeet and the Princess and the Rabbit) about dogs who are physically challenged and zoo animals who are mentally challenged. 

I'm happy.  I'm ALWAYS happy!  God has blessed me to be able to share my talent with the world.

March, 2011

How do I feel about the fact that this month (March) is the same month that.1) The drunk driver who hit my vehicle and turned me into a quadriplegic 12 years ago... gets out of prison 2) Two of my books are now available for sale?

I forgave him a long time ago.  I hope he learned his lesson and will never drink and drive again.

Justice was served.  He got what he deserved and I am happy with my new life.

My first two books are ready to be purchased!

I'm soooooooooo happy!!!!   If you go to AuthorHouse.com you can order them now!  If you go to the Jewels' books tab on my website it will show you all the titles, but only the first two are ready to be purchased now (The Princess and the Dolphin & The Princess and the Puppy).  If you buy both books and select the Media Mail option, you can get both books for under $20 that arrive straight to your mailbox!

On the mall today

Mom took me (and my caregiver) to the mall today.  She bought me a pointed pink princess hat, a pink blouse and a pink sweater to go over it.  I hate pink.  MY favorite color is BLUE.  I agreed to having the top part of my body in pink for when I go to book signings, libraries or elementary schools to share the books I have written. I might even get my picture in the paper.  I guess a quad who writes children's books is newsworthy.  Whatever. Since my first 4 books were all about princesses, I figured I would play the part of a princess.  Princesses wear pink...except in MY books.  In MY books, Princess Ava always wears a BLUE dress!  At least my pants will be blue....

My eye surgery

I had a sty that would not go away no matter what I did (after 2 appointments with eye doctors and 2 different eye creams) so I had to have it surgically removed.  Two shots in my eye...ouch!  It left my eye somewhat black and blue so it looks like someone hit me in the eye.  :) 

Letter from Daniel Davis (Florida House of Rep. District 13) to ME!

 Dear Jewels,

Congratulations on the publication of your children's books.

The dedication and hard work you exemplified in writing children's books, despite your disability, speaks to true perserverance.  Your achievements are a great demonstration of what can be accomplished when one does not allow adverse circumstances to break their spirit.  I am confident that your books will be an inspiration to those who have the priviledge of reading them.

I wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Daniel Davis
Representative

My Life Today (poem written by my mom for me)

It bothers me not that on earth I may never walk...
It bothers me not that I'm not undertood when I talk...
It bothers me not that I spend 20 hours a day in bed...
I can create storylines for children's books in my head!

Some people may not know why on earth they're here
But God's destiny for MY life has become crystal clear:
I'm here to reach others as an author, by using my brain;
I'm here to share my love for God for as long as I remain.

Orthopedic Evaluation

Today I was evaluated by Dr. Solis (an orthopedic surgeon that one of my facebook friends recommended).  He told us that just having surgery on my left foot would not, in itself, enable me to stand up on it. I don't think his words were what my mom had hoped to hear, but I appreciated his honesty. He IS going to recommend that I be evaluated by a rehab doctor at Brooks Rehab, who specializes in this area, to see if I am a candidate for leg braces, or not.  In the meantime, next month, I will start my lessons on learning to concentrate better so I can drive a motorized wheelchair (without bumping into everything in my path).  Whatever.  I'm a happy quad. God's will be done. I love it when you leave comments.  My mom always reads your comments to me!

How Am I Doing?

When people ask "How am I doing?" Here is my answer:  Even though I have to lay flat on my back 20 hours a day and have to wear splints on both arms when I am up in my wheelchair (so that they they don't curl up on me) plus special boots (to keep my feet straight), and now a special "hip abduction pillow" between my legs (so that my hips don't hurt any more when I sit up straight), I am always happy! I have excellent caregivers who take care of me 8 hours a day, 7 days a week and a mom who takes care of me for the remaining 16 hours a day.  I am never left alone.  My mom always prepares delicious meals that are fed to me (although I can eat "finger food" on my own since my right arm can move well enough to do that).  I have a TV on the wall at the foot of my bed, so I can watch it (or DVD's) every evening. I am excited about becoming an author (my first 2 books should be available to purchase next month...in March of 2011) and I have already finished dictating the next 4 books to my mom. My mom takes me (with a caregiver) to the movies twice a month and now I am going to start learning how to drive a motorized wheelchair!  I know I am facing a foot surgery soon, but that's OK.  I want to get some full leg braces so I can stand up with them on.  So, see?  I'm doing GREAT!  I always love it when you leave a comment (hint! hint!)

Determination

I decided today that I want to try to stand up with braces on my legs and to operate a motorized wheelchair - again.   I did it many years ago and then stopped trying because I had no reason to succeed.  It was hard work - for what? I felt my mom just wanted me to do it.  NOW, since I have become an author of children's books, I want to do it!  I can see better (new glasses) so I, hopefully, will not be running into walls all the time and I have a new hip abduction pillow that lets me sit up straighter without pain in my hips! With God's help, and maybe a few prayers from my friends, I will succeed.

In the Valleys I Grow

Sometimes life seems hard to bear; full of sorrow, trouble and woe.
It's then I have to remember, that it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top, and never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love, and would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn, and my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops, but it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand, why things happen as they do,
But I am sure of one thing, my Lord will see me through.

Forgive me, Lord, for complaining, when I'm feeling very low,
Just give me a gentle reminder, that it's in the valleys I grow.
Thank you for the valleys, Lord, for this one thing I know:
The mountain tops are glorious, but it's in the valleys I grow.

(author unknown)

My mother's vacation

She just got back from spending 4 days on a cruise and read to me this poem she wrote when she got back:

MY CRUISE
To go on a cruise was a very wise choice
With all my senior friends, I loved to rejoice.
I am now relaxed, refreshed and refortified
I was waited-on, entertained and beautified!
When the cruise was over and we had to leave
No one, I'm sure, would have thought to believe
We'd get stuck riding in an unsafe chartered bus,
Then be stranded 'til another one could rescue us.
I was impressed to see the love of one for another
As though each person was a real sister or brother.
So many trying to help fill each others needs...
God’s little helpers - waiting to do good deeds.

News Article

Check out the article that was written in the Florida Times Union about Jewels and her books.