In Honor of Ellen McConnell Blakemann

As I mentioned in a post I published one year ago today, "Normally on this day of August 3rd, I would be calling Ellen Rachel McConnell Blakeman to wish her a happy birthday. However, she died earlier this year and is missed very much by Cam and yours truly.

As some of you may know, volume two of the Words In Our Beak book series is dedicated to her.

I think of Ellen [who can be seen in the photograph atop this entry] often, but especially today and my thoughts are also with her family (including her mother, her sister Martha, Douglas McConnell, Susan McConnell and Bennett Paul) as well as her friends, especially Loris Damerow, whom Ellen often spoke about whenever we discussed various topics."

The last time she and I spoke by phone was late January or maybe early February 2018.

"It's May! It's May!"

"It's May! It's May," are a couple of lyric lines from "The Lusty Month of May," a song featured in Camelot. May is also known as National Bike Month.  Moreover it is the month associated with raising awareness re a number of serious health conditions including Osteoporosis, Lupus and ALS.

Both my dear childhood friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman, for volume two of my Words In Our Beak book series is dedicated (seen in the next picture) and her father died from ALS.

Her younger brother Douglas McConnell is very active in raising awareness re this disease through a foundation named A Long Swim, which is referenced in my aforementioned book.

Even though I've self-published my three volume book series about birds, I don't want to go the self-publishing route again as it proved to not be a good means to getting much recognition in book stores or in securing interviews. 

On another note, the month of May is also dedicated to raising awareness to the nerve disorder known as NF or Neurofibromatosis.

MONDAY'S MEMO: MAKE NF VISIBLE

The month of May is set aside for many things, among them are raising awareness re certain medical conditions such as Osteoporius and ALS.

My chilhood friend, Ellen McConnell Blakeman died as a result of the latter and I dedicated volume two...

... of my three volume hardcover book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

They are directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. 

On another note, May is also the month for raising awareness re NF, the acronym for Neurofibromatosis, a condition I was born with, and a condition which at this juncture, I seem to be struggling with more than ever and am having a very difficult time in my life.

I have written a book length piece ("Imperfect Strangers") about it, but efforts to find an agent have been futile. As some of you may know, I've posted a video re my endeavor which can be viewed within my Vimeo channel as well as my You Tube channel.

VIEW ON VIMEO
VIEW ON YOU TUBE

At the moment times have been more challenging than ever what with a dental procedure that I've been mentioning here on Blogger; on going issues with my eye-sight, new pain from NF and dealing with consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

I do not want to go the self publishing route with this book (as I did that with my three volume hard cover book series, Words In Our Beak), as I  have had very little success getting the word out re the existence of these books.

NOW, every day seems heartbreaking as my struggles mount.

In any event, today, May 17th, as explained in the video posted atop this entry is the day NF based organizations set aside to make aspects of this condition visible.