So here we sit, and although it is on 1:30 PM, the wind is kicking up a bit, I think we, in southern NJ may have escaped the worst of the storm, hopefully. Watching the weather, North Carolina seems to have gotten pounded, and we will continue to follow “Earls” path I am thanking whomever for this save. What a sad thing to watch all the people who have home damage and ruined holiday weekends, and then I think back not that long ago with all those floods in the Texas area and say to myself, “We Are Lucky.” Even if the storm was a bit worse, what happened to those poor folks in the mid-US, leaves us with nothing to complain about. Of course this is a completely uncontrollable thing and no matter what I say or do, helping people to feel better when you loose everything you have worked for is difficult to swallow. My hat goes off to everyone who has been through that kind of turmoil and I pray for your health, and welfare. Stay positive and think of things we can control, focus on those things to pull you through the rough times.

The purpose of this page is to communicate with people who choose to join this particular page for support and information. I have now reached about 1,500 friends and I know maybe about 10 personally. Wow,right? We chat, share information on illness (mostly cancer), moral support, mental support, and just plain friendship. Although none of us have ever actually met, I feel involved in some of their lives, some have my book, some just need advice. How nice it is to be able to click into something nice like this and know that we all have something in common. Maybe take a look and friend me as an author. If you so choose, you will be pulled in to an entire new world of caring and support. Take a look.

I am so glad to share what a joyous time it was to share with a group of wonderful people. How happy everyone is when two people are brought together and choose to share it with family and friends. It’s nice to put life aside and find the time to put together a party so that we could celebrate together. It was a tremendous amount of work, but worth the reward. I am so thankful to have my health and the energy to do this for my niece. I wish the two of them a wonderful life and lots of happiness together. By sharing this time with everyone, I hope to remind all that even when life is too busy to slow down and enjoy your surroundings, something brings us together to celebrate. This time is was a happy time that brought us together, and not something tragic. The day, beautiful, the food, wonderful, the company, outstanding. What more could the day bring.

I am so thankful to have my husband and family, and thank my higher power for these gifts every day. I am so blessed to be alive and healthy and try to give back to all for my gift of life. For that this wedding is extra special. Caring for someone and choosing to truly be loyal and want to be with that person for all of your days on earth can feel no better than great.

We have our health, happiness, and will be surrounded by family and friends this weekend which is more important than anything else. To have those things is a blessing to me and to everyone I surround myself with. These to people belong together and now we even have the perfect weather to add to the mix. Send them your good wishes. Have a wonderful weekend.

or going to my website and either purchasing my book, purchasing books in quantity and having them sent to your favorite charitable organization, or just clicking on the picture of the ATV on my home page and sending a donation thru pay pal for a chance to win the $6000 prize, you are helping keep the Alesia Shute Foundation alive. These donations and acts of kindness continuously allow me to visit with families, donate my books to organizations and hospitals, and then in return donate the profits of my book to CHOP. It’s all good stuff! So keep reading my newsletter and pass it along to your friends. Hope to see you all real soon. Thanks for all the support. Remember, you can make …….. everything okay!

Nina is such a beautiful child and has brought my friend and her husband to a special place in their relationship. Even though they may not realize it now, they have given the gift of life to this world and this gift will grow to be  wonderful women. Nina is so happy and carefree, learning, smiling at life and my prayers for her and all children are to be healthy, happy and productive. Isn’t that what life is all about? Giving life to continue on? For me, being as sick and hopeless as I was as a child, and becoming who I am today is a special gift to those I love and most of all myself. The most special gift though was for me to be able to give birth after all of the surgeries and trauma my body went through. That must have been one of my purposes. I look into my sons eyes, now shy of 20 years old, and I know I gave an extremely valuable gift to the world.  I hope Nina’s parents and everyone who gives life feels as I do. Life is truly amazing.

How do you prepare yourself for this. You cannot! What you can do is be as realistic as possible when you are faced with a very serious situation and not fall apart and become unreasonable. Your entire family depends on you making the right decisions and the family “unit” will revolve around your moods, and stress. My advice, immediately become a leader, ask questions, process the answers, and then decide quickly what would best suit your family.

My parents did the best they could with the health delima they were faced with and did process how the rest of the family would revolve around my health issues. Now as adults my siblings and I look back and realize what happened, how it effected us all and what, if we were faced with the same challenges we would do differently. Life did revolve around me, it had to, but mom and dad could have been a bit more involved with my brother and sister. Since we cannot turn back time we can only advise others to try to do better. Thanks mom and dad for all you did for us. Love you!

It is located on the White Horse Pike (route 30) and is a wonderful place to find the most unusual things for your home or a gift. I now have three places that you can find my book. Salon Fabrojae hair salon in Vineland NJ. They are behind the counter so you have to ask them for the copy if you want to make a purchase. Then there is Sassy Sweets candy and gift shop in Hammonton NJ and now The Golden Feather. I thank them for caring enough to want to display my book with all of their treasures and hope to expand this over time. Remember, purchases of my book not only becomes a very considerate gift of hope and inspiration, you are also making a donation to CHOP. If you want to make an even more generous donation you can consider sponsorships to one of my events which will allow you to also gift books on your behalf, or you can purchase books in bulk and we will ship them with a letter to the charitable organization of your choice.

At the Ronald McDonald House “Touch a Truck” we had the most beautiful weather, pleasant people, and great fun. We met so many wonderful people, all families, who brought their young children to climb and touch any kind of truck you can imagine. Everyone was so happy especially the little ones climbing on the ATV and posing for pictures, which they happily smiled for. Parents were grateful to have their young-ins be permitted to just about do anything they wanted within reason. There was lots of horn blowing, candy eating, running and squealing. It felt good to be a part of this happy event. I was also surrounded by my helpers who willingly got up extra early on a Saturday morning to join me and spend some great quality time with me. Thanks  to my helpers “elves” who gave up a “beach day” for me. As for me, I am so happy to be able to share all that I have to give with these new families. I want to thank them all as well. Thank you higher power for allowing me to be here to share!

Tomorrow, 8/13/10 at the Promonade in Marlton NJ, the event, sponsored by Ronald McDonald House is “Touch a Truck”. It is a family event where children of all ages can climb on all different kinds of trucks, and explore them like ambulances, fire, etc. There is also a giant tracktor trailer truck pull scheduled as well. How very exciting to have my ATV in the line up to climb on, touch, take pictures with as part of this big event. I will be there as well, selling my books, and also the raffle tickets to win this $6000 vehicle. This event for me will support my foundation and partnering with Ronald McDonald House of Camden is very special to my heart as some of you already know. When I was so very sick as a child, I was lucky enough that our family did not live too far from the hospital, but as I have grown older and been involved, this company helps a multitude of families to have a nice place to camp out, sleep, eat and just plain rest in-between  visits to the hospitals in lei of trying to pay for hotels. My thanks and respect to you Ronald McDonald!