This is a story of how miracles DO happen. How courage and a never-give-up spirit can emerge victorious. How an engaging little monkey helped change a family's life. Ellen Rogers considered herself something of a tragedy snob. The single mother of five believed she could weather any storm, that she could keep her family from harm with fortitude and grace. But nothing could have prepared her for the June 2005 car accident that left her son, Ned--then 22 years old--fighting for his life. Ellen refused to give in to despair. We'll get through this, she told herself. We have to. But love and determination can only go so far, and the road home was fraught with obstacles. Ellen and Ned took comfort in family and friends. And they prayed for a miracle. Miracles happen to those who believe, the saying goes, but who would have believed that one family's "miracle" would weigh in at five pounds sopping wet? Then Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled provided Ned with an affectionate and intelligent service animal with a steadfast devotion to hierarchy, a longing for "spa days," and a craving for Gummi Bears. In other words, a diva. Life with Kasey was yet another challenge for this large and lively family, but they persevered as families do, and in time this wise and sensitive animal did more than help Ned cope with his disabilities--she turned the simple tasks of life into a life worth living. Kasey's astonishing intelligence and compassion brought hope and laughter back to a family facing its greatest challenge, and helped them see the world in a new way.
It was late April when I came by. As I looked up into that tree top the sunlight was shining through, and at first I thought I must be dreaming. Instead of buds, I saw what seemed like lighted candles, each with a silken frill, like the recurved petals of an iris, below the tip of flame! I had never seen a tree thus illuminated, and the sight was enchanting. The warm spring air had brought out the hickory buds, with those of other trees, and while I was looking for flowers on the ground, the buds above had swollen, cast off the winter covers, revealing the silky inner wrappings of the young shoots. The rich downward-curving "petals" were only the inner scales of the great buds, grown long and wide, their vivid orange setting off the compact yellow buds that still stood erect... I had never seen a hickory tree opening its iris-like buds before, but I have never missed it since. [From Chapter 1]
Lanie Montgomery gave up a high-powered big-city career to return to horse country, Southern Pines, North Carolina. There she finds peace and quiet, two- and four-legged friends, a sexy but untrustworthy large-animal vet-and murder. As deaths begin to pile up, no one is beyond suspicion. Does the truth lie in the deep secrets of a prominent family? What are the common threads? As Lanie gets entangled in the investigation, she meets an SBI agent who warns her off, an elderly woman who knows secrets that someone will kill to keep, and a beautiful but dangerous horse. Soon Lanie and her beloved dogs are in danger and she has to take action. Mystery readers will love this well-plotted and character-rich book.
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