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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Book Review by Maryann DiEdwardo published in The Educational Forum

Maryann DiEdwardo's book review entitled "Student Voices" has been published by Taylor and Francis in The Educational Forum 27 June 2012 Volume 76, Issue 3, July 2012, pages 398-399.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Vegetarian Menu day 16

Breakfast. Eggs. Spinach. Acai juice.
Lunch. Pineapple. Whey protein and soy milk.
Dinner. Beets. Broccoli and Kale.

Vegetarian Menu Day 15

Breakfast. Eggs.Celery.
Lunch. Fiber bar. Fennel.
Dinner. Tofu. Salad. Cooked vegetables.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Vegetarian Menu Day 14

Breakfast. Berry Muffin.
Lunch. Salad.
Dinner. Baked potato.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Vegetarian Menu Day 13

Breakfast. Bagel.
Lunch. Miso Soup. Apple.
Dinner. Zucchini flowers and lima beans.

Vegetarian Menu Day 12

Breakfast. Toast and eggs.
Lunch. Energy protein bar.
Dinner. Tofu. Potatoes. Salad.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Vegetarian Sunday Menu 11

Breakfast. Egg whites.
Lunch.Cabbage.
Dinner. Peanut butter sandwich.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Vegetarian Menu Day 10

Breakfast. Beet juice.
Lunch. Fiber bar.
Dinner. Salad with avocado.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Maryann on Twitter

Follow Maryann DiEdwardo on Twitter @MaryannpasdaD

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Vegetarian Menu day 9

Breakfast. Soy protein shake.
Lunch. Sandwich with tomato and mozzarella.
Dinner. Lentil Soup.

The Passing Light, a novel about transforming poverty, by Maryann and co-author (excerpt)

Excerpt from The Passing Light by Maryann and her sister
http://www.pdbookstore.com/comfiles/pages/Pasda.shtml 



Dedicated to those who believe that poverty can be and shall be crushed by the Glory of God and those who love. The Passing Light is Book One of our Pennsylvania Voices Transforming Poverty Series.  Multigenerational, multicultural, our book is themed with a myriad of characters who represent poverty in her dimensional weave of sorrow that spans four centuries.
The Irish, Jonathan and his sister Joan who flee Ireland during the Potato Famine build a new life in American with the aid of Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, Latinas, and other immigrants. Set in the twenty first century and told by a Polish Jewish Archeologist who finds a diary, The Passing Light tells the story of the 18th 19th and 20th century resilience, courage and faith. When Jonathan becomes blind, he learns to live again with the help of his companion dog, with the miracle of the first service dog as the guide to the human master. Eventually, Jonathan marries but his sister Joan dies in childbirth. As the baby grows, Lily as the adopted daughter of Jonathan will marry a former slave. Harshly bruised by the loss of his real family, through marriage to a white woman, an African American former slave heals a community and the immigrants who dwell with fear of poverty by his generosity and community spirit.  We balance the message with the action and develop the semi-autobiographical story teller character Margaret through her creation of secondary characters to represent other immigrants.
Social justice as a paradigm for the novel resounds with tension and resolution dependent upon the silent resilience of the individual. Equally, hopes and dreams of those who came to American save her from corruption and disruption by evil forces of humans who only seek materialism.  But with the understanding of the pain of poverty and the building of community sharing and compassion, the face of poverty is finally crushed by the love of members of communities who believe that life is life, love is all that truly exists, and service to others is the answer to life on earth. Love is the center of existence.
Experience the beautiful Pennsylvania landscape, the wonder of spiritual growth and the peaceful touch of animals while you learn about the quest for God through the stories of immigrants who love family and life itself. A love story, an historical memoir, and a inspirational spiritual tale, a journey that reveals in the simple essence of the human condition, our work transcends time to reach our audience through a unique blend of nature and human kindnesses based on remembrances memories, reference for the natural world and spiritual peace. 
Ultimately, The Passing Light, our reaching to the reader for compassionate healing, offers grief therapy as we journey with Jonathan through his life goal of saving his sister Joan then losing her as she dies in childbirth, to raising Joan’s child Lily with newfound renewed hope and peace as he progresses through the grief stages with guidance from the Holy Spirit.  In selected areas of chapter entitled with character names and dates of birth and death, we move away from the use of plot and structure to employ stream-of-consciousness to emphasize the psychological aspects of our characters.       


     We graciously thank all our mentors, friends, and students who have journeyed with us to find the dream of healing. We also thank our publisher who presents this work to humanity and helps us share our voices.                                                                                                                                                            
     We are fiction writers who see beyond the ordinary to make the extraordinary and invite our readers to experience the short fiction novella in a different light: as a healing endeavor and a lesson in love. Rooted in our love for prayer, the novella exists as a short writing effort rooted in our love for books coupled with the common story telling troupe which invites invention and structure. We create a novel for all ages but particularly for the youth of a global society where the search for love is the greatest quest of all.  A work of fiction, and a testimonial to the goodness and healing of God, we find forgiveness in the rivers of the state of Pennsylvania and memories that fill us with gentleness. Through a fiction story, we show the love of God through characters who exemplify strengths.
     In 2000, when our Father’s illness forced relocation to a nursing home, Patti and Maryann turned to prayer. Then, Patti was diagnosed with cancer.  “I survive the cancer treatments through prayer, painting and writing. We are Christian Authors who praise God for the gifts of writing and painting.” Patti Pasda

                                         Prologue
To show varied styles of thought in writing, italics represent the inner consciousness of the creator of The Passing Light, Margaret, who is a semi-autobiographical representation of the authors.
Epic poetry, the framework of our novel, remains the only true form of language that can accurately explain the bombardment that we experienced in the 21st century with illness, changes and loss of loved ones as well as economic strife that often scared us into the inability to cope. We faced many challenges, including our father’s illness and Patti’s diagnosis of cancer.  Blessed by faith to continue life, Patti turned to writing to approach treatments and setbacks as well as triumphs with the creative process. It is now December 2009. Five years have passed since we started to write our series called Pennsylvania Voices.
The Passing Light is the book of hope. Readers experience a story, a journey, a way to heal through storytelling techniques of literary thought that take us away from the reality of suffering into the light of God’s grace and love as we noticed in our love of history that God saved others just like us but in different times but in our very home town. When we join to write, the magic process of sisterhood, love and cherishing each others’ gifts and the need to write to continue to develop positive visions of hope arise. Writing, an art, is a necessary endeavor natural for the growth of human intelligence. Our book is based on a series of years of tragedy and hope. Two sisters, writers, artists and master teachers, as the 21st century dawned and 9/11 occurred, we experienced circumstances that challenged and tested our faith and inner strength. Maryann was diagnosed with lupus; Patti learned that she had cancer; Dad and Mom died.  As the economic stature of America changed our futures seemed dim. Our seashore house was sold; our business closed. Patti became poor. Maryann served in a local soup kitchen.
Our family of four disintegrated in what seemed like a flash of light that forever took away what we knew, the house, the traditions, the love? No. Not the love. That remains in our hearts as we write a novel that depicts our 21st century struggles through the eyes of a ghost who inhabits our Bethlehem apartment. We speak through our narrator who is a 21st century woman named Margaret.  We also tell a tale of human strife and persistence based on our visions of history. Writing gives us courage and builds back brain neurons as well. When tragedy strikes, the human mind suffers but with faith in God and the gift of writing, we live on. We gained hope through those tragic years as we saw possibilities in loss and lack of funds to feed our family of pets. Patti created a small personal service dog organization to help her with her cancer related symptoms. Dogs can help those who are cancer survivors with weakened brain function due to chemotherapy, memory loss and slower moving bodies.  We wanted to share our story of hope with global readers of all nations.

The Passing Light is the voice for poverty in the 21st century. We represent the poor as we are children of the parents who struggled with 20th century failures and 19th century political turmoil that lead to the famine.  We particularly reflect and echo the poor who experienced potato and bread famines. Our hope is that our readers envision a new future with equal food and dignity for all humans.
Margaret Cummins, a semi-autobiographical representation of the authors, archaeologist, of the 21st century,  finds a diary by Daighre of the 20th century. He speaks as the voice of the authors when she describes her inner pain and triumph representative of the human speaking talent. Her character acts as a bridge from the past to the future.  Her imagination is in her own language pattern, so she thinks in English but please translate the language into that of whom ever is speaking by listening to the soft quiet touch of human kindness evident in Margaret’s writing. We are of course creating a fiction work that is a part of our own healing. 
Margaret is the voice of the dual authors’ consciousness, as both authors experienced poverty, abuse and illness in the 20th century of materialism post World War II Industrial Era, but found healing through faith of human compassion non-religious yet like all religions of the world with a very spiritual tone and theme, a reaching to the Almighty, in the 21st Century.
A testimonial, a fictional novel about social justice and a self help book about healing, The Passing Light employs plot, characterization, historical memoir about fictional places that are visions of imagination, plus stream-of-consciousness of inner voices based on truth which can heal. Read the book to remember that your own experiences may be hard.  You may know tribulations, but you can ask for forgiveness and peace through God. In what ever way you pray, reach out to the God you know in the silence of the night or the light of the day or the Goodness you see in others. We especially acknowledge the volunteers of soup kitchen’s of the world who provide food and shelter for those who are in need. In you we see God. Thank you.

overcoming poverty by Maryann DiEdwardo 
 
 
poverty 
can be and shall be crushed 
by the Glory of God and those who love. 
 
 
Framed by an epic poem, our novel 
The Passing Light is based 
on our struggles as Judeo-Christian 
Women who survived 
the brutal violence akin 
to domestic strife of the twentieth 
century, a heritage of Judiasm 
that was hidden for many years, 
and a life in Christ that they 
accept and lead as attending 
members of 
Trinity Episcopal Church 
in Bethlehem 
where they help feed the poor.
 
Writers Maryann and Patti 
are authors who create a
 main character based 
on a spirit they know 
dwells in their old art studio. 
Battling the natural world 
of early America as an
 immigrant from Ireland, 
a crusader for Christ, a 
Christian man who lives 
every day for God, 
on a quest to live as a 
free man in a different 
land, Jonathan 
endures the loss of his 
parents due to the 
potato famine in Ireland 
during his early years, 
the immigration to 
America with an abusive uncle,
escaping to freedom 
while protecting his only living relative, 
his sister Joan, 
her ultimate death in childbirth, 
his blindness and old age 
with his dog, his lovely wife 
Daighre and adopted African 
American son Elon by his side
 
The purpose of the poem 
is to reveal the narrative 
events of The Passing Light, 
a novel about faith 
and hope during despair 
based on the survival for 
life by authors as 
they find ways to 
fight abuse in the 
20th century and Maryann’s 
chronic illness called lupus 
and Patti’s cancer in the 21st century.
 
The action of the poem 
symbolizes human struggles 
spanning three centuries to 
communicate the 
hopes of the past that
 inspire those of us who are 
today living during economic hardships. 
 
The Muse of Calliope 
illustrates the pain and 
sorrow of Jonathan 
as he lost Joan to an early 
death but bears the pain 
only to become blind due 
to starvation when 
he was a child in 
Ireland during the 
Potato Famine of the 19th century.
 
Eighteen Forty-five, cries of fear of death
Real loss of life and loved ones as we lost 
our potato crop and kin, starvation 
came by day and night. Ireland lost one 
million of us. Famine did not care who we were. 
 
 
The fire held her hand tightly;
Guardian angels brought her light,
And made her future days bright ‘til
Her body failed to breathe during 
The childbirth that she prayed for but 
Such woes grieve Jonathan; his sword
Died with Joan on a blissful day 
yet the trees sway and the wind blows
 
She dies while the wind blows softly
Her death brings the ancestors
Who cry as well
We cry for all our loved ones
 
Death brings life again as renewed 
spirits walk the earth
Jonathan’s eyes stop working
 
His strife will end with death as well
But animals prevail on the earth as friends 
of humans who care
Deeply and who take care for the world
 
 
 
 
poverty 
can be and shall be crushed 
by the Glory of God and those who love. 
 
 
 
 
The Irish, Jonathan and his sister Joan 
who flee Ireland during the Potato Famine 
build a new life in America 
with the aid of Native Americans, 
African Americans, Latinos, Latinas, 
and other immigrants. 
 
Set in the twenty first century 
and told by a Polish Jewish Archeologist 
who finds a diary, 
The Passing Light tells the story of the 18th 19th and 20th 
century resilience, courage and faith. 
 
When Jonathan becomes blind, 
he learns to live again with the help of his companion dog, 
with the miracle of the first service dog as the 
guide to the human master. 
Eventually, Jonathan marries but his sister 
Joan dies in childbirth. As the baby grows, 
Lily as the adopted daughter of Jonathan will marry a former slave. 
Harshly bruised by the loss of his real family, 
through marriage to a white woman, 
an African American former slave heals a community 
and the immigrants who dwell with fear of poverty 
by his generosity and community spirit.  
 
poverty 
can be and shall be crushed 
by the Glory of God and those who love. 
 
 
 
Hear the sound of the whistle 
as the train passes by with
Social justice as a paradigm 
for the novel resounds 
with tension and resolution dependent 
upon the silent resilience of the individual. 
 
 
Equally, hopes and dreams of those 
who came to American save her from 
corruption and disruption 
by evil forces of humans 
who only seek materialism.  
But with the understanding of the pain 
of poverty and the building of 
community sharing and compassion, 
the face of poverty is finally crushed
by the love of members of communities 
who believe that life is life, 
love is all that truly exists, 
and service to others is the answer to life on earth. 
Love is the center of existence. 
 
 
 
 
Experience the beautiful Pennsylvania landscape, 
the wonder of spiritual growth 
and the peaceful touch of animals 
while you learn about the quest for God 
through the stories of immigrants 
who love family and life itself. 
 
 

A love story, an historical memoir, 
and a inspirational spiritual tale, 
a journey that reveals in the simple 
essence of the human condition, 
our work transcends time to reach 
our audience through 
a unique blend of nature and 
human kindnesses based on
 remembrances memories, 
reference for the natural world 
and spiritual peace.  
 
 
poverty 
can be and shall be crushed 
by the Glory of God and those who love. 
 
 
 
Ultimately, The Passing Light, 
our reaching to the reader 
for compassionate healing, 
offers grief therapy as we 
journey with Jonathan 
through his life goal of 
saving his sister Joan 
then losing her as she 
dies in childbirth, 
to raising Joan’s child Lily 
with newfound 
renewed hope 
and peace as 
he progresses 
through the grief stages 
with guidance from the Holy Spirit. 
 In selected areas of chapter 
entitled with character 
names and dates of birth and death, 
we move away from the 
use of plot and structure to employ 
stream-of-consciousness 
to emphasize the psychological 
aspects of our characters.       
 
 

Nature passes by us through portals of love that diminish if we are angry or scared. Death is not an end but life starts anew by the heart memory. As you read, imagine your own life as a passing of light daily. There is no yesterday or tomorrow.  Just today exists. Time does not exist. See hope: light surrounds us. Trees contain memories; nature is the passage. Rivers speak; angels exist. Recall stories daily to relieve and recreate. Writing is about nature, observe your surroundings, see light, see angels, who guide us. Your relatives are images of light that carry you through life. In conversations, notice how others remember stories told by relatives that have either confused or inspired. We carry ALL the memories of our ancestors.  Form the shape of your memory by thinking differently about a sad experience.  There is joy in all of life, even the saddest part. You form the results of the content of your life story. I select to recall my Mother as an angel who was ill to keep me from the hurtful imaginings of the darker side of life.  If she had been perfect, I would not be able to sense the truths of life that I create within Jonathan, Daighre, Joan and Quin. See those who surround you as dreams of hope. Nature shows us light.  Look between clouds, rivers, and leaves to seek possibilities that your life is just as it should be. Your struggle is the way.
Stay home to learn about yourself. Visions set in prayer of any type heal you as you journal or think of your life as a collage of representations or metaphors just like I portray my imaginary world in The Passing Light.

My writing helps me remember with fondness.  Yet, I am troubled as I have nightmares about my mother, and the dreams do to stop. But through the inner peace that I believe comes from God, I can watch myself float, grieve and despair. I am convinced that these events are important as they make me who I am.  My memories form me and my reactions to the pains I recall are a part of me.  Some days I shake when I think that my life that may have been altered by the fact that I lived with a person who was mentally ill. Although I am fine, I have scars that have formed in my inner mind. Through God, I learn to accept my horrible memories and to fight the deterioration of my spirit that they cause. If I pray to God for guidance all day, I can discontinue my frightful memories and be at a peaceful spot to breathe and to live as myself. I cannot rest when I live in the past. Writing about others who also have suffered and who have to deal with the death of loved ones or the death of aspects of the personal self due to control or mental illness or strife such as poverty, I cope, I survive and I realize that life is life and I am still me.  All the parts of me represent who I am today.  I can love myself as a survivor of a difficult childhood, an abusive childhood, yet I can rise above the memories into a newness and a view that my pain and knowledge through God can heal.  Without God I am nothing.                                                                The Passing Light                                                                      


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Vegetarian Menu. Day 8.

Breakfast. Eggs. Watermelon.
Lunch. Salad. Egg rolls.
Dinner. Tofu and vegetables.

Music transforms writing through inspiration

My book, Music Transforms the College English Classroom, also inspires writers! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1434314294/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Vegetarian Menu. Day 7.

Breakfast. Oatmeal. Tea.
Lunch. Vegetable Burger. Onions. Tomatoes. Pear.
Dinner. Protein Shake.

Vetegetarian Menu. Day 6

Breakfast. Prunes. Bran. Rice Milk.
Lunch. Mango Smoothies.
Dinner. Wheat Bagel. Blueberries.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Vegetarian Menu. Day 5.

Breakfast. Eggs. Half wheat bagel.
Lunch. Protein bar.
Dinner. Quinoa. Hummus.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Vegetarian Menu. Saturday. Day 4

Breakfast. Whole wheat pancakes with cherries.
Lunch. Tofu.
Dinner. Cooked broccoli. Baked Ziti

Friday, July 13, 2012

Vegetarian Diet Day 3

Breakfast. Eggs with almond milk and arugula.
Lunch. Juice.
Dinner. Vegetable Burger. Oranges.

Vegetarian Diet suggested Menu Contents

Fruit and veggie
Organic lean protein tofu or veggie burgers
Omega 3 fatty acids by tablet
Water

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Vegetarian menu. Day 2.

B Green juice with spirulina and slice whole grain bread
L protein (tofu) and cooked veggies without oil
D liquid meal - juice made of strawberries, carrots and veggie protein and popcorn

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Maryann's latest research on writing -new book!

Check out Maryann's book on writing based on history: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1438921322/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Vegetarian Menu. day 1

Breakfast. Soy smoothie.
Lunch. Coconut milk soup with carrots and turnips.
Dinner. Rice.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Blog and Wiki Journals




Students of the 21st century benefit from educational models that mimic the design of Twitter and Facebook. Blogs that can be programmed to be private or public within digital open access classrooms such as Moodle are similar to the twitter or facebook interface with quick posting. Wiki or web page can be edited in digital classroom platform to act as a model to motivate. Create assignments that use life story journaling about immediate or recent experiences to help students learn to create their own voices with immediate and lively feedback from peers.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Book Review by Maryann

Maryann DiEdwardo's book review entitled "Student Voices" has been published by Taylor and Francis in The Educational Forum 27 June 2012 Volume 76, Issue 3, July 2012, pages 398-399.