Bonni Brodnick Blog

Here was my morning news round-up before even putting my feet on the floor. From bedside perch, I'd call out, "Hey, Google, play 'NPR News Update." (Could call out to Alexa, but she doesn't live here.) When I was finished, I went to "CNN 5 Things to Know," then "AP Radio News Update" and finally New York Times "The Daily." I wanted to be sure I was au courant with what was happening in the world, even if shallowly, in the know. Now? I tune into NPR, and that's it .  The news is all so disturbing. Every one of these words triggers anxiety: Gaza, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Trump and his lovely wife Melania, the Epstein files, and this is just top of the news. Too much! I feel crazzzzzed even telling you this. (Breath deep, Bonni.)

Nothing is more rewarding than receiving reviews like these for  My Stroke in the Fast Lane: A Journey to Recovery . Many thanks to these readers for their kind words on Amazon and Goodreads.            "Bonni’s books are instantly engaging, no matter the topic. Her writing is wonderfully lyrical, even when describing t he indignity of hospital gowns. This book is a love story and a deeply touching tale of a woman heroically and humorously  navigating a sudden and seemingly insurmountable challenge in her life. Please gift this to yourself."  ~ SJL          " A harrowing ride! 'I had a stroke while driving on 1-95' is the grabber. But the gripping brilliance of the book is how Bonni takes us with her into the dark trenches of recovery. Learning the most basic acts of walking and talking all over again is a grueling, embarrassing, humbling and ultimately enlightening journey--with laughs along the way. If you need...

Happy Easter! The daffodils and forsythia are in full bloom, and the magnificent fragrance of magnolia trees heralds spring's arrival. I am reminded, too, of the fateful day nine years ago when I had my stroke on Easter Sunday morning on Interstate 95.  My Stroke in the Fast Lane: A Journey to Recovery   opens with the dining room table set in a seasonal theme of pastels with a porcelain bunny "... sitting on a patch of fake grass amidst chocolate eggs and jellybeans. The night before I baked a lemon-blueberry cake ... A ham was diagonally scored, each diamond studded with a clove, and put under a crown of aluminum foil in the refrigerator. All we needed to do was put it in the oven when I returned." Little did I know that I wouldn't return for months. I replay practically every minute of going to pick up my mother and all that ensued as I took a diverted route to Stroke Land.  But here I am! A badass, warrior STROKE SURVIVOR who savors every moment of being alive. Am...