Linda O'Connor

I’m a family doctor, so it’s hectic at work, but there’s a whole new routine at home. My advice? Keep busy! Here’s how:

Establish a new routine and embrace the change. Exercise for an hour every day. Gardening, stretching, dancing – or follow along an online video.

Do something creative every day. Draw, colour, or try a new recipe. Ree Drummond is my personal fav. My sons like Matty Matheson.

Laugh every day. Check out the funny hashtags onTwitter. Watch Jimmy Fallon’s at-home edition. It’s sure to make you laugh.

Each day check the latest guidelines from your local public health unit and then turn off the news.

Stay in touch by text, telephone (for the Boomers :D) and video conferencing.

Acknowledge that adjusting to this new normal is challenging, but don’t stop there. Find the positive in your life and embrace the change as a chance to grow. Be a good role model to others in your world – maybe you’ll learn something about yourself! (Like how resilient you can be. :D)

In Perfectly Honest, Mikaela fears change, and – as it always does – change happens whether she wants it or not. A little white lie spirals out of control, but as it turns out, falling for the person you’re pretending to love can still turn out…perfectly!

It’s the last day of the 10-Day Countdown for Don’t Drop the Baby! Tomorrow is the big day! Enjoy a sneak peek at Chapter 1. It’s HERE

Don’t Drop the Baby will be released on Feb. 4 for only 99cents – a bargooooon! Here’s the buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847SFBFV

Here’s the You“two”be video book trailer for Don’t Drop the Baby. Enjoy! Release day is Feb. 4!

Don’t Drop the Baby will be released on Feb. 4 for only 99cents – a bargooooon! Here’s the buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847SFBFV

Stay tuned tomorrow for a sneak peek at the first chapter of Don’t Drop the Baby!

It’s Day 3 of the 10-Day countdown until the release of Don’t Drop the Baby! Feb 4 is the big day. Today I’m sharing the inspiration behind the story.

I’ve been busy working on this series for the past year. I originally had the idea for this story two years ago. I’m a physician, and I work at an Urgent Care Clinic. I frequently see patients with infectious illnesses and advise them to stay home from school or work until they’re no longer contagious. Sometimes it’s difficult for working parents to find care for their sick children – often they just can’t take a day off and it’s nearly impossible to find a caregiver willing to look after a child who is ill. It also isn’t easy for someone living on their own to cope when they don’t feel well. I thought caring for the sick when they are temporarily ill would make a great job for a retired doctor – they wouldn’t be daunted by the illness. That is how Dr. Brogan Corkie’s character was born. Initially, I was going to have her care for the sick in their homes and then bring two people together in that context. But when I started writing, I ended up giving Brogan a hobby – she enjoys cooking and catering for people and that became her second career. She uses her cooking know-how, her medical knowledge – and her matchmaking skills – to care for other people. I “upgraded” her M.D. from Medical Doctor to Matchmaking Doctor. Brogan is the romantic catalyst – she brings couples together and then through good advice and a warm heart she weaves her magic to make love happen. And throughout the series, Brogan’s own heart gets tangled up in romance, too! Medicine – it truly is a work of heart.

A bit about Don’t Drop the Baby ~

Dr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is only second to her skill at matchmaking!

Ross Skye, owner of BabyCare, a high-end line of baby merchandise, is injured in an accident, and Brogan uses her cooking, medical – and matchmaking – skills to help him out. Dr. Lauren Kane is taking care of her nephew for two weeks, and Brogan agrees to babysit while Lauren is at work.

Two years ago, Ross and Lauren dated. At that time, Lauren wanted kids, but Ross wasn’t keen. Now the tables have turned, and Ross is trying to convince Lauren that they’d make an awesome parenting team. Brogan suggests they test drive parenthood by looking after a simulated baby for a week – a computerized version that eats, sleeps, wets, and cries. Ross and Lauren experience the “joy” of having a newborn firsthand, and the bar is set pretty low. Their first goal is: don’t drop the baby. The second goal is to find out if their love for each other will survive the test of…parenting.

Don’t Drop the Baby will be released on Feb. 4 for only 99cents – a bargooooon! Here’s the buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847SFBFV

Stay tuned tomorrow for more Don’t Drop the Baby fun!

It’s Day 4 of the 10-day Countdown to the release of Don’t Drop the Baby! Feb. 4 is the big day! Enjoy a special salad recipe today.

Spinach and Fruit with Pecan Dressing

¾ cup pecan pieces, lightly toasted

2 oranges, peeled and sliced

2 apples, peeled and chopped

10 oz spinach

2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion

Dressing:

¼ cup pecan pieces, lightly toasted

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup canola oil

Toast 1cup pecans in a frying pan or 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-8 minutes until lightly brown and fragrant. Reserve ¼ cup for the dressing and toss the rest with the oranges, apples, and spinach. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or blend using a hand-held blender. Pour over salad ingredients and toss.

A bit about Don’t Drop the Baby

Dr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is only second to her skill at matchmaking!

Ross Skye, owner of BabyCare, a high-end line of baby merchandise, is injured in an accident, and Brogan uses her cooking, medical – and matchmaking – skills to help him out. Dr. Lauren Kane is taking care of her nephew for two weeks, and Brogan agrees to babysit while Lauren is at work.

Two years ago, Ross and Lauren dated. At that time, Lauren wanted kids, but Ross wasn’t keen. Now the tables have turned, and Ross is trying to convince Lauren that they’d make an awesome parenting team. Brogan suggests they test drive parenthood by looking after a simulated baby for a week – a computerized version that eats, sleeps, wets, and cries. Ross and Lauren experience the “joy” of having a newborn firsthand, and the bar is set pretty low. Their first goal is: don’t drop the baby. The second goal is to find out if their love for each other will survive the test of…parenting.

Don’t Drop the Baby will be released on Feb. 4 for only 99cents – a bargooooon! Here’s the buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847SFBFV

Stay tuned tomorrow for more Don’t Drop the Baby fun!

It’s Day 5 of the 10-day Countdown for Don’t Drop the Baby! Dr. Lauren Kane is sharing 5 ways to prevent falls.

Falls in the elderly can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Here are five ways you can prevent falls – they’re easy and worth the effort!

1. Remove all throw rugs and small obstacles from hallways and floors. The first time my mother-in-law visited I walked a few feet ahead of her scooping up the throw rugs in her path. She must have wondered what the heck I was doing. haha
2. Don’t store anything in low cabinets that would necessitate bending over. It’s easy to lose your balance or have a dizzy spell if you bend over suddenly. It’s important to move from lying to sitting and sitting to standing slowly to give your blood pressure time to adjust.
3. Use a cane or walker, which has been appropriately sized for your height, strength, and mobility issue.
4. Make sure hearing aids and glasses prescriptions are up to date. Take pills as prescribed.
5. Exercise! Exercises for strength and balance are really important at any age –stretch calf muscles and shoulders, do knee bends to keep up the strength in your quadriceps/thighs so you can get up from a chair, lift light weights to maintain forearm strength and flexibility – you need it to wipe your bum and wash your hair, and practice balancing on one leg (safely) to maintain your ability to balance.

A bit about Don’t Drop the Baby ~

Dr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is only second to her skill at matchmaking!

Ross Skye, owner of BabyCare, a high-end line of baby merchandise, is injured in an accident, and Brogan uses her cooking, medical – and matchmaking – skills to help him out. Dr. Lauren Kane is taking care of her nephew for two weeks, and Brogan agrees to babysit while Lauren is at work.

Two years ago, Ross and Lauren dated. At that time, Lauren wanted kids, but Ross wasn’t keen. Now the tables have turned, and Ross is trying to convince Lauren that they’d make an awesome parenting team. Brogan suggests they test drive parenthood by looking after a simulated baby for a week – a computerized version that eats, sleeps, wets, and cries. Ross and Lauren experience the “joy” of having a newborn firsthand, and the bar is set pretty low. Their first goal is: don’t drop the baby. The second goal is to find out if their love for each other will survive the test of…parenting.

Don’t Drop the Baby will be released on Feb. 4 for only 99cents – a bargooooon! Here’s the buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847SFBFV

Stay tuned tomorrow for more Don’t Drop the Baby fun!