I am truly insane...

God bless,
Jenni (3-16-11)

~ Thoughts on JABB 320- "The Unbroken Circle" ~"In the Palm of His Hand" ~"The Altar"

"The Walk"
"Guess Who's Coming for Coffee? "Abide with Me" "Rapprochement"

~ "Asking the Answer" "Chava" ~ "Harry and Psyche" "Song of Songs" "Possibilities" ~

~ "Ivy" ~"The Coffee Summit"~"Shelter from the Storm""The Truth"~

"To Love Another Person""New Beginnings"
"A Stór Mo Chroi""Friend of My Soul"

~"The Never-Ending Road"~"Here is My Heart"~
"Morning Has Broken"~"The Story of Eilish"~





Thoughts on JABB 320- "The Unbroken Circle"

I'm not sure why but I feel like it's important that I kind of talk through this story.  Actually, I suppose I do know why.  John Dye wrote in the TBAA book that we don't talk about grief enough.  For me, it's painfully true.  I don't even write about it enough.  So, with each loss, I feel adrift.  I have the vague sense that I've been there before and that if I do certain things, I'll get through.  And that I will think certain painful thoughts that will, with time, go away if I just hold on.  But I'm never quite sure because I have no record to look back on.  So each time I relearn the same lessons over and over.  So, when he died, I made a pact.  To show that I truly had been paying attention and that I had learned from him, I would talk and write about this grief.  So when I find myself on this path again, I will have made myself a guidebook.  It won't take away the pain but at least it will be permanent record that I have made it through before and that I can and will again.

In those first few days when I was reading and listening to and watching anything I thought might help with the pain, I came across this: "Grief is the feeling of reaching out for someone who has always been there, only to discover when you need them one more time, they are no longer there," from The Grief Recovery Handbook.  That is what I felt.  Through his portrayal of Andrew, Mr. Dye helped me through every loss I faced.  Then, suddenly, he was gone.  And I felt like he couldn't in any way help me through his own death.  I couldn't even write Andrew.  This character that I had so many ideas for and so many imagined scenes for seemed very far off.  I'd try to write and either stare at a blank page and cry or write something atrocious and cry.  But I just needed time.  Because my initial thought wasn't true.  By the example of his own life and with Andrew, John left us what we needed.  Once I realized that, Andrew came back.

Originally the story began with Andrew and LJA editing the first day's footage and things being very tense.  In short, LJA was acting very cold.  She wouldn't touch Andrew and didn't want him touching her.  I think, to be honest, I was angry at Andrew.  I read in a magazine once, I think it was
People, that John occasionally got chastised by bar patrons.  Apparently an angel shouldn't drink at all... nevermind that he was human.  And having to be snuck around hospitals and people freaking out on planes.  Why couldn't people recognize he wasn't Andrew?!?!  Was he very hurt by that?  And somehow, for a brief space of time, that anger at thoughtless people I felt turned against Andrew.  Unfortunately, that was just the period of time during which I needed to start this story.  So I think it's why the original beginning was so awful.  Thankfully, it passed.  I am no longer angry at Andrew.  John played him too well and too beautifully for that to be sustainable.

That tumult worked out for the better, though, because I wound up deciding to open with the four angels.  I love this bit from Adam there: "John spent seven and a half years delivering our message... God's message... to millions of people.  And that's only what we saw.  The Father knows it didn't begin or end with the show.  So I think we can spend a few millennia carrying his message for him."  I like to think the real angels feel that way.  The scene was also important to me cause seeing Andrew being supported and loved by his angel friends became really, really important to me.  I am all kinds of grateful for whatever inspired me to patch all those friendships up last year.  I could not have handled writing a dejected and rejected Andrew now.

Obviously, I like LJA *much* better in this initial scene between her and Andrew.  Andrew gets loved on a lot in this story.  I think that's pretty reasonable.  This is probly the story in which the line between LJA and me is thinnest.  Some of her lines could have been taken from my journal.  I did feel such a need to *do* something.  I needed to honor John in some way.  Only when I did that, did I feel like I was making any progress.  So her pull to do that food, etc. drive was very real.

I love Andrew showing his hopscotch footage.  That's so him.  Even with his pride issues, he'd do something like that if it meant making someone else feel better.  Love him.

There's a case here in which I mimicked LJA.  I actually hadn't lit a candle for John.  It wasn't really something I've ever done before.  But it seemed like something LJA would do.  And, after I wrote it, I started to feel like I would like to do that.  I wound up making stained glass candles for 6 people, including John, who I care about who have passed on.  And it really helped.  So these stories really do help me to sometimes realize what it is I need in the real world.  I hope they sometimes serve that function for others, too.

In another bit of real/fictional matching, I decided to have Andrew and Adam interviewed together to lighten my workload during such a tough time.  However, it ended up meaning a lot more to me than if I'd written the two interviews separately.  Something about imagining those two together made me ever happier than it usually does.

It was when Andrew and LJA started animatedly talking about his shaving that I knew, writing-wise, everything would be okay.  I'd had the hopscotch thing planned for a while.  But that was the first really goofy scene I came up with entirely after John passed away. 

I love it when Andrew counsels LJA.  I feel like maybe she's too old for it to happen as often as it does but I don't care.  I like the boat scene before they get to Willy's factory.  It's like in some weird way, I benefit from what he has to say.  I often feel like Andrew's got a mind of his own even when I'm writing him so I don't always know what he'll say.  (Typed up 3-13-11)

:-)  Andrew and LJA talking about Victoria's Secret.  Honestly, once I got over the initial issues, I was surprised by how easily I fell back into the old patterns.  Andrew could still chuckle and tease.

Then comes the bit where LJA is studying Andrew's face.  I find I do that a lot after someone dies.  I become hyper-vigilant about forming crystal-clear memories of others.  And, honestly, a lot of what she says there is true.  Although I would personally add that my family and friends keep me sane during times of grief (when they're not part of the problem which does, occasionally, happen), I don't think I can over state just how much John-as-Andrew has helped me.  I sometimes say he saved my life.  I really don't think that's an exagerration.  Even if, physically, I'd still be alive; the person you know as Jenni would not be here.

Briefly, I love that Andrew pulls over then moves a box so LJA can sit next to him.  It plays to the fact that he wasn't just talking earlier when, during his interview, he brought up the importance of touch.  And, right before that, he tells Laja "I know you."  So he would totally know "Okay, she needs to be near me right now."  There are only so many ways I can show growth in his character when John and the writers gave us a fully realized character already.  But him realizing how vitally he's needed by the Dyelanders is one way in which he's grown, I think.  Plus, I just couldn't seem to not let these people be physically affectionate this time around.  Sometimes I worried that I was overplaying that... and then I realized I didn't care.  There's a time to be clingy.  Then he pulls out a laugh.  I'd like to be stuck with Andrew myself! 

I can't stress enough how vital John's gentle and alluring portrayal of Andrew is to JABB.  I am not an easily won over person.  The fact that this character has intrigued me and moved me for 15 years is due only to him and the writers.  They made Andrew too lovely and lovable to leave behind as a relic of my teenagehood.

I really like Owen.  The scene between him and Andrew was kind of last minute.  I really hadn't intended for him to be in the story.  But I just kept thinking about Mother, Mother and how touched I was by that short film.  We're not just grieving the man who brought Andrew to life.  We've been touched by others of his roles, too.  Not to mention the life of the man himself.  But I really needed to take a bit to remember Jeff and to celebrate what John did for a group of people who have faced far too much hatred and bigotry, not only with that film but his beautiful work in "The Violin Lesson."

One thing I wanted to make sure came out with this story, given that it presents Andrew as real, is that John's acting would be regarded with equal admiration by the Dyelanders as by our real selves.  He is never to them just an Andrew mimic.  He's not that to Andrew, either.  Whatever John brought to his portrayal of "Andrew" existed completely independent of Andrew.  Andrew in no way influenced the portrayal.  Thus, he can only hope that he "brought the power and the compassion to that assignment [Tony DuBois] that John did on the show."  If anything, the reverse is true.  John made Andrew a better angel.

Then we move into Doc Hock territory.  Really, this Owen scene pretty much sums up the whole theme of the story.  John brought so many people together, John inspired so many people, they will use what they got from him to reach out to others, and John's legacy will never end.

I almost cut this line:
Andrew joined in though his voice caught as he did.  "'There's a better home a-waiting, in the sky Lord, in the sky."
I worried it was too much.  Imagining him singing that.  But it was comforting, too.  So I left it.

The daffodil discussion after Henry's and Lady Beth's interviews was one of the more wrenching scenes for me to write.  It's another in which LJA is very much me.  I didn't realize until John was gone that I had, on some level, been waiting to hear his voice again.  I can remember an interview he did after Columbine, Journey to a Hate Free Millennium after Matthew Shepard was killed, and the PSA the trio of TBAA actors did after 9-11.  Even though he hadn't been on TV in a while, I think some part of me always believed he would be back and when tragedy hit, he would be on TV consoling us again.  So I am mourning that lost future.

From "She felt a pang of dread" to the end of the scene, I felt like it wrote itself.  Every word just came out so powerfully and the scene was so vivid in my mind.  This, spoke by Andrew, was possibly the most healing excerpt for me in the whole thing:
"When I'm in Heaven, I feel your love and all the love of all our friends just as intensely as I do right now, sitting here with you.  They do, too.  Because they didn't leave you behind, even if it feels that way... and I know it does.  You're with them always because we're all with God.  It goes beyond simply seeing.  They *know* that they're loved and they know that they're thought of and they're always, always loving back."

I like the scene with just the five ladies and wish I could have fit more of those in but I was exhausted.  I am so glad I wrote this story but it really was down to the wire so some corners had to be cut.  Nonetheless, I'm glad there's this one. 

I also wish I could have featured Roger more.  Through out the writing of this story, I had to balance what I wanted to do with it and taking care of myself.  Because I really hadn't been doing the latter.  Still, I'm happy with what's there.  Thinking that John's work will continue to be found by the people who need it whether they need an angel or a troubled medic is a tremendous comfort.  (Typed out 3-14-11)

I was kinda worried about how I'd handle writing Tess and Andrew together.  I guess because Della Reese's statement after John's death really got to me.  He was clearly so very, very loved.  I was afraid having them together would somehow feel like cheating.  But as with all my other concerns, it didn't pan out.  I really enjoyed writing out her interview scene.  If anything, it helped.

I just want to take a moment to say how grateful I am to Nicole, Yvette, and Liz for helping with their characters.  This was an exceedingly difficult set of circumstances we had to work with but everyone did a really wonderful job. 

At the end of the Tess segment, Andrew tells JenniAnn:
"You know, I've felt the same way myself about many of you.  The two of us... I don't think things have ever been easier or more honest and comfortable between us.  And Monica's come back.  And now things are better with Yva.  And there have been bright spots and I've had great moments with each of you in the recent months.  I believe the Father often arranges things in our lives so that when difficult to take news comes, we're at least in the best possible place we can be, surrounded by the best possible people to help us through.  I think He's done that for us now."
I truly feel that.  I am so grateful that, with Dyeland, we somehow managed to have everything be quite stable and non-angsty when 2011 rolled around.  But I do also feel like, in real life, God worked within our group to build us up so that when the news of John's death came, we were still pained but we were also stronger than we'd been in a long while.  I'm grateful to Him for that.

I must admit it was something of a thrill to imagine Monica getting rid of some of her more sophisticated clothes.  I was kinda sad when, in the show, she started dressing more maturely.  She'd been my fashion icon but after that it was never the same.  Plus, I just liked writing Andrew and Monica being teasing and communicative.  The other thing I like about Monica's segment is the final discussion between her and LJA.  John was so right about how we need to talk about death more and grieve appropriately.  Through out the story I just wanted to have these moments where the characters voice what us real folks learned from John.  And that was a big lesson.  A vital one.  Then the scene closes with what, in my mind, was a gorgeous and comforting image of Andrew.  Every so often with this story, I'd get one of those and it was really comforting.  I'd struggled for days with random, troubling images.  It was nice to get such lovely ones.

From LJA to Andrew in the next scene:
"Do you realize how absolutely and completely loved you are by so many people?"
At points, in writing things directed to Andrew, I would sometimes have a double meaning in my head for John.  When I decided that Andrew would age, it was for a plot reason.  But it was also my way of saying that, even as John grew older, we would still watch him and love what he brought to his work.  When he was died, I was crushed by the thought that my lil messages were now pointless.  Thankfully, after further reflection I decided they now had even more purpose.  Cause it's far more likely now that he can hear them.  So: You were absolutely and completely loved by so many people.

I surprised myself with the next scene.  I've thought and overthought so much about these characters but somehow I'd never thought about this: how does LJA, with extremely limited experience of men, know so well how to physically comfort Andrew?  And it hit me: she'd been able to study a version of him for 7.5 years.  John's work helped bring her to a place in her life where she could trust and befriend Andrew.  And, for Andrew, John's work set things up so that his friend would know what he needed without him ever having to say it.  It's not outside the realm of possibility that without John's inspiration, these two people wouldn't know each other and, even if they knew each other, would not be on easy speaking terms.  They are really indebted to him, in other words.  Much like I feel I am for so many people and experiences in my life.

In another one of those "a coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous" moments, I had chosen for LJA to do "art and love" a considerable amount of time before John passed away.  On January 10th, I watched "A House Divided" and "Here I Am."  And I felt such peace and contentment.  By the following day, of course, I was shattered.  But I kept mentally going back to those final moments of, really, bliss.  And I wanted to be in classrooms and art museums.  Those were the last places I saw Andrew/John and felt completely safe and happy.  So it seemed really appropriate that long before that I'd decided to have Andrew interview LJA in an art museum.

"If, God forbid, I could never see you again... I'd still want to live for you and the memories of what we'd once shared... tell your story, not die for you."  It was really important to me that LJA tell Andrew that.  And it seemed especially poignant for it to happen in this story. 

What LJA says about the Monet did happen to me.  Like I said, I'd chosen her topic long before JD died.  But I hadn't written anything out yet.  So it was after he'd passed that I was looking for one more piece of art for her to feature.  And I saw "The Artist's Garden at Giverny" and at first I did only think about how she could tell Andrew it reminded her of meeting him, the start of her own non-standard love life.  But then I got that vision and it was so beautiful and comforting.  Art really can heal.  (Typed out 3-15-11)

I do love that Chaim Potok quote and think it's so appropriate for us.  And, yes, we'll love John forever for what he's done for us.  Beyond the sadness, I'm glad he now knows just how amazing his impact was, is, and will always be. 

For the life of me, I cannot remember why I decided Andrew would be so fond of red velvet.  Maybe just cause I associate it with the South?

Oops.  Mistake.  Andrew has been an alien at least twice and here he says once.  Although, to be fair, I think what he was doing in "The Blue Angel" was a TV show.  So, in film, he has only been an alien once.

I do so love it when Rose and LJA gang up on Andrew.  :-)

The scene after Rose's interview is the last I wrote.  I was just so out of it when I wrote this.  Olivia was supposed to be part of the story but I completely forgot about her until literally right when I was going to send the newsletter.  So... I hastily went back, wrote that scene, added the prior references, and sent.  I am now reading this part for the first time since that night so... let's see how it worked...

All things considered, I think it worked.  A lil more length might have been good but mostly I just love that John-as-Andrew basically finishes Andrew's assignment.  I truly believe John saved many lives and possibly many more spirits.  Olivia represents those of us who, in one way or another, he helped move onto a better life by depicting such a beautiful, compassionate character with true grace and loveliness.

The scene after it was really tough.  Andrew basically props LJA up for that entire scene.  Sometimes, in a less literal way, I feel like that's exactly what John's doing.  So many of the elements that are holding me up during this emotional time... he built them.  It's a strange feeling to mourn someone who has always helped you to mourn and to realize, amazingly, that he still can.  The legacy of healing words and actions that John left are as immortal as his soul.

I'd had the image of the lil kids treading in Andrew's foot steps for a while and never used it.  I'm glad because this story offered the absolutely perfect place for it.  It's just cute but, for me, that image was symbolic.  I feel like JABB's place now is to be those lil kids, following in John's foot steps and exhibiting compassion, faith, and love.

Before I get into the true meaning of the final scene, I just wanted to say that I very deliberately had LJA tell Andrew to go check on Shelby.  My girl's actually maturing and will, when appropriate, give up precious Andrew-time for the kids.  Cause eventually she's going to have two and needs to get over some of that clinginess first.  Not all of it.  Just some.

Okay...  So this was based off an actual happening which I describe in the Author's Note so won't repeat.  I just can't begin to express the wave of emotions that came over me when I saw those flowers.  The truly ironic part is that they arrived on January 10th, when John passed away, but our office was closed that day so no one got them until January 11th.  And, because I was sick on the 11th, I didn't see them until the 12th.  I was stunned and pained and uplifted all at once that morning.  Mostly the latter. 

Like JenniAnn, I only ever associated daffodils with "unrequited love."  It was only after the incident at work on the 12th that I learned they also symbolize eternal life.  Really, no one could have planned a more powerful symbol for me.  So I do believe God sent them as a reminder that John, and all those we've loved who have gone Home, live fully and abundantly with Him.  They're still a part of us.  We've not lost them forever.

And while we may not have Andrew at our sides, like the Dyelanders, and we may not be seeing doves soar above us... I believe God will send us all little bits of encouragement and love when the grief we feel for all we've loved and lost tears at us.  Because we are all, always, gathered in His love.  And that's true whether we're on this side or the other.

Thank you, John.

(Typed up 3-16-11)



"In the Palm of His Hand"


In the days and years following September 11th, 2001, I thought about writing a story here.  These stories have often been my means of coping with difficult topics and shattering events.  But it never really seemed right until this past weekend.  I discovered that I was having a really hard time answering the "Where were you when..." question.  It was easier for me to write a fictionalized account so I did.  I was surprised by how, in doing so, I was able to understand a little more of my own feelings on that day.  Ultimately, it gave me a lot of peace to do this.   

Because JenniAnn's story is my own, I'm password protecting this out of respect for the people I shared that morning with.

"In the Palm of His Hand"



"The Altar"

This is just something I had to write to help me.  It's sorta my equivalent of the "handing it over" that Monica does in "Remembering Me, Part II."  I password protected it because it's pretty raw.

"The Altar"



"The Walk"

TBAA's finale has bothered me for a long time.  In my opinion, it's just too sad.  Most TBAA episodes left me feeling uplifted... but not that one.  And I just felt wretched for Andrew.  So I tried to write him a happier ending here.  Although, of course, it's not really an ending.  I discovered, though, that as I wrote it wasn't so much his interactions with Monica, Tess, and Gloria or lack thereof that bothered me but, instead, the role of Someone Else.  God just seems to love Monica so much more than Andrew.  He was there for her promotion, not Andrew's.  Throughout the series I felt like Andrew had a lot fewer God moments.  So... I tried to fix that a bit, too.

"The Walk"



"Guess Who's Coming for Coffee?"

I wrote this one well over a year ago while dealing with some personal stuff.  Andrew.  LJA.  Busybody relative.  Awkwardness ensues.  Too bad Sidney Poitier wasn't there to class things up.  Password protected to protect the innocent and guilty both.  ;-)




"Abide With Me"

Generally, I don't put in progress stories here.  And, actually, this was supposed to be a newsletter.  Then it stretched into 183 pages and counting...  So it's staying here on the Author's Cut and I'm password protecting it.  I don't want random Googlers ending up on it as has apparently happened with other stories.  This one's got sensitive material so... for my own peace of mind I'm protecting it.  Basic plot: Andrew's on a long term assignment in a war zone.  While he struggles with protecting his assignment while in human form, his friends try to cope with their separation from him.  Advanced knowledge of "The Storm" may help but probably isn't vital as I think I covered the main points in flashbacks.

Update 1-26-12: Oops.  Forgot to update this.  I finished "Abide With Me" on December 16th.  It's 366 pages...

"Abide With Me"



"Rapprochement"

So I can remember watching the TBAA episode "Virtual Reality" the night it aired and being pretty ticked at Andrew.  I now find this quite unreasonable but I got to thinking back on that.  I knew that TBAA was ending very, very soon.  And so I think in some twist of my psyche, I decided being angry at Andrew would make me feel better.  Like "Fine, go ahead and leave!  You're a sucky lawyer, anyway!"  Cause that makes sense...  But it's common behavior.  I can remember when I graduated from the school I'd been at for 9 years, my entire class was at each others' throats.  With some people that wasn't surprising.  They *never* got along.  But friends were picking fights and saying and doing awful things!  The same behavior repeated in high school.  So one day I was thinking "I bet LJA was a real piece of work during Andrew's last few weeks with Monica and Tess."  And, as it turns out, I'd already written in "The Altar" that she got into a fight with Andrew during his "Virtual Reality" case.  But that was just a brief mention.  I'd never gone into what actually happened.  Now I have...  Poor Andrew...

"Rapprochement"



"Asking the Answer"

Joshua briefly visits Andrew on Easter Tuesday to clarify a few things from his prior visits and give the angel a very special gift.




"Chava"


For a long time now, it's been on my mind and in my heart to write a story here relating to the Holocaust.  I had a very early draft that's probably a decade old but it wasn't until December 2010 that I began to seriously consider the piece.  Then, of course, things were rocky for us here at JABB for a while.  I abandoned the story.  However, Chava was still there with her story.  So, finally, this year I decided it was time to share about David and Esther and Bennie and the others. 

This is probably the most research I've ever done for a JABB story so I hope I didn't make any major gaffes.  I wanted to give credit where credit is due so there are 70+ footnotes on this story.  Some footnotes were spoilery, though, so rather than link them in the story; I put all the links at the bottom and clicking one will jump a reader back to the portion of the story that it relates to.

Because "Chava" is historical and, while it doesn't feature any historical figures, mentions the names of real people; I've decided to password protect this.  I remain nervous about Google picking JABB up when people are trying to do serious research.  Also, I pulled the names of my characters out of no where.  I did research naming patterns from the years leading up to World War II but that was it.  There's a chance, though, that I inadvertently used real folks' names.  So I'd really hate for them to Google their own names and wind up here.  I think that would be really unsettling.

As for the plot: JenniAnn and Owen are shopping in Manhattan when they notice a distressed older woman who later introduces herself as Chava.  Because she appears homeless, they take her to Catherine's Phoenix Inn.  From there, JenniAnn and Chava become fast friends.  Naturally, JenniAnn wants to introduce her new friend to her beloved, Andrew.  When the woman and the angel of death meet, both Andrew and Chava are forced to revisit the grief and horror of Auschwitz.  Thankfully, the three have each other, God, and a host of friends to help them along the way.

"Chava"



"Harry and Psyche"


"Did you... by any chance... it... it would have been late 1998... meet a... a little boy in Macy's a-and give him a bookmark?"

Max has a question for JenniAnn and her response stuns them both and Andrew, too.

"Harry and Psyche"



"Song of Songs"


First, you definitely need some familiarity with the original Beauty and the Beast TV show to know what's going on here and who these people are.  Second, it would probably help a lot to read the very unoriginally named "How Vincent Met Psyche" first.  It's not really a story but a letter that Vincent wrote to Psyche/JenniAnn that explains some of their earliest backstory.  Now for this story...

Catherine and Vincent met in April 1984.  This story picks up in November 1987 with the bulk of it set in January 1988.  So this is Catherine and Vincent nearly four years into their relationship.  While they've both fallen more deeply in love, some things haven't changed.  At all.  And Catherine's not coping super well with that.  Then, after a prolonged absence, five year old Psyche re-enters the couple's lives when she visits to help Vincent celebrate his thirty third birthday.  And she has a question...

I must say that while I enjoyed coming up with this story, it was somewhat awkward to write.  For well over a decade now, I've been writing Catherine and Vincent mostly from the perspective of Psyche/JenniAnn who views them as a sort of second set of parents.  Let's just say I'm not sure I'd want LJA to read this.

In closing, yay for doors!  Or, ya know, bookcases.

"Song of Songs"



"Possibilities"


In February 2001, JenniAnn told Vincent there was someone she wanted him to meet.  Thus begins the friendship between Andrew and Vincent.  Fourteen years later, the two sit in a hospital room praying for a miracle.

"Possibilities"



"Ivy"

I've wanted to write a story about bullying for years but it was one of those things that kept getting pushed back.  Well, finally, I have!  In June 2013, Andrew finds himself heading up Literature and Drama sessions with a new summer educational program for girls.  He begins to suspect that a fifteen year old girl named Ivy is being bullied.  After receiving some guidance from Joshua, Andrew becomes determined to help Ivy realize how much she is loved... and by Who.  Andrew is helped in this mission by JenniAnn and Violeta and a new friend, Kemara.  Along the way, the angel of death discovers that he's been granted a new gift... one that will change the way he sees the world... and the One who created it.

Please note that this story deals in particular with Catholicism and with Christianity in general.  I remain committed to TBAA's belief that God is bigger (and infinitely better) than any one religion.  However, as this story in part deals with the misuse of religion, I found it necessary to have religion and Jesus spoken of more explicitly than what would have ever appeared in a TBAA episode.  Plus... Joshua won't stop crashing my stories.  ;-)  
 

"Ivy"



"The Coffee Summit"


By the end of "Where You Go, I Will Go," Andrew and Monica were reconnecting after the Dyelander women had a bit of a confrontation with the caseworker.  Then by "Safe," all seems well.  I wasn't completely buying that LJA went from being so angry in the first story to really pretty gentle and understanding with Monica in the second.  This story, set between the two in early October 2010, fills in the gap.  It also allowed me to get over some hang-ups I have with the TBAA episodes "Netherlands" and the finale. 

"The Coffee Summit"



"Shelter from the Storm"

Those of us who write know the healing that can be found in it.  The bulk of what you see on these Author's Cut pages is me trying to do exactly that: cope with something.  However, sometimes hope and healing can be found in reading, too.  I'm so glad I got to experience that while reading the piece linked below which was written by Kim in response to the recent typhoon in the Philippines.  In the midst of devastation, hope can be found in remembering that there are so many, angel and human both, willing to help.  My thanks to Kim for sharing this story of one angel and one human, Monica and Arthur, who met tragedy with love and faith.  I hope this story touches and inspires others as it did me.  Thank you, Kim, for sharing it with us.

May the people of the Philippines know that so many are praying for them and for their country.  I encourage those who can to investigate relief efforts and give what they can, remembering that the need for support will continue into the months and years ahead.  Thank you.

God bless,
Jenni

"Shelter from the Storm"



"The Truth"

So...  I am really, really trying to get over my grudge against Monica following "Netherlands."  With this story, maybe I've really accomplished that.  Cause here she has to do something I in no way envy: tell Arthur about that fateful day.  When Adam leads the group in a game of Philosophical Questions after Thanksgiving dinner, one question prompts Monica to realize she needs to confide in Arthur.  And lest any Andrew fans think I've entirely shifted focus... trust me, he has his moments here.  :-) 

This, "Coffee," and Kim's "Shelter" should probably be treated as something of a trilogy.  I don't know that this story will make any sense without reading the other two.


God bless,
Jenni

"The Truth"



"To Love Another Person"

I'm very pleased to, once again, be posting a story by Kim here!  In this tale, the Dyeland crew get together to watch the film version of Les Miserables.  For some, it's a chance to learn new things... and for one it's a reminder of their past.  So get out your DVD and watch along with Andrew and Co.!   

God bless,
Jenni




  "New Beginnings"

In "The Carpenter"/"May the Road Rise to Meet You." we met Sean, a fellow in Kemara's dance class.  With some encouragement from Joshua, Kemara began to spend more time with Sean.  This story, penned by Kim, finds them going on their first official date.

God bless,
Jenni

"New Beginnings"



"A Stór Mo Chroi"

I was writing either "The Carpenter" or "The King," I can't remember which, when I suddenly had a flash of a young man being awoken by a panicked call from the girl he secretly loves.  From that came this story of a lil boy named Liam... a child who comes to Arthur and Monica under very unexpected circumstances.

God bless,
Jenni

 


"Friend of My Soul"
aka
"Fifty Shades of Flannel"


A certain book series turned movie inspired me to write something...

God bless,
Jenni

"Friend of My Soul"



"The Never-Ending Road"/"Amhrán Duit"


Kim presents the story of Kemara and Sean's engagement from his proposal in October to the day before their wedding in March. Along the way they encounter: nearly-newborn babies, sprained ankles, Woodstock, a Carpenter, the power of Google, frustrating parents, Adam's mad cake-baking skillz, everything Celtic, a wee bit of romance and lots of love and support from their family and friends.

"The Never-Ending Road"/"Amhrán Duit"



"Here is My Heart
"

In this sequel to "Never-Ending Road" St. Patrick's Day arrives and with it, Sean and Kemara's wedding day. Plus, a very special Guest makes an appearance.  (Written by Kim)

"Here is My Heart"



"Morning Has Broken"


Kemara and Sean return to Dyeland following their honeymoon in Ireland. In the midst of celebrating Holy Week with the Friends, the newlyweds try to settle into their new life together. And then comes some big news...  (Written by Kim)

"Morning Has Broken"



"The Story of Eilish"

After suffering a grievous loss, a young woman arrives in Dyeland... but has she been there before?  This story, written by Pia, introduces a new character to our stories.




Author's Cut Part 1
Author's Cut Part 2
Author's Cut Part 3
Author's Cut Part 4
Author's Cut Part 5
 Author's Cut Part 7
"The Carpenter's Stories"


JABB Portal
JABB TOC

(Photo Credits: The photograph used on this page is from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions.  It is not being used to seek profit.)