My Stroke of the Pen

Dave Van Epps was the consummate happy grasshopper - a self-made outgoing guy, with lots of friends, many toys, an extravagant lifestyle, little savings, and no health insurance. Then, on a May morning in 2007, just as the economy was crashing in the Great Recession, he woke up to find himself in an ambulance on the way to a Denver hospital with a stroke. In the subsequent months, what seemed like the beginning of the end has turned into the end of the beginning. He has used this experience to reassess what is important, and to reclaim his long-repressed dream of becoming a writer. This collection of essays has become his ticket back to a new normal, beginning with a humorous account of the frustrations of physical therapy and continuing down memory lane -- through early years in small town South Dakota, to his long love affair with Colorado, especially Denver. Along the way, one meets colorful characters, human and animal, that he has known and loved; and others he has simply observed. Especially poignant is the couple's step-by-step process of relinquishment of their beloved and increasingly impractical Windrose Ranch in suburban Parker in favor of a convenient Littleton condo close to the Light Rail, from which, on his regular Freedom Days, he continues to explore his favorite city. With publishing help from brother Bob, and professional editing assistance and advice from sister, Betti, Dave has produced an entertaining and hopeful collection "of reflections, memories, and ramblings will encourage others in similar situations to seek the blessings in the consequences."