About Me

The daughter of a U.S. Naval officer, I realized, one night during a writing workshop exercise, that I have lived in well over 30 houses—in Spain, on the east coast of this country, and in Wyoming.  I would like to say that journaling and diaries sustained me during those many and tumultuous transitions, but it was, actually, my rock collection.  I no longer collect rocks as specimens.  Instead, as I hike on the western prairies, hills, and peaks, I add to the rock cairns that are frequent on the trails.  I even have tiny cairns in my house.  To me, they are something spiritual.  Of course, I eventually, and sometimes reluctantly, allowed writing in my life, and it has provided me sustenance.

Since I was in first grade, and I’m not lying here, I wanted to be a teacher.  For most of my life, I have done just that—teach.  My classrooms were in colleges and public schools and, for a brief but zany time, a pre-school full of three- and four-year olds.  My concentration was in English, speech, and drama, but one assignment took me into a basic auto mechanics course and another into a welding workshop.  The exchange of knowledge was mutual—my students learned writing skills, and I learned how to keep my old 60s-ish Barracuda running and to weld a basic joint.      

I love our Labradors, and I re-read Jane Eyre about every three to five years.  My accomplishments include riding a camel, submerging in a submarine, and hitch-hiking from Wyoming to Vermont.   When I pick up a magazine to read, I start at the back and work my way forward.  Someday, I want to discover a huge chunk of amethyst, but for now, I make sure that whenever I am given a choice of color, I select lavender or deep purple, or any color in between.   Above all, I love my three sons and my best friend and husband, John.