Currently and for the past twenty-three years, I have been living in South Carolina, having moved here from Dayton, Ohio in 1999. Moving to the sunny South has been good for me, for I have bloomed here teaching art, writing and producing a play, creating art events and most recently writing a book about my life with cancer called Year of the Onion: A Healing Journey with Cancer.

I was born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up there as a child of divorce. Later when my Mom left for New York City to pursue her dreams, I found myself living with my grandparents, simple folks from Kentucky. Childhood was interesting, going back and forth from my grandparent’s home to my Dad’s wealthy neighborhood and occasional trips to visit my glamorous Mom in New York.

Growing up, I had several themes in my life that are a core part of me: a love of art, writing, reading, nature and animals. These interests are still what I enjoy today. I am blessed with many friends, a lovely spiritual growth-oriented church and my little family of my daughter, grandson, our chihuahua and an occasional foster kitten.

I was an arty kid, writing my first poem at six years of age, my first play in grade school, and drawing my first nude at three! My love of nature was supported by a little park near my home in middle class suburbia called the Sunken Gardens. The builders of our neighborhood had thankfully not built on it, leaving it alone for us neighborhood kids to play in. It was a godsend. There were big trees and a little creek that ran through the middle with huge boulders rimming the little park like a wreath. I went there almost every day to read my library books, sketch, watch the seasons change and write in my nature diary about the magical Sunken Gardens. It was my play space where I caught crawdads, watched the redbud trees bloom and sledded down the slopes in the winter. How lucky I was to have this bit of “Walden Pond” in my life!

Another interest and love of mine is animals. I was allowed to have a cat, a horse and two parakeets throughout my childhood. Through the years, the cats who enhanced my life were named Blinky, Fuzzy Elmer, Mandy, Mishu, Warm Fuzzy, Jazz, Mittens, Mama Blue and Baby Boo along with dogs: Fritzi, Cricket, Poncho, Pepe, George and now Chiquita. I have volunteered for animal shelters throughout my life and if I had the time to begin life again with another career, it would be as an animal behaviorist. I find animals fascinating and good teachers on how to be a good human.

Art-wise, I still produce a mix of paintings, drawings, pen and ink, collage, but now it is just for fun. I taught art for many years, working with children and adults in clay, drawing, cartooning and mixed-media. I exhibited my work and occasionally sold a piece. I like to travel with a few small art supplies in my purse so I can express myself either by doing a caricature, a pen drawing, cartooning a thought or opinion or a painting sketch done with watercolor pencils. I will also most likely have with me a book to read and a notepad for jotting down my ideas for writing projects.

Writing has always come easily for me. Poems, plays, essays, articles, and most recently a book - I enjoy all types of writing. I recently wrote several articles for the Charleston Animal Society’s magazine about the wonderful world of rats, one on armadillos and one about a friend’s 69 year old turtle. Discovering the marvels of animals is one of the gifts of writing and researching about them.

I wrote and produced a play in Charleston called Pantyhose Blues (2002) and I have produced a documentary film, The Breast Dialogues (2004) which contains interviews with over thirty women regarding their feelings about their breasts. I have written for newspapers, trade magazines, newsletters, and advertising.  I have a missionary zeal for keeping in touch with friends and I want to keep the Post Office going so I write letters and send cards almost everyday. One smile at a time is my goal and communicating is one of my passions.

I think the most interesting time of my life and perhaps the most magical time of youth was when I was a hippie traveling around the country, meeting people and discovering who I was. That was an education! I lived in Greenwich Village in New York City, at the Edgar Cayce Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, Virginia, beautiful Laguna Beach in California and Homestead, Florida - as well as back and forth to Dayton, Ohio to re-group for my next adventure.

My quest for “What’s it all about?” began when I was a little girl.  I used to lie awake and ruminate over the thought that if God made us, then who made God? This confounded me and kept me from sleeping, yet opened me up to bigger realities and more confounding questions. I found that yoga, Zen, Unity, meditation, spiritual gurus like Paramahansa Yogananda, Alan Watts, Joel Goldsmith and other notables had some answers. I am still discovering my spiritual path. 

I began working with my dreams as a twenty year old and continue to do so today. I began my dream work using the model of the Edgar Cayce channeled readings on dream interpretation. As I read more and more about Jung’s theories, in particular, my messages from my dreams began to include the growth of my inner crippled male and dreams about sexual abuse. Dreams have enriched my life and are the best and cheapest therapy that I know of.  Decades later, I faithfully write down my dreams and interpret them with my dream group as well as assist others with their dreams via consultations. 

I explore nature with my ten year old grandson, Jonathan, and we have created a fairy garden in the backyard. My daughter, Shaney and I work together on projects such as my book (she is the editor and photographer) and now we are creating this website. Soon I hope to help her with her projects of getting her Master’s degree and writing a children’s book.

My life as an older woman is full with family, animals, art and writing projects. I am working on another book about the making of the film, The Breast Dialogues (see website for more information).  It is another attempt to bring some healing to the world, especially to women who are so often body-shamed about their breasts. The book will take interviews from the film about what it’s like growing up female, breast feeding, breast disease, and women’s personal stories of how their breasts have figured in their lives. I am excited!

My life has had many ups and downs including a divorce from my mother (yes, I said my mother), depression, cancer, body dysmorphic disorder, loneliness, marital mistakes, and a lot of shame-based opinions of myself. I offer these to let readers know, I too, have had ruts in the road of life just as you have had. I was lucky in many ways (or is that God’s grace?) that I survived and I continue to mature.