As of this writing (Jan 2003), I'm 51 yrs old, 5 ft tall, and weigh 110 (on good days) to 115 lbs. I'm a country girl at heart who grew up in southern Ohio with seven wonderful brothers and sisters.  

     
Here's a couple of rather pathetic photos of me but they'll have to do for now (both taken same week 3½ years ago)

I'm married to Richard, the best man ever put on this earth.  The son of a Japanese mother and an American father, he lived in Japan until he was 8.  Then he came here to the U.S. where he started grade school all over again, having to learn English.  Seventeen years later, he graduated with honors from Ohio University's School of Engineering.  In high school, from afar, I fell in love with this handsome black-haired hunk, knowing full well he'd never be mine. In fact, I still remember the last day of school his senior year when I wished him luck for the future before he got off the school bus -- and I said good-bye to my girlhood dream -- or so I thought.  But alas, we were to meet again, and the rest (as they say) is history.  

We were married in 1972 and lived in Ohio for several years (mostly in Columbus).  In 1976, I began caring for a couple neighborhood children in my home which led to my interest in Early Childhood Education.  So, I completed a 217.5 hour vocational certification program in Child Care Management, and then later enrolled into and graduated from the ECE/Pre-K Degree Program at Ohio Dominican College.  

Since 1987, we have lived on the east coast of Florida (in Titusville) where Richard is an Engineering Specialist for NASA's Kennedy Space Center.  We live near a nature preserve that is home to alligators and sea turtles, yet, space shuttles are launched in our back yard.  Almost everyone around here works at the Space Center so shuttle launches are a big part of our lives.  We've grown accustomed to the thunderous shaking and rattling of our windows when they lift off, and we're used to being jolted from the sound of the sonic booms when they return.  And even though we tend to take them for granted here, every now and then after an especially beautiful launch on a clear blue day, I am reminded that this is the only place in America where this happens.  And it's an event that every American should see at least once in their lifetime.  

Our local beach must be one of the most beautiful in the state -- no buildings of any kind clogging the shore.  As part of Cape Canaveral National Seashore, it's a unique combination of nature and technology where you can stand on a pristine beach next to sea turtle nests with the backdrop of space shuttle launch pads. 

Boardwalk leading to the beach with a shuttle launch pad off to your right

But as grateful as we are for our life here in Florida, our hearts are in the mountains.  So, every chance we get, we head for mountain country with our trekking poles to do our favorite thing: Hiking.  We love the young alpine beauties of the American West and Canadian Rockies as well as the grand old monarchs of America's eastern ranges.  Our idea of the perfect getaway is to stay at a breakfast-included motel near or in a mountain range where we can get an early morning bite to eat and then head out on a nearby hiking trail for the day.  We hope to retire near the mountains -- unless we win the lottery, then we'll go sooner.     

 
Here's a photo Richard took of me on the Sentinel Pass Trail (Canadian Rockies, summer of 2002).  I'm the one in front wearing the dorky hat.  The trail was under a grizzly bear warning so we were required by the forest service to hike in a group of at least six people, or else risk paying a fine.  (Do I really need to say that the scenery was awesome?) 

Favorite Music:
I can appreciate almost all forms of music to some extent, but when I purposely reach for a CD these days, it's usually instrumental (James Last Orchestra, for example) or music by various New Age artists (like Enya or Yanni).  And as a student of the violin, I'm a HUGE fan of the all-string female quartet known as BOND!  (Actually, I'll listen to ANY violinist!) Richard plays trumpet, piano, and harmonica, so as you can tell, music is a favorite form of entertainment for us.  As for pure singing voices, we feel that Karen Carpenter was the greatest singer who ever lived.
On a related note, sort of':
In my most wishful free-spirited fantasy, I'm standing with my guy on top of a mountain.  I'm wearing a full-length flowery gown and a crown of fresh wildflowers that Richard picked just for me.  In celebration of our love for each other in this perfect paradise, we break out in song: Richard is playing trumpet, and I'm playing a Stratavarious -- flawlessly, of course.  The married sound of strings and brass echo back to us from a sea of jagged peaks.  

Favorite Movies:
For me personally, these two films represent pure quality and are my all-time favorites:
1. "The Man From Snowy River": If you love mountains or horses, or you're in love with someone, rent this movie.  In this film, the call of the mountains, the energy of unbroken stallions, and the longing of a young couple to be together are all brilliantly intertwined.  In fact, one of my favorite lines is from Jim when he introduces Jessica to his beloved high country, and he says, "You have to treat the mountains like a high-spirited horse -- never take them for granted."  Jessica replies, "It's like that with people too."
2. "October Sky": This is a movie that every father and son should see, or anyone who's ever had a dream.  (It's based on a true story.)

Favorite Movie Comedy: "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (based on a Neil Simon play)

Favorite Pastimes:
*Writing (especially about my favorite mountain places)
*I collect:
   -Items for my little Winter Village (I leave it up year round as it makes hot humid Florida days seem cooler -- at least in my mind.)
   -Nonfiction books related to the mountain world (nature writings -- especially those of John Muir, climbing expeditions, Native Americans, western frontier days, etc).  And oh, I read the books too. 
   -Prints of Ansel Adams photography and Michael Atkinson water color paintings

Favorite Quote: "Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift -- that's why they call it the present."

Things That Impress Me:
*Thrift shop bargains
*Discovering that a no-name brand is just as good
*Items of sentimental (rather than dollar) value

I'm Not Very Good At:
*Cooking
*Grown-up math
*Pretending to be graceful, sophisticated, or fancy

I Love:
*God and our families
*Singing birds, the scent of freshly cut grass, and big shade trees
*Hiking a mountain trail with Richard on a cool and dewy summer morning
*Coffee with a mountain view
*Fresh red raspberries
*Getting and giving hugs  

Most of all, I love my Richard:
    
Richard with his trekking poles and backpack, along the Wilcox Pass Trail, Canadian Rockies, summer of 2002

Now right-click on player and hit "stop" to end the song:

The song you heard, "Dancing Lights," is just one of several on the "Blue Ridge" CD by Wayne Gratz
(Look in the New Age CD section of stores or order from Amazon.com)

Now hit your BACK button to return to where you were on my website

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