The members of my writers’ group tell me that typical writers suffer through unhappy childhoods providing them with vast amounts of material about which they can write. Unfortunately for my writing aspirations, I suppose, I had an atypically happy childhood, growing up in Kalamazoo (really), Michigan. The oldest of three, I lorded it over my younger sister and brother, and enjoyed all the perks of a Midwestern upbringing. Family vacations in our pink (yes, pink!) station wagon, a cottage on a lake, sparklers on the Fourth of July, a neighborhood full of kids who played kick-the-can every night after supper. And most of all, a mom and dad who supported us in all of our endeavors. 

My dad was a lawyer and he did lawyerly things while my mom was a housewife who kept busy with any number of civic activities as well as playing a mean game of golf.

I graduated from University High School in Kalamazoo and went on to graduate from the University of Michigan with a degree in English Literature. This didn’t lead me down any particular career path so I got married and settled down to raise two wonderful, brilliant children, Chris, the oldest, an airline pilot, and Kathy, a photographer. Excellent career choices which have provided me with free travel and a lot of great pictures.

My husband and I are now official Florida residents – having traded snow shovels for sand shovels and a life in flip flops. We have no complaints about living in the Sunshine State other than having to endure the “tourists” who clog our roads, restaurants and beaches during “season.” But then there is that added bonus of no state income tax so, I repeat, no complaints.

Our biggest joys are still our kids and our granddaughter, Alyssa who is now a teen-ager with a driver’s license and her own car. We communicate mostly by text, but still are hoping she will find time to drive us to the Easy Life one of these fine days. We can always hope, right?

My favorite things are... in no particular order: