I lived in a house that my grandfather built. Most of my relatives lived nearby.  I walked a few blocks to school, and most of the time I stopped to visit my grandmother who gave me a hug and usually a fresh-baked treat.  Those were simple, happy days.
 
Later I moved to Boulder, Colorado, a town with a lofty Rocky Mountain backdrop.  I attended Colorado State University at Fort Collins.  I especially enjoyed hiking and learning to ski while living in Colorado.

I married and had three sons.  We started our own real estate company near Denver and owned it for ten years.  Then we decided we wanted a more uncomplicated lifestyle and  a slower pace.  We explored several different areas.  The  friendly towns near Boise, Idaho, felt like home to us, so we moved here in 1982.  Since moving here I've cared  for many families as a hospice volunteer through Mercy Medical  Hospital for about ten years.

Now I look upon fields and orchards and mountains that continue to nourish my sense of appreciation and gratitude for the splendor all around us.  Though life brings the usual and unusual distresses common to us all, I find that using the power of gratitude helps to maintain a positive outlook.  And the clean, open spaces of the Idaho landscapes arouse repeated thanks to the Creator of all beauty. I enjoy  working for a small publishing company in the area and  promoting my new book,  THANKS.