I grew up on an old fruit farm in Martinsville, New Jersey.  So deep country, but 30 miles from New York City.  So both country and city mouse, my life was enriched by both worlds.  Mostly isolated on the old farm, I immersed myself in books and nature--exploring my parents' thousands of books, plus outdoors the apple trees, wildflowers, fields, vineyard, and surrounding brooks.  But also we rode the train, then ferry, into New York for plays, ballets, concerts, museums, etc.   I majored in English at Oberlin College, Ohio; then worked at Harcourt Brace Publishing Co. in N.Y. 2 years, then taught grade school 2 years, then taught grade school in England for USAF 2 years.  Fell in love with England (since I'd read about it all my life)--the villages, farms, history, pubs, and people.  Then married a USAF officer.  We lived in Chicago where he got a law degree.  Then we moved, with young daughter, to Bainbridge Island, WA (in Puget Sound west of Seattle) where we ride a ferry into Seattle.  We bought an old dairy farm on Bainbridge.  In 1964 I met Minnie Rose Lovgreen, who with her family had run a successful dairy farm here on Bainbridge for 30 years.  Originally from an English farm family, she had endless, vivid, fascinating, very detailed stories to tell of her life--including the fact that she and her brother had tickets on the Titanic, but because that sailing was delayed, came across on an earlier boat!  And how fortunate for us all!  Otherwise her 2 books (tape-recorded by me when she was dying of cancer) would not exist and folks wouldn't have access to her entertaining but practical stories:  MINNIE ROSE LOVGREEN'S RECIPE FOR RAISING CHICKENS and FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER: Minnie Rose's Life Story.  Over the years I've self-published and helped others self-publish various books.  However, MINNIE ROSE LOVGREEN'S RECIPE FOR RAISING CHICKENS is my best-seller by far--because it's offers very practical, but also charming, unique advice for chicken raisers and chicken lovers everywhere--in the voice of a wise country-woman from years gone by.

Widely published, award-winning poet; self-publisher of 14 books and calendars; creative writing teacher for all ages--grade school through college; poet-in-the-schools; 1st Director of Bainbridge Island Arts Council; mother of 4, grandmother of 2; MA in English from Oberlin College; MS in Education from Bank Street College.