About Me
What the heck! It's my web site and I do all the work so I think I
deserve a page of my own. Mostly I want to talk about my passions, which
are many. In fact, it is only the shortage of hours in the day that
prevent me from pursuing more interests. My current loves are flying,
animals, especially cats, horseback riding, family, and computers, not
necessarily in that order. So here goes.
My first flight in a small plane took place in the spring of 1979 when, on a beautiful Saturday morning, I decided to take a Discovery Flight at Godfrey Field in Leesburg. I was not motivated to fly to fulfill some long smoldering desire dating back to my childhood. No, I just wanted to experience something that most other people hadn't. As Kenny and I approached the airport we noticed a tiny plane next to the fence by the parking lot and Kenny was gleeful as he informed me that it would be my chariot for the flight. Oh no, I replied, it was just a model to show us what a general aviation airplane looked like. Imagine my astonishment 10 minutes later when the flight instructor directed me to this very plane for a preflight inspection! But the rest is history. I got my private pilot certificate in March, 1980 and continued on to earn commercial, instrument and multiengine ratings. I only flew for 3 years before finances became an issue as 6 children born 7 years apart approached college age. Reluctantly I gave up flying for 11 years but always promised myself that when the time was right I would take it up again. In January, 1993 I wrote the last college tuition check and in March I kept my promise to myself. Today I own a beautiful Bonanza and take any excuse to fly, anywhere, anytime.
My love affair with cats began when I was a little girl, shy, sensitive, and scared of just about everything. Kindergarten was agony and I caused many class disruptions, crying and asking to go home. In an attempt to pacify me and regain control of the classroom my teacher suggested to Mom that perhaps I would benefit from a pet. I still don't get the connection between my behavior and an animal but I was lucky because my parents took her advice and got me a kitten. And from that day on I have had a deep, abiding devotion to these gentle creatures . When things went wrong in childhood I would go to my room, bury my face in my kitty's warm, silky fur and cry. Somehow it made me feel better. For most of the rest of my life at least one feline has shared my home and today I still have 8. I'm paying cats back for all the love and comfort they gave me when I needed it most.
This is a rather new hobby for me. Seven years ago Kenny and I decided to go to a dude ranch for summer vacation and there I just couldn't resist the call of the barn. I signed up for almost all the rides, even the advanced ones, and almost killed myself loping on a narrow trail with trees on both sides. I repeated this experience for the next two years and finally decided that riding lessons were the way to go. One year later I bought my horse, Ruben, a big, gentle, 3 year old Friesian. Since then the two of us have been in training together several times a week but I'm definitely the limiting member of our team. Ruben has graduated to 2nd grade while I remain in kindergarten.
This web site was created as a testament to my family, the true loves of my life. My greatest legacy will be that I made the world a better place by leaving behind 6 children who have the finest qualities of both their mother and their father, plus their own individual kindnesses. Enough said on this subject, anything more would be overemotional and my kids would hate it.
About computers
Who would have ever thought that at the ripe old age of 56 I would have so eagerly embraced the world of computers, in 1995 I couldn't even turn one on! But I realized that unless I were to die an early death it would be impossible to survive into the 21 century without some rudimentary knowledge of these beasts. I set myself the task of becoming computer literate and today approximately 30 well read computer books line my library shelves. The Dummies books are great! This web site is the culmination of the past 6 year's effort.
