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Special Moments

We have all experienced those special moments and people (or animal friends) that have touched our lives in an inexplicable way, and had a great impact on who we are now. On this page, I share some of mine with you ...

My Parents
	This is my mom and dad. Although Dad is no longer with us, he lives on in our hearts, memories, and in the talents and gifts he left with his nine children. We all miss him dearly, but are thankful we had such a neat dad! Mom is a trooper. Although she feels the loss greatly (he died just 5 months before their 50th wedding anniversary), she refuses to lie down and give up. Her courage has been a real inspiration to me. She spends a great deal of time with any one of her nine children, which is no easy feat, since we are scattered all over the country. She has hinted a time or two that living out of suitcases can become unsettling. When she is not playing gypsy, she indulges in working in her yard (she loves gardening, landscaping, and birdwatching), and is compiling her numerous poems and stories she has written.

Furry Friends
This is Brandy, my long time buddy (and best friend) whose faithful companionship I have enjoyed for many years. This picture was taken up in Northern Ontario, where I was working as medical officer at a Wilderness Survival Camp for troubled teens. Very isolated... Brandy got a lot of enjoyment out of chasing chipmunks, squirrels, and waves on the beach. Me? While I was going through "wood shock", I tended to the medical needs of the camp, wrote a couple of songs, and watched Brandy chase waves.	Brandy on the Lookout for Critters
Me and Brandy at Potholes	Brandy is no longer with me... after 15 years of loyal, loving companionship, she had grown weak and struggled to walk, stand, etc... Her appetite finally began to wane and finally, after an agonizing decision to euthanize her, she slipped away under the needle of a sedative meant only to relax her and put her into a sleep. The lethal injection was not even needed. She is and will be sadly missed by all of us. She was such a central part of my life for so long, and I will always love her and miss her, but at the same, am grateful to God for providing me with such a wonderful, loving furry friend and companion for so many years. See Farewell, Master

A Little More about Myself ...
Me and my Buddy at MWA

This is Blacky...	a hyperactive Black Lab mix I rescued from certain death several years ago. She is an excellent walking partner, and even though she is putting on some years, has yet to slow down. There is not a mean bone in her body, and she has turned out to be a real blessing. She, too, misses Brandy, her buddy and companion for over 10 years, and I have been doting on her a bit more, taking her for multiple walks each day, and encouraging her through the doldrums. We can lean on each other through this.

I am no longer working in the medical field, but rather have set off in a completely different direction... computers. What else? I have graduated (in December) from a technical college where I earned an Associate's degree in computer information systems, with a specialty in PC Support and Administration and am only a couple of classes away from a specialty in Networking, which I will most likely go back and finish up in the not too distant future. While attending college, I had the opportunity and joined Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two year colleges, and served as the president of our local chapter. I learned that, while it is wonderful to have a goal, we need to learn to enjoy the journey, while we are working toward that goal. Phi Theta Kappa not only helped me to develop leadership skills, but also learn to interact with others and enjoy the support and friendship of fellow students, while enjoying that journey.
This picture is one of myself and Ivy (our guest of honor) at a recent Phi Theta Kappa fundraiser (kiss the pig) during our campus mixer. We had several "delegates" who were supposed to kiss Ivy if they brought in the most money (votes)...kind of like an agrigultural jail and bail. Each of the moments in our life are precious, and, as we grow a little older, and hopefully wiser, we learn to appreciate every gift from above, both the seen and the unseen.	Our Guest of Honor

... and my family
My Sweetheart and Husband	My sweetheart, my husband... what can I say? He is loving, supportive, and one in a million. It was his idea that I get out of the medical field and do something with my interest in computers, even though he is a self-proclaimed ludite. He does admit to turning off my monitor once. So, while I obsess at my computer, and play with home networking and PC hardware and software, he reads about economics and history. He thinks I am brilliant because I know how to power up a computer. I wonder if he realizes what a monster he has created. God has given us each day to enjoy, not curse. When I say good bye to my husband as he leaves for work, I realize that it may be the last time I speak to him. Therefore, I make every effort to avoid falling into the trap of becoming complacent in our relationship. Working EMS in Michigan, before I transplanted to Indiana, I came to realize how easy it is for us to take our health, safety, family, and each day that God has given us, for granted.
Children... This is my younger daughter, Teri, who has been there for me when others have not. I will always appreciate her thoughtfulness and daughter's love. Of course, she is grown and has her own family with all the responsibilities that entails, but she does not let me forget that I still have a place in her life. She is very busy raising two kids, a girl and a boy, and is getting ready to graduate from college and embark on a career in Dental Hygiene. She has done exceptionally well, and has received many honors, and merited a couple of scholarships as well.
	Then there is my older daughter, Trina. She, too, has her own family and has a full schedule, balancing her time between raising three kids...two girls and one boy, and her schooling. She is attending college, and doing well, with future plans for working in the field of interior design.
The Grandkids! This is a picture of my five grandchildren: Mark, Kristen, Ashley, Heather, and Brendan. This was taken before opening up some presents under the Christmas tree, which accounts for the gleam in at least one eye

Song playing - Friends