I started my career in the entertainment business as a child when I wrote, produced, and directed comedy skits for the neighborhood kids featuring my unwilling brothers. In the late 70's, I enrolled in a script writing class at the University of Southern California in Fullerton and have been writing scripts ever since. Family responsibilities took me to Missouri where I typed out stories on an old Remington manual typewriter.

"The Girl Wore Red" was inspired by the fact that I pretended I had an identical twin for two years while in college. As in the story, I was morbidly shy. I did encounter the boy at the dress rack in a department store. He told everyone at school that my twin was taller and more slender. After two years, when I finally admitted that I did not have an identical twin, he wanted to know who that other girl was. I learned was a good actress and my self esteem did build while pretending to be my twin.

"Calico Pie" started out as a scene written for a writing class inspired by the " Zoo Story" by Albee. The story was inspired by a woman I worked with while in high school. Summer's conversation with the grandmother is her story. At four table reads, women state they identify with all the characters. In the most recent table read (2019), men made a point of stating how the story - though taking place in the 80's, is still "unfortunately" relevant today. As of January 16, 2020, the equal rights amendment of 1972 has finally received enough votes to pass and men are finally seeing the problem. We've come a long way, baby.

"Norma and Sally" is inspired by actual events in Iron County, Missouri. The part about the Scrabble game is made up, but the part about the shotgun and the intruder is fact. A later episode includes an actual event where an elderly lady shot a would be robber in the back at a pharmacy because "He didn't pay her no mind."

"As the River Churns" is taken from my time as a waitress in Navajo Dam, NM- affectionately know as the "Dam Community." I worked there for 8 years and have 8 years worth of crazy stories. The pilot who had to walk down from the airstrip is fact as is the bathtub falling through the floor of the double wide. Once I made a joke about being that weeks star of "As the River Churns" and my fellow waitress complained, "No! You're the star of the whole month! Don't go to Mexico!"

The animation "Through the Dark Moon" got it's start as a large clay sculpture. It took a long time to dry. Meanwhile a little girl would come into our studio everyday with her mother and talk to "Osmanthus." To the entertainment of us all, he was her confidant. She wanted to know if he would fly away when he dried. I made up stories about his life to answer her many questions. He eats flowers and he likes little kids. He always tell the truth....well, most of the time.

"Johanna" got it's initial inspiration from the life a woman I knew. She was married at 14 to an older man when her father lost her in a poker game. At a table read, the audience had difficulty with the poker game opening.

In real life....

I've experienced rural living, cutting logs, hauling them out with a horse to the saw mill, and building a house with a hammer and saw (increased on braw size that summer). I lived and raised kids with no electricity for 3 winters. We totally heated our house with wood. I cooked only on a wood cook stove for 16 years. We had gravity feed water from a spring into our house- by design of course. Once when a severe electrical storm knocked power out, we were snug as a bug in a rug for three weeks in sub zero weather while our neighbors all took refuge in town. We also did all our laundry with an old fashion ringer (saves water).

I raised goats, pigs, chickens, horses, guinea pigs and rabbits. We slaughtered what we ate. I canned fruits and vegetables until we got electricity and then I would freeze some. I made elderberry wine, rhubarb liquor, ice cream in the winter, and beef jerky.

I also made all of our bread. I even used to give lessons in bread making after consistently winning the county fair. ( Lentil flour in white bread makes it rise unbelievably high). I make the best buckwheat pancakes—ask anybody. I used to have a small boutique bakery and folks came from surrounding counties for my cinnamon roles. It’s been said no should ever take a road trip without taking my bran muffins.

I have been interested in Homeopathic medicine since the 1980’s when I had cancer for the second time. Currently I use turmeric which keeps my arthritis under control. I also make some powerful ginger snaps which are great a preventing car or sea or air sickness.

I have experienced being a camp cook, getting a truck out of a creek, getting a horse out of quick sand. Once I was caught in a flash flood, I narrowly avoided a rock slide. Once me and some friends accidentally went over a waterfall. I have helped fight some pretty major forest fires and put out one house fire.

I used to weave but had to give up my loom. One of my baskets is in a museum.

I have bought and sold animals at an auction. I use to ride in Gymkhana events and I believe my horse still holds an arena record for Keyhole event.

In the wild I have been face to face with a mountain lion and a large white owl. I have encountered bears at a distance and snakes at the end of my walking stick.

When my children grew up and my marriage broke up, I joined a traveling band. One of my bands even won a rock contest in Hollywood!

Now I’ve settled in rural New Mexico and am back teaching school. I still play in bands as a bass player and sing.
I play scrabble at least once a month with some girl friends and discuss politics daily with my husband. We have an art gallery along the High Road to Taos and meet a lot of interesting people from all over.

I believe a writer needs to live in order to write. Bottom line - many more roads yet to travel.