After finishing nursing school in Rochester I moved to Boston, worked and met Steve. I lasted in the city about a year (though it's still my favorite city), married Steve, and lived in New England for the next 5 years where our 3 children were born. Much to my father's chagrin, we moved south of the Mason-Dixon line when Steve was transferred to Atlanta. We were to be here 2 years. The reality: we never left.

I continued to work on and off in nursing--the last ten in Hospice where I loved my job. As it's a high burn-out kind of job, with 6-7 years average tenure, 10 was my limit. I tried to retire, which lasted a few years, found myself looking for things to do again, then started part-time in a children's retail area. Then 5 years ago I opened my own shop. It's been a wonderful learning experience, and a lot of fun for the most part (although my opinion of the everyday shopper is that sometimes s/he can be far worse than the toughest hospital patient!).

2003 was the roughest year--Steve died after a brief but vicious battle with pulmonary fibrosis. All my training helped only slightly; I don't know that anything would have prepared me for the last 18 months. I am so very grateful for what we had, am savoring many wonderful memories, and am blessed with our 3 terrific children who still live near-by with their families. They, along with my brother and sisters, are helping keep me sane. Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible this summer.