Me, me, me- in a world bombarded with advertisements and media promoting ourselves, I try to look away and find the simpler things. I am a nurse and love helping others, providing some comfort or sharing a smile. I have always had a passion for people and art. I enjoy using art to express my feelings, thoughts, and ideas of the world around me. Paper art and painting are the mediums I enjoy exploring.

Writing is another outlet I use for self expression and communication. I send handmade cards to family, friends, and sometimes to strangers. I hope the process of writing letters with pen and paper is never lost. The thoughtful process and endearing quality of a handwritten letter are a warm welcome to most people. I love to receive snail mail and linger over the words. I value the opinions of others and look for new insights from others. By expressing our ideas on paper, we are forced to examine more closely our thoughts and ponder the impact of our words.

My children are a huge part of my being at this time in my life. Sometimes I feel as if I have lost myself in them. For awhile this may be enjoyable! Having two boys ages 9 and 13 years old and a husband paints a picture of one wild ride... These boys of mine, all three, are active, precocious, argumentative, mischievous, sweet, hungry all the time, affectionate, smelly, giving, and demanding~ they are the loves of my life.

I am looking forward to sharing myself through the written word on this forum and corresponding with women from Africa to learn more about their culture, thoughts, and feelings. As well, knowing the end result is a relationship and a helpful endeavor to promote reading and writing are reasons to begin this process.