This is me...

(Part I)

Well, here I am. I have finally succumed to the world of Blogging. I am hoping this will be a great way to help me sort through my thoughts, while keeping track of my life, and in touch with my extended family.

By way of introduction, I was born and raised primarily in Washington state, spending most of my years in western Washington. I am the fifth of seven children-- the youngest daughter of two very loving parents who, to this day, promote family togetherness as a way of life. Sometimes I think of my dad as "Pa" in Laura Ingalls Wilder's series of "Little House" books. A man of honor, Pa loved adventure and new places, and was described as having an "itchy foot"-- one who wanted to journey on, moving further and further west. My dad is also a man of great honor and integrity, and like Pa, had an "itchy foot"-- we moved a lot. Difficult as it seems, this was not without its perks, as you will soon see.

I think of my mother as a woman of courage. Though I am sure I must have worn her nerves to a fray, I have great admiration for her and what she has done with her life. Like Wilder's "Ma", my mother's intentions always seemed to be to make the most of every situation. She did the best she could with what she had. Like Ma, I see my mother as soft-spoken and quiet, and very wise. When I look back at my childhood, I have to wonder if she purposefully created learning moments for her children, because my life seems to have been full of them. I believe both of my parents contributed to my natural curiosity and love of learning. For that gift, I am eternally grateful.

With every move to a new place, I found new adventure, and ease in re-inventing myself however I liked. As a child, I had the opportunity to experience things that many other kids could never claim. When I lived on San Juan Island, we farmed sheep. We learned to shear the sheep, wash and dry the wool; card, spin, and dye the wool. When we lived in Yakima, we maintained an orchard, raising many varieties of fruits and nuts. When we lived in Hay River (Northwest Territories, Canada), we experienced life in the far north, viewing spectacular auroras almost on a nightly basis. No matter where we lived, we always had a garden. As a kid, I loved moving-- with memories like these, who wouldn't? Being painfully shy, however, I found it very difficult to make new friends and often crawled deeper into my shell.