I come from a very interesting family, actually a
bunch of mixed nuts. At a very early age, I assigned myself a
very important job within the family. I had the need to keep
everyone laughing and developed the knack to do it, similar to
the skills of a rodeo clown. I was good at it too. I can still
see them in my mind’s eye, with tears of laughter rolling down
their cheeks, doubled over and holding their stomachs.
Through the years, I have studied several avenues
of creativity. My first love was art, and I spent many years
rendering portraits for the almost rich and famous. I quit
sketching people after a time though because I was slowly
becoming a cosmetic surgeon. “Make my nose smaller, straighten
my teeth and give me more hair.” Consequently, pet portraits
became my specialty. Doggies don’t give a hoot if their hair is
thinning or they have freckles on their nose.
In the year 2000, I discovered a new passion.
Writing. I adore a mystery, a good romance and lots of action.
However, the ghost of the rodeo clown still lives in me and
finds ways to thread humor throughout. The things I find funny
can appall some people. Dark and dangerous may be lurking out
there, but I can always find some piece of humor in the worst of
situations. That in itself can be quite annoying. I still
haven’t decided if I want to write Romance, Mystery or Horror.
Not a good thing, but I’m hoping one day to capture all three in
one story.
Although I still write and dabble in art, I am
fulfilling a lifelong desire of performing music, quite a
stretch for the autumn chicken that I am. I perform in two
bands, Meridian which covers classic rock over several decades,
and White Smoke, a band that formed between myself and BJ Saidi.
He is not only a talented musician, songwriter, and producer,
but also the love of my life.
A friend once gave me a quote that has been on my
refrigerator for twenty years. It’s author is unknown but I
have found it encouraging in every aspect of my life. It says,
‘Use the talents that you possess; for the woods would be very
silent if no birds sang except the best.”
