I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. I graduated from UCLA with a BA, MA, and two lifetime teaching credentials: General Secondary and Community College. I taught Secondary School English in the LA City School District for 4 years, and then, I taught expository writing and English/American Literature at Citrus College, in Azusa, CA for 4 years. After that I became a goldsmith and diamond setter after learning jewelry making and design at the Gem Institute of America which was located, at that time, in Santa Monica, CA. And I studied Life Drawing at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. I opened a retail custom jewelry store in West Covina in 1972.
I married in 1969. My husband, Keith was a former Fire Fighter with LA County Fire Department for 13 years, but he quit to study Psychology. He graduated from UCLA with a BA, and he graduated from the University of San Francisco with an MA. Both degrees were in psychology.
During our early years together, we camped extensively along the CA Coast and the Rocky Mountains. We were dazzled by the Redwood Trees and the Smith River. After that, living in LA became intolerable. We moved to the Redwood House in Gasquet, CA. in 1974. We bought the Redwood house in 1975. That same year, I opened a retail, custom jewelry store in nearby Crescent City, CA., and Keith opened a private practice in Marriage and Family Counseling, where he worked until his death in 1969. I continued to own and operate my jewelry store for a total of 48 years. I still live in the Redwood House, next door to the vacation rental, Gasquet River View.