About Me

I guess this will be my brief bio. I was born in Albion, a little community in Michigan.  I was born in May of 1939, the eldest of 3 children.  I had two brothers, the youngest of whom died a few years ago. I attended Albion High School and Albion College.  During these years, I had my own businesses - a popcorn stand (where I would sit and feed the mice in the evenings, waiting for customers going into the drive-in movie (remember those things?) next door. I also sold Avon to help with college expenses.

Picture of me, taken in Michigan in the summer of 1997...while I was still a sane, normal lady.

The only publishable one taken Christmas, 1998

Bijou and me in the desert outside Tucson, Arizona , where we lived for 11 months. I loved the desert and the mountains.  I left Michigan in October of 1997 to live where the weather was more favorable to my preferred living style! I left behind a daughter and granddaughter - both of whom I miss a lot!  I brought them out there for a vacation - and they fell in love with the area, too.  Maybe one day, I'll revert back to a desert rat and have them come out there to take care of me in my old age!

This is my baby, Bijou.  Bijou is a 5 year old Australian Cattle Dog.  I took her from being a "free range" dog - who had the run of 10 acres and her own river to the deserts of Arizona where she became used to living on a postage stamp! I then moved her onto a 30 ft boat - where she lives basically in the cockpit!  she still loves me!!!

This is my favorite person in the whole world - my granddaughter!  She was a Christmas gift from God - born on Dec. 18 - about 12 years ago.

*Maggie in Mexico, Jan. 1, 1999

During my 'normal' life, I sold real estate, was a bank loan officer, foreclosed on farmers, had my own business and was an herb farmer, teacher and writer.  Well, now you know more than you wanted to know!!  Except, I've been told, I have not described any of the things I like to do!!  So here goes:  I am an 'outdoors' person!  I like to do anything that keeps me outside in shorts and T-shirt!!  I love to swim, walk, hike the mountains,  ride a bike in the desert, oooh and aaah at sunsets.  I'll fish, camp, and cook over an open fire.  I've tried downhill skiing - didn't care for it. I liked the weekends at the lodge, however!!!  I did love cross-country skiing, but gave up snow for good!!  I'd love to become an accomplished sailor.  I'd like to sail off to the Bahamas and spend weeks there, then go on to another exotic port!  When I had my farm, I've grown a year's worth of food in my own garden, 'put up" all kinds of veggies, fruits and meats.   I love to dance...social, swing and square. I've played bridge for days on end.  I've sat with friends and drank pots of coffee while solving the problems of the world.  I have lots of energy, and can't sit through a whole movie at a theater, but I love live theatre,  some opera and ballet.  I'm willing to try new things at least once!!  Two hours of TV a day is too  much for me. I have the radio on all the time, with pop, country, contemporary Christian and/or classical music. Very eclectic person!!!

Everyone wants to know how I came to Texas to go sailing! Well, it's a long story - I came here in October of 1998. A friend asked if I wanted to 'sail around the world'.  SURE DO!  So I came to Texas to go sailing.  That particular situation did not work out, but I was here - and still interested in sailing.  I had a younger friend who had a boat.  He was looking for someone to go sailing with him.  After about 3 months, he convinced me to cruise with him to the Keys. So I put money into fixing up the boat.  Then I put MORE money into fixing up the boat. Things NEVER go as quickly or as cheaply as you expect on a boat, and after a few months, he got an offer to join in a business venture and decided to stay.  Since I had money in the boat and would basically 'kiss it' goodbye - I just took over the boat and got professional help in fixing it up for cruising. I then took sailing lessons!! 

I had a lady friend who thought she would like to go sailing off to the Caribbean with me.  So we made plans and left Rockport, TX on Nov. 14, 1999.  We expected to spend New Year's Eve in St. Croix.  But having a partner who was in a hurry to take off, we didn't do sufficient 'shake down' sailing in the area to fix all the problems! So we got as far as Galveston and had to stop to make repairs. Things weren't going all that well between us, and after Thanksgiving, she got homesick and decided to go back home.  I had the boat hauled out and had repairs made, then was sort of 'stuck' in Galveston.  After 'vegging out' for a couple of months, I moved the boat to Clear Lake and found some work doing freelance accounting and web page design.  Most of the life after that is documented fairly well on this site. 

My personality!!  Well, now, this is the tough part!!!  I had my horoscope read - and it seemed to describe me pretty well!!  I'm a Taurus, born on May 18, with Sagittarius rising.  Sounds impressive...but I'm not all that sure what that means!!

I am even tempered and peace loving.  I'm not easily ruffled and rarely have emotional outbreaks!  I hate petty bickering and picking.  But push me to the limits, and you'll know about it!  I'm gentle, in a gruff way!  Little kids can figure that out better than adults!  But I am very stubborn and don't really like changes which require emotional adjustments!  That means I don't like to break off relationships that I am involved in, and will go to any length to make it work.

I need security and loyalty in love, am extremely devoted to the ones I love, and always try to provide a warm, nurturing atmosphere.  Guess that makes me a 'nest builder'. 

A great deal of physical affection,  closeness and touching is essential for me to be a decent human being!  I'll pout if I think I'm being ignored!! 

The 'Sagittarius' rising, they tell me, gives me my adventurous spirit!  I am a high-spirited, enthusiastic and exuberant person.  I love adventure, exploring new territory, and don't seem to be happy confined to the same, safe, familiar, secure little world all the time!  Guess I'm fairly restless and yearn for something greater than anything I've yet experienced.  I often live in dreams and visions for the future.  The possibility of discovering something new is what makes life interesting for me.  I have great faith in life and bounce back quickly from disappointment and failure.  My faith is what has made me adopt a policy of 'what, me worry?'.  My affirmation is: 'I am a perfect and unique creation of God.  All things in all areas of my life come to me at the right time. '

I am not a particularly 'religious' person, but very spiritual.  I feel that religion was made by man to control man.  I enjoy going to church, made the decision to become baptized Lutheran as an adult. 

I am freedom-loving and independent.  I suppose that makes me difficult to live with. I am friendly, out-going and have a great sense of fun and playfulness.  But sometimes I allow the problems of life to put that on a side burner. That's something I'd like to change.

All my life, I've lived a conventional life.  All my life, I have had an itch to do something else...go someplace else...do something else....

I don't like it when people try to make me fit 'their' mold; I don't like it when somebody tries to tell me how to live my life, when to me, their life is a trap!!

People live their lives in chains; only they never realize that they hold the key. I want to hold my own key.

Now, I'm doing that!!  Thank God, I have health, stamina, vigor and vitality!  I'm on a quest to find peace in my soul and adventure in my life....well, at least sunshine and roses!!...maybe sailboats and sunsets.......