I’m 100% a Jersey Girl. That means I’m a little loud and a bit opinionated with a talent for creative swearing. The NJ accent? Got it! Living in NJ comes at a premium price, but it’s worth it! We have every season, with a coast of beaches. We have forests, rivers, lakes, mountains and lots of great hiking – which ALL suits me. We can easily get to New York, Philly, Boston and Washington and sometimes do. We have museums, aquariums, zoos, nature centers, and theaters. Jersey Girls don’t pump gas – but can if we need to. I can’t think of many things that I can’t get to in about an hour or an ingredient for cooking I can’t buy. That all adds up to good living to me!

After many years of parenting 4 boys through things like early intervention, homeschooling, scouting and sports, adding in special needs parenting, foster care, adoption – I woke up middle-aged. Actually it was more like hitting a brick wall. 50 was NOT kind to me and I’ve spent some calibrating my compass and adjusting my sails.

I’d like to be 106 years old, carrying my own groceries and dancing to 80s music with great-grandchildren. I have lots of things I’d still like to do…

I’ve been married to Dennis my whole life and we have weathered all sorts of things life has thrown at us. My life has been deeply touched by Down syndrome, adoption and the raising of my ‘largish’ family of 4 boys that we still share our house, meals and bathrooms with. Some days are better than others.

We ALWAYS have a literally full house.

I believe in God and a whole host of other things that I cannot see. I like people who challenge how I think. I love working in the organization industry – both at The Container Store with a very talented home organizer. I am book lover and I’d be miserable without Audible. I am an avid crocheter, walker & hiker. I am a pathological watcher of documentaries and I’m really into improving my health right now.

If I wasn’t me, I’d want to be Dolly Parton.

This is a blog about the good, the bad and the mundane.