: About Me

My writing at Helium is as varied as my working career. You will find my articles in 14 categories ranging from Autos to Family to Personal Finance. I credit my ability to write knowledgably about a range of topics to the jobs I have had in many industries. I also have a special talent for writing to specifications as is evidenced by 6 of my 25 articles having been purchased by Helium Marketplace publishers. Visit this link for a published sample: http://www.life123.com/career-money/wealth-management/estate-taxes/the-characteristics-of-a-successful-estate-sale.shtml

When not writing for the Helium Marketplace, there is quite often a hint of dry wit evident in my work. I feel that readers appreciate my sporadic injections of humor when they are dealing with potentially dull subject matter. I welcome you to visit my articles page for a sample or continue reading here for more details about how I learned to do what I do.

The short version. Once upon a time a journalism/advertising/english major got her degree and promplty went to work using economics instead of essays. Tiring of that, she traded benchmarks for babies. Having succeeded in safely rearing them to school age, she became a "secretary-at-law" (as her boys affectionately call her)and quickly determined she had more to offer the world than her organizational skills. In a rare moment of quiet contemplation, she perused her memories to determine what had provided the most satisfaction in her life to date. She found that reading and writing were her mainstays of pleasure since the time she first learned to...well, read and write.

The long version. In the past twenty years, I have worked in a variety of fields that are totally unrelated. I paid my way through college by using my abilities to make good grades and to throw a fastpitch softball to get a scholarship. The scholarship wasn't a full ride, so I worked on the campus "waste management" team as well. You will never fully appreciate how disgusting college kids are until you empty their trash.

When I transitioned from community college to university, I was able to give up trash duty and served as a helper at a printing company. It was here that I learned the importance of planning, having supplies at the ready, accepting being yelled at by the customer (who is always right) and "robbing Peter to pay Paul", also known as bookkeeping. I would probably be running a four color press today if not for that "hair in the press" incident.

Armed with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Journalism/Advertising, I stormed the world ready to write life changing literature. It wasn't long before I realized that I really did need food to survive, set my Pulitzer ambitions temporarily aside and took the first decent paying job I could find. And that is how I found myself wearing the title "Inventory Analyst" and in charge of manufacturing schedules for Seagate Technology. At Seagate, I learned that choosing words wisely could get even the most impossible of jobs done. I also learned to write more literally as some American sayings just can't be translated well by people living in Amsterdam and Singapore.

Eventually, I traded a career for kids and learned a skill set that is undefinable, but qualifies me to run a small country. Through necessity, I dove back into the work force again. This time I surfaced as an account manager for Coca-Cola. Following a quick, but ferocious, climb up the ladder I learned I was too free-spirited to be destined for corporate management. Combine that with the fact that half my salary was being spent on 3 hours per day of childcare, and you have the reason I took a position as a part-time administrative assistant with attorneys specializing in securities law.

Another surprise was on the horizon, child number three, and I managed to condense the securities work, combine it with mothering and supplement it with substitute teaching for kindergarten through twelfth grades. It was at this point that I finally had some "spare time" and discovered Helium. My fellow writers responded well to my work and even a few publishers liked it well enough to purchase it. Whatever jobs my future may hold, my contributions to Helium will continue.

My passion is ...

reading really good books.

I know too much about ...

Sponge Bob Square Pants.

My parents always told me ...

to stand up straight.

My childhood ambition ...

was to be an English teacher.

My favorite memory ...

has apparently vanished because I'm not coming up with anything!

Why I write ...

I write to express that wicked jumble of thoughts spinning around my little brain!

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

I'm waiting on an order for the book club and am not happy about it/watching Ace Ventura with my kids/listening to Billy Squire's Stroke

My first job ...

Costume jewelry sales at John A Browns.

My best moment ...

Three of these - Births of Jake, John and Miah.

My inspiration ...

God and the amazing craziness that is humanity.

Travel > Travel Planning & Advice Do people vacation primarily for excitement or relaxation?

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Relaxation is the Key to Vacation No matter what activity or locale chosen, most people take vacations to relax. By definition, relax means doing something you enjoy, outside of normal routine that refreshes the body, mind and spirit. But the idea of relaxation not only varies among people, but also from year to year for any given person. Take me for instance. Once upon a time, I was a woman whose ideal vacation was a week at the ocean. I was adamant that nothing I did while there be more strenuous than lounging on the beach and consuming fine foods and beverages. Okay, there was this one ...

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• Marketplace Premier Writer
• Marketplace Approved Writer
• 6Marketplace Articles Sold
• Helium Charter Member