: About Me

When I am not running teenagers everywhere, gardening, or tending my chickens, I work under a grant-funded program as a Victim Advocate for a local police department.  I serve victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, and stalking in crisis intervention, court prosecution, therapy outsourcing, and with community resources.   I have a MA in Forensic Psychology and a BA in English, and when I can squeeze in the time, I host a website at www.RootSteps.com that deals directly with family history research, helpful links and family collections.

Despite my current professional vocation, I have been blessed to have a varied and extensive work history, which affords me a good foundation to write on a variety of subjects.  In the past I have worked as an At-Risk counselor/teacher, English Teacher, Art Sales Manager, Gallery Director, and in finance.  Interestingly, all have contributed in some way to the profession I now enjoy.

I live for my family: a "blended" family with six kids(all but two out of the house now), a wonderful husband, and all kinds of love. I have been called "opinionated" (not the worst thing I have been called), no doubt lending passion to my writing, if not validity, but always in the desire to help someone else. I believe life should be lived with no regrets, as we hopefully learn from our mistakes. After all, that's what it's all about.

My passion is ...

my family, writing, traveling, cooking, family history research, and gardening.

I know too much about ...

the ugly things people chose to do to one another. A hazard of my degree program.

My parents always told me ...

"Remember who you are."

My childhood ambition ...

was to be a child psychologist.

My favorite memory ...

was going to see the redwoods of N. Cali with my husband and kids. Such incredible beauty.

Why I write ...

I write to inform or touch others' lives and to bring peace to my own.

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

(Reading) Complete Works of CS Lewis (Watching) NCIS, The Mentalist, The Closer & Psych, and White Collar.

My first job ...

was as an icecream scooper at The Blue & Gold. I was 15.

My best moment ...

Happily remarrying after 6 years as a single mom.

My inspiration ...

comes from those who have struggled and overcome.

Personal Finance > Mortgages & Home Loans Should I buy discount points on my next home refinance?

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Most home owners will refinance their homes at some point in their lives. The good news is that not only is a refinance usually a less stressful experience than the purchase of a home, but it often becomes an opportunity to reduce one's monthly payment and save money in the long run through a reduction in rate. What some do not know, however, is that additional savings can often be gained by purchasing a deeper reduction to the rate through what is called discount points. Determining whether the purchase of discount points is right in any given refinance requires good communication with on...

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