: About Me

Life is funny. It takes and it gives. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, life took a lot from me physically, spiritually, and materially. However, it gave something back to me: my voice, my passion to write, to tell my story, to share my thoughts with the world.

As a young girl, all I wanted was to write. I excelled in all types of writing, but had a special joy for telling stories and writing poetry. In high school, I discovered journalism and went on to major in it at college. But like many women my age, I took a "side trip" into marriage and my degree was never finished. Creative writing became a "hobby" that I was able to devote less and less time to as I raised a family and moved into the business world as a means to support that family. Writing remained a part of my life as I turned my skill to writing training manuals, policy and procedure manuals, marketing materials, etc. I've learned how to get my point across and how to present certain types of material to a wide range of readers and learners, as well as the importance of clarity. But until my world was turned upside down by breast cancer, writing was just a tool to do a job. Writing has once again become a joy and means to express and share my feelings and insights and for that, I am blessed.

I am also the mother of three grown children that I raised as a single parent, which was one of the hardest and yet most satisfying experiences of my life. Raising twin girls and a boy has given me enough writing material to last into the next century! Like every mother there are many things I wish Id done a lot differently and things I look back and say, "Damn, I was good!"

As part of a large extended family, I appreciate all the help they have given me over the years and hope to honor them with a "Memoir" that will tell the story of how much love and faith can accomplish. My family and my faith are my rocks; neither has ever let me down.

After living all over the country: Los Angeles, Miami, Arkansas, and my beloved native Oregon, I am proud to be a citizen of the "Republic of Portland." I'm thrilled to live in a city that actively and passionately supports artists, writers, musicians, alternate transportation modes, sustainable living and believes that rain is really sunshine, hidden in shadows. As the family "gypsy," I've sowed some "wild oats" but Portland has captured me and I don't think I'll try to break that bond anytime soon.

My other passion is reading; I am currently the "unofficial" champ of an "unofficial" Powell's Books Employee Reading contest and intend on keeping my crown! I read 135 books this year and 180 the year in 2006. Luckily, Powell's gives us a generous discount on books and encourages this activity! And yes, for those of you familiar with Powell's, our main store really does take up a whole city block in Portland, holds over two million titles, and is the center of the universe for bibliophiles.

Because I am a breast cancer survivor, I am also passionate about health issues and nutrition. As a recently converted vegetarian (breast cancer does change you!) I'm having fun learning to cook a plant-based diet and hope to contribute some articles about this as well as continue to contribute articles about breast cancer. I also love gardening, and playing with my 13-year-old golden lab, Sam who has the heart of a puppy and the soul of a Zen master.

I am a writer, a member of Helium and life is good!

My passion is ...

Writing, reading, and my family

I know too much about ...

breast cancer

My parents always told me ...

You can do anything you set your mind to.

My childhood ambition ...

To be a writer

My favorite memory ...

Summers, skiing on Lake Shasta

Why I write ...

because I have to.

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

Mystery novels, Tony Bennet & Michael Buble, Meerkat Manor

My first job ...

Flipping hamburgers

My best moment ...

The day I gave birth to my twin daughters and the birth of my son

My inspiration ...

My children, my family, life

Health & Fitness > Cancer Causes of breast cancer

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Despite decades of research, doctors do still not have a definite answer to the cause of breast cancer. However, they do have significant data that indicates there are a number of "risk factors" that contribute to the development of the disease. Knowing the risk factors involved in developing breast cancer are key to prevention. Family history: A family history of breast cancer significantly raises a woman's risk factor. Dr Susan Love in her book "The Breast Book, 4th Edition, indicates that 6 out of 30 women with family history of the disease will get breast cancer compared to 1 out of 30...

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