Hmmm, what to say about myself? Well, I'm a 42-year-old happily-married mother of two. My son is 18 and will be going off to college in the fall; my daughter is nearly 11 and will be starting middle school in the fall.

I like to write when my muse decides to give me some help--I think she's lazy. I've written two chapters of a children's historical fiction book (presumably to be about the Constitutional Convention of 1787--I'm a history buff). Said "book" needs a lot of work. I've also written several short pieces which my writing mentor assures me should be published; I just need to find the right magazine.

I love to read; I enjoy pretty much any type of fiction, but I also enjoy biographies about historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin. I'm also a big Harry Potter fan, and I belong to an online group of Potterphiles called "The Marauders". We come from all over the world and include teachers and professors, one published author, a translator, college students, and people from all walks of life. We've become a family of sorts; we still love and discuss HP, but our conversations are more about ourselves and our lives now.

While I won't discuss politics here in Monkeeland, I have very definite and strong political beliefs. 'Nuff said. :-)

I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone at Monkeeland and to having fun! :-)

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."--Benjamin Franklin

"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see."--John Lennon, Strawberry Fields Forever