I have been writing since I was able to hold a pencil, and long before I could spell. Early childhood writing consisted mainly of poetry. After I became an elementary education teacher, the majority of my writing efforts went toward teaching children to write rather than my own creativity.

In 1996, I experienced a stroke that left me unable to teach; I turned my innovative energies back to my own work, crafting poetry, memoir, children’s fiction, and inspirational pieces about my stroke.

The first article I composed and published following the stroke was A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to Recovery, published in the Speech and Hearing Association newsletter in Casper, Wyoming in 1997. Another article, published by the same organization about six months later, was A Miracle in My Pocket.

Several of my pieces have won awards, and I’ve also been honored personally with awards from the Wyoming Writers, Inc. state-wide writers’ association, which I joined after my stroke. I began entering the organization’s annual contests and placed in the top three the first two years:

• 1^st place in Literature for Children for Farrah Flea and the Adventures of Bascombe the Basset Hound
• 3^rd place in Adult Nonfiction for Song of the Lake

Those entries are included in the anthologies published for Wyoming Writers, Inc.

I received awards from the group as well: 

• The Western Horizons Award, presented annually for an author’s first major publication
• The Emmie Mygatt Award, which honors one person annually for outstanding service to Wyoming Writers, Inc.

I also placed in two categories in a contest that included colleges in about 10 states in the western United States. Those winning entries were published in the Casper College Literary and Arts Magazine, 41^st Edition of Expressions Magazine:

• The Face of a Hero, 1^st place in Adult Nonfiction
• Big Bear, Little Bear, 3^rd Place in Literature for Children

Additionally, two stories of mine published in The Fence Post, a central Wyoming magazine: The Partner Boots, published in two parts, and The Root Cellar.

I also enjoy writing for children, and I am working on a book series about my pot-bellied pig named Licorice. I’ve created children’s books for others in the past, designed with the main character being the child receiving the story. These personalized books were made for friends and family members. I also designed the same type of books for a classroom of first graders, with a different book written for each reading level and each individual book personalized for the children in that reading group. Along with the books, I supplied the teacher with worksheets and activities to use in the classroom with each reading group. I did this in the elementary school where I taught prior to my stroke.

I’ve used the same concept to help raise money to sponsor children going to Scout camp; these were auctioned off to members of my church.

Animals are a large part of my life. For many years, I volunteered with a Basset Hound rescue organization, and I’ve often paired my appreciation and concern for dogs with my enjoyment of writing. Therefore, I designed dog treat cookbooks, which I sell to dog lovers in order to help raise money for different animal rescue groups. These cookbooks can be purchased through rescue group websites and through animal shelters, where the cookbooks are on display. In these books, each recipe is illustrated with a picture of a dog, along with a humorous caption. Some of the books have been of dogs in general, while others have been breed-specific. Recently, I branched out to include cookbooks incorporating photographs people have sent me pictures of their own dogs, thus personalizing the dog treat cookbooks even more.

I’m honored to share my writing in various ways and in different genres. Whether a collection of poetry, a children’s story, an article, a poem, or a dog treat cookbook, I’m grateful for the opportunity to encourage, inspire, and help others.

My overwhelming desire is to create and publish writings that inspire others to overcome hardships. My recovery from the stroke has far exceeded what physicians and caregivers predicted; they unanimously agree that the unexpected progress is due to my determination to succeed. If I can inspire others to overcome their own challenges, barriers, and setbacks, then I’ve fulfilled my purpose as a person and a creative.