The first was a Bachelor of Education degree, which changed me from a shy, quiet kid to someone who had a voice and could speak confidently. It was during these years of teaching high school kids not much younger than me that I developed my communication skills and learned how to make complicated things simple. And that’s something I’m still using.

The second bright shiny ball appeared when my kids were 3 and 1 and somehow, I found myself doing a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics. As a dietitian and food consultant, I wrote for numerous publications and published two books. Oh, and there was that cooking series on TV that I hosted years ago before they were the rage!

But after a few years of that, I missed the intellectual stimulation and peer group interaction, so I returned to university and did a PhD in clinical nutrition, along with part-time teaching in the department. Bright, shiny ball number three! The big thing I learned here to be comfortable with not knowing something – that’s what Ph.D. research was all about. That was huge, and today it gives me compassion and confidence when sorting out confused, tangled thoughts.

About 15 years ago

I felt a yearning to develop the artistic side of me, and in no time, I was doing professional photography, graphic design and web design. No more courses – I knew how to find answers and learn stuff on my own. Bright shiny balls 4, 5 and 6. During my years of graphic and web design, one problem kept coming up over and over again with my clients: they had trouble figuring out what to say on their website or brochure! So in the interest of getting projects moving, I started helping my clients create their

marketing message – and in doing that, I discovered bright shiny ball number 7 – personal branding, an area that somehow brought everything together: teaching, photography, graphic and web design, research skills, Dale Carnegie training, and more!

One day I was watching Dancing with the Stars, and something inside of me started screaming, “There’s our next shiny ball!”. And so, (at the age of 61!) I ventured into years of new fun, new friendships and new challenges. Lots of them! In the studio, the rest of the world disappeared: you were not defined by your family position, your job title, or your history. It was only the present moment, filled with feeling and music and moving, not thinking. That was new to me – I had always been the intellectual type, so dealing with dance steps and learning to control and coordinate my body movements made me feel like a baby just learning to walk. But man alive, was it FUN!

Now that I’m retired

I have more time for dancing than ever. I compete with my dance teacher as my partner – just like the TV program! My body feels and looks fantastic, and it’s stronger than ever, thanks to my overall activity level and my fitness training. I’ve started drawing, painting and creating collages to satisfy my creative urges. (You’ll see them all over this site.) So many things to do! I’m flying high on a magic carpet, happier than I could ever have imagined.

My mission is to show you that you can do it too! So go ahead and enjoy the parts of this site that call to you. Let yourself get inspired; let yourself dream. Then go chase those dreams! As Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it!”