A poem I wrote when I was seventeen. I don’t know who I was writing to, but I love the message!

One of my favorite paintings. I have been a commercial illustrator since 1981.

When I illustrate – I spread out. I have written a lot about my illustration career on my Art Blog. The link is on the right side of this page (Illustrating My Life).

Performing at Border’s Bookstore.

My childhood friend, Steve, who has been very “instrumental” in helping me with my music. We had not seen each other for over forty years and were reunited last year.

I am sitting between Steve and his mother, Marilyn. Steve was my neighbor and we played together all the time when we were little. He moved away when I was about ten-years-old.

I think I am hearing music in this picture. The music stopped when I “matured.” I guess now I’m immature again!

I now feel the same way I did in this picture. I truly “transformed” this year.

A poem that I wrote while I was active in Compassionate Friends seventeen years ago.

I experienced a lot of trauma when Jason was in the hospital.

Jason only lived five years, but he had a very happy life.

Performing at Kulak’s Woodshed in North Hollywood. The Open Mic night is a perfect venue for me, and I always purchase a video of my performance. I have watched my tremendous improvement!

Before I began my blog, I was writing updates to all my friends when my mother was ill on a respirator in January, 2010.

My mother’s support enabled me to cope with Jason’s illness.

I was always very close to my mom.

It wasn’t too long ago when I was able to still take my mother out to dinner. I miss those times. She died in 2013.

A picture with my brothers, Norman and Howard.

In this picture, Howard is on my left and Norm on my right. I am the “baby” in our family. I can’t believe I played tennis with that tiny, wooden racket!

I love this picture! I am a princess surrounded by my father’s junk. He was an intense hoarder.

I began playing my guitar at the age of fifteen. I am sixteen in this picture.

I am always amazed how I wrote the lyrics to my song, “Through My Music” without experiencing many of those feelings until later in my life. I do not remember how to read or write music anymore.

I created this image to go with one of my stories. Jason died in 1992 when he was five-years-old.

Playing my guitar with Jason, who loved music very much. He was always singing and dancing.

This was one of Jason’s art projects. For me it represents him being an angel with his red heart on display.

I was always a very happy child.

I wasn’t kidding when I said I always had a big smile most of my life. That was until I experienced deep grief and “Zombieland.”

I received a lot of love my entire life from my parents.

A picture with my parents at their nursing facility in April of 2009. My dad was suffering.

I love this picture taken with my mother when I was fourteen-years-old.

My father with my mother while she was in the hospital after breaking her hip. I refused to allow her to have surgery because she wouldn’t have survived it. She ended up being able to walk again.

I loved sharing my songwriting passion with my close friend, Cheryl, while in college. She died in 2008 and I have grieved her deeply.

I love this picture of Cheryl and I.

A picture of my childhood friend, Joni, when we were 8-years-old. We’ve known each other since we were toddlers.

A picture taken with my childhood friend, Joni, after we met with a music producer she introduced me to.

A picture taken while hiking with Joni and Carol. Carol and Joni were both at my twentieth birthday party so many years ago!

My two friends with me when I turned 20.

My friend, Carol, whom I hadn’t seen in thirty years. My ex-boyfriend, Dr. Sam, told me how to find her after he found my blog in 2011.

I reconnected with Sam, who was my boyfriend on and off for four years through high school. Sam gave me a lot of ideas to write about, especially regarding my grief.

Playing guitar for Sam back in 1977. Sam is a doctor and has been very generous and helpful sharing advice with me. We corresponded a lot on my blog about grief.

A picture with Sam as we got ready to leave for my high school prom in 1977.

A page from my diary about my parents.

My song “Alone” was written before I had ever had anyone close to me die.

My two friends, Allison and Lori, with our “subsequent” babies.

I reunited with Allison and Lori, who were both close to me at Compassionate Friends. We all had subsequent babies at the same time.

A picture with my beloved, Jason, when he was five-years-old. He will never age and will always be that way for me.

I know I look really happy in this picture taken after I ‘transformed.”

Peaches Chrenko was my first vocal coach. She was supportive and inspiring for me.

A picture of me working with Peaches when our lessons began in 2010.

One of my seashell paintings that worked perfectly for my Alabaster Seashell song.

My guitar was “attached to my hip” when I was younger.

A sign I made to remind my son to wear his retainer. Did I mention I love Photoshop?

When I was fifteen-years-old, I published a book of mazes.

Miriam was my mother’s caregiver and made my wonderful, life possible. The love and care she gave my mother was simply amazing.

A page from my diary when I was 21. I already felt sadness because my music had “stopped.”

In high school I won a secretarial award. Little did I know that all those typing skills would come in so handy when “blogging!”

This is probably my favorite picture of performing with my guitar when I was nineteen.