After P.S. 219, and then Winthrop JHS, we moved from E. 91st St upon my graduation from Wingate HS. My parents pushed me to graduate in January - after the neighborhood "change" so I graduated on my 17th birthday. We lived in Far Rockaway for awhile, I went to The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and was a starving artist for awhile, and after that joined the Army I never stayed anywhere long enough for a reunion invite to catch up with me....so I missed all of them.

In '76 I married my hippie boyfriend, when the Army shipped me overseas to Germany (I was in Communications - teletype repair) ..that way, we could still be together. We had a son (Jesse) in '77 and by '79-'80 I was out of the Military, still hippies, and we spent a year literally hitch-hiking up & down the West coast from San Diego to Alaska. Finally, we settled back in Queens/Brooklyn N.Y., but still lived a very "alternative" lifestyle - vegetarians, living close to the earth, home schooling Jess ...etc.

At one point I started to work with N.Y. Telephone, as my hippy hubby was unable to secure and hold down any jobs....and that was the beginning of the end of the marriage.

We divorced in '87 and I took on a career transfer to AT&T as a Computer Networking Instructor and moved Jesse out to Columbus, Ohio where he attended public schools and graduated from College (OSU). He met his lovely wife on the job at BMW Financial Services and they were married in '06, in her hometown in Connecticut. They've since transferred to Mahwah NJ, BMW headquarters in the US.

I met my current husband, Norm, while working at AT&T. We were both instructors, and our life together has been simply heavenly. We enjoy many of the same hobbies, both very creative, he - in woodworking, myself painting, pottery and culinary arts - I love to cook, he loves to eat (it works out well).

Together we enjoy bicycling, dancing, traveling and giving back to our community (we are both heavily involved with our local chapter of Habitat for Humanity), here in Central West Florida - just North of Tampa on the gulf coast. He builds houses,  we've both served on committees, as staff, and on the Board of Directors throughout the years.

I retired from Lucent Technologies (AT&T) in 2001, early, so that we could enjoy healthy years together...at that point, I had 20 years and he had 36 with the company. We designed and had our dream house built, and love every square inch of it!

The area we live in here in Florida, has 3 seasons, so, we do get some mild frost in the winter, and the summers are rainy and humid, but neither of us miss the snow and cold of the northern winter (Norm's originally from Minnesota). The climate and vegetation is more like Georgia than the Florida most people imagine when they think of this state....it's NOTHING at all like south Fl. - Ft. Lauderdale/Boca/Miami. We don't experience any of the heavy traffic or influx of population here - and we like it that way - it's really very much a hick-town. Slow moving and relaxed...not alot of commercialism, very few chain stores or restaurants - lot's of Mom & Pop places to shop and eat - kind of a throwback from the '50's.

In 2005 I started a small home based business (Artsy Rooms),  painting murals and creating floor cloths. With the economy what it is however, the business just didn't make it. I've donated murals to many of the completed Habitat houses, and to the local hospital, just to keep my hand in it.  I do have a site online where you can view my artwork. It's http://www.artsyrooms.com .

Currently (2011)I am starting a business creating slide show presentations accompanied by music. I've dabbled for several years in it - and created shows for milestone birthdays, graduations, reunions, weddings, memorial services and travels. It's something I really enjoy, and if I can profit from it - heck - why not? http://www.journeysshows.com

A huge accomplishment for me recently was to coordinate the 40th Wingate H.S. reunion for the classes of 1967 through 1971. It was a major success, and personally has brought me closer to my Brooklyn roots, and back together with cherished and long lost childhood friendships. If you don't already belong to it - feel free to visit our website at http://www.wingate6970.com where you are sure to see some of your old PS219 and Brooklyn neighborhood friends.   

So - that's me - in a nutshell.