About a month ago I received a phone message from an old friend who I hadn’t seen or heard from in over thirty-years. His name is Steve Carson. He said that he had been trying to get in touch with me for years, with no luck. Since we had moved to another town since our last conversation, and he wanted to organize a get-together with me and our mutual college friend, Linda Brown. I was so surprised to hear from him that I stood in the same spot in my kitchen, thinking about Steve and Linda. I felt remorse for letting so much time pass without contacting either of them. But life does send you some curves, and it isn’t always easy to keep in contact with old friends from the past.

As I stood there in my living room, I thought back to those days when I attended college. I wasn’t your typical freshman. Why, you may ask. Well, the main difference between me and the rest of the Freshman student body was that most of them were seventeen or eighteen years old. And I, well, I was thirty-six years old. A bit long in the tooth, you say. Yes, yes, I was. I was the only adult in the Freshman class. In fact, some of the Freshman students didn’t even have their driver’s licenses yet.

I didn’t know a soul, but I felt confident in my ability to make friends, be they seventeen or seventy. I had made up my mind before I applied to all the Art Schools in the Philadelphia area that this was going to be one of the best experiences of my life. And after all was said and done, it was. Additionally, I was the mother of two young children, aged six and three, when I began college in September. I was thirty-six years old, and I had been accepted by every school to which I had applied. I had spent at least six months preparing my portfolio and writing letters to the schools telling them why I believed I would be one of the best candidates to apply that Fall, and apparently, after viewing my portfolio and meeting me. They all agreed.

Additionally, Temple University’s Tyler School of Art offered me a full scholarship and student aid for the first year. The day I received the letter of acceptance, I was overjoyed. I contacted them the very next day and expressed my interest in attending their school. The first day of classes, I arrived at least forty minutes early. However, I must admit that day, I was particularly nervous since I didn’t know a soul. And I knew I would stand out like a sore thumb. I was the first student to arrive on campus, and as it turned out, I was always the first student to come to every class every day. I absolutely hated being late for anything. To this day, I am always early for every appointment or job.

After I parked my car in the student parking lot, which was empty. Surprise, surprise! I grabbed my bag and set about exploring the campus. The main building was a beautiful old house. I walked all around it. I couldn’t find a living soul until I saw a older man walking toward me, he asked,” can I help you?” I said, Yes, I’m a new student and I’m looking for the graphic design building.” He said, “Are you a teacher?” “No, I’m a Freshman. And I gave him a big smile. He said he was responsible for the gardens and landscaping. He pointed to the building behind the main building and said, ‘That’s it right there. Good luck on your first day. I said, “My name is Susan, thanks for your help,” and I was on my way.

And indeed, I was the first student, so I picked a seat in the middle of the class and waited and waited. Apparently, not all students like to arrive early for class. Finally, they started filing in one by one, and every single one of them asked me if I was the teacher. Everyone. And guess who was the last to arrive. None other than the teacher, and she continued to be the last to come for the entire year that I took her class.

I had committed myself to making every effort to meet and befriend every student I encountered that year and in the three years that followed. And that is precisely what I did. It didn’t take long for me to realize that attending college full-time while being married with two young children would be highly challenging. Additionally, I was still responsible for all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for my family. Not to mention that for the following four years, I suffered from sleep deprivation. Because after taking care of my family, cooking dinner, doing the wash, etc, etc. I had to crack the books, write papers, and read entire chapters on art history, complete my college assignments, and create drawings and paintings. As my children grew older, I also had to help them with their homework assignments.

There aren’t words to describe how challenging going to college was for me. However, I cannot define how much it meant to me to accomplish it. It built up my confidence for the rest of my life. I never let anything stand in the way of what I wanted to do. And sometimes life doesn’t make things easy for people. After graduating from Temple University, I was offered the opportunity to continue in graduate school. But, at the time, I was utterly exhausted and thought I would instead seek a teaching position.

As it turned out, at the time, the public school system was funding art and music classes within its schools. Which I had been totally unaware of. And it was a shock to find that out. I had applied to every public elementary, middle school, and high school in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area. However, I unfortunately found that every school district had cut its art and music programs. I must admit that I was entirely unprepared for this to happen. After almost a year of looking for a job, I decided that the only option open for me was for me and my family to sell our house and move to a different location within our state to a larger home that could accommodate us and provide space for me to teach art to children as well as adults. And after almost a year of searching for the perfect house. We found it.

We sold our house and purchased a large Victorian house that had once belonged to a Dr. Sooy. He was a doctor, and his offices were located within this huge house. Unfortunately, the house had been empty for almost ten years and was in a sad state. In fact, it needed to have a new roof immediately. And slowly, over the first several months, we rehabbed the part of the house that would hold my art classes. I had to appear before the township board and explain my plans for the house and how I believed it would benefit both children and adults. It was a difficult challenge but I succeeded, before I went before the board I contacted my closest neighbors and introduced myself and told them my plans.

I must admit that my new neighbors were highly supportive of my project and, in fact, attended the board meeting and spoke on my behalf. As a result, I was able to create my new business, which was called The Art Room. And I was able to teach art for the next fifteen years to both children and adults. I made great friends over the years, and I believe I provided both children, teens, and adults with an opportunity to learn about art and grow creatively. For me, it was one of the best experiences I had as an adult. I learned about my strengths and weaknesses, and I made a great many friends. And I had the opportunity to watch many children experience the joy of expressing themselves positively.

In addition, after each year of classes was completed, I had Art Shows and invited those who lived in town, including the students’ families, to the opening. Overall, it was a positive and uplifting experience for me. During that time, I created a significant amount of artwork and participated in numerous art shows in the South Jersey area.

Overall, I must say that deciding to attend college and earn several degrees, graduating at the top of my class, was an excellent experience and one that I will always be proud of, thanks to my hard work and determination to excel.

In conclusion, I would like to say that if you ever wanted to go to college, go for it. Do not let your age or anything else stand in your way. Have faith in yourself and never let anyone stop you along your path, whatever that may be.

LIFE GOES ON –

PART TWO- I have arrived at that time of my life when I find myself reflecting more on my past experiences than on the future. Why, because I have more of my life behind me than in front of me. I turned seventy-four years old this past May. I don’t know how many years I have left ahead of me, but I intend to do as much as I can for as long as I can.

About two months ago, I quit working at the Animal Sanctuary where I had been volunteering for the past nine years. I stopped not because I grew tired of taking care of Parrots, but because of the owner’s complex personality. So, I decided to quit and move on. So, here I am about two months after I left the animal sanctuary. I thought I would really miss all the parrots I took care of, but I probably don’t because I have nine birds of my own, three cats, and two dogs. I have always loved animals since I was a young child.

Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Presently, I take one day at a time. In the last several weeks, I decided to start painting and drawing again, having not done so in the nine years I’ve lived in North Carolina. I taught art for many years at “THE ART ROOM.” When I was thirty-six years old and had two young children, I decided to pursue a college education, a goal I had not had the opportunity to achieve after graduating from Saint Mary of the Angels Academy in 1969. St. Mary’s was an all-girls high school. It was located in Haddonfield, NJ, a community of mostly wealthy families. I grew up in Maple Shade, New Jersey, which was a middle-class town. I applied to three Art Schools in Philadelphia, prepared examples of my artwork, and was accepted at all three Universities. I chose Temple University, Tyler School of Art, because it offered financial assistance to help cover my tuition.

And the rest of my friends are history. I managed to go to Temple for four years and never missed a day. I always had my work finished on time. My children were attending a day at a Christian day care center. I scheduled all my classes so that I would be home in time to pick them up from day care, and then I would take them home, do the laundry and housekeeping, and prepare dinner.

I have to admit, it wasn’t easy going to college full-time while also taking care of two young children, a husband, and a home. Was it easy, no, no it was not. It was exhausting. But I have never been one to give up because of obstacles or difficulties in my way.

I was the oldest student in the school, but I did not let that bother me. I made up my mind to befriend every student I met along the way, and I did. After four years, I graduated from college at the top of my class, Magnum Cum Laude, which means great with great distinction, with a Bachelor of Arts and Art Teaching Credentials. I was forty-one when I graduated. Going to college at that age was challenging at times, given the circumstances. Nonetheless, I graduated at the top of my class and got a standing ovation when my name was called out on the day we all graduated.

After graduation, I applied to every public and private elementary and middle school in the Southern Jersey area. I had no responses, and that is when I discovered that New Jersey was no longer funding art and music classes in public or private schools. I felt left down to say the least. But, over time, I made the decision that I would open my own art school. I started searching for venues where I could teach art. And eventually, I saw an advertisement for a huge, old house that formerly had been owned by a doctor of sorts. The house had been empty for eight years. Nonetheless, we went to the open house. The house was immense, and I could definitely see it had potential. But it would take a great deal of work. We made an offer for the house, and it was accepted. We put our house in Pennsauken up for sale. And after a time, no one made an offer. We offered it for rent. And that is ultimately how we sold our house.

After our house was sold, we made a down payment on the Pitman home. It took us several years to complete the necessary repairs, including a new roof and updates to the plumbing and electrical systems. After months of hard work and renovation, we moved into the Piman Home. I began preparing the three rooms where I would teach art to both children and adults. After weeks of advertising, I started receiving calls from people in Pimtan interested in their children learning about art. In the evenings, I taught art to adults, and on Saturdays, I continued this instruction.

ART ROOM entrance on the side of our house in Pitman, NJ

I had ‘THE ART ROOM for years, and I taught children after school and adults in the evenings and on Saturdays. We lived there for twenty-four years, loving every minute of our house and the town of Pitman, where we made many friends. It was a great experience and I was not sorry for a minute. Life can be challenging at times, and you can’t give up because there are obstacles in your way.

It was hard for us to put our house up for sale in Pitman; we knew we would miss the house and our friends and neighbors. Nonetheless, we were prepared to move to North Carolina, where the taxes and homes were less expensive.

We’ve been living here in NC for nine years. I still miss New Jersey, but sometimes you have to make difficult decisions; life isn’t always easy. We take one year at a time now. We have a lovely house out in the country, with a big yard where we grow vegetables, maintain a greenhouse, and tend to gardens in both our front and back yards.

Unfortunately, our neighbors are not friendly, so we find our entertainment in Raleigh and all the beautiful parks in our area. I volunteered at an animal sanctuary for nine years, but I recently stopped going due to personal reasons, mainly the difficult owner of the sanctuary.

I don’t know what will come next, life goes on, and you do the best you can from one day to the next. I have decided to start painting again. So, I look forward to that. I will post some of my paintings on my Facebook page, at Susan A. Culver.

I have now reached the grand old age of seventy-four. Which I find hard to believe. Because I certainly don’t feel that old. I’ve reached a point where I realize I have most of my life’s years behind me, rather than ahead of me.

Do I have any regrets? No, not really. I didn’t make some mistakes along the way, but I did make some. But, for the most part, I feel that I have made every effort in my life to challenge myself to do the right thing; I never let my age predetermine what I could or could not do. For example, I went to college when I was thirty-six years old. I didn’t have the opportunity to go to college after high school. As my father informed me that I had to get a job and start taking care of myself, or at least pay rent to continue living in my childhood home. I stayed at my family’s home for the first year after I graduated from high school. And then I got a full-time job working as a dental assistant. I saved up enough money to pay my first month’s rent and buy food for myself.

I found a small apartment in Haddonfield, New Jersey, on the second floor of a building that had a knitting shop on the first floor. There was also another middle-aged tenant living in the apartment on the second floor. She would say “hello” every time she saw me. But nothing beyond that. Haddonfield is one of the most beautiful small towns in New Jersey. Even back then, the people who lived in Haddonfield had money and prestige.

I was quite familiar with Haddonfield. Since I attended St. Mary of the Angels Academy on Haddon Avenue IN Haddonfield. My twin sister and I both attended High School there. It was an all-girls school for college prep. Unfortunately, I put little effort into my school work; I have to admit it. My parents informed me that they didn’t have the money to send my sister and me to college. I had never really considered going to college. St. Mary of the Angels Principal found jobs for my twin sister and me, and so, once we graduated from High School, we immediately found jobs.

I applied for a dental assistant job with Dr. Edward G. Wozniak. I worked there for five years. It turned out that I was pretty capable of being a chairside assistant, in addition to developing dental X-rays. I also had to answer the phone and make an appointment for the patients. When the patients arrived, they waited in a small waiting area. I would then call them in and escort them to the room where the dentist performed procedures like tooth extractions, cavity fillings, and X-rays. I developed the xrays, made an appointment, took their payment, and made future appointments. I also had to answer the phone and talk to patients.

I had always been somewhat of a quiet and shy child, but as I grew up, I became more outgoing and open to talking to people of all ages, including children. It was my experience that men were the most apprehensive of all the patients to have dental work. I found I was pretty good at calming frightened patients, be they men, women, or children.

The only time I had a bad experience while I was working there was when I was assisting Dr. Wozniak and he was extracting all the teeth of an adult female patient. I had never seen him remove more than one tooth at a time. And I was somewhat overwhelmed by the experience, and I passed out. Dr. Wozniak had to carry me out of the room and put me on the couch in his living room until I recovered. The dental office was one section, and the rest of the residence was where Dr.Wozniak and his wife lived with their two little daughters, whom I had while I was working there. After I stopped working there, they went on to have a son.

I decided to quit working at the dentist’s office because it left me with very little time to spend with my friends, go down the shore with them in the Summer, or even find a boyfriend or date anyone. The Wozniaks were decent people, and I liked them, but working there left me no free time at all.

After I quit working at Dr. Wozniak’s, I got a job working at Ancora State Mental Hospital. I got that position through my brother, Hugh, who was a psychologist and had worked at Ancora at one time. I had to take a course in being a psychiatric aide. I requested to work with children who have experienced trauma. But, instead, I was placed in the active adults’ psyche ward.I didn’t last long there, and it was a bad experience for me. I only stayed at Ancora for less than a year. It was not a good experience for me.

After that, I worked for the Ellis Brothers in Haddon Township. They primarily sold high-risk auto insurance to people living in Camden who had trouble getting standard auto insurance. So, they came to the Ellis Brothers, who came from a wealthy family from Haddonfield, NJ.. And they were insured there. It was a fascinating job, as I met a diverse range of people in this role that I had never encountered in the dental office. Harry and Evi Ellis liked to go out during the workday and buy me and the other girls who worked there breakfast, and sometimes we went to the race track. They want to have fun; their names are Harry and Evie Ellis. I worked there for about two years.

Yes, I am a baby boomer. I was born in 1951. I came from a reasonably large family. We were Irish Catholics. My parents had six children. I have a twin sister. My mother had another set of twins after we were born, but they did not survive. They were twin boys.

I grew up in a small town in New Jersey called Maple Shade. It was a great time and a great place to grow up. Most of my neighbors were either Irish, Catholic, or Italian Catholic. I had a best friend who lived three houses away from us. So, there was never a shortage of kids to play with. Because there were many other children in Maple Shade, including the friends I made once I was old enough to attend school. I attended Catholic School from elementary through High School.

My parents were not strict as long as we came home from school on time and were home in time for dinner. We didn’t get in trouble. My parents never really questioned me about where I had been up to.

The house where I grew up. Male Shade, NJ

All the kids in the neighborhood had bikes, and we rode them to explore the area, even visiting nearby towns. And only by the luck of the Irish did I survive my childhood. Because I was all for doing somewhat dangerous things. For instance, I used to go swimming in my neighbor’s pool that was six feet deep, even though I didn’t know how to swim. If I got water over my head, I would grab onto whoever was nearest me to keep from drowning. And by some luck, they didn’t drown, and neither did I. But we sure got sunburned. Back then, there wasn’t any sunblock; there was only tanning lotion.

My Family when I was a baby.

One hot Summer day, I was in my neighbor’s swimming pool, and I went too far out and almost drowned. Luckily, my neighbor, Denny Pheiffer, swam close to me, and I grabbed onto him. And almost drowned both of us. That was the plan; we would go to a hotel on Route 73, park our bikes, and go swimming in the hotel pool. Luckily, there was a lifeguard there; fortunately, he didn’t have a clue that we weren’t staying at the hotel with our parents. We did that for many summers. My parents never had a clue. They just told me to be home in time to eat lunch. They never asked where I had been or what I had been doing. Anyway I would say I was playing at a friend’s house.

We all had bikes to ride. Our parents never told us where we could or couldn’t go. They just warned us not to be late for lunch or dinner. And after dinner, we would go outside after it was dark and run all over the neighborhood. If it were summertime, we would follow the mosquito trucks that sprayed DDT to kill the mosquitoes. We didn’t know it was poison, and apparently neither did any of the kids. Since we all rode our bikes behind the trucks that were spraying DDT. I don’t know how, but we all survived, more or less intact.

All Summer long, I would say, “Let’s go to Strawbridge Lake.” This was a park two towns away. And we would either walk or ride our bikes there. Once we arrived, we would take off our sneakers and walk into the lake until the water reached up to our knees. This was a lake that contained fish. It wasn’t a lake where kids should have been swimming. But there weren’t any adults there, so who was going to say anything? In the winter, the big lake would freeze over, and we would take off our shoes and put on our ice skates to skate across the ice. It was only blind luck aht none of us broke through the ice and didn’t drown under it. And in the Summer, we used to walk across the waterfall and sometimes jump into the water. By some luck, none of us drowned, or came close to it. Somehow, regardless of the crazy things we used to do. We all survived; no doubt it was blind luck.

Sometimes I would talk my friends into walking to one of the larger stores outside of Maple Shade. And we would walk about three miles along the side of the road and head toward the part of the road that was an overpass above Route 73. We would get this: we used to throw things down onto the roofs of the cars passing underneath the overpass. And it was only by the luck of the Irish that we never broke a car’s windshield or caused an accident. I can’t recall what thought went through my mind at the time. But, apparently, common sense wasn’t one of the things residing there.

I also had a friend who lived near the CLAY PITS in Maple Shade. We had to cross the railroad tracks to get there, and we would wait until there was a train in the distance, and then we would run like hell and cross the railroad tracks as fast as we could. It was only because of dumb luck that none of us were run over by the train going sixty miles an hour. And somehow by some miracle we all survived “our childhoods, more or less intact.”

And then there was Halloween; we would plan our costumes for weeks before the holiday. And get this, one year I made a costume that was supposed to look like I was a hot dog in a bun. And for some reason, that I could not comprehend, my mother thought I would like wearing in. I didn’t. Many of the kids made fun of me, but after a while, they got over it. And we continued going door to door all over town. How many of us have a tooth left in our mouths after years of eating Halloween Candy is a complete mystery. Even on a regular day, my mother had trouble getting me to brush my teeth. Add to that that this was back in the early 1950s, when you could buy penny candy. It really was a freaking miracle that I had any teeth left by the time I was a teenager.

By some miracle, I managed to graduate from Catholic Elementary School. And my parents decided to send my twin sister and me to St. Mary Of The Angels Academy in Haddonfield, NJ, which happened to be a private, All-girl school. I didn’t have a problem with that, since I had attended a Catholic elementary school for eight years. I wasn’t particularly fond of boys my age, so I thought, Why not? In fact, my twin sister and I applied to both Holy Cross High School in Riverside, NJ, and St.Mary of the Angels Academy in Haddonfield, NJ.

I have to admit I didn’t put a whole lot of effort into my school work, but somehow, by the grace of god, or just good luck, I passed out of twelfth grade. And it just so happened that I found employment immediately after graduating from high school. Because Dr. Wozniak’s wife had attended St. Mary of the Angels Academy when she was a kid, she inquired at St. Mary’s if a student was looking for a job after graduation who wasn’t going to attend college. And guess what, the dear nuns recommended me as a possible candidate, so they contacted me and asked if I was interested. My parents said I was, and voila, I had a full-time job right out of high school. And I worked there for six years. It turned out that I was highly organized and enjoyed talking to both child patients and adults.

And that, my friends, was the beginning of my working years. To be honest, I found that I really enjoyed working and earning money. And as it turned out, over the first year of my working life, I was able to save enough money to buy a 1970s yellow Volkswagen, which became the love of my life for many years. It took me all over New Jersey, eventually to Florida, and then to California.

You never know where your life will take you. But here I am, retired and living in North Carolina, living the good life. Take one day at a time and enjoy it;, life goes by quickly.

Yes, I am a baby boomer. I was born in 1951. I came from a reasonably large family. We were Irish Catholics. My parents had six children. I have a twin sister. My mother had another set of twins after we were born, but they did not survive. They were twin boys.

I grew up in a small town in New Jersey called Maple Shade. It was a great time and a great place to grow up. Most of my neighbors were either Irish, Catholic, or Italian Catholic. I had a best friend who lived three houses away from us. So, there was never a shortage of kids to play with. Because there were many other children in Maple Shade, including the friends I made once I was old enough to attend school. I attended Catholic School from elementary through High School.

My parents were not strict as long as we came home from school on time and were home in time for dinner. We didn’t get in trouble. My parents never really questioned me about where I had been.

The house where I grew up. Male Shade, NJ

All the kids in the neighborhood had bikes, and we rode them to explore the area, even visiting nearby towns. And only by the luck of the Irish did I survive my childhood. Because I was all for doing somewhat dangerous things. For instance, I used to go swimming in my neighbor’s pool that was six feet deep, even though I didn’t know how to swim. If I got water over my head, I would grab onto whoever was nearest me to keep from drowning. And by some luck, they didn’t drown, and neither did I. But we sure got sunburned. Back then, there wasn’t any sunblock; there was only tanning lotion.

My Family when I was a baby.

One hot Summer day, I was in my neighbor’s swimming pool, and I went too far out and almost drowned. Luckily, my neighbor, Denny Pheiffer, swam close to me, and I grabbed onto him. And almost drowned both of us. That was the plan; we would go to a hotel on Route 73, park our bikes, and go swimming in the hotel pool. Luckily, there was a lifeguard there; fortunately, he didn’t have a clue that we weren’t staying at the hotel with our parents. We did that for many summers. My parents never had a clue. They just told me to be home in time to eat lunch. They never asked where I had been or what I had been doing. Anyway, I would say I was playing at a friend’s house.

We all had bikes to ride. Our parents never told us where we could or couldn’t go. They just warned us not to be late for lunch or dinner. And after dinner, we would go outside after it was dark and run all over the neighborhood. If it were summertime, we would follow the mosquito trucks that sprayed DDT to kill the mosquitoes. We didn’t know it was poison, and apparently neither did any of the kids. Since we all rode our bikes behind the trucks that were spraying DDT. I don’t know how, but we all survived, more or less intact.

All Summer long, I would say, “Let’s go to Strawbridge Lake.” This was a park two towns away. And we would either walk or ride our bikes there. Once we arrived, we would take off our sneakers and walk into the lake until the water reached up to our knees. This was a lake that contained fish. It wasn’t a lake where kids should have been swimming. But there weren’t any adults there, so who was going to say anything? In the winter, the big lake would freeze over, and we would take off our shoes and put on our ice skates to skate across the ice. It was only blind luck aht none of us broke through the ice and didn’t drown under it. And in the Summer, we used to walk across the waterfall and sometimes jump into the water. By some luck, none of us drowned, or came close to it. Somehow, regardless of the crazy things we used to do. We all survived; no doubt it was blind luck.

Sometimes I would talk my friends into walking to one of the larger stores outside of Maple Shade. And we would walk about three miles along the side of the road and head toward the part of the road that was an overpass above Route 73. We would get this: we used to throw things down onto the roofs of the cars passing underneath the overpass. And it was only by the luck of the Irish that we never broke a car’s windshield or caused an accident. I can’t recall what thought went through my mind at the time. But, apparently, common sense wasn’t one of the things residing there.

I also had a friend who lived near the CLAY PITS in Maple Shade. We had to cross the railroad tracks to get there, and we would wait until there was a train in the distance, and then we would run like hell and cross the railroad tracks as fast as we could. It was only because of dumb luck that none of us were run over by the train going sixty miles an hour. And somehow by some miracle we all survived “our childhoods, more or less intact.”

And then there was Halloween; we would plan our costumes for weeks leading up to the holiday. And get this, one year I made a costume that was supposed to look like I was a hot dog in a bun. And for some reason, that I could not comprehend, my mother thought I would like wearing it. I didn’t. Many of the kids made fun of me, but eventually, they got over it. And we continued going door to door all over town. How many of us have a tooth left in our mouths after years of eating Halloween Candy is a complete mystery. Even on a regular day, my mother had trouble getting me to brush my teeth. Add to that that this was back in the early 1950s, when you could buy penny candy. It really was a freaking miracle that I had any teeth left by the time I was a teenager.

By some miracle, I managed to graduate from Catholic Elementary School. And my parents decided to send my twin sister and me to St. Mary Of The Angels Academy in Haddonfield, NJ, which happened to be a private, All-girl school. I didn’t have a problem with that, since I had attended a Catholic elementary school for eight years. I wasn’t particularly fond of boys my age, so I thought, Why not? In fact, my twin sister and I applied to both Holy Cross High School in Riverside, NJ, and St.Mary of the Angels Academy in Haddonfield, NJ.

I have to admit I didn’t put a whole lot of effort into my school work, but somehow, by the grace of god, or just good luck, I passed out of twelfth grade. And it just so happened that I found employment immediately after graduating from high school. Because Dr. Wozniak’s wife had attended St. Mary of the Angels Academy when she was a kid, she inquired at St. Mary’s if a student was looking for a job after graduation who wasn’t going to attend college. And guess what, the dear nuns recommended me as a possible candidate, so they contacted me and asked if I was interested. My parents said I was, and voila, I had a full-time job right out of high school. And I worked there for six years. It turned out that I was highly organized and enjoyed talking to both child patients and adults.

And that, my friends, was the beginning of my working years. To be honest, it turned out that I really enjoyed working and earning money. And as it turned out, over the first year of my working life, I was able to save enough money to buy a 1970s yellow Volkswagen, which became the love of my life for many years. It took me all over New Jersey, eventually to Florida, and then to California.

You never know where your life will take you. But here I am, retired and living in North Carolina, living the good life. Take one day at a time and enjoy it; life goes by quickly.

PART ONE, MARRIAGE, CHILDREN, AND COLLEGE

Well, here I am moving closer and closer to the end of my days. How do I know this? Well, I know that I turned seventy-four on my last birthday, on May 24^th. 2025. I remember so well when my mother turned seventy-seven. Because that was the year she passed away. My dear father had passed the year before. He died of lung cancer. He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. They were Pall Malls. I remember this because he usually gave me the money to go to the store, which was several blocks away from our home, to buy him a pack. Back in the day, the store owners didn’t question children about their purchases. They just took the money and handed you whatever it was you just paid for. They probably don’t do that now. But, back in the day, that’s how things worked. At the time, I didn’t know that smoking caused cancer.

But when my father developed lung cancer when he was sixty-seven, I guess I made the connection—smoking/ Cancer. My mother smoked as well, but not as heavily as my father did. My mother died of congestive heart failure when she was seventy-six, a year after my father.

I have congestive heart failure as well. I started showing symptoms in my early fifties. I made an appointment with a cardiologist very soon after I started having shortness of breath. It is a gene that is passed down to progeny. I was diagnosed at fifty-two with heart failure. But here I am, seventy-four. And generally I feel fine. I have t take six pills a day for my heart. And a handful of vitamins too. And I think well overall. I go to the heart doctor once a year for a check-up. My health is good overall. I have been a vegetarian for forty years, never drank, never smoked. So, all in all, I don’t have anything to complain about. I just take one day at a time.

As I reflect on my life, I feel overall that I am satisfied. Generally, I made good choices. I got married in 1974, when I was twenty-three. I married my best girlfriend’s cousin. And here we are now, retired and living in North Carolina for the past nine years. We have been married for fifty-one years. That is a long time, and we have had our ups and downs. But, still here we are in the nader of our years.

We also lived in California, where Bob attended Brooks Institute for Photography. We lived there for almost four years. California is a beautiful place to live. I worked at St.Vincent’s School as a counselor working with mentally handicapped teenagers. I have to admit that working there was the best experience I have ever had. I came to love those girls who were ages twelve to about sixteen, with all my heart. It was a great experience. It was hard for me to say goodbye to them when Bob completed his education and graduated.

After Bob graduated, we decided to move back to New Jersey, as there were more job opportunities in the Northeast. We pack up all our worldly belongings. And headed back to New Jersey. We ended up living with my parent for almost a year until we had the means to purchase a home of our own after Bob found employment. Unfortunately, it turned out there wasn’t a lot of need for photographers. And Bob eventually found a job in electronics at GE in Camden, NJ.

Meanwhile, we started looking for an affordable home in South Jersey. We found a home in Pennsauken, New Jersey, which was about a twenty-minute drive from my parents. It was a vast and expensive home. But it was ours. And we put a lot of work into it, inside and out. We lived there for fourteen years. During that time, we started our family and had two daughters, Jeanette and Bridget, three years apart. They are now in their early forties.

When I was thirty-six, I decided that I wanted to go to college, since both of my kids were in school. And I didn’t have the opportunity to go to college after high school. I got a job right out of high school working as a dental assistant for Dr. Edward G. Wozinak. He trained me to be a chairside assistant, and I worked there for five years. I applied to all the art schools in the Philadelphia area. And after they looked at my resume and my artwork, I was accepted at all the schools. Temple University offered me financial assistance, and I went for it. I was the oldest Freshman at Temple that year. I was as old as or older than some of the professors. Well, I won’t lie. It was a struggle to go to college full-time with two little kids. Nonetheless, I did it. I graduated Magna cum Laude when I was forty-one years old. It was hard, but it was the best choice I ever made.
I learned a whole lot while I attended Temple. And I graduated magnum cum laude (Great with Honors) I graduated with teaching credentials and a BFA Art Degree at the top of my class. It was hard work going to college full-time and taking care of two young children, a house, and a yard. Not to mention the hours and hours I spent studying for my classes and writing papers. Nonetheless, I graduated at the top of my class, and my younger fellow students gave me a standing ovation when my name was called out at graduation. My family came to my graduation. It was a great day, and I felt some relief, but I was proud of myself for not giving up. And succeeding at my goal and achieving it.

PART ONE, MARRIAGE, CHILDREN, AND COLLEGE

Well, here I am moving closer and closer to the end of my days. How do I know this? Well, I know that I turned seventy-four on my last birthday, on May 24^th. 2025. I remember so well when my mother turned seventy-seven. Because that was the year she passed away. My dear father had passed the year before. He died of lung cancer. He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. They were Pall Malls. I remember this because he usually gave me the money to go to the store, which was several blocks away from our home, to buy him a pack. Back in the day, the store owners didn’t question children about their purchases. They just took the money and handed you whatever it was you just paid for. They probably don’t do that now. But, back in the day, that’s how things worked. At the time, I didn’t know that smoking caused cancer.

But when my father developed lung cancer when he was sixty-seven, I guess I made the connection—smoking/ Cancer. My mother smoked as well but not has heavily as my father did. My mother died of congestive heart failure when she was seventy-six, a year after my father.

I have congestive heart failure as well. I started showing symptoms in my early fifties. I made an appointment with a cardiologist very soon after I started having shortness of breath. It is a gene that is passed down to progeny. I was diagnosed at fifty-two with heart failure. But here I am, seventy-four. And generally I feel fine. I have t take six pills a day for my heart. And a handful of vitamins too. And I think well overall. I go to the heart doctor once a year for a check-up. My health is good overall. I have been a vegetarian for forty years, never drank, never smoked. So, all in all, I don’t have anything to complain about. I just take one day at a time.

As I reflect on my life, I feel overall that I am satisfied. Generally, I made good choices. I got married in 1974, when I was twenty-three. I married my best girlfriend’s cousin. And here we are now, retired and living in North Carolina for the past nine years. We have been married for fifty-one years. That is a long time, and we have had our ups and downs. But, still here we are in the nader of our years.

We also lived in California, where Bob attended Brooks Institute for Photography. We lived there for almost four years. California is a beautiful place to live. I worked at St.Vincent’s School as a counselor working with mentally handicapped teenagers. I have to admit that working there was the best experience I have ever had. I came to love those girls who were ages twelve to about sixteen, with all my heart. It was a great experience. It was hard for me to say goodbye to them when Bob completed his education and graduated.

After Bob graduated, we decided to move back to New Jersey, as there were more job opportunities in the Northeast. We pack up all our worldly belongings. And headed back to New Jersey. We ended up living with my parent for almost a year until we had the means to purchase a home of our own after Bob found employment. Unfortunately, it turned out there wasn’t a lot of need for photographers. And Bob eventually found a job in electronics at GE in Camden, NJ.

Meanwhile, we started looking for an affordable home in South Jersey. We found a home in Pennsauken, New Jersey, which was about a twenty-minute drive from my parents. It was a huge or expensive home. But it was ours. And we put a lot of work into it, inside and out. We lived there for fourteen years. During that time, we started our family and had two daughters, Jeanette and Bridget, three years apart. They are now in their early forties.

When I was thirty-six, I decided that I wanted to go to college, since both of my kids were in school. And I didn’t have the opportunity to go to college after high school. I got a job right out of high school working as a dental assistant for Dr. Edward G. Wozinak. He trained me to be a chairside assistant, and I worked there for five years. I applied to all the art schools in the Philadelphia area. And after they looked at my resume and my artwork, I was accepted at all the schools. Temple University offered me financial assistance, and I went for it. I was the oldest Freshman at Temple that year. I was as old as or older than some of the professors. Well, I won’t lie. It was a struggle to go to college full-time with two little kids. Nonetheless, I did it. I graduated Magna cum Laude when I was forty-one years old. It was hard, but it was the best choice I ever made.
I learned a whole lot while I attended Temple. And I graduated magnum cum laude (Great with Honors). I graduated with teaching credentials and a BFA Art Degree at the top of my class. It was hard work going to college full-time and taking care of two young children, a house, and a yard. Not to mention the hours and hours I spent studying for my classes and writing papers.  I graduated at the top of my class, and my younger fellow students gave me a standing ovation when my name was called out at graduation. My family came to my graduation. It was a great day, and I felt some relief, but I was proud of myself for not giving up and achieving my goal.

It’s hard for me to believe, but it’s nonetheless true. I turned seventy-four years old in May of this year.. Life passed by quickly. It seems I’ve moved closer to the end than the beginning. And the sad truth is that in the last years of my life, time has passed very quickly. We moved to North Carolina from New Jersey when my husband and I both retired. And we have been living here in NC for nine years. We relocated to the south because of the lower cost of living. And a slower lifestyle.

I haven’t always been a person who liked to be busy, and the first year after I moved to NC. I volunteered in the Guardian Ad Litem. I had to take a college course before I could start volunteering. A Guardian ad Litem works within the family court system. I was assigned a family who seemed unable to recognize that their children should be protected from harm. Their children needed to live in a clean and healthy environment and eat three meals a day. No matter how many times I tried to discuss the care their children needed, I couldn’t get the adults to realize that if they didn’t take proper care of their children, these children would not remain in their homes. There was often a lack of funds, and parents or family members had addictions. I found that no matter how many times I talked to them about proper care of their children, they didn’t change their behavior.

As a result, I decided this was not what I wanted to do for my retirement. I had spent years working with at-risk kids, and found it rewarding to some degree. But the parents of these children had significant problems with abusive spouses and drug and alcohol use.

As a result, I decided to find a different outlet for my time and energy. I had always loved animals, and I discovered an animal sanctuary twenty minutes away from my home. And I volunteered there for nine years. I took care of parrots, macaws, pigeons, doves, etc. I always loved animals. But, at some point, I decided that at 74 years old. I was getting too old to continue doing this work for much longer.

So, here I am truly retired and putting all my energy into my family, my pets, and my hobbies. I have been writing short stories and memoirs for the past nine years and publish a new story every week. It is on Facebook and called WRITE ON.

And just recently, I decided to start painting and drawing again. I attended Temple University, Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, and I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and teaching credentials. I graduated with magnum cum laude. I was thirty-six when I started as a Freshman and graduated as a senior at forty-one. The oldest graduate in my class. It was challenging, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only was my age a factor, but the fact that I was married and had two young children, who were three and six when I started. They were in day care. I didn’t take any Summer classes because I wanted to spend the summer with my children. I can’t say it was easy, but I graduated at the top of my class and made a great many friends of all ages while I attended Temple University for four years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

The Race

After I graduated, I found out that elementary schools in New Jersey were no longer teaching art in public or Catholic Schools. And as a result, I was unable to find employment in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. I felt that Temple University should have informed me and my fellow students that there wouldn’t be any teaching positions when we graduated.

My response to this unfortunate news was that it wasn’t going to stop me from teaching art. We ended up finding a large home that was for sale, which used to be a doctor’s office. We decided to sell our present home and renovate this much larger home. I could teach art in the rooms that had formerly been a doctor’s office. And so I taught art for many years to people who lived in Pitman and the surrounding area. I taught children during the day, and adults in the evening and on Saturdays.

So, here I am many years later, and I’m seventy-four years old. I no longer teach art, and I have retired from volunteering at the animal sanctuary. And so, I’ve decided to start painting again and continue writing. I have written one book, and I’m going to try to get it published. And I have written over two hundred short stories. I believe I have many other stories yet to be written, and perhaps I will write another fictional novel.

And who knows what I will do next. As long as I have the energy and the imagination, I will continue to write and paint, and draw and make things. It is my nature, and I’m not giving up yet. I may even consider creating three-dimensional artwork. I haven’t done that since I attended art school at Temple University. But, as long as I have breath in my body and an active imagination, I will keep going until I have no breath left in my body.

     I have recently mentioned that I am 74 years old. I know it’s hard to believe, but that is how many years I have lived. Overall, I feel that I, for the most part, have made good choices along life’s highways. Yes, I may have hit a bump or two along the way. Nonetheless, I believe I’ve made a few wrong turns, but somehow I ended up where I hoped I would be.

     There have been, as I said, a few rough spots. One of the most challenging events in my life was when I was in my early fifties, and I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I had a hard time accepting this diagnosis, but eventually I did. Initially, I was told I might last five years, no more. But, by the grace of god or the doctor who was caring for me, I am still alive and generally feeling well. Luckily, about the same time I was diagnosed, a new cardiac drug was developed, and I was one of the first patients to take it. It is called Entresto. I took this medication for many years. And about a year ago, my present cardiologist told me that I no longer needed to take it. So, here I am, seventy-four, feeling, well, pretty damm good. I hope to live another ten years.

     I retired at sixty-two years old, as I didn’t think I would live much longer, but guess what, I have lived and hope to live another ten years. I recently stopped volunteering at my volunteer job, taking care of at-risk animals at an animal sanctuary here in North Carolina, for nine years.

     I have to admit I have had an interesting life, although I didn’t always follow the path that most people follow in their lives. In my early working life, I was a dental assistant, and then I worked a psychatic aide in a state mental hospital, Ancora in New Jersey. Then I sold high-risk insurance with the Ellis Brothers in New Jersey,

     Then, when I was about thirty-six years old, I decided that I wanted to go to college, and had two young children who were four and seven.. I applied to three universities and art schools. And I was accepted at all three after they examined my art portfolio. I was offered a scholarship at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, for the first year. And then I took out student loans.

     It took me twelve years after I graduated to pay off all my student loans. After four years, I graduated Summa cum Laude (with great honors) and had art teaching credentials.

     I was the only adult student in my class. Nonetheless, I had a good experience. I was popular among the younger students because I decided to befriend as many fellow students as I could while I was there. And sure enough, I was accepted and treated as a friend and fellow student. Overall, my experience was positive and life-confirming since I graduated at the top of my class.

     I was given a standing ovation at my graduation. This was some thirty years ago. Unfortunately, when I got out of school, I found that New Jersey and Pennsylvania were no longer funding art programs in Public Schools. I was devastated at the time. Nonetheless, I didn’t give up.

     After almost a year of sending out resumes to public and private schools I gave up. And then one day, I got an advertisement in the mail saying a large home in Pitman, New Jersey, was for sale. And they were having an open house that following Saturday. I jumped on this. And we went to the open house that weekend.

It was a huge old home; it had been empty for about eight years. And needed significant repair,

At that time, we were living in Pennsauken, NJ, in a family neighborhood. The elementary school was a ten-minute walk from our house. It was a quiet neighborhood for the most part. Although we had a couple of neighbors who had loud fights and disagreements, we could often hear them arguing. But, overall, it was a safe and decent town for our children, with many children living within walking distance of our street. We lived there for fourteen years, and then we or should I say I decided we needed to buy a larger house. Since I had just graduated from Temple University Tyler School of Art, I wanted to live in an area where both children and adults would come to my art classes.

     And it just so happened that one Sunday, I found an advertisement for a large, older home that was for sale in Pitman, New Jersey. And so, we went to the open house. And sure enough, it was a huge, old house. I felt it had great potential. It required extensive renovations, including a new heating and air conditioning system, since it only had two air conditioners in the windows on the second floor. So, we made an offer for the house, and it was accepted, since no one else made an offer, given the house’s extensive repair needs, including a new roof. The house had belonged to a doctor but had been empty for eight years. We fell in love with the house even though we realized it needed a great deal of work and updating.

This is our former home in NJ where I taught Art for many years to children and adults.

     But we went for it. We put our house in Pennsauken up for sale, and it took some time and effort. We ended up renting it for a short time until the renters were able to procure a down payment loan, etc. It was touch-and-go for a while.

     Eventually, we sold the house in Pennsauken and moved into what would be our home for the next twenty-four years. We didn’t know anyone in Pitman or anyone in the whole area. But, over time, we made friends with all of our new neighbors, and our children were able to walk to school in Pitman, and they made friends. Over time, they came to love Pitman as much as we did. But, I wouldn’t say it was an easy transition, but over time, it all worked out for the better. Good schools. Plenty of kids, a safe area with a downtown with stores. We came to love Pitman and made many friends while we lived there. We lived there for twenty-four years until we were of retirement age. At which point we had to sell our house, because there was no way we could afford both the upkeep and the real estate taxes in New Jersey once we retired.

     I would be lying if I said it was easy. We had made many friends in Pitman, and so had our children. But we realized once retired, we would have to move to a more affordable part of the country.

     And, that my friends, is how we ended up retired and living in North Carolina. We have now lived here for nine years. Our oldest daughter is married and living in Philadelphia. Our youngest daughter chose to move with us to North Carolina.

     Was it easy? No, no, it wasn’t. We didn’t know anyone in North Carolina, so it was like starting all over again. But here we are, nine years later, living in Willow Spring, NC. Is it perfect here? No. We live in a small development with about twenty-five homes. And believe it or not, our neighbors keep to themselves and rarely even wave at us or say hello. I often say hello, but they don’t acknowledge it. It’s weird, but we adapted to it. Our youngest daughter lives with us, and our eldest daughter is married and lives in Philadelphia with her husband. It’s not ideal since we seldom see her more than once a year. But that’s how life happens sometimes. You have to learn to adapt, as the saying goes.

I have reached a time in my life when I have less time in the future and more in my past.

We all get to this point eventually, if we are lucky. I have led an interesting and challenging life, and I have no regrets.

This is our former home in NJ, where I taught Art for many years to children and adults.

I want to begin by describing myself. I am now 74 years old and retired. I have two adult children. One is married and lives in Philadelphia, and our youngest lives with us here in North Carolina, where we retired. We have lived here in North Carolina for the past nine years.

Previously, we lived in Pitman, New Jersey, for twenty-four years. We purchased that home because I had graduated from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. I was forty-one when I graduated with a BFA and Teaching Credentials for Art. I was the only adult student at that time. I graduated with a Magna Cum Laude. (Great with Honors.) I have to admit those four years were challenging to me as I had two young daughters at the time, and a home to take care of and all the responsibilities a woman has with children, school-age, and younger. My youngest daughter was at a Christian Day School, and my oldest daughter was going to school and then staying at a friend’s home until I arrived home from Tyler.

TYLER SCHOOL OF ART IN PHILADELPHIA

I’m not going to lie, it was extremely difficult to have the responsibility of my children and go to college full-time. Then have to get home on time to pick up my daughters and go home to do the cooking, clean the house, care for my young daughters, and then spend the night after my daughters go to bed and do my required reading, artwork that was due the next day. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. I still had to go food shopping, take my daughters to pediatrician appointments, and doctor’s appointments.

Let’s say I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep, nor did I have any free time, with projects to complete before my next class, studying art history. The list goes on and on. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was overwhelmed at times, but I never gave up. I always had my work for school on time, always, even if I had to go without sleep.

It became apparent to my instructors that I was always prepared, and so my work, whether it was artwork or written work, was always, always done on time. And so every one of my instructors would ask me to put up my work in front of the class, or they would read my written work in front of every class I attended, and they (the whole class) would critique it. And believed me, they didn’t hold back on the critiques, nor did the students, who rarely completed their work on time.

I have to admit that going to college at thirty-six was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, with two young children. But I have always been a stubborn person, and I knew there was no way in hell I was ever going to give up until I accomplished my goal of graduating from Temple University at the top of my class in 1991. And that is precisely what I did. I graduated with Magna Cum Laude. (Great With Honors) I was forty-one years old. I had a Bachelor of ARTS with teaching credentials. It hadn’t been easy, but nonetheless, I succeeded and was proud of my accomplishments.

I requested my Tyler School of Art instructors to write references for me so I could apply for and eventually get a teaching position at the Elementary or Middle School level. And they were happy to do just that. All my instructors in Graphic Design, Painting, and Drawing gave me their reference, and so did the Dean of Temple University. So, I was quite optimistic about getting an art teaching position, hopefully in New Jersey, where I was currently living.

Unfortunately, things did not work out as I had anticipated. After sending out resumes to all the Elementary and Middle schools, I did not receive any positive responses. What I ultimately found out was that New Jersey School Systems were no longer funding the teaching of art in the Elementary, Middle School, or High School. These curricula were no longer taught in New Jersey Schools. I had little response from the Philadelphia Elementary Schools as well. To say that I was disappointed would be an underestimate of how low and discouraged I was. Here, I was at forty-one, having just graduated with a BFA and Teaching credentials in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and unable to find employment. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement of all time. I was way past discouraged; I was downhearted. And I didn’t know what to do next. I couldn’t help but feel that I had just wasted four years of my life attending college and excelling at it. And yet there were no jobs to be found. 

I spent a long time trying to consider what my possible employment would come from. And then it occurred to me that I could start my school. I saw an advertisement for a large home for sale in Pitman, New Jersey. It had been empty for eight years. It was not in great shape. It needed a great deal of work and repair, including new heating and air-conditioning and a new roof. Pitman was a small town, but we fell in love with both the house and the city the first time our realtor took us to see the house. And yes, the house needed a great deal of work. But, it was in a great neighborhood and it had a large population of friendly neighbors, many with small children, middle school, and high school. The New Jersey government was no longer funding art programs. So, I decided this would be where I would teach art. It took us a long time to renovate the part of the house where I would be holding my art classes. Then, I applied for a permit and was given one by the Pitman government. I placed an advertisement in the Pitman News and World Report. 

And sure enough, I began getting phone calls from parents and adults who wanted to take Art Classes. I called my school, THE ART ROOM. I taught art to children after school and on Saturdays, and in the evening, I taught adults. And sure enough, my phone started bringing,g asking for information about the children’s classes and adults interested in taking the lessons as well.

So, no, I didn’t make a great deal of money; I never got rich. But I did teach art for many years at The ART ROOM, and I made a great many friends in Pitman. It was a great town to live in, and we came to love it. We lived in Pitman for twenty-four years until we retired. At which point we wouldn’t be able to afford living in our house, since the Real Estate Taxes were relatively high. And to say it was challenging to leave Pitman and our beloved home of twenty-four years would be the understatement of all time.

Our House in Pitman, New Jersey

We considered all our options, and ultimately, we decided that living in the South would be the most affordable place to live on Social Security and our savings. So, we put our beloved house up for sale and told our friends and neighbors that we were going to retire and move to the south. That we loved them and would miss them.

And so, my friends, we visited North Carolina and decided that we would find a home there where we could retire, and that we did. So, here we are nine years later, retired and living in North Carolina. It is a beautiful place to live. But, in all honesty, I miss my friends, family, and our lovely home in Pitman, but life doesn’t always end the way you expect it to.

So, here I sit at seventy-four years old with my husband, who is seventy-five. Do we miss New Jersey, yes, and we miss seeing our elder daughter more often; she and her husband live in Philadelphia. Our youngest daughter lives with us. We live in a small development, and we have a lovely house. But honestly, I miss all my family and my friendly neighbors in New Jersey. It appears as if the North Carolinians are not as pleasant as we had hoped they would be. But that’s the way of life, you never really know how things will turn out. You have to try to be optimistic and take one day at a time, doing the things you enjoy. And now, I have decided to start painting again, since after we moved here, I started writing and stopped painting. But I realized that I could do both, paint and write. So, my dear friends, that is precisely what I intend on doing. In addition, I am going to start making jewelry again. So, life goes on. Some days are good, and some days are not. But you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Life is what you make of it. Try not to lose your momentum; life goes by quickly, so don’t waste a minute of it. I intend on making my last years on this planet good ones. I have spent the previous nine years volunteering at an animal sanctuary, taking care of parrots and various other birds. I came to love them. I know that my time on this planet is limited, but I promise you folks that I will continue to write my stories and paint and draw and create unique things. If you can, please follow my blog on Facebook. It is called WRITE ON, and I post it on Wednesday. Take care until we meet again in my imagination. Love, Susan A. Culver: writer/ artist

DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD OF US PART 2

Senate Republicans passed a budget bill that would cut Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, a program that provides food assistance. As a result, at least 17 million American citizens would benefit, while wealthy Americans would not.

People fought to reject this bill. The most significant cuts were to healthcare and food assistance. Seniors would be the most at-risk population. It would reduce Medicaid because it would be more challenging to qualify for, and states’ payment options would be restricted to hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers.

Americans covered by Medicare would possibly be removed. American citizens could lose at least $185.00 a month. These amounts would increase over time. This increase in personal cost could result in an additional $8,340.00 per year for Medicare. This increase in cost could reduce the amount of funds that older citizens have to spend on food, leaving many people to go hungry, which often leads to health issues and higher rates of poverty due to food insecurity.

Cuts in these programs can and do affect job opportunities, as well as the economy and possibly job opportunities. Additionally, more deaths could occur due to the lack of access to better healthcare and care in nursing homes.

Of course, we all know that the majority of American Citizens are against these cuts. However, Congress is ignoring these people. Why is it that the poor and the wealthy have more power than those Americans who live in poverty?

And now, Trump is illegally sending people, and that includes innocent people, across the border to places like El Salvador. Apparently, he has the power to do that. I don’t know about any of you, but this is absolutely terrifying to me. Do we have no rights as American Citizens? Don’t we have the right to hire a lawyer? Doesn’t the government, including the President, have to follow the laws of the land???

Yes, people, we do have certain inalienable rights:

American citizens have a broad range of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. They also have rights related to DUE PROCESS, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, citizens have the right to vote, travel with a U.S. passport, and bring family members to the U.S.

Specific Rights and Protections:

And as American Citizens, Trump nor any other government employee has the right to ignore our rights. When are we ALL going to step up against this nightmare of a President and have him removed now, not later?

Here are our rights:

American citizens have a broad range of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. They also have rights related to due process, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, citizens have the right to vote, travel with a U.S. passport, and bring family members to the U.S.

Specific Rights and Protections:

• Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, and Petition: .

These are foundational rights outlined in the First Amendment, ensuring the ability to express oneself, practice one’s religion, report news, gather publicly, and appeal to the government.

• The Bill of Rights also protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, self-incrimination, and double jeopardy. He ensures the right to a speedy and public trial with the assistance of legal representation.

Citizens have the right to participate in the democratic process by casting their votes in elections.

Citizens also have the right to bear arms, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to privacy.

Citizens can live in the U.S. without fear of deportation, obtain government benefits, access more job opportunities, and become eligible for federal grants and scholarships.

U.S. citizens can petition to bring family members to the U.S. and obtain citizenship for children under the age of 18.

So,I don’t know about you, but I plan on not being thrown over the border because we do have those rights.

Trump is using his office, his power as President, to terrify and control people. What the hell kind of President does this? None in my lifetime until now. We must rise up and fight Trump. He is no longer the President of the United States. He is a living nightmare; he is a dictator.

So, what are we waiting for? We, as Americans, have the right to be free. This lowlife is a coward, and we can overcome and remove him. Really, what the hell are we waiting for? What is Congress waiting for? The rest of the world is watching what is happening here in America and looks on with disbelief and Fear. Who wouldn’t?

There is only low-life Trump, we can remove him and get rid of him, What the hell are we waiting for?????

The Fact is that Trump cares for no one; he has no intention of trying to stop Putin’s annihilation of innocent people in Ukraine. Why? He says, because who cares, they are not American???? And his other solution is to put tariffs on countries that do business with Russia????? Remember TACO. Trump always chickened out. He a coward and a low-life. Let’s get rid of him before he does any more harm to America and its people and the world. Trump is an absolute nightmare. Face it, he has to go.,,,,.

DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD OF US PART 2

Senate Republicans passed a budget bill that would cut, Medicaid, Medicare and SNAP, which is food assistance and as a result at least 17 million American citizens that would benefit wealthy Americans.

People fought to reject this bill. The most significant cuts were to healthcare and food assistance. Seniors would be the most at-risk population. It would reduce Medicaid because it would be more challenging to qualify for, and states’ payment options would be restricted to hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers.

Americans covered by Medicare would possibly be removed. American citizens could lose at least $185.00 a month. These amounts would increase over time. This increase in personal cost could result in an additional $8,340.00 per year for Medicare. This increase in cost could reduce the amount of funds that older citizens have to spend on food, leaving many people to go hungry, which often leads to health issues and higher rates of poverty due to food insecurity.

Cuts in these programs can and do affect job opportunities, as well as the economy and possibly job opportunities. Additionally, more deaths could occur due to the lack of access to better healthcare and care in nursing homes.

Of course, we all know that the majority of American Citizens are against these cuts. However, Congress is ignoring these people. Why is it that the poor and the wealthy have more power than those Americans who live in poverty?

And now, Trump is illegally sending people, and that includes innocent people, across the border to places like El Salvador. Apparently, he has the power to do that. I don’t know about any of you, but this is absolutely terrifying to me. Do we have no rights as American Citizens? Don’t we have the right to hire a lawyer? Doesn’t the government, including the President, have to follow the laws of the land???

Yes, people, we do have certain inalienable rights:

American citizens have a broad range of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. They also have rights related to DUE PROCESS, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, citizens have the right to vote, travel with a U.S. passport, and bring family members to the U.S.

Specific Rights and Protections:

And as American Citizens, Trump nor any other government employee has the right to ignore our rights. When are we ALL going to step up against this nightmare of a President and have him removed now, not later?

Here are our rights:

American citizens have a broad range of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. They also have rights related to due process, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, citizens have the right to vote, travel with a U.S. passport, and bring family members to the U.S.

Specific Rights and Protections:

• Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, and Petition: .

These are foundational rights outlined in the First Amendment, ensuring the ability to express oneself, practice one’s religion, report news, gather publicly, and appeal to the government.

• The Bill of Rights also protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, self-incrimination, and double jeopardy. He ensures the right to a speedy and public trial with the assistance of legal representation.

Citizens have the right to participate in the democratic process by casting their votes in elections.

Citizens also have the right to bear arms, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to privacy.

Citizens can live in the U.S. without fear of deportation, obtain government benefits, access more job opportunities, and become eligible for federal grants and scholarships.

U.S. citizens can petition to bring family members to the U.S. and obtain citizenship for children under the age of 18.

So, I don’t know about you, but I plan on not being thrown over the border because we do have those rights.

Trump is using his office, his power as President,t to terrify and control people. What the hell kind of President does this? None in my lifetime until now. We must rise up and fight Trump. He is no longer the President of the United States. He is a living nightmare; he is a dictator.

So, what are we waiting for? We, as Americans, have the right to be free. This lowlife is a coward, and we can overcome and remove him. Really, what the hell are we waiting for? What is Congress waiting for? The rest of the world is watching what is happening here in America and looks on with disbelief and Fear. Who wouldn’t?

There is only low-life Trump, we can remove him and get rid of him, What the hell are we waiting for?????

The Fact is that Trump cares for no one; he has no intention of trying to stop Putin’s annihilation of innocent people in Ukraine. Why? He says, because who cares, they are not American???? And his other solution is to put tariffs on countries that do business with Russia????? Remember TACO. Trump always chickened out. He a coward and a low-life. Let’s get rid of him before he does any more harm to America and its people and the world. Trump is an absolute nightmare. Face it, he has to go.,,,,.

DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD OF US PART 2

Senate Republicans passed a budget bill that would cut, Medicaid, Medicare and SNAP, which is food assistance and as a result at least 17 million American citizens that would benefit wealthy Americans.

People fought to reject this bill. The most significant cuts were to healthcare and food assistance. Seniors would be the most at-risk population. It would reduce Medicaid because it would be more challenging to qualify for, and states’ payment options would be restricted to hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers.

Americans covered by Medicare would possibly be removed. American citizens could lose at least $185.00 a month. These amounts would increase over time. This increase in personal cost could result in an additional $8,340.00 per year for Medicare. This increase in cost could reduce the amount of funds that older citizens have to spend on food, leaving many people to go hungry, which often leads to health issues and higher rates of poverty due to food insecurity.

Cuts in these programs can and do affect job opportunities, as well as the economy and possibly job opportunities. Additionally, more deaths could occur due to the lack of access to better healthcare and care in nursing homes.

Of course, we all know that the majority of American Citizens are against these cuts. However, Congress is ignoring these people. Why is it that the poor and the wealthy have more power than those Americans who live in poverty?

And now, Trump is illegally sending people, and that includes innocent people, across the border to places like El Salvador. Apparently, he has the power to do that. I don’t know about any of you, but this is absolutely terrifying to me. Do we have no rights as American Citizens? Don’t we have the right to hire a lawyer? Doesn’t the government, including the President, have to follow the laws of the land???

Yes, people, we do have certain inalienable rights:

American citizens have a broad range of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. They also have rights related to DUE PROCESS, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, citizens have the right to vote, travel with a U.S. passport, and bring family members to the U.S.

Specific Rights and Protections:

And as American Citizens, Trump nor any other government employee has the right to ignore our rights. When are we ALL going to step up against this nightmare of a President and have him removed now, not later?

Here are our rights:

American citizens have a broad range of rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. They also have rights related to due process, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Furthermore, citizens have the right to vote, travel with a U.S. passport, and bring family members to the U.S.

Specific Rights and Protections:

• Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, and Petition: .

These are foundational rights outlined in the First Amendment, ensuring the ability to express oneself, practice one’s religion, report news, gather publicly, and appeal to the government.

• The Bill of Rights also protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, self-incrimination, and double jeopardy. He ensures the right to a speedy and public trial with the assistance of legal representation.

Citizens have the right to participate in the democratic process by casting their votes in elections.

Citizens also have the right to bear arms, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to privacy.

Citizens can live in the U.S. without fear of deportation, obtain government benefits, access more job opportunities, and become eligible for federal grants and scholarships.

U.S. citizens can petition to bring family members to the U.S. and obtain citizenship for children under the age of 18.

So,I don’t know about you, but I plan on not being thrown over the border because we do have those rights.

Trump is using his office, his power as President, to terrify and control people. What the hell kind of President does this? None in my lifetime until now. We must rise up and fight Trump. He is no longer the President of the United States. He is a living nightmare; he is a dictator.

So, what are we waiting for? We, as Americans, have the right to be free. This lowlife is a coward, and we can overcome and remove him. Really, what the hell are we waiting for? What is Congress waiting for? The rest of the world is watching what is happening here in America and looks on with disbelief and Fear. Who wouldn’t?

There is only low-life Trump, we can remove him and get rid of him, What the hell are we waiting for?????

The Fact is that Trump cares for no one; he has no intention of trying to stop Putin’s annihilation of innocent people in Ukraine. Why? He says, because who cares, they are not American???? And his other solution is to put tariffs on countries that do business with Russia????? Remember TACO. Trump always chickened out. He a coward and a low-life. Let’s get rid of him before he does any more harm to America and its people and the world. Trump is an absolute nightmare. Face it, he has to go.,,,,.