Looking back in retrospect, 1955 was a magical year. I point with pride at growing up in the 50's and all of the nostalgia that seems to follow that era. It was a simpler time, certainly, and there weren't as many questions, temptations, or dilemmas that faced us as teenagers. The most important seemed to be the rivalry between Burbank and Burroughs in football, Bob's Big Boy on Friday night, and going steady! However, the 60's changed all that innocence.

Shortly after June Graduation, I obtained a job with Universal Studios as a messenger girl on the Studio lot. It was a great job and I loved it. Several months later I was promoted to the Publicity Department. It was a fun and exciting time at Universal, and I have many fond memories of those days

I had some of my best years, however, working in the Hollywood office of the Ad Agency of Leo Burnett Advertising, Inc. Some of their accounts included Proctor & Gamble, Kellogg's, Chrysler, and Marlboro, just to name a few. My employment with them spanned over 5 years, and when my second child was born I stayed home to raise them. I was married for approximately 6 years when the marriage began to unravel, divorce was imminent, and I was forced to return to work. I returned to Universal Studios working in their television production department.

When the divorce occurred, I moved with my kids to Van Nuys. Thereafter I left Universal to go to work for an entertainment law firm in Beverly Hills. It was a great job and I loved every minute of it. In the early 70's, I married Gary Sharp and moved to Torrance. After 6 years with the entertainment law firm, my kids were getting older and needed me closer to home; I left the law firm to work for the City Manager of the City of Palos Verdes Estates, a position which I held just short of 5 years (not long enough to be vested in my retirement however!). My kids were involved at their church and at school, and I recall those days in Torrance as being some of my happiest. My husband and I purchased a beautiful new home and settled in for about 9 years. When I left the City of PVE, I went to work for Hughes Aircraft and later took a job in Torrance with a land development firm.

Another change which I had not anticipated came when my husband was looking to change careers and took a teaching job in another state. While I waited for him to get settled and send for me, he met someone else and upon his return to California filed for divorce. At this point in my life I was still working for the development firm in Torrance and both of my children, David and Carol, were out of high school. Carol eventually got married and David went into the service. The house we owned was sold by order of the court, and I purchased a condo in Downey, where I lived for about 11 years. My employer at the time, a land development firm, was having financial troubles and laid off many of its employees. During the years from 1987 to 1992, I worked for a couple of law firms, and subsequently accepted a job working for the General Counsel of another land development company in Huntington Beach. During the course of that employment my boss, the General Counsel, ran for a State Assembly seat in his district, and lost. Shortly thereafter he left the company, and I was forced to leave as well. He referred me to a friend who was the managing partner in an environmental law firm in Irvine. I worked for this company for 3 years - until the 1995 recession hit and the firm was forced to reorganize! Are you getting the picture here?

In 1995, after 6 weeks of unemployment (very scary) I answered an ad for the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center and was offered a job as Executive Secretary to the General Manager, a job which you will be happy to hear, I am still holding! In fact, after having enjoyed a good salary which had increased with each new position, when I accepted this job my starting salary was the lowest paying job I had had in 10 years. There was a recession, hundreds of applicants were applying for the same positions, and I was desperate and in need of a job, so I took it!

By the way, because of my 'reversals of fortune' (loss of job, wiped out savings, and salary reduction), I lost my condo in Downey, had to file for Chapter 11, and moved in with my daughter for a few months. After saving for a deposit, Winona and I moved to a 1-bedroom apartment in Anaheim

Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent several months of chemotherapy treatments. I am now on a hormone drug and see the doctor every 2 months. Praise God, I can still work and am feeling really good.

The good news - you want to hear the good news? I thought you'd never ask -- the absolute joys of my life have been my grandchildren, Heather, age 17, Bobby, age 15, Winona, age 13 and Calla, age 6. In fact in 1997, through circumstances which don't bear repeating, Winona came to live with me at age 4-1/2. I am her legal guardian and she is going to be 13 this summer. All of my family are dedicated Christians and I am pleased that 3 of my grandchildren are attending Christian schools (except the 6 year old).

My beloved father passed away in 2001, and left an inheritance for me and my brother, which has enabled me to purchase a 2-bedroom condo, and build-up a savings account for my retirement years! Social Security kicked in and Voila! I am finally solvent!

Over the past several years I have been fortunate to visit the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Walt Disney World in Florida, San Antonio, TX and The Alamo, Dallas, TX to see a Cowboys game, Colorado, the Poconos in Pennsylvania, the Statue of Liberty, the Vancouver World's Fair, Williamsburg, VA, Honolulu, HI, Oregon, and a fabulous trip to Jackson Hole and Cody, WY (Yellowstone Park), and lower parts of Montana. This Summer I will be taking Winona to New York and Boston to visit my former stepson and his family. I hope someday, God willing, to visit Italy, Austria, England, and as many other countries in Europe as I can.

My life has been blessed beyond measure. The Lord has been good and faithful to me and has provided me with great parents, a loving family, good friends, interesting jobs, good health, and an extra-large helping of hope, grace, wisdom, peace and joy. HE is "working all things together for good" in my life, and where there were lemons, HE has made lemonade!