Most people see me as a wife, mother, grandmother, and successful business owner juggling a variety of hats at any given time…yet, my life story covers so much more than that!

Born in Chicago, Illinois to a German-Irish-Polish family, ethnic foods and traditions have always been part of my DNA. Those early years created my desire to experience different cultures and travel whenever and wherever possible.

Moving to Nashville, Tennessee in the 70’s, my parents and I experienced culture shock as we exchanged mom & pop bakeries and delis for Krispy Kreme donuts and Kroger groceries. Growing up, I had the best of both worlds - big city activities with that special small-town attachment to your friends and neighbors.

It was in Nashville that I discovered my gift of public speaking, winning awards at 4H events at the early age of 10 years old. People regularly asked my parents, who is that little girl who can stand up in a crowded room and sound like she’s having a heart-felt conversation sitting next to you on the couch.

Whether meeting VIP & first-class passengers for American Airlines, working in the newsrooms of WTVF-Channel 5 or AM 650 WSM Radio (home of the Grand Ole Opry), helping clients as a paralegal in a former judge’s law office, volunteering with Young Marines and US Naval Sea Cadets or, even doing the Sunday readings at church, I’ve always used my speaking ability to connect with others.

I beat the beast of duodenal cancer in 2015 and learned how to find the humor as a divorced mom raising three children on McDonald’s dollar menu while all their friends were eating at Outback. While Life definitely threw some pretty mean curveballs, I managed to sound like “Optimistic Annie” saying things like “Oops! I forgot to pay the electricity bill? Well, let’s light a few candles and have a campout on the living room floor!”

My family thought I would slow down when we moved to the beach town of Port St Joe, Florida,, but I’ve done just the opposite! I volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem, connecting with at-risk children who suddenly had to deal with the unknowns of the court system. Bartending led me to start my own catering business. Then a chance outing where I saw some antique boats landed me on the Board of Directors for the 1877 Governor Stone schooner where I’m now responsible for rebuilding this National Historic Landmark after she was destroyed in 2018’s Hurricane Michael and establishing a local maritime museum.

Oh, and did I mention that I love to travel every chance I get? It might be a quick 2-day adventure to a new place off the beaten path with my husband or grandchildren (Have you been to Weekiwachee to see the real mermaids?) or a longer trip to expore the sites in our great country. I’ve also been known to be a chaperone on our local high school trip to foreign lands like California, Italy and Spain.

One of these days, I’m going to go make time for quilting, canning salsa and organizing all the things I’ve collected through the years. But right now, I’ve got more adventures to have and, definitely… a lot more people to meet and even more stories to share!