I was a shy one in school. I assume that at 13, losing my mom and my father remarrying 13 months later to an insecure person had a great affect. Although I tried to please my stepmother; her actions pushed me further away--into my shell.
After AAHS, I spent a great year with Peter Cobb’s family (neighbors to us). Mrs. Cobb became my surrogate mother, as did Susie Boys’ mother.
I started my studies at Cleary College (unfortunately, at the time, a non-accredited school), pursing a legal secretary/business degree. I was interviewed to work at the CIA, can you believe that?!!
After that, I worked at the UofM Bureau of Business Research. There, I typeset books for all those folks in the business and accounting fields. I worked with great people, including another neighbor, Hetsy Slote (who “recently” passed away), as well as Jack O’Neill (Molly’s late uncle).
I then strolled into the business world, and worked at LithoCrafters and Braun Brumfield, both west of AA. I moved up the printing “ladder” and typeset journals farmed to us from Academic Press, NY. What was fascinating about this company was that it covered all aspects of printing i.e., raw copy to be typed to the binding of the books. All steps relied on the previous one(s) being done correctly!
I think my true love was caring for others; human, as well as animals. I was caring for Susie’s mother, as well as housesitting there for a summer while Mrs. Boys was in Maine. At the time, mid 70’s, I was attending WCC (Washtenaw Community College) studying for my LPN.
My “capped” funds from my father ended before I received my degree. So, it was back to full-time employment as well as the meeting of my true love, Barry.
I took a job at the UofM Mathematical Reviews. There, I typeset CMP (Current Mathematical Publications) every two weeks as well as a huge monthly book, “Mathematical Reviews”, published by the American Mathematical Society (AMS), Providence.
Barry, being from Boston, and wanting to return East, was offered a job at AMS. Shortly after we married in July ’78, we moved to Providence. For 12 years, I worked at AMS.
I left to pursue caring for stray animals. I volunteered at the municipal shelter as well as filming and editing a biweekly show. This was an avenue to make the public aware of animals that were lost, found, and were now looking for families.
There were great annual fund-raising events, which brought on celebrities: Concetta Tomei, to name one. Such a “down-to-earth” individual she is. Over my years there, I trapped many feral cats, served on the board, and traveled the country, attending animal-related conferences.
For several years, I worked in accounting, in Lexington, MA. Since the mid 90’s, I have been a personal assistant to a Brown University Professor.
In the late 90’s, I took up nursing classes, again. Before working in that field, I found myself going to Arizona a few times over a few years to care for my cancer-stricken niece. Also, I cared for people here.
From the late 90’s to a few years back, I was involved with yet another TV show. It was a live current events show, consisting of a host and any number of guests. I did camera, sound, editing as well as hosting the hour-long show, upon occasion! That was fun, yet nerve racking!!
2002 was the year of my bad vehicle accident, leaving me with severe right arm nerve damage. After all my Boston surgeries (over the years), I consider BIDMC my “second” home!!
For five years, since 2010, Barry and I have been involved with a monthly food pantry. We inventory the food to see what is needed when we shop at the RI Community Food Bank. It’s fun to shop at the Food Bank as well as to haul 50lbs sacks of different produce back to the pantry. (They have strange carrots in RI…beware!)
This has limited me in things I did previously, yet I keep on trucking. Holiday baskets for horses (see below), as well as plants, have filled in my time.
Holiday Baskets for Horses
In 2001, Barry and I funded a Police Horse for the Providence Police Mounted Command Unit, whom we named Cassidy.
I would see the horses downtown after school, at Trinity Repertory, and at crowd-control events. I always thought that they worked hard and needed holiday “buckets/baskets”.
Thus we started fixing 15 baskets for Providence horses. Soon after that, we did baskets for Boston Police Mounted Command (16). We also decided to not only fix Christmas Baskets; but to include Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween.
We were told that Franklin Park, Boston, had horses that patrolled the Emerald Necklace Area, encompassing Jamaica Pond and Olmsted Park. So, that added another 10.
Roughly six years back, Boston’s Mayor disbanded the Boston Police Unit. That brought down the number of baskets to fix. Also, over the years, the horse count would fluctuate.
The baskets have hay, horse treats (purchased at a feed store), apples (variety), carrots, homemade cookies, and hard candies. (One of the Franklin Park horses is allergic to soy; so I am READING all the ingredients. I baked a batch of cookies with Crisco. It had to be chucked, because of the soy. A lesson quickly learned!!)
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