I am a strong woman raised in the 60's and 70's in Wisconsin, who moved west to Oregon thirty years ago. I worked with people with disabilites and elderly, then took a five year break from social services to work as a forester as a timber cruiser for five years. I lived in the woods during summer, wintered in Alsea valley. I developed a tough skin working in a camp with mostly men. They called me the queen of the comeback.
I am a gentle feminist and progressive baby boomer that considers myself a world citizen, I am a songwriter and play guitar and sing in a acoustic rock band called Nervous Rex. See some of our work on myspace under SmartyPants196 link http://www.myspace.com/smartypants196
I wrote journals all my adult life and am in the process of writing two novels, and short stories. I have published in Oregon Coast Magazine and upcoming winter issue of Eugene Magazine an aritcle about watsu water massageYou can read some of my hubs or articles at hubpages under hubs go to girlpower..http://hubpages.com/search/include:hubs+girlpower
After 30 years of service to others I myself am disabled with multiple sclerosis and retired at 52. I now have a life other than work.. My life now is simple, i am limited in how much activity i can do before i have to lay prone to re-coop my energy. I lost the use of one leg and use wheelchair when out in community and cane inside my house. I spend my time doing advocacy and activism for people with disabilities and other subjects by writing my congress people and attending phone conferences and following bill progress in both wash dc and salem on legislative issues. I am an avid reader of fiction and short stories. I enjoy organic gardening in my potted garden on my driveway. I spend alot of time on the phone talking to friends and old aquatinences the people i had limited time to call as i was so busy with my life.work.
I enjoy feeding hummingbirds and growing habitat that encourages them to my garden. I have coneflowers, red salvias, fushias,petunias, sweet potatoe vine, calla lillies, stargazer lilies, cannas, yuccas, palm tree, banana tree. I am told I have a green thumb as my house plants are thriving.my specialty is raising african violets and orchids under grow light on my kitchen cupboards. Prayer plants, banana plants, shamrock plants, fern, dracena.
MS has taught me patience, grace and knowing my physical limitations. It is like having a bucketful of water each day and i can use it ladel by ladel full and i dip it out, but i only have about 12 ladels full to use each day, so i use it sparingly so i have enough to last the whole day. I have to nap in the late afternoon to have enough energy for the night time. My beloved takes good care of me, helping me to do many things i cant do by myself anymore. he is my rock, my buddy, my soulmate.
Listen to my latest song named Sweet Love of Mine a song written for peace activist Cindy Sheehan after the dead of her son in Iraq.
I recently published three of my novels, fictionalized memoirs go to smashwords.com or amazon.com and look for books by Diane DeVillers, my pen name, and the books"From the Waters of Coyote Springs", Felix and Eve" and "The Arrangment" Only 2.99 each and are short novels so easy to read, comes in digital format only, or you can download them to your computer, or to your reading device. You can also find them on Barnes and Noble for Nooks, Sony, Kobo and Apple store. Check them out.
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