This is my first attempt at writing a blog on the Internet.

I am a published author. I've had five articles published in GOLDENSEAL, a magazine published by the WV Division of Culture and History. It publishes stories about traditional WV life (see links). I wrote a personal interest column in the NICHOLAS CHRONICLE for approximately eight years.

I compiled a book of short stories about my late husband and published them in 1998. It was stories he'd told me about his childhood and living through the Great Depression. I'd grown up hearing similar stories from my Mom and grandparents. Over the years, I always thought about writing his stories down, but my life was busy...And I didn't think of myself as a writer.

I was busy with my job at the WV DHHR (aka the Welfare Office) and being a wife. After going to work at the office, I decided to start college classes. I took a computer class at the Vo-Tech and enjoyed it. I decided I wanted to try taking a few English classes to develop my writing skills further. Part of my job was to attend a unit meeting every month and take notes of the topics discussed. My job title was Clerk I. I was assigned to a specific unit to do their clerical work and filing, in addition to writing the minutes. I also did administrative assistant work for the supervisor or acting supervisor.

From day one, I was assigned to attend the monthly meetings, take notes, and write detailed minutes directly from my notes. At first it was a difficult task, but I quickly learned to take good notes. (This was an invaluable asset when I started taking classes). I was forced to write a draft of the minutes, then submit them a Services Coordinator for review. After she was finished critiquing them, I got them back to correct. THEN, the corrected copy was sent to the Area Administrator for his approval. Then again, I had to re-type the minutes with his corrections.

All this intense focus on note-taking, writing the minutes from my notes, having two bureaucratic buffoons picking my work apart honed my writing skills. I did the minutes and clerical work for that unit for ten years. I gained lots and lots of hands on experience writing technical, bureaucratic gibberish. However, by virtue of that monthly task, my skills as a writer came to the forefront.

My quest to take a couple of college classes to improve my writing skills turned out well. I ended up taking classes part-time for about six years. I had 62 credit hours. I got stressed out thinking I had to study to make an A on every test. I developed health issues and one of my late husband's granddaugther's was killed in an accident. My break of a couple of semesters turned into a few years.

I was ready to start back and my husband got sick. He was in the nursing home for three and a half years. He passed away in 1999. I knew I'd go back and finish my degree, but it took me four years to get to the point I could handle the stress and disciple college demanded.

I earned an Associate Degree in General Studies (with Honors) in Dec. 2003. I continued my studies and earned Board of Regents BA in English Literature in August 2006 (Summa Cum Laude). I earned 103 classroom hours and I wrote an 80,000 word Board of Regents portfolio for the additional 25 hours I needed to graduate. In the end, I earned 39 hours from the portfolio. When I finished, I had 31 thick notebooks full of information and evidence to support my claims.

I received credits in Secretarial Sciences from New River, credits for writing classes from Bluefield State College and Marshall University. Most of my credits for writing were upper division llevel. All of my experience of writing for the paper, the magazine articles, my book, attending writer's workshops and even my work experience ended up working to my favor with the Board of Regents. Another aspect I revel in is that the state paid for approximately 90% of my college education. It's really ironic that the people in the office where I worked never chose to utilize my intellect and willingness to learn. Their loss, my gain.

It was only five months after I received my degree in the mail, that I suffered a devastating back injury. I fell on the stoop of my front porch and broke my back in two places. It was a week before my 54th birthday. I was in major pain for months from the initial injury. As it started to heal, the residual pain started to set in. As time as passes, my back and leg pain has gotten progressively worse.

When I turned 55, I was eligible for retirement from the state because of my years of tenure. I wasn't planning on retiring so young, but I really didn't have any choice. Luckily, I had a retirement to fall back on.

Again, they treated me like crap when I worked there, never giving me a chance to do anything but exactly what they dictated...lock step, Nazi-like. But in the end, I have prevailed. They paid for my college education and I have a retirement for the rest of my life. Now I have an additional blessing. I was approved for my Social Security Disability in December.

Daily life involves constant pain and limitations to my mobility, but I'm slowly learning how to deal with it, yet try to be productive. It's an ongoing journey...