This is me at three years old.

I loved to make things: Paper, tape, fabric, and paints were my passion. I loved books: The Electric Company taught me how to read. I loved the outdoors: camping, fishing, hiking, exploring in the woods. I loved God: at least what I understood of God at three years old.

And ever since, that’s pretty much been my path. I still love to make things. I still love books. I still love the outdoors. And I still love God - at least what I understand of God, which is less and less, the older I get.

Along the way, some other things happened. I earned a B.S. in theater and women’s studies from Northwestern University. I earned an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Columbia College Chicago. I have written lots of short stories, personal essays, poetry, magazine articles, and the memoir Newlyweds Afloat, about living with my husband Mark aboard our 38’ trawler Mazurka in Chicago. It was really fun.

One day he said to me, “We could have kids onboard this boat in downtown Chicago.”

“We could…” I said.

But instead, we moved to the northern shore of Lake Superior and expanded our crew to include three tsunamis who never stop reminding me that every moment of every day holds the possibility to create, to read, to explore the woods and the Big Lake, and to love God - at least what we understand of God, today.