I am from the Land of the Delta, Home of the Blues, City of Kings, a place where the heavy, heady air is fragrant with bursting hydrangeas, azaleas, crape myrtles, and gladiola and magnolia blossoms.

I am from sweet tea drinkers, butter bean eaters, hamburger eaters, fried okra and squash eaters and borst eaters.

I am from fearless explorers, adventurers, artisans, inventors, protectors, and goat wranglers.

I am from madness, duplicity, passion, inquiry, and beauty.

I am from “It’s my own damned money, I’ll wipe my ass with it if I want,”  and “Eat your spinach, it’ll put hair on your chest”.

I am from Sunday schools, tent revivals, the Baptists, the Catholics, the Assembly of God, the Russian Orthodox and the agnostics.

I am from 5 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 1 college, and 4 universities.

I am from Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Mary Popins, Cinderella, and Wonder Woman.

I am from petting kittens, running through front yard sprinklers on hot summer days, and catching lightning bugs in mason jars on hot summer nights.

I am spawn of Nanook The Barbarian and The Angry Russian.

I am an air-breather, chai-drinker, dancer, dreamer, knitter, learner, meditator, moon-gazer, reader, researcher, seeker, teacher, thinker, traveler, water-dweller, writer, Yip-hugger.

I am from…

Angry Russian Family Tree

Goat-Wrangling Grampa

Goat-Wrangling Grampa