Intro:  “Bowl Full of Dreams” When I was young, if I witnessed something remarkable I would think I could do that.   This excerpt is taken from the book “Dream Big”, where the artist makes a personal commentary on each of the paintings. To read the full commentaries, the book is available for purchase.

Figure Skater:  “Near Perfect Performance” When I was a kid, ice skating was my passion. In Michigan, where our license plates read “Water-Winter Wonderland” ice skating came as naturally as breathing the frigid, Midwest winter air. Nearly everyone I knew lived near a lake.   This excerpt is taken from the book “Dream Big”, where the artist makes […]

Mother:  “Motherhood – More Than a Walk in the Park” For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of being someone’s mother. Admittedly, in my dreams that someone was always a baby. Never a tantrum-throwing toddler, or a surly, argumentative teenager. She was invariably a sweet, fragrant, perfectly pink, baby girl.   This excerpt […]

Nurse:  “Romance in Uniform” I thought for a long time that I wanted to be a nurse. I was drawn to the clean white uniform, and the pert little starched cap whose design indicated where each nurse had been trained. I dreamed about pinning one of those hard-earned caps on my head!   This excerpt […]

Writer:  “Great American Novel” Once upon a time…I wanted to be a writer. I used to lie in bed and compose stories in my head. And then I would reach under my bed where I kept a spiral notebook and pencil, and trying not to wake my sister, I’d jot down my ideas. What I […]

Dairy Farmer:  “Fantasy Farming” My dream of being a farmer was rooted in visits to my paternal grandparents’ farm in the Finger Lakes region of western New York. Times spent there were idyllic. We slept in the loft above the grape house, ascending to bed on a rough wooden ladder.   This excerpt is taken from […]

Tap Dancer:  “For Want of Rhythm” What could be better than the deep, rich sound of tap shoes on a wood floor? I found it mesmerizing, and dream-worthy. But unlike ballet, tap was never an option for me as a kid. No classes. No black patent leather tap shoes. And absolutely no rhythm. This excerpt […]

Pastry Chef:  “Let Them Eat Cake” I am not sure which came first, my love of baking or my love of eating baked goods. Either way, sugar runs thick and sweet in my veins. I don’t have a single sweet tooth; I have a veritable mouthful.   This excerpt is taken from the book “Dream Big”, where the […]

Ballerina:  “My Pointe Is” Ah-h-h, Miss Samuelson, I had high hopes for you, my first and only ballet teacher. But in hindsight, I am fairly certain that you did not harbor the same for me when I stumbled into your studio, my terribly long, terribly skinny legs protruding from my bagging, black leotard.   This […]

Pianist:  “All in the Timing” My first exposure to the piano came at my grandparents’ house in Attica. Grandpa Healy, who they said played “by ear,” would play Old Man River over and over, singing the lyrics in a low, gravelly voice. Perhaps that was his entire repertoire. It’s the only song I recall him […]