With Appreciation and Thanks
To My Family & Friends
My
parents have always been supportive of the many interests and endeavors
I’ve muddled through. Perhaps that’s because my father has always had
diverse interests himself and was willing to take risks and try new
ventures. As well, my mom followed her dreams, going back to college to
study art, something she’d long wanted to do. It’s just a family
tradition to seek out new destinies.
I’m very thankful to have grown up in such a rich and accepting
environment. And to have married another nurturing soul. My husband is
supportive in all ways and I appreciate and love him very much. My
family has always been there for me.
Throughout
life, I’ve been fortunate in my friends. Right now, I feel very
fortunate to know so many wonderful people, the sort a person can count
on in a crisis, the sort a person can trust and turn to for big or
little problems.
To My Writer’s Group
 I’m
thankful for every one of you. My husband (and fellow author) is also
my friend. I can count on him to give me an honest and helpful
critique. Kathy Turski and I have been friends for many, many
years. We’ve danced together and we help each other in writing as well
as in brainstorming. Frank Summers has been a wonderful addition to the
group, having keen insight. Moreover, if not for Frank, I wouldn’t have
this website. He got it all started and designed the lovely
heading atop the pages and set me up with templates to create new
pages. And of course, I’m really thankful for Julia Mandala. Juli and I
dance together and we’ve even co-authored together. She and I are
practically sisters and her friendship has meant so much. Of course,
she, Kathy and I are sort of three crazy redheads who are always up to
something. Juli and her husband Larry have both been great
friends to Chris and I. They even threw us a fabulous party for
our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
To My Dance Troupe
I
enjoy the comraderie we share and all the laughs amid all the hard
work. It's one medium to dance solo and another to dance together,
choreographing and then learning the routine. We share dance ideas as
well as costuming. And I particularly want to thank Julia Burchard for
keeping me and Juli abreast of the latest trends in the traditional
dance community.
To My Students, Past, Present & Future
Teachers,
while teaching also learn so much from their students. Communication
and trust is very important and its a two-way street. I've been
fortunate to have taught so many wonderful people.
As such, I
really appreciate all my
ex-students who stay in touch. It means a lot to know how you’ve fared
in life. I may have forgotten a few names, but I remember all your
faces. I sincerely hope I’ve helped you along the way somehow and,
yes, that you've occasionally found a use for the skills I taught you..
Now that I’m no longer
teaching computer science, math or aviation, I’m especially thankful
for two ex-students,
Crystal Monteiro and Raven Oak, who are now teaching computer science.
It’s oddly comforting to know I’ve been replaced.
II also want to thank Troupe Ghazala's dedication to their
craft. The friendship forged over the years with Iris, Laurie and Robin
is something I'll always treasure. To all those wonderful gals who have
come and gone with the troupe, moving to new cities, going off to
college or what have you, I hope that you keep dancing and that life is
joyous.
And,
of course, I want to thank all the wonderful people who have studied
tai chi with me and continue to practice the lovely forms taught to me.
I value our classtimes together and am especially thankful for those
students who have found the much needed health benefits tai chi
provides. You are all very special people. So thank you for your
dedication to the art.
To My Many Other Friends
The
speculative fiction fandom community is a truly wonderful community.
Every SF convention is like a family reunion—a glorious weekend that
you wish would never end. And at every convention that family grows.
There are so many people I enjoy seeing and look forward to seeing—and
I hope they all know who they are. I want to thank all of them for the
many hours of conversation and the laughs. I appreciate every familiar
face in the audience, whether I’m on stage performing or sitting at a
panel or doing a reading. So thanks for all your support.
In Appreciation of Small Presses
The
small press community is another close-knit family. As part of the Yard
Dog “kennel” I know I always have another family out there. Selina
Rosen is a wonderful force of her own, a mother to us all, and
inspirational in many ways. And she’s raised a great family of
“doggies” who are there for each other. And every year Selina hosts a
yearly get-together.
Sadly I only know many of my other editors
and fellow writers from other presses online and through e-mails. Yet
I’ve enjoyed our correspondence. And I’m thankful for those I’ve had a
chance to meet in person. With each new friend and acquaintance, I am
reminded of how wonderful a community this is. The same can’t be said
of every workplace.
Along
with small presses, I am thankful for book dealers who carry these not
so easily found titles. In particular, I want to thank Zane and Jo of
Edge Books for carrying many titles from small presses that I have
stories in. Certainly, I try my best to help them sell books when we're
at conventions together. So thanks, also, to everyone who buys books
(not just mine) from Zane to support him and his wife, Jo.
Thanks for the Pictures
If
not for many fans, Todd Caldwell, Sam Gayle, Bobby Hitt, Todd Belding,
and Bill Burchard just to name a few, I wouldn’t have so many wonderful
performance photographs to post on the various gallery sites. As
well, a special thanks goes to Stuart Jones for the many hours he
devoted to shooting many of the pictures featured throughout the
website. If not for SF fandom, I wouldn’t have so many photos to
share. So thanks for taking the pictures and taking the time to post
them, send them to me, or put them on CDs.
To a very Special Couple
 Throughout
life, I’ve been mentored by numerous people, many of them teachers who
took that extra step. I appreciate all the people who’ve helped
me along the way, including the doctors that keep me healthy. Iva Lim
Peck is one very special lady. Not only was she my primary tai chi
instructor, but she’s a marvelous acupuncturist. I wouldn’t be in the
condition I am today without all of her work. She and her husband Richard are so much more
than friends, but family.
Lastly, I'm thankful to the Universe for just existing.
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