I majored in biology, minored in chemistry and mathematics at a small college in Minnesota in the 60s, which meant that I was the only female science major in the Science Hall. I proceeded to work in many different jobs that were dominated by men. I went back to school at age 55 to receive my Masters in Computer Information Management Systems where I was still one of the few women. I also learned to ride a motorcycle at that same time. I like to think that all of those men helped me become a stronger woman.
When I taught business and computer classes at a small college in Washington state. I offered my students some advice:
“For the first day on a new job, wear your best navy blue suit like the one I’m wearing today. If you have just moved into a new home, however, and can’t find your best shoes, follow Jenny Joseph’s advice. Wear a red hat with purple that does not match or as I have done, wear your red sneakers and make a statement.” I wore my red sneakers with a navy blue suit to start and end each school year.
“Life is too short to wear plain white socks, so go for something fun.”
“Set some long long-range goals.”
A) One of my long-range goals is to write the Great American novel. Now that I am retired, my husband and I have moved to Texas. With our house restoration completed, I have finally found time to write. That Great American novel is still a work in progress, but this first novel puts me on my way.
B) My second long-range goal is to become a stand-up comedian. My students were to be my practice audience. Being a stand-up comedian is yet to be explored, but who knows what the future may bring.
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Being eligible for membership in the Red Hat Society™ can either intimidate or validate a woman as she faces the next chapter in her life. In Red Helmet On A Motorcycle, Maggie King, a 55 year old recent widow chooses validation. With the support of her close friends she buys a street legal motor scooter and adds a red helmet. As she learns to ride her bike she is able to move past her grief, and show her pride in being a Red Hat Society member. The bike also opens a pathway for independence, new friendships, adventures, but most of all the possibility of romance. Is she ready for romance? If so should it be with a conservative man who rides a Goldwing like the one her husband had or a wild man who rides a Harley?
Twenty years of marriage to a cheating, verbally abusive husband has taken its toll, but 57-year-old Claire Murphy has decided this time she really will divorce him. She is proud to take her first steps when she moves into an apartment building that she later learns is occupied by 80-year-old women. They are eager to state that it is never too late to find love. Claire isn’t sure she will ever be able to open her heart to loving again.
Fearing that the divorce will be expensive, Claire concentrates her energy on her job as a mortgage loan officer. She accepts an additional position working weekends at a new residential housing development. She shares with her friends that the scenery of shirtless construction workers on a hot summer day is very entertaining. Her favorite worker is the foreman who presents her with her own red hard hat. Will that red hard hat be enough to protect Claire after her husband is murdered, and she is the prime suspect?
Can a forest fire start a love affair, or end it before it even begins? For the last ten years the center of forty-year-old Denise Stockton’s life has been her adopted son, Tyler. She laughed when her older friends made her an honorary member of their Red Hat group. They help her navigate her path as she raises her son as a single mom. They proved to her that it was never too late to find love.
Now she and her son are threatened by a forest fire. Although a forest fire burns hot, it also will burn out over time. Will the same thing happen to Denise if she gives her heart to the handsome Australian fire fighter who rescues them? Can he also save her son from the stalker who threatens their security in their own home?
Starting over is never easy.
Fifty-eight-year-old Megan Jones thought that was behind her. After choosing to be single for more than thirty years, she had finally found a man who earned her trust and her heart. His shocking death has her facing her future alone once again. Making the decision to move to a beach town two thousand miles away might be a step toward easing her grief. Will the sounds of the surf and shorebirds help her heart heal? Will she find a second chance at love with a former football player, or will his secrets drive a wedge between them? The beach holds the answers.
Mr. Johnson is very special to the residents of the St James Apartment building. Not only does he have the skills to keep the 1920’s building in good repair, but he is also the only man who resides there. He has dated many of the single women who call the building home. Now he is the prime suspect after the police determine that the husband of one of those ladies has been murdered.
This cozy mystery is a little wine, a little murder and a whole lot of friendship as the Ladies of the St. James Apartments set out to save one of their own. Can Mable Schmidel and her 70-, 80- and 90-year-old friends show the police how old ladies find a killer? Who else can they trust to do the job?
It is Spring Break, and Texas college students head to the sandy beaches. Sarah Winter is one of them. Now, however, she is not answering texts or calls. Her grandmother, Gloria Wilson, is terrified that something bad has happened. When the police don’t seem to want to help, Gloria turns to her neighbors. Was it a fluke when Mabel Schmidel and the Lady Detectives of the St James Apartments solved their first case? Can a group of 70, 80, and 90-year-old women find Sarah, and bring her home? They intend to try their very best.