I've been an office manager most of my career, specializing in accounting and administration. I've worked in medicine since my mid 30's; ten years in internal medicine practice; four years in urology and thirteen in neurosurgery.

After I divorced, I moved to Portland. For the past thirteen years I have been privileged to work for a neurosurgeon in private practice who also participates in Emanuel Hospital's trauma center as a neurosurgery trauma doc with all that entails. I have learned a very great deal over the years about medicine and people and am grateful for the experience.

Five years ago, I moved from Portland to Keizer to be near extended family, but continue to work in Portland. We joke about retiring in five years, we'll see!

My son has a doctorate in anthropology, specializing in bio-archeology and teaches at North Carolina State University. His birth defect eventually led to a partial amputation of his leg at age fourteen. He had an earlier surgery at age seven and we made routine trips to San Francisco for ortho work. Built-up shoes were made until he was in kindergarten then a prosthesis that resembled an artificial leg. His medical needs consumed a good deal of our time and resources; but we as parents were glad to make every resource we could manage available for him. We are very pleased with his character and success. My son's wife has a translation business; translating English into Japanese.

We put equal energy into my daughter's life, and couldn't be more happy for her. She has a degree in psychology and a graduate degree in teaching. She is currently a homemaker, raising our five year old grandson. Her husband works for Sacramento State College as a computer analyst/programmer.

I yearned to be a homemaker; and at age 19, I thought that was what life held for me. Life changed when my son was born with a birth defect. I went to work when he was three months old, and except for a three year hiatus, have worked since I was nineteen. I started with secretarial/bookkeeping related work and by my late 20's was managing the office where I worked. That work experience offered close friendships I wouldn't have had outside of my job.

My best regards to everyone. Charlene