For my son, Jeremy, of whom I am so proud, I love you more, more, more. To my brother Ricky, who tragically died way too young. For my sister Ronda, whom I love most of the time, I dedicate this book.

To my late neighbor and friend, Ethel Gould, whom I can still hear commenting, “See, I told you, you can do anything that you set your mind to.” For my lifelong friend Katie Russell (KT), I will love you always and forever, for you are always there when I need you. To Big Bird, our Cockatiel who recently died, I can still hear his welcoming sharp squawks when I walk in the house. A warm dedication to my newfound travel partner Laurie ValBush.

And last but certainly not least, I would like to dedicate this book to my mom and dad, who put up with my crazy teen years (which ran into my twenties) but always supported me, no matter what.