So who is this "Astronomer" person, anyway? Then pull up a chair, and lend me your ear... As you may have guessed, I am something a bit out of the ordinary. I have been many things in my life, including a librarian, an artist, a musician, a poet, and a free-lance writer. I have several poetry awards and have published many magazine articles as well as done free-lance work for local newspapers. As with art and music, writing is a highly competitive and most often a very low paying field. It is for that very reason I went into drug/general merchandising for a natiowide grocery chain. Showing an aptitude for computer technology, I also went on to become a CAO consultant - but now I'm just a semi-retired pharmacy technican. So much for how I make my money, eh? Now you want to know about astronomy... My interest in the sky has been lifelong. As a child, I remember watching solar and lunar eclipses as well as meteor showers. Those early years are fondly remembered with John Glenn orbiting the Earth, watching Sputnik cruise the starry skies, and following every Apollo mission. My interest was fed by my parents... And everything science was put into my eager hands. In later years, I continued on with a small refractor bought to observe Halley's Comet. Living in the city at that time, my skies were very limited... But the interest continued. I would often head for the countryside and spend hours contemplating the stars. When financial circumstances escalated in later years, I eventually moved to a very rural location on the outskirts of a tiny village. The skies here were incredible! Eleven years before the turn of the century, I had purchased my first "true astronomical telescope"... The Celestron 114. Reading everything I could get my hands on, it was a long and arduous journey to learn the night sky. Very few books were available to the beginning astronomer... And even fewer people to learn from. By the mid 90s I had exhausted everything my little telescope was capable of. I wanted all of those great things I read about in Astronomy and Sky & Telescope! Thus the hunt for the "perfect scope" began for me. Knowing my own physical limitations, my enjoyment of being under the open sky, and my propensity for not following the rules, I eventually decided on one of the first dobsonian designs... And there was no finer mirror maker than the Meade Company. Once the 12.5 came into my life, I was lost forever. The power to visit some of the most distant corners of the Cosmos was now in my hands. Keeping notes had become a way of life for me... Once a writer? Always a writer. After having read through some of my cramped diaries, a dear friend of my suggested that I put these things on the worldwide web, and he put the tool in my hand - WebTV. At first I resisted the idea... Who me? I can find out anything I want to know from books. But, little by little, I found a certain companionship in this crazy piece of equipment and began to make astronomy friends around the world. I watched their websites grow, change and expand. But none of them were geared to the simple fun and enjoyment of just observing! I wanted to see a page that made you feel like you were right there observing with that person... Right, wrong or indifferent. What ticks inside the person who would rather watch the Moon than the television? Too many are self-appointed "professionals"... And not enough who are willing to experiment and remember to have fun! Thus began the quest to build my own webpages... WebTV is not a computer. It is nothing more than an internet connection and a keyboard. To do anything "virtually" must be hand-coded. And so I began... Learning html, then dhtml, perl, and java. I look back now on my "evolution" and smile at my beginning attempts. As you travel through my things, you will find the corny, the annoying, and the just plain rotten things I've done over the years. But I never quit with astronomy. I wanted to see a place that was friendly. A person you could approach with questions... And get answers. My aim was to give you my learning experiences, inspire you to chase the stars and to make you feel welcome. Eventually I came into contact with others in my area... And this lead to my involvement with the Warren Rupp Observatory. Like webpages, this was an opportunity to share my love of astronomy with others - To teach and to learn. I began to travel and met others... Names I knew from the web - my heros - and even finer people in real life. I became one of the founding members for Astronomy For Youth and took over webmastering for both organizations and for the Astronomical League. And that love of the night sky? Has never stopped. I went on to purchase other telescopes as well, such as an Orion SVD8, a short tube 4.5, another Celestron 114, a NexStar 102 and several pairs of binoculars. I take care of the Richland County Astronomical Society's 150mm Intes Mak... And I love every moment of being allowed to use one of the largest amateur telescopes in the world - The 31" reflector at Warren Rupp Observatory. You will find me at every public outreach program in my area - or giving them! I travel to local grade schools, high schools, libraries all over, distant colleges and host learning programs here at the Observatory for everyone from scouts to scholars... But on every clear night, you'll find me... Right here in my own "backyard".

Little by little, my artistic bent turned toward astronomy sketches. My writing to you... I continue to play the accoustic guitar, for music is a part of my soul, just as much as the stars are. But if it ain't rock? It doesn't roll. And speaking of rolling? I ride a '92 Harley Davidson "Fat Boy", whenever the mood strikes me, but still dig taking the curves in my Camaro. (besides... ya' can't tote a telescope to a star party in a saddlebag!) Eventually the Camaro gave way to a new Mitsubishi Eclipse - but as long as it's fast and hugs curves? It's for me. As you can tell, I enjoy eating as well and gourmet cooking is an excellent passtime. I enjoy a cold beer or glass of wine from time to time, and I see no shame in it. Who needs a psychologist? There is no problem in the world that can't be solved with a friend, a cold beer and a backyard full of stars. So now you know more about me than even my Mom does, eh? Oddly enough, I went on to become much more than I ever dreamed possible. For several years now I have written a weekly observing column that appears in the "Universe Today" and thanks to its publisher enjoyed working with some of the top scientists in the astronomy field while researching freelance articles. How surprised I was to find myself on MSNBC and my articles accepted by SETI! My first book, "365 Days of SkyWatching" was an unqualified success going into over a half million homes. It has even been translated into two languages and is in use with college and private astronomy clubs around the world! The second book, "Beginner's Guide To Astronomy" proved to be equally as popular and the third "2007 - 365 Days of SkyWatching" is already at the printer and will be released soon. Thanks to many very kind people, including you who read my weird stuff, the fourth book - "The Night Sky Companion" - will appear on the shelves in late 2008 courtesy of Springer Press. What wonderful friends and readers you are! I cannot thank you enough... I also ended up being a long-standing President of the Warren Rupp Observatory, a JPL/NASA SpacePlace editor, and a contributor the Astronomy Society of the Pacific's "Night Sky Network" outreach programming in conjunction with NASA. I am wonderfully involved as a webmaster for the Astronomical League, as well as a developer for their Outreach pages and contributing author to the "Reflector" magazine. It has been my tremendous honor to have received many observing awards, and to have even been deemed the first woman to have achieved Comet Hunter's Gold. (thank you, dr. eric!) You might find me offensive. You might find me stupid. And you might find me your friend... And so I stay on in northwestern Ohio where I was born and raised. Perhaps one day I'll burn out, and these pages will be my legacy to the few who care to look. Until that day comes? Give me a clear dark night, and chart of the heavens... I'll point the scope to the second star on the right and we'll go straight on 'til morning. Because I only am what I am...

--the astronomer

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