In 1968, encouraged by my Trinity mentors, I started a semester of graduate work at University of Maine... I'd graduated from Trinity with a biology major. I left graduate school after a semester and started working as a tissue/cell culture technician in laboratories between 1969 and 1977.
During that time I worked for two years in the WHO labs in Lausanne, Switzerland. I enjoyed the experience but was glad to return home in 1972. Before returning I took a month to travel, on my own, through Italy and Greece.
Back in the States I worked in the virology lab of the Maine Public Health Laboratory for four years. By 1977 I'd been a cell/tissue culture technician long enough; I wanted to do something different. I started working for my brother who was developing his own landscaping/nursery business in Farmington, Maine. I was the shop/yard manager and learned about taking care of the plants, trees and shrubs that he sold at the nursery and garden shop.
By 1987 I retired from the nursery and opted to work in the State University library in Farmington. During this period I started to think about working for myself and read books that were written to help people considering self-employment. I was learning to use computers, both at home and in my job at the library. I found one book that covered the topic of assessing your skills, educational assets, and personality traits that would determine if working for yourself could be successful. It turned out I showed an aptitude for working in a field like editing or indexing for publishers.
So, starting out, I took a course in basic indexing through the U.S.D.A, and then sent out over a hundred letters to publishers of medical and science books. I also joined an indexers' group that met here in Maine, most of those who were in the group lived near the Maine coast. Eventually I was able to get a start with an index for a publisher, and that became a reference for another job, etc. Indexing of books used to be done with index cards, but when I got into it, there were several database programs available geared to indexing. I bought one of them and began indexing as an independent contractor, from 1998 to 2013, when the last huge publisher moved all of their book production work to a company in Asia.
Thus, I'm 'retired' now and probably it's best I am since I have a chronic anemia that limits my ability to do things as I used to. I live in Farmington, with my adopted Norwegian Elkhound, Muff. We're about the same age so we take life easy, and enjoy each day, one at a time. I'm glad I can add my bio to that of all the Trinity graduates of 1968. I count my four years at Trinity as the cornerstone of my love of learning and experiencing life.
Upon graduation, I married that summer then taught 9th grade science in Albany, NY where Bob finished his 5th year in pharmacy. We lived in Bristol, VT for 3 years and started our family there.
We moved back to NYS where we started a business, Hometown Pharmacy, Inc. where my background in biology came into play for 35 years.
A year before our retirement, we survived an armed robbery and beating that made news on local TV and even newspapers out in CA. We are happily retired after dispensing RX’s and lots of laughter.
We had 1 son and 3 daughters, who are all over the country. One’s in Oakland, CA where preschool out there costs per month what one year at TC cost. We have 5 beautiful grandchildren to spoil.
Hurricane Mitch hit Nicaragua in 1998 and I traveled there with other volunteers to help. 20 years later, I am still involved with what has become a nationally recognized charity, the North Country Mission of Hope. Google it as they do so much good.
As a “wannabe Rockette”, I took up tap dancing and danced on stage for 3 years in my 60’s. I also studied and made Shaker Basketry from black ash.
We love traveling and have been to Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Banff in the Canadian Rockies, and my favorite New Zealand.
If you travel to Lake Placid, NY, check out the Olympic ski jumping venue. Two of our grandchildren jump there and if one should ever make the Olympic team, you’ll be notified.
We live in the beautiful Adirondacks, where I love my mountains, watch eagles soar, and love to do all types of gardening, all types of DYI projects, and where I volunteer in many organizations, including serving as a Catholic Lay minister. Good to hear about your lives and where our TC foundation has taken us all.
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