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"The Lord is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

About Pat and Family

Hi and welcome to my web site! Let me tell you a little bit about my family and myself.

I hail from Long Island in New York, but have made my home in colorful Colorado for the past 35 years. I graduated from Central Islip State Hospital School of Nursing with my RN in 1972. Yep, do the math and you'll see I'm edging close to the big 6-0! I took my first job at a Veterans Administration hospital in the Hudson River Valley, but transferred to a VA Hospital in Colorado in the summer of 1973. I have been married to husband Manuel for coming up on 31 years. We have one daughter and one son. Our kids always thought it was so romantic that I had to move halfway across the country to find their dad!

Our daughter, Joelene, started college, changed her mind about her career choices a time or two, and eventually found her niche as a correctional officer for the Colorado Department of Corrections. It is ironic that the prison is located on the site where Manuel and I spent our career and eventually retired. The facility was a VA hospital until it was closed and sold to the state in 2001. She enjoys her job, but still entertains thoughts of going to school to pursue a teaching degree sometime in the future.

Joelene & Madison	Madison

Joelene has a daughter, our only grandchild, who will soon be seven years old. Madi enjoys barbecuing, fishing, and video games with mom and dad. She likes to help mom around the house and takes after dad, Arron, with her sports ability. She's at that age where a sleepover at a friends' house is really cool stuff! Madison has learned to read quite well during this school year in kindergarten and loves books. She also loves to dance and is enrolled in ballet. T-ball is on the agenda for this summer along with lots of fun at the lake.

Our son, Jason, graduated from DeVry University Denver and married his wife Jaque in 2005. They both worked in Colorado Springs until last June, when Jaque accepted a position with the New York State Teaching Fellows. They are currently living in the Bronx, which is another ironic occurrence in our lives. They live about 60 miles from where I grew up!

Pat, Manuel Jason	Jaque & Jason

Even though I am retired, I'm still working part-time. In 1991, I decided I needed a change from the VA and went to work for the Colorado Boys Ranch. I worked there for three and a half years, then went back to the VA and retired when they closed the facility in 2001. Retirement was great, but money was a bit tight, so I returned to the Boys Ranch on a part-time basis.

I've been interested in writing since I was a kid. I'm a published but unpaid writer at this point. Many years ago, I had a poem published in a National Library of Poetry publication called The Nightfall of Diamonds. I paid fifty bucks for that book just to see my poem in print. I realized later that the only people who will probably ever read it are those who have had poems published in it as well. If you happen to own the book, you can find my poem on page 147 entitled "A Daughter's Prayer", written after my dad passed away in 1996. If you don't own it, don't despair. I'll probably post it on my site one of these days.

I like to think that my Christian beliefs are reflected in the way I live. But I fail. Often. I'm sometimes impatient, self-centered, lazy, self-indulgent. That's just the beginning of the list. Some of my actions are certainly not those befitting a Christian. With my family; with my friends; with my coworkers; with my church family; with myself; with God.

But I wake up every day with the intention of doing better. Sometime I succeed. Most of the time, I don't. Good thing there's a God who knows me better than I know myself. He understands.

I have an interest in the old west. I love to read westerns and watch them on TV, especially the TV show "Gunsmoke." I joined a Gunsmoke group on the internet, went to LA and met James Arness in person twice, and became a writer of Gunsmoke fan fiction. One of my stories can be found on the internet at www.womenwritersblock.net. It's the only story under "Gunsmoke" entitled "Festus Secret".

More recently, I've written a few short articles for our church newsletter. Last year, I wrote an article for the Bent County Chronicle, a publication of the Pioneer Historical Society of Bent County, about a grocery store that existed in our town from the 1930's until 1975.

That is the extent of my publications. I have three novels in progress. I've written a few short stories and some poetry when the mood strikes me. I'm a member of ACW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and am in the process with another ACFW member of forming a new chapter of that organization in the state of Colorado. I also recently became active with a local writer's group and hope to soon join a new online critique group.

For many years, between career and caring for my family, my writing has simmered on the back burner. I'm hoping to become a more active writer during the latter years of my life. It's still not easy to find time to write. Seems something is always keeping me busy. My job. Our granddaughter (a pure delight!). Community activities. Church commitments. Sometimes, it's just plain laziness. It's a lot easier to sit down and read a good book than it is to try and write one!

Read about my writing progress, my faith journey, and my daily life on my blog. Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you.