Carolyn Bott:  

When I was in high school, I wanted a life filled with music, arts and crafts, nature, and people I care about. Some of those dreams have been fulfilled. I've kept music as a part of my life. Music has given me some wonderful experiences and good friends. My mom taught me to sing harmony at a very young age, and I started learning guitar while young. Later, I added flute and then bass guitar. I've played and sung locally with various bands and acoustic trios over the years. I still occasionally play at the local coffeehouse or at a local winery in my current hometown, both solo and with others. The demands of life have made it hard to make time for my arts and crafts, but I still occasionally do something with that. Most recently, I got into beading, making jewelry for gifts or for my own use. My love of nature hasn't taken the form of living in the country, as I would have liked, but it does affect where I choose to live in the city. I've always looked for smaller towns, or quiet sections of town with tree-lined streets. After switching from living in an apartment to living in a house, I've also gotten deeply into growing flowers. Most recently, I've gotten into growing roses. I love the bright, cheerful color that roses and other flowers add to a home. I also love to do nature photography when I get the chance, including taking pictures of my roses. I was fortunate to have most of my family living fairly close by for a long time -- but eventually most of them did scatter to various places farther away. I'm almost the only one who has essentially stayed in the Bay Area. The farthest away I got was living in the Central Valley for a couple of years. Much of the Bay Area has gotten too ...Expand for more