Elaine Scott:  

Life I was the fourteenth baby born in San Gabriel Valley Hospital in Southern California, only a few blocks from the San Gabriel Mission. I grew up in the tiny town of Wilmar about two miles from the hospital where I was born. There weren't many children in my neighborhood, so as a little child, I would walk out to the sidewalk and gaze longingly towards the playground of the John Marshall Elementary School, which was only a few houses up the street. My sister was twelve and my brother was ten when I was born, so I had to amuse myself with imaginary friends. Both of my parents loved to draw and paint and I soon adopted the same habit. Almost as soon as I learned to write, I began making up stories. Despite my early longing, I learned to dislike school quickly and continually found reasons to be sick so I could stay home. I found classes to be boring and was constantly in trouble for passing notes, giggling or whispering. I fell in love and married my high school sweetheart, John Scott, when I was only 19. We had two handsome boys that were the delight of my life. John became a Deputy Sheriff in Los Angeles County. We settled in Orange County, not far from where we grew up. Although the marriage ended in divorce after 22 years, I still feel that the m...Expand for more