Celeste Dunn:  

Well here goes my story, three months after graduation I left Vallejo and moved to San Diego to live with my older sister who was divorced with 2 young sons. I babysat for them almost 2 yrs and prior to that had hopes of going to Barber School, that was my big dream. Then in 1967 I met Al and married in 68, he went overseas on a Navy ship the U.S.S. Herbert J. Thomas My Father & older Brother had just passed away so I went to live with my Mom to help her during this tragic loss. When Al returned from overseas we moved to New Jersey so I could get to know his side of the family. He was Italian like myself and I loved his family and still keep in touch even today. By 1971 we ended up in Cheyenne, Wyoming where we invested in several homes and property, we had 2 children Jason & Lisa and after 10 yrs of marriage we split up and the kids and I moved back to California to be closer to my family. In 1979 I remarried and had one daughter Virginia, after 5 yrs I divorced again and remarried in 1986 and finally found the man I was meant to be with Charlie and we have been together for 23 yrs. He was already retired from the USAF and was a Flight Engineer on the C-130's and enjoyed a glorious career. Although I never did go to Barber school, I've been cutting my husband & son's hair for years. What I'm most proud of is with the help of Charlie we raised, 3 well adjusted, confident, intellegent, productive children, our son has a Masters degree, daughter has a Medical Admin degree and another daughter is a Accounting Manager/Controller for a large hotel chain. I was not the sharpest crayon in the box when I was in school but realized after years of therapy that I was Agorophobic most of my life, and school was a very painful ordeal for me and yes sometimes I do wish I could go back and do it over, but maybe I wouldn't be the person I am today without that experience. It taught me to be compassionate toward other people and forgive those who have hurt me in the past. I became what I was meant to be in this life, I excelled in Motherhood, and now help raise our grand children. I never made a ton of money at any of my jobs, but I always gave 100% and dedicated myself to always do my best. I was a Snap machine operator for Alpine Designs in Cheyenne, Wyoming, A Cabinet door maker in Roseville, Ca (I was the only woman working there) except the boss's wife who worked in the office and a supervisor for a packing crew for Levins Automotive Supply warehouse in Sacramento. And my favorite job from 1986 to 1997 was a Infant Room Supervisor for Merryhill Country School in Roseville, it was there that I finally got 12 college credits and a course in Psychology. I had truely found my notch in life. I have been writing under a pen name for 20 yrs, making custom greeting cards for friends and family I have a small following of people who enjoy my humor. Not for profit but maybe someday. Since my illness in 2006 from a rare mesenteric blood clot that nearly took my life, it has taken me until 2009 to regain my strength as I have been battleing a severe case of debilitateing shingles and nerve damage. With 57 yrs of near perfect health, I can't let this get me down. I've endured a lot the past 3 yrs but became stronger through the journey. I enjoy photography,favorite subjects are dragonflies and old barns and grand kids, wildlife, gardening, sewing,fishing, camping, target practice, patchwork blankets(quilts) traveling, reading, painting and drawning. We took our Dream Trip in 2003, spent 2 months out on the road, hit 27 states, went as far east as Cape Cod, Mass, drove 10,500 miles to visit relatives and friends we had not seen in many years. The friends I made in grade school are still my friends today, most people would say I was always funny and made people laugh a...Expand for more