Catherine Wallace:  

I am the proud mother of five children - three daughters, two sons, and one very wonderful granddaughter. What happens from here in my relationship? I am not sure. Need more info? Just ask; its available to the right people. I have a background in freelance writing, editing, and graphic design. I am a handcrafted gemstone jewelry designer; I work with all kinds of gemstones, except diamonds. I planned to return to college to complete my degree in journalism; as we all know, the newspaper business is dying. I always wanted to be a nurse when I was a little girl. My family and friends thought that was a good idea. As it turns out, it was just a fantasy, but I still enjoy helping people. I decompress through visits to the Shenandoah National Forest in Virginia to photograph the wildlife and the sunrises. I love long drives, writing when The Muse comes out of hiding, and making something beautiful through graphic design, or expressing myself through my jewelry. I never did anything wild in school; as a matter of fact, I avoided doing anything wild, but my friends were a bit racey. I am still very careful and cautious. If I'm going to work somewhere, I need to have a cell phone, my GPS, and a least one cup of coffee to be able to deal with the day-to-day assignments and issues. My inspiration comes from God, which may sound corny to those who assume that life is a coincidence. After such a horrible experience at high school, it was important to forgive those who were cruel and teased me mercilessly. I welcome the opportunity to get to know who they are as mature individuals. The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is Martee Bottorff, because she was (and still is) my very best friend. We recently got back in touch with one another, and I am having a wonderful time reconnecting with the funniest person I have ever known. If I could bottle her and sell her humor in a capsule, I would be very wealthy. My passions include writing and editing, graphic design, loose gemstones and designing gemstone jewelry. I have a Moluccan Cockatoo, a Noble Macaw, several cats, and two adopted dogs from the Humane Society; one dog is a Shepard-Collie mix named Leo, the other is a Hound-Shepard mix named Albert. I suppose my biggest surprise was going through a divorce and being left for another woman; needless to say, there was a lot of trauma and drama. I have five beautiful children, and always thought I would remain married to their father. Sometimes, it is strange how life throws you a curve. In case anyone reads this, I am still working on forgiveness, and I wish things were different. If I had known then what I know now, I would have high-tailed it out of my wedding day - it was a mistake. I think that what I have learned most from having five children is that they are all individuals; they have grown up to be different than I would have imagined. I always admired my Aunt Alice and wanted to be just like her; I finally understand why my Aunt was so crabby most of the time because no one ever appreciated the things she did for her family. Unfortunately, we are not on speaking terms any longer, but I wish things were different between us. My Uncle Tommy, whom I loved like a father, is now suffering from dimentia and it was a painful realization that he remembers nothing...Expand for more