Dixie Ann Tietje:  

I left Fairfield area within several years of graduation. My husband and I traveled quite a bit, but settled down in Oregon to raise our children. Eventually, I became a jewelry designer, specializing in lost wax casting. My husband and I decided it was time to set out on the road once again, when our children became teens. It was time for them to learn about life in other parts of our great nation. Although they moaned at the start of this adventure, they soon took to the gypsy life. Our travels took us to St. Thomas, and St. John U.S.V.I. However, our favorite stop was Key West, Florida. There we met up with Mel Fisher, the treasure salvager who found the sunken 17th century Spanish Galleons, the Neustra de Attocha, and the Santa Margarita, which sunk in 1622. His museum is world famous. We stayed in Key West for some time, creating jewelry from the emeralds and the many silver and gold coins recovered from the various wrecks. Naturally, it was always fascinating to work with items that had such incredible history. ----- After hurricane Andrew, my family chose to return to the Pacific North West. I retired from the jewelry trade and moved to an isolated area in the mountains of North East Washington, along the Idaho and Canadian border. I loved this remote community and worked for a short time at the local school, with its 89 students from K-8 grade. This was a challenge, considering I lived 9 miles from the nearest paved road, and three miles from the nearest plowed dirt road. I lived in a small cabin with no electricity, hauled my water and cut my own firewood. Still, I was able to hike the mil...Expand for more