Donna Jitchotvisut:  

th my readers and am absolutely thrilled to hear this.) As my most unusual life began to unfold, I began keeping a journal. When I am not researching my protagonist, Alice Winter's life story, I am in the process of turning this journal into a formal autobiography. It may well be this autobiography will be much more popular than anything I could create and put down as fiction. In the spring of 2010, I made the decision to return to school - this time, as a telecommuting student. I was getting "antsy" as the expression goes - I needed something to do (when I wasn't writing or doing artwork). Also, I needed something that paid - since all of my expenses kept going up, and up, and up - and my Social Security Disability payments were not. (A cab accident in the spring of 2007 forced me to take early retirement.) One skill I had that did not require standing, filing, fetching documents back and forth from court, was transcription and I am good, very, very good at it. I looked for employment positions that would focus on transcription and that could be done from home and to my surprise, discovered I would be an excellent candidate for a new career as a professional medical transcriptionist. Penn Foster Career Schools (formerly International Correspondence Schools - founded in 1895) offered a comprehensive course in the science of medical transcription. I started my on-line and in-print studies with them in May of 2010 and received my career diploma in December of 2011. I am pleased to say, I graduated with a GPA of 94. And another point of pride - my grandfather on my Dad's side of the family got his drafting diploma from this very same distance learning school in the 1930s!. I am taking my time, though, in settling on a position. I have had 6 offers since my updated resume was posted by Career Builders a couple of weeks ago - but I declined all of them because I need a position I can do from home using my own computer. It will come - that ideal position I am looking for. Meanwhile, back to my novels! Update: As of January 27, 2013, I have participated in my second art show - the first since my freshman year at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, in the early spring of 1968. On the strength of the artwork I created to promote my book, Mittens For Christmas, I was invited to submit work for our church's anniversary art show in the Doederlein Gallery. Being mobility challenged, I had no choice but to submit my offerings via scanned images. To my great surprise, the director of the gallery was so pleased with them she e-mailed me back to tell me that she could work with the scanned images (as opposed to my finding a way to deliver the originals to her) and printed these images on art-grade paper which she then framed and placed in the show! I have had many compliments on my drawings and am very encouraged! The director is so impressed with my work that I have been invited to put together a more extensive collection for my own solo artist show to take place either this coming summer or early fall! (I should also add here that just before Christmas 2012, I was approached by the management for our senior community to allow my book and the drawings of the characters I created to be used as the theme for our community's Christmas display! What a coup!!!!! The window displaying my book and drawings is at sidewalk level on the well-traveled main drag for Lakeview known as Belmont Avenue!!!!!! Could I ask for better exposure?!?! I think not!!! Needless to say with all this renewed interest in my skills as a story-teller/writer and artist, the one-time plan to pursue a new career as a telecommuting medical transcriptionist has been placed on hold for the immediate future.) (Revised February 1, 2013)