Deborah Parrish:  

Since graduating from High School, I've lived on both coasts, attended 3 universities, served in the Army (yeah, that's a shocker for me, too), and in 1994 landed permanently and gratefully in a charming town called Petaluma in Northern California. I chose Petaluma because it was small enough to raise a child with a caring community to support us and big enough to have the amenities necessary to build a comfortable life. I had a lot of fears when I moved out here, thinking I wouldn't make it, but to my surprise, I've thrived and done things I never thought I could. Since settling out here in the Sonoma wine country, I've raised a beautiful daughter, Nicci, who graduated from Sacramento State University and now works at Facebook. She is one of the many joys of my wonderful life. While she was stepping through her school days, she collected and created an amazing and bubbly group of friends who I sort of adopted, which made those years very dramatic and adventurous; there was never a dull moment. She taught me how to listen to my own voice, as she remains ever centered in her confident knowing of herself. Sh'e now married with a young son who is the light of our lives. 14 years ago I married the love of my life, Chick (which is a nickname for "Charles" that his father gave him), and moved even closer to the California coast to a tiny historic town called Tomales, which still boasts the oldest bar in the county, among other things. Chick and I met several years before as we were both working on the board of a local...Expand for more