R Gowen:  

at my dot net address. My husband is a paleobotanist and Dean of the College of Creative Studies at UCSB. If you have an intensely focused kid, or nephew or even grandchild -- for we all grow older, especially if she or he loves science, chase the college down on Google and see if it looks right. I wish I'd known about it back in the '70's. For those who remember my father, he returned to Nigeria in 1975 and taught there for another eight years. When Bruce and I relocated to Santa Barbara, my parents remained in New Haven CT for a while before we managed to save for a house in California that had room enough for them. By 1997 we had both my parents living in our 'guest house' until November of 2007 when cranial bleeds and the resulting mental confusions made it impossible for me to maintain my father's safety in the guest house, even with nursing help. At that time my younger sister in Seattle found a less expensive assisted living situation for both. For any of you who have entered the world of elder parent care, ask me anything you need to know. We did every stage, the emergency room runs, the surgeries, the in-home nursing, hospice (though my mother exited hospice on her own two feet) and now a retirement home. The choices are difficult. My father passed away in September 20, 2010, but my mother still lives in Seattle where my younger sister continues to check in regularly and care for her welfare, while the rest of us visit when we can.