My story is one of courage and resilience. Life crippled me. A near death experience began twelve long years of recovery. After miraculously rising from a hospital death bed where my bone marrow had shut down, I was left in a wheelchair. I moved on to white knuckling a walker and then finally to walking on my own ... all while suffering domestic violence and raising my two children. This journey produced a myriad of original oil paintings and songs. I forced my pain into the background by painting in oils. This allowed me to travel in my mind to places my body could not take me. When life hurts too much for words, I paint. When it hurts to much to be silent, I sing.  When it tries to steal my joy ... I laugh.