Personal Story: A Brief Look at My Life

I am going to take a moment and share a story about my life. Recently I began working as a preschool teacher in Blackhawk California. It all started when a friend Lara who I worked with in the dental field 15 years ago ran into me at Costco. She went on and on about how much she loved her job working with kids. I was intrigued by our conversation and reached out to her on Facebook. We connected and I messaged her and asked if her place of employment Tassajara Learning Center was hiring. Lara gave me her bosses contact information and I reached out and inquired about a teaching position.

Here’s a little back history on me that most of you might now know. I’m a kid lover. I’ve always adored kids. I had my first child at the age of 20 after getting married at age 18. I fell in love with a gorgeous man in the US Marine Corps and we eloped after only knowing one another for 6 months. This marriage ended after Eric left me when I was 7 ½ months pregnant. My mother told him to “take care of me and don’t ask for her help, or leave and never see us again.” That night my husband left.

Eric and I at a photo session in San Francisco in 1983

Eric and I had a tumultuous relationship with Eric being jealous, controlling and manipulative. He never hit me, but was mentally abusive to me. Luckily, I was able to live with my mom and she cared for me until Curtis was born. He was 2 ½ weeks overdue and born on January 20 1985 on Super Bowl Sunday almost 31 years ago. A fireman named Mark Thomas delivered him in my bedroom since I never made it to the hospital on time. My mom’s car wasn’t working and Kaiser wouldn’t send an ambulance. I was allowed to live at home until Curtis was 3 months old.

Curtis’s first picture at 2 days old

At that point, I found a job as an Au pair and worked for a wonderful woman named Diane. Diane had a son named Joel who was 4 and she needed care in the evenings while she worked. Curtis and I lived with them for 2 years and I was able to go to school, work at Longs Drugs part time and help Diane run her home. I learned how to cook, clean, iron, paint fences, garden, and of course care for Joel and Curtis in between. I loved taking care of these boys. We had a ball together.

Curtis holding Andrew in Dec 1992

I was fortunate enough to meet my next love at Longs Drugs. Ken was putting himself through UC Berkeley, working 35 hours a week and taking care of his sick father. I married this sexy man that has the most generous heart  2 ½ years later in June of 1989. Ken adopted Curtis two years later, and we had another son Andrew in 1992.

Ken pushing Curtis in a stroller at the zoo

Here is a pic of me and Curtis when I was a single parent in Nov 1987

Ken and Curtis on Father’s Day

I’m the luckiest girl on earth to have my boys and a loving husband. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to work at a beautiful preschool like Tassajara learning Center and I look forward to teaching my new kids a few things before they begin kindergarten. I’m especially happy that I ran into my friend Lara and for my families’ encouragement as I step into this new career.

Here’s a recipe that I think you’ll like. These Honey Bran Muffins are moist and perfect served with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee or hot tea. I hope you make them for your family and spoil them like I spoil mine.

 

Honey Bran Muffins Baked w Fig Jam

Ingredients:

2 C All purpose flour

2 t baking soda

1 ½ t salt

1 ½ C wheat bran

½ C Fiber One Cereal (crushed)

 

½ C Unsalted Butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 C sugar

½ C honey

2 large eggs

¾ C fig preserves

1 t vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

 

2 C buttermilk (or use Milk and add 1 T apple cider vinegar)

 

½ C diced dried plums

1 C raisins

 

¼ C Demerara Raw Sugar to sprinkle over muffins before baking

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups w paper liners. Stir flour, wheat bran, Fiber One Cereal, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and blend.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add honey, then eggs one at a time. Add fig jam and vanilla and mix well. Beat in buttermilk alternately w flour mixture until combined. Stir in dried plums and raisins and scoop into muffin cups.

Sprinkle Demerara sugar over muffins and bake for about 20 minutes until a tooth pick comes clean when testing. Take out of muffin cups and cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

 

Feel free to leave comments or ask any questions.