I decided long ago to write my memoir book using written entries from my journals that I have collected throughout the years. I was born on July 14 1964, in Los Angeles Ca. For the first few years of my life, my parents and I lived in Rosemead, Ca. in a three bedroom home. My dad’s mom (my grandmother) lived behind us in another house located on the same property.

Most of the homes in the neighborhood had one house in the front yard and a guesthouse in the back. My parents moved to Santa Ana, Ca, in 1967, where they purchased a two bedroom home. My dad was able to afford to purchase a home in Santa Ana. I can still remember our address 502 S. Popular St. Our small two bedroom home was my parents’ dream house.

My dad paid $14,000 for the house. In those days that was considered middle class money. When we moved into that neighborhood it was clean and had not yet been invaded by lower income people. But that changed by the late 60’s.

In 1969, my little brother was born. Five years later my mom starting working again and my brother and I had to walk home from school instead of my mom picking us up from school. I hated walking home from school because most of the neighborhoods in that area were low income.

In 1976 we moved to a brand new, two story house on the other side of Warner St. in Santa Ana. A more upper scale neighborhood for that time. We moved closer to my godmother and godfather my parents wanted to. Once we moved into the new house, my brother and I had our own bedrooms and we enjoyed our privacy. I had the room with the windows facing the street. We had moved closer to the South Coast Plaza, which meant that the schools would be newer and better and they were.

I started writing my journals while I was in middle school. The years at McFadden Intermediate middle school were better then the high school years. The first few pages of my book go into more detail about my school years and the people I met, friends I knew, but no boyfriends. Yes, that’s right. I was too shy for boyfriends. That’s what kept me a virgin until I was 21. I had self-esteem issues and I felt frumpy and unattractive. After high school and throughout the mid 80’s I wanted to connect, be in love and finally know what it was like to have a relationship with a man. In 1986 my curiosity was fulfilled--but not in the way I thought it would turn out. I had such fancy, high hopes of meeting Mr. Perfect, my soul mate, and that is what blinded me from the truth about how relationships really work.

In January 1986 I met Dan Naples. He was taking the same class I was at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana. The class was geology. I didn’t have to take that class, but I chose to take it because I wanted to learn more about crystals and other rocks. For me it was love at first sight. He had deep blue eyes, brown short hair, tall, lean, about six feet and athletically built. He was ten years older then I.

There are no other words to describe him because to me he was a God. It wasn’t a fairytale relationship but I kind of wished it would have been. Being that it was my first time the relationship soured and in a matter of three months it ended. After the loss of that relationship I searched for someone who was similar to my first love. I never found anyone else like him.

During the 90’s, I married and had three beautiful boys. Names, places and other things have been mentioned in this book. As I wrote my memoir I discovered that in my journals I didn’t write the last names of certain people and I wish that it would have. My more recent journal entries are from 2000 through the current year.

My final Word: This is my life story. I chose to write what I had written many years ago. You can visit the book website for more details and to read Q&A’s regarding my memoir : Half a Lifetime. Everything written in this book is based on fact.

My Motto: You’re never to old to follow your dreams. Go out and fulfill them….