I have always used words to tease apart my thoughts and dive deeper into the meaning of things. My husband, however, would lovingly claim I write because I can't communicate coherently when I speak, a fact I mostly agree with. I certainly provide him with lots of teasable material! For many years, writing and performing songs provided the best outlet for my feelings, but when I moved to Montana to be with Juan, I put my guitar down to focus my attention on writing memoir. Juan and I stumbled upon the merger of our two art forms after I recovered from breast cancer. The result was our first photo memoir, "Cancer's Eddy." Our second book, about Juan's and my experience caring for my mom in our home as she declined and ultimately died from dementia, is in the works. Sadly, cancer and dementia are universal themes for so many of us.