Bio

Baby Marie

I grew up the oldest of seven in a creative family, with musical instruments, art supplies, & lots of books! We performed plays, making props, costumes, even paper snow. I loved reading to my younger brothers using different voices for each character. Our college-professor Dad inspired our love of learning and the outdoors. A nurse by training, Mom was always ready with hugs & band-aids. They both inspired our love of music, reading, & caring for others, hurt or otherwise. Our pet menagerie included fish, chameleons, turtles, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, & a dog. We made up games to play, inside & out. On nature hikes, I loved to discover interesting animals, plants & birds. I was always painting, dancing, singing, reading, doing crafts or playing my guitar. My siblings & I still share many interests. (See their websites in Links section).

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Tobin Grad

My parents always encouraged us to follow our dreams–I had many!  Ballerina, children’s book illustrator, archaeologist, singer, marine biologist and activist/lawyer. But after a B.A. , English, magna cum laude, M.B.A., & mini-career in marketing, I missed my art. So like Bert in Mary Poppins, I painted murals at home & for others of places I’d want to visit. I volunteered at my son’s elementary school as an organizer for several fifth grade mural projects. It was great fun watching the students create their own art on the walls.

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Baby Tobin
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My son, Brendan (he painted James and the Giant Peach, above) & his wonderful art teacher in front of 5th grade mural: Scenes from favorite books.

I also wrote — soon writing novels & poems became my passion. Art, music, reading/audio books, photography, nature hikes, & bird-watching are other favorite activities. Bird calls fascinate– I even try to imitate some.

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Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Our son passed away tragically. Only nineteen, he was our world. We loved him so much and still do; deep sadness lingers. We look for rainbows, stars, birds, and other signs Brendan’s still with us. In writing, I find solace, remembering that he’d want us to know life can still be filled with inspiring moments with family & friends we meet along life’s paths. With words, more than paint these days, I can create new worlds to step, sail, tunnel, climb, and fly into. Our kind, compassionate son was a wonderful poet who continues to inspire me. And always, as a sparrow must fly, I must write. Like a bird on a wire, I strive for a balance of poetry & economy of line. Then I’m ready to let my fledgling thoughts take wing.  On sad days, I recite my favorite Emily Dickinson poem: ‘Hope is the thing with feathers.’