Family

A Personal Glimpse


While most families I know grew up in their hometown, attended prom at the local high school, and settled somewhere nearby, My life as an Air Force child started in Vicenza, Italy and moved every couple of years thereafter to the cities of Kansas City, Amarillo, Santa Barbara and Ocean Springs. Mississippi ended up being a six year stint, divorced family later it was off to Grossrinderfeld (Big Cow Field) Germany as a 12 year old for a new adventure.

A village of 1200 people, lots of cows, beautiful landscapes and the local bakery where I hung out for four years experiencing the joys of baking. Good schooling, a business degree and a hotel restaurant (and bakers) apprenticeship in hand it was back to the USA.

Hotel Restaurant Industry was my field, a trained chef, back to Santa Barbara I went, had fun cooking with Julia Childs, took the food world by storm, eventually Bo (the movie “10”) and John Dereck introduced me to the love of my life Vie. I affectionately call her Violette. She’s a retail maven, eighteen of her own fashion stores, fashion director with Saks Fifth Avenue and her own fashion promotion firm. Now happy to be a philanthropist, strong supporter of my career, incredible friend to many, and a spreader of joy and good cheer to everyone she meets. Children: That would be our Golden Retriever, Paloma, a diva in her own right; she’s taken to the show circuit and has discovered she loves that. Maybe Westminster is on the horizon. I’m blessed, life is good.