on Carol... from Carol

My husband and I live on a wooded island in the Pacific Northwest, escaping long ago with our two children from the cement, chaos, and car fumes of San Francisco suburbia. This liberation to a simpler existence shifted my life down to first gear, letting in the joys of nature, free time, and clearer thinking. My mind seemed to free up once life simplified, and for the for the first time I discovered, trees... song birds... silence... and myself.

The kids have since grown up, moved out, and moved on, so life slowed down on its own. But it was the 20 years of introspection, two return engagements to college, community service, and a variety of human service jobs (smoothing out client's discomforts) that sparked my passion for human behavior.

In the end, it was my observation of the leg jigglers and nail biters around me that planted the seed for this book. Also, I knew firsthand how hard it is to notice life's little pleasures when every minute of every day is used up. I wanted to offer an alternative.

My fondest hope is that you will get a few good ideas to weave into your own life and, what's most important of all, some laughs along the way. Sometimes we just need a wake-up call a reminder of what's already in our lives because we've been too busy to notice.