Sue Talbert — an introduction
I was born at U of M and have lived all of my life as a devoted Wolverine, even when there was intense pressure from the fans of That Other University Southeast of Us. I lived in Dexter (Michigan), Melbourne (Australia), and Itsukaichi (Japan) before moving to western Wayne county with my family in the early 80s. After earning my Bachelor's Degree in 1992, I moved to central Kentucky to earn my Master's in Youth & Family. I met and married my husband while there and almost three years ago, we moved our small brood back to the Ann Arbor area as part of his job.
I've made a living through a variety of skills - everything from successfully owning & running a floral business to freelancing my writing and editing skills. I write because if I didn't get the words out somehow, I think my head might explode. I also write for the joy that it brings me; for the sheer giddiness that a well-turned sentence brings, when I want to go back and re-read what I've written for the tenth time that day. But as much delight as wordsmithing brings, my true joy is in experiencing life from the side I was told I'd never have the privilege of seeing: being a mom.
My husband and I struggled for seven years to conceive and carry-to-term and we were finally granted our wish with the birth of a healthy baby boy in 2002. As many books as I've read about having kids, preparing for kids, and raising kids, no book has adequately prepared me for the joys, the struggles, and the fun of parenting. I look at each day as a mountain to be climbed and we strive to walk easily up the side, picking flowers and noticing the small details that we'd miss if we plowed through.
For that reason and others, we have chosen to homeschool our son. I am the primary educator in our home, but we've instituted Family Science Saturdays (okay, our son instituted that with my encouragement) and strive to make learning a non-stop activity. We use a literature-based curriculum and although there are days when it's hard, I am reminded how blessed I am to be able to do this with our boy.
I delight in other creative pursuits: I am passionate about knitting, photography, cooking creatively, and am a technophile at heart. My tastes in music are diverse, and we are active in our faith-community (2|42 Community Church).
I'd love to hear from you as we go along; I write regularly at A Mother's Heart, where you'll find my ramblings on life, education, cooking, and marriage.
Photo credits: top, left: © Jay Brooks, 2009 bottom, center: © Sari Alzoubi, 2008