Karen Gail

I was born and raised in Vineland, NJ. Both of my parents worked in the glass industry, my father as a glassblower and my mother as a lathe operator. I have always loved art, and I paint or draw whenever I can. During the pandemic, I painted a lot. I also bought a sewing machine and taught myself how to sew, and I started riding my bicycle again. More recently, I taught myself to crochet, and I am constantly looking for new things to learn.

I met my husband, Joe, when I was 16. We married 5 years later and raised two children. After they grew up and moved away, we stayed in Vineland with my mom. I was a stay- at- home mom until my children graduated college. I worked in the yard, mowing the lawn, planting flowers every spring, etc. Then, I went back to work as an administrative assistant in the school system, which I enjoyed very much. Retiring after eleven years, I am grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn.

My mom passed away during the pandemic at the age of 91. I was not able to visit her or be with her when she passed, which weighs heavily on me. Joe and I have lost all of our immediate family members. When my mom passed, we decided to move to Pennsylvania to be closer to our daughter and her family. Our son and his family live in Rhode Island, so we see them a few times a year.

The decision to write this book was a result of one of the visits with all of the grandchildren. It is always a challenge to come up with ideas to keep the grandchildren interested and engaged. They keep me on my toes, and the joy they add to my life is infinite. The art in the book is also mine, as I'm sure you can tell. I hope it brings some joy to you as shared time with grandchildren is as precious as it gets. :)

An additional note: Unfortunately, my precious little cockapoo, Cody, (pictured with me) left us on March 30th. We miss him terribly.