Autumn once more finds me hunkering down, reading and writing. A new challenge this year is the University of Washington's Writing for Children class. I'm taking it with 19 other women interested in writing for children. I'm learning what I want to learn, not how to write as much as what to do with it when I'm done. I've met some amazing women with awesome ideas, and have heard published guest speakers talk about their experiences in the writing world. I'm loving it.

Writing has always been a passion of mine, and since I love children's literature, the two are married perfectly in my goal to become a published children's writer. As I continue to teach and watch my daughter mature, I know that I now have the time I need to listen to myself and work toward a second career after I retire for public school teaching.