...and in my room...I spent hours building kingdoms on my floor. I planted fields of crops out of brightly colored beads. I "borrowed" my brothers' trucks and chessmen. The pawns were the peasants working the fields, picking the crops. The knights and rooks drove the trucks and bossed the peasants. The King and Queen ruled. I had total control!

I grew up in Connecticut. I lived in lots of different houses, but stayed in the same community. My mom supported us with her real estate business. My dad had a little office somewhere. He was very creative, but none of us could figure out what he actually "did".