In 1985 Ken and I divorced and I made the decision to move to a warmer climate. I remember checking out a library book that helped me decide where I would be happiest. After filling out all the questions, the indicator pointed to the San Francisco Bay Area. So, I decided to take what I feel was the biggest risk of my life. I sold my home, my car, most of my belongings and moved from Wisconsin to the San Francisco Bay Area with my children ages 16, 9 and 7. The transition was not an easy one for me or my children. At times I was sure that I had made a huge mistake. But I never looked back. I bought a 4 bedroom townhouse that has turned out to be the best investment I've ever made. Each of my children ended up moving back to live with their father for part of their teen years. My two daughters eventually moved back to California after they graduated from high school in the Midwest and are both happily married. My oldest daughter, Kris, has three sons and now lives in Southern California. My youngest daughter, Liz, now has 4 sons and lives near Austin, TX.   My son, who decided to make his home in Indiana is the father of a beautiful daughter and a son.

In 1993 I underwent a profound spiritual opening and found myself changing careers. I quit my corporate job and opened an alternative healing center with a friend. We called it the Reunion Center of Light.  We partnered in the center for 3 years growing it from a three-room facility with four practitioners to a nine-room facility with 35 practitioners. It was an extraordinary time in my life. I was growing and changing in so many ways. It was during this time that I developed my Lighten Up workshop and began teaching it through our Center.