I am a woman of faith, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a writer, a reader, a photographer and one who is struggling to get healthy again.
I came to know Christ in the early eighties at the age of fifteen. I don't know where you are in life, what experiences you've had and how they've shaped you. So I can't know how you will respond to some of the posts or viewpoints that I carry. This is where I have found strength in my weakness, where I turn when life is hard. In Him I have found acceptance in spite of my failings, peace where I used to be tied up in worry, and a ridiculous amount of joy. Some of my posts will unapologetically contain content that reflect the things I am sorting through or learning. I figure it's fair to warn you that this is my world-view and the approach to most things I encounter.
I Married Bill Rittinger on March 7th 1992. Our first date was to a wedding. He'd been invited to play guitar during the ceremony and asked me along. We'd been acquaintances for years, but this was the first time he'd asked me to anything alone. When I got into the car I asked him if it was a real date or if it was a buddy thing. (I just wanted to make sure I knew what the expectations were.) He told me it was a real date, and that I was a potential marriage partner! So began our courtship. He is a CPA and part owner of a firm in Saline, MI.
We have five children. The eldest, Mark has grown up, gotten married to a wonderful lady named Robin, and made me a grandmother to Mina Jade. He is a manager of a local theater. Alyssa is in her final year of high school and looking at EMU for college. She's an artist, actress, musician and writer. She recently had her 18th birthday. She's an adult now! Kimmy is attending Washtenaw Technical Middle College, and will graduate high school with two years of college credits. She was diagnosed with dyslexia in 4th grade but she never let it become the excuse stop doing her best. Jessica is a freshman in high school and loves the friends she is making there. She's also involved with the drama program, working behind the scenes. She was diagnosed with scoliosis in March of 2010. Megan is in the 8th grade and pulling a high GPA. She is an artist, a writer, and an actress as well and can't wait to get to the high school to perform there.
I am a writer. I have several short stories published on the web, one novel written and another I am currently working on. When all the edits are done, I will look for an agent. I am the founder of an online, peer-review writing community called Notebored. It was successful in that of our modest membership, over a dozen went on to publish their books. Some have made it their career, and actually go on book signing tours now. Yeah. I am relaunching the new and improved site in January under a new host and I hope that we are able to recreate the magic.
I am a voracious reader and from time to time I will post reviews here on my blog. I'm a member of goodreads, so if you wanna come visit me there you can too.
I am a photographer and right now the people I mostly take pictures of are my kids. We go on photo shoots around town. Sometimes we snag friends along for the ride. I often take senior photos and family photos. I'm in the process of acquiring equipment to create a portable studio. One I can set up and take down anywhere. I'll likely create a page here at this site that showcases some of my favorites. If you live near me and are interested in having me take photos of your family at a fraction of the cost for a professional, let me know!
I am getting healthy again after sustaining tendon damage to my feet. I went to therapy and got my life back. Now I am slowly taking off the weight that I gained from being depressed and nearly lame. I've taken off 20 pounds so far with the help of a tracking tool I found online called MyFitnessPal.com. If you are a member there too and you want to add me, I'm known there as DeaSis. Also, I have what's known as Seasonal Affected Disorder, commonly called SADs. It's linked to a vitamin D deficiency. So, if I take my vitamins, exercise, get out in the sun as much as I can or use a sun lamp, it helps. Having people around me who know about it and help keep me accountable to those things that are in my ability to control, helps with the seasonal depression.
