I was 45 when I started so I'm rounding into 48 in 2012. I was in PA to take care of my Grandparents, but they've passed on so I've moved to Charlotte, NC. I earned my Bodywork Therapist & Esthetics Certifications and have been seeing clients for almost 6 years now! So I'm getting older & ready to learn more new things. I'm a two-time survivor (leukemia & breast) & enjoy all of the bitter & sweet life has to offer. I like to take on new challenges in cooking, but I enjoy cooking fish & meats. I really enjoy the convenience of slow-cooking and I like to add the little touches and flourishes that seem gourmet but actually cut down on prep times. Grilling also is exciting. I've learned to cook my mother's dutch oven fried chicken which I found out was an Amish recipe once I moved to PA. I wasn't patient enough to learn from her when she wanted to teach me, so now I'm having fun making my own traditions (honey & cinnamon salmon @ Christmas as well as my famous "Artie Chokes the Chicken" HA! Learning to cook without post-it notes on every pot & pan & hostessing my grandfathers' 77th HS Class Reunion (Lemoyne HS Class of '31) at our home. There are 6 of them left. It was very nice. Cooking doesn't include tragedies unless I've accidently poisoned someone. (Which as far as I know I haven't yet, thank heavens!) OK...that was before I completely ruined a Thanksgiving Pork Roast while my (still) sweetheart & I were arguing.