Worked for 36 years as a business litigation paralegal. Raised 2 children and now have 3 wonderful grandkids. Retired just 5 months ago and am loving having time to cook, bake, needlework and all the other things I haven't had time to do for a long time. Soups - my cheesy potato and vegetable beef get rave reviews from all my family and friends. Also love to do crockpot roasts, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, and stuffed pork chops. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are a big deal in my family and I absolutely love doing all the cooking and baking. I start baking cookies and candies around the 1st of December each year and give baskets of them to all my neighbors and friends. My soups have to be my triumphs - I've "played" with different ingredients through the years and they just seem to get better and better each time. I've never had much luck at making those big, beautiful cakes you see in the ads and on TV. They taste alright but are never that lovely to look at. Perhaps that's why my son prefers an apple pie every year for his birthday in lieu of a birthday cake!