

The Summer of '72 brought a transfer for our family from Fairbanks to Fort Richardson, Alaska. We discovered, there really was, "Gold in Them Thar Hills," only 30 miles east, at Erickson's Gold Mine. The fever took hold. With the purchase of a small dredge and the $3.00 daily entry fee, our adventure began. From her Nip-er-nap overlooking our river prospecting site, Angel's Dad, Hugh, would shake, rattle, and roll a small jar of gold nuggets in front of her. Smiles and giggles erupted as she wiggled to the shaking rhythm. Maybe ... Hugh's gold fever was the inspiration for Angel's lifelong attraction to glistening and sparkly things, such as the just introduced "Golden Dazzle Award!" Join us for great fun and stunning creations on Dazzle Live, Thursdays at 7:00pm est.

It wasn't all peaches and cream for sure, as most parents are aware. A subject of concern throughout Angel's school years was great difficulty in spelling, reading and comprehension. Her second-grade teacher first brought the stumbling block to our attention, citing Dyslexia. We observed the reversal of letters and numbers such as b and d, threes, sixes and nines leading to poor grades in writing, reading, and math. In 1978, Texas Instruments brought to market the Speak and Spell. It became our saving grace. Joyful hours were had as the three of us played with it. Rapid development in Angel's ability to spell and read were obvious. Another issue many teachers commented about is that she was regarded as a "Social Butterfly." They considered it problem. I understand the reason for concern, but still viewed it as an asset! How could anyone wish to quell the exuberance and charm of our always happy and outgoing child?
