I grew up in Oak Harbor, Washington – the only girl in a family of six. Oak Harbor, home of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, is located on Whidbey, the second longest island in the continental United States.  Though not officially part of the San Juans, Whidbey lies just south of them, at the entrance to the Puget Sound.  I spent my college summers working on the Washington State Ferry System.  I think that floating through the islands every day began my life long love affair with boats and islands.

    My mom tells me I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a pencil.  In grade school, she used to get calls from the elementary school secretary.  “Come on down and get the latest batch,” the secretary would say.  And mom would traipse down to school and pick up my work – stories which had been circulated through the teacher’s lounge amid much laughter.

    In the third grade, I won a toy fire truck for an essay on fire safety.  And in the seventh grade, I was chosen to be included in a three-year study about teaching writing to English students.  It was Eleanor Pieschel (my teacher in the study) who first convinced me that I could write.  In college, I studied Physical Therapy, but my English Professor told me it was a mistake.  “You should be a writer,” he said.  Ignoring him, I got my degree in Physical Therapy.

    It took a lot of years.  But eventually, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and the persistent prompting of the Holy Spirit drove me from work in the hospital to quieter work behind a keyboard.  At long last, I can face my English professor and say, “I am a writer.”  Actually, I always was.  Writers are born, not made.

    Today, I write every single workday.  When I’m not at the keyboard, I love to sew, and knit.  I play the piano and am working on learning the cello.  Our family loves to snow ski and plays quite a bit of tennis.  I am the world’s worst housekeeper, and my cooking is barely adequate to keep body and soul together.  In spite of my lack of skill, I’m fighting and losing a battle with “middle age bulge.”  My friends help by walking with me every morning.   

    My husband of twenty-eight years, Dr. Kim Nordberg, is a general dentist in private practice in Puyallup. We have four children, two in college, and two at home.   Almost fourteen years ago, we had the privilege of being part of a planting team for Lighthouse Christian Center, a CMandA church in Puyallup.  This has been the most challenging and rewarding part of my Christian walk thus far.  Kim serves on our building committee and teaches fifth and sixth grade Sunday school.  I write most of our own sermon prompters for our drama team, and teach several Christian Growth classes. Through much sweat and prayer, we at Lighthouse have seen many new believers come to know our savior. Nothing Better!