Q: Why is your blog entitled No Artificial Colors or Flavors?
A: I often have people wonder whether my blog is about health foods. And although the title correlates to my appreciation for natural, whole foods, it is intended to reflect my desire to live without artificiality. On this journey toward wholeness, I want genuineness to permeate my life. I want my soul to be purified, becoming less tainted by the things of this world. Therefore, I hope my blog reflects a real, authentic, look at life without any notion of manufactured, phony, or contrived “faith”.
Q: How long have you been blogging?
A: I began my blog No Artificial Colors or Flavors in June of 2006 on a social networking site—posting very infrequently about life circumstances that grabbed my attention. However, when Judson got ill with Krabbe disease, my blogging took on a whole new purpose, form, and frequency. In the wake of Jud’s death, we launched STORYofJUDSON.com and my blog transferred to the new domain. However, with the incorporation of Judson’s Legacy in October 2011, it became necessary for me to separate my personal writing from that of the organization. Hence, No Artitifical Colors or Flavors made its new home here and a second blog was born — Hope in Suffering, the Judson’s Legacy blog.
Our First Date in May 1993
Q: What did life look like for you before you had kids?
A: Drake and I had been married for nine years prior to having children. Drake was a full-time PhD student at UCLA and I worked as a college administrator and instructor at a local private college; I oversaw campus educational enrichment initiatives and taught strategic learning courses. But when Judson was born, Drake went back to work full-time as a college administrator and I went on hiatus from my work in higher ed to stay home and care for our family. I had fully expected to go back into the field when my kids were school-aged, but my life has gained new purpose and taken a completely new direction since losing Jud.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: It is not uncommon to find me enjoying iced tea or coffee at a local coffee shop, riding my bike with Jessie, snapping photos of nature and people, working on some sort of graphic design project, enjoying a meal out with loved ones, catching a movie with my hubby, or enjoying a board or card game with friends or family.
