Betzy's Bizarre Bazaar

Introduction: I handle all sorts of requests, from designing and executing designs for unusual wedding gowns (medieval and Ukrainian national, reinterpreted entirely in white, futuristic space traveler, etc.) to baking (for sale) and teaching individuals of ages from 8 to 80 how to bake all varieties of international breads and cuisines (thereby also sharing cultural knowledge) and teaching crafts and most forms of DIY to groups of children and adults. I also have some fairly advanced proofreading and technical writing experience, having assisted several professors in polishing manuscripts for publication while in graduate school. The breadth of my experience can readily be seen, as the subjects of these manuscripts covered the changing social demographics of the former Soviet Union, a study in political geography undertaken at the request of the leaders of the new Russia; a large tome with a number of beautiful photographs in full color of "The Bells of Moscow" subtitled that rang out in joy for the Russian armies' victorious defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo," and lastly, a scholarly work about Susa, the 'lost' capital of the ancient Persian empire, including information on the political and social structure of the ancient city, how and why the city came to be lost, its probable location and much more information. I have not been in touch with any of these professors recently. Until I can reach them, I won't post their names or any of their other information. In addition to these examples, I have quite a bit of writing experience on my own, e.g., "Prophecy Unfolds", a full length (about 90 minutes) interactive production of the Savior's nativity. Produced in odd-numbered years at the LDS chapel in Canal Winchester, it is based almost entirely on Old Testament scriptural predictions surrounding Christ's birth. I also have been periodically writing a compilation of short stories -- "Ancestor Tales." As the title suggests, the collection is based on the various life stories of my progenitors. I am constantly reminded of the old Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times." Many of my ancestors, although not in the slightest Oriental, definitely lived in "interesting times." I am finding much pleasure in making their stories come vividly to life. Quite recently, I began a project which has proven to be very enjoyable, whether it ends up marketable, remains to be seen. I am writing my own autobiography. However, it is quite different from the 'standard' life story. Whether written as an autobiography or as a biography, this one could just as easily be categorized as a cookbook. When much younger, I didn't keep a journal or diary. What I did keep was a blank book that had been converted into my own recipe book. Matching these recipes up to the appropriate memory is proving to be a bit more of a difficult task than I first imagined, but it is also proving to be a lot of fun!