I was born in Dublin, Ireland, the only girl in a family of six boys. My parents, Catherine and Joseph, ran a cattle farm about twenty-¿ ve minutes from Dublin City Center. At an early age, I was sent to a private boarding school for young ladies.I decided to study biomedical science and later worked in Trinity College, Dublin; Iraq; and the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where my husband, Tom, soon joined me when he took up a position as an academic lecturer. We later set up an extremely successful academic institute in Switzerland. We traveled worldwide privately and for business. While we were on business in Turkey, Tom died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage. Through this trauma, I was alone and also had to return to Ireland for his funeral. Then I went to Switzerland to take over my late husband's directorship of our international management institute.Four years later, I met Bill out of the blue-a manna from heaven. After sixteen years of bliss, dear Bill died suddenly too. My trauma once more was unbearable.Now I am with my little gem, my cat Tatiana, who has been with me through thick and thin and whose story is now published.