I am an American who has been living in New Zealand for the last decade. I am a Mother of three beautiful children, a lover of one beautiful man, and a fan of the oxford comma. I come from a long line of storytellers who used humour to offer others joy when they were given pain, who knew the importance of diction and cadence and detail, who could weave a metaphor into an afghan, much like the one my Mama packed into my hope chest long ago.