When I was in 3rd and 4th grades I lived in Miami Beach. I call these my "Sally J. Freedman Years." I wanted to be a ballerina like the one Margaret O'Brien played in The Unfinished Dance, 1948.

I started to write when my kids were small. Here we are on the day Randy "graduated" from pre-school, 1966.

George and I met in Santa Fe. He took me to meet his family on our first Thanksgiving together, 1980.

Dressed "to the nines" for Randy's wedding, 1989.

Met these "roos" on my book tour to Australia, 1989.

On the beach near our house on Martha's Vineyard, early 90's.

With Larry at a screening in New York.

With Randy and Elliot on the Vineyard.

Elliot with his cat.

With Amanda.

Only for Amanda would I sit on a horse! We visited her in New Mexico to celebrate the birth of Tango, the first foal to be born to one of Amanda's horses, 2003.

I return to my elementary school in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It was exactly as it was in 1950 when I graduated from sixth grade. I loved that school!

George gave me this bicycle for my birthday, in 2004. It was painted by Key West artist, Captain Outrageous. I ride my bike for transportation in Key West. I even grocery shop by bike! I'm one of the few people who use a bike helmet in this town. Florida has no helmet laws. That's why those in need of organ transplants come to this state. And don't let anyone tell you it's too hot to wear a helmet. That's total bull@#&*!

Newest kayak in the fleet! During summers on the Vineyard I kayak every afternoon. Some of my best ideas come to me while I'm kayaking.

One of the highlights of my professional life -- I deliver the commencement address at Mount Holyoke College, 2003. This is the school my guidance counselor wanted me to attend but I didn't apply because, in addition to the SAT's you had to take what we called "the afternoon boards" -- the achievement tests -- and I was hopeless at standardized tests. (They didn't know that when they invited me!)

The National Book Awards, 2004. I'm honored to receive the National Book Foundation's medal for "distinguished contribution to American letters." With my sister-in-law Maggie, my brother, David, and George, Randy, Larry and Elliot. A night to remember (for me, anyway!)

Mookie