cathsparks

cathsparks is a 1970 model writer, disability advocate, spouse of 27+ years, and adoptive parent of grown children. She's been creating stories since early childhood, when she wrote her earliest work, "The Dog Who Ate Spaghetti". (Spoiler alert: It's about a dog who---wait for it---eats spaghetti.) Cathy enjoys backroads travel, ethnic cuisine, reading dystopian and mystery fiction, watching classic and documentary film, and doing family history research. Professionally, she's been everything from a small-town waitress, to a youth minister, a hat and handbag saleslady, a licensed early childhood ed director, and even a case manager for kids with Severe Emotional Disturbance. Currently, she writes, consults, does research, and is a city-appointed poll official. Politically an odd duck, she has friends that run the gamut from Socialist to Constitution Party, and nearly everywhere in between. Likewise, Cath has many chums who share her Christian faith, to be sure, but also enjoys meaningful friendships with folks who embrace other paths, including agnostics and atheists. There is no singular Sparks litmus test for fellowship, other than an honest effort at mutual respect. She and her husband, Jason (who was her first kiss, 35 years ago), co-house with their oldest, a son---an accomplished artist, Special Olympian, and a graduate of a special needs college in Wisconsin. In his small lofted apartment, he lives with his cats, Henry and Tabitha, who are both terribly spoiled by their Papa. (As are Jason's marmalade tabby, Sabrina, and Cathy's grey baby, Eliza.) This son enjoys various activities from sports to socials, like monthly dances and movie days, several days a week, lots of friends, and is active in community group, and men's Bible study nights (though he skips the suds), retreats, church work days, and more. He developed job and skills at school, majoring in horticulture, and continues to strive for appropriate independence in all these areas and more. He's excited to be in his 1st apartment, going to a church of his choice, going on outings, and preparing for a career, at his college for people with intellectual disabilities.It lies farther North, even, than the homes of either of his siblings. All 3 of cathsparks' and hubsy's kids were raised to travel, and, like their parents, are happy wanderers. Their daughter---a double-majoring college Senior in the Midwest---lives in a beautiful rented house, and is a happy wife and mom via adoption, birth, and foster parenthood to 5 boys in just 3 years. They range from newborn to young adult. She uses her psych coursework working with students struggling with behavioral health issues. She's active in ministry, plays drums, and lived for a semester in Siberian Russia. Her husband is an ordained minister. Between the 2 of them, post-honeymoon, they've been to 9 different countries. and a great many prominent American cities. Cath and Jason enjoy spending time with their grown-up kids, at their small 1940 Tudor revival, in East Nashville's Inglewood neighborhood, during holidays and school breaks. Their youngest and his bride live in a nearby Southern state, where they moved recently. He's taken classes, driven a forklift, and built a steady career in middle management, at a company where he's enjoyed the respect and appreciation of those who worked with him. We're sure he'll be motivated to be successful, wherever he roams, because he has 5 motivating factors. The youngest couple in the family have 2 girls and 2 boys, from ages 1-4, who Grammy and Gramps adore, and miss. That makes a total of 9 human grandkids, ages newborn to 18. Back in Nashville, Cath, Jason, and their oldest son attend Restoration, a diverse, loving body of believers who accept them, flaws and all. They are sin-prone, messy creatures, living in a temperamental 80-year old Tudor cottage with too many books, lots of iced tea, and their maximum number of felines.