Welcome to my digital scrapbook! So glad to have you visit! When Andy suggested this project to me last year, I wasn’t sure but the idea of it was intriguing. My childhood shyness raised its introverted head but then I thought of all those boxes of scripts and theatre memorabilia in the studio basement….not to mention the ancestors’ stories packed away in the hall closet. I could almost hear them saying, “Time to give it up, little Mary Carroll!” And so, I did just that. That was months ago. Who knew how much of my doings could be packed into my 83 years. And yet, I never liked being bored, did I? So come along with me…. Creativity was everywhere when I was growing up. In my family there were art educators, art teachers, costume designers, scenic designers, storytellers, leather workers, wood carvers, poets, potters, bakers and on and on. As far as I know there were no actors in the family. I had a rough time in my HS senior class production of “Cheaper By the Dozen” playing the mother role. I had done such a bad job that I knew I could do better so I made it my major the next year as a freshman at Marymount College in Salina, KS. Twenty some years later I did the same role again in Bellevue, NE. Much better job! I had always been shy and withdrawn as a little girl, so my parents weren’t sure about the theatre major but I was! Surprisingly I was very good at putting on and taking off different characters. And I loved it! Beside the creativity angle to my early life, being of service was something I saw that was important to the generation above me. That became as strong as acting and the visual arts. I spent a summer (1962) working at Ft. Totten reservation in ND. That time placed me in a world far different than the ones I grew up in and, in many ways, changed my perspective of the world and the people in it. The women and men in my family (by blood or by heart) who have inspired me and supported me are many. And I count them all as my mentors. To the 3 women (and one gent) who have zoomed and FaceTimed with me over the past 5 years. I am grateful. The finest role I have ever played in life is as mother to my fab four! Robby, Tim, Andy and Meg have been both teachers and inspirations to me. Their mates and children are the stars in my sky. I am grateful. Tom, my anam cara, has supported and walked with me though my homesickness for the prairie, my scary stage fright, helping me learn lines and my own self-doubt. I am grateful. All of you walking through this site have made a difference in my life…made me a better human. I am grateful. Enjoy the trip. If you have questions, I am a text or email away. Thanks to John La Barge for the photo. Slainte A few final thoughts that I know to be true. I believe in the power of women together. I believe in developing one’s voice to use as a tool against injustice. I believe love is the right of every person. I believe that the past is the past and does not belong in the present moment. I believe that forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. I believe that Art in every form heals the body and the soul.