I'm an artist & writer living in Connecticut with my talented artist/gardener wife of 67 years. I was born in New York City in 1928. My father had flown airplanes in WWl, in France, while my mother performed in vaudeville. Following the Crash of 1929, as a kid I shined shoes, sold newspapers, delivered groceries, and delivered wash for Wong's laundry. For a few months in 1945 I trained in the engine room in the U.S. Maritime Service, before segueing into the Army Engineers. Post military I worked as an accounting clerk, shared driving big rigs, then worked constructing high-rise apartment buildings. In 1949 I began using my G.I Bill: Fine art at the Art Student's league of New York, and in 1950 at the Workshop School studying art and design, where I met my future, and talented, wife, Lorraine. I became a consultant designer and design director for a number of corporations. During this time, we had two beautiful daughters, and by 1973, as Ryan Associates, Lorraine became my full-time partner. While all this was going on I attended a writer's workshop, at night, at the New School for Social Research. Retiring to Connecticut we became fine artists, gardeners, and grandparents. Discovering computers, I studied web development and created websites. Following all that I began writing. And now this book: NATALIE STONE Beyond Survival And Into The Light.