In September 1997, I went back to USM to work on getting my MBA. Their MBA program is a very good program and I really enjoy it.
My husband and I live in Portland, Maine with our daughter. Our daughter, Brigit Ada Ratliff was born on July 29, 1996 after an more or less uneventful pregnancy and an amazing labor. The one major event during the pregnancy was a car accident on May 31, 1996 and they did an ultrasound to check how the baby was doing. She was doing fine, but I need this space to put in a plug for my car. My car is a wonderful Emerald Green Dodge Neon. It is a great car. It handled very well during the accident the passenger compartment was not hurt in any way. The car took $3000 worth of damage. If you are looking for a safe car I swear by my Neon. Plus if you are in Maine contact me and I will give you the name of the best body shop in the Greater Portland area
I love cats. Our cat Gimu died of old age on January 16, 1997, he was around 16 or 17 years old, he was part of our family for about four years. In March 1997 we adopted a new cat named Smokey. Smokey is a very active cat who gets along with Brigit wonderfully.
I only really have two hobbies. The first is something I have been doing for about seventeen years now. l collect information and stuff that related to Russia and the Soviet Union. I became interested in the Soviet Union when I was 12 years old when a girl from Maine named Samantha Smith wrote a letter to Yuri Andropov who invites her to visit the Soviet Union as his guest. I followed her visit very carefully and since then my love of Russia and the Soviet Union has always been with me. Unfortunately, Samantha Smith died in a plane crash August of 1985, but I was lucky enough to be one of the people to go to the Soviet Union in the Spring of 1986 in her memory.
I have been able to find a lot of neat Russian stuff on Ebay, an on-line auction site. The greatest thing I have bought through Ebay has been a Defense of Leningrad medal from World War II. I think I will be collecting more Soviet World War II medals because to me if is like owning a piece of history. During the Siege on Leningrad people starved to death and some people had to eat film and other stuff in order to survive. So I am so happy to own this medal so I can give it a good home. I will put a photo of it up when I get a chance.
The second hobby is a brand new hobby. I started collecting silverplate in the pattern Coronation by Oneida Community.
I am also an advocate for safe space for women, so you will see me at the annual Take Back the Night March and other marches of that sort. I have been working as a volunteer for Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine, for several years. As of August 28, 1998 I have been named to their board of directors.
