When I moved to this area I played horn in the Stratford Festival Loft Orchestra and then in the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony. Though I loved playing in these groups, it meant a lot of evenings and weekends away from home. My husband, David Spence, was a music teacher, music consultant, and eventually music coordinator with the WRDSB at this time, which meant his schedule and mine allowed for taking care of our children, but not seeing
each other very often.

So I changed direction, got a Masters in English Literature at the University of Waterloo and went on to doctoral work in English and Rhetorical studies. I passed all the exams for my doctorate but lost interest in my thesis topic and got very involved in teaching at U W and a number of its colleges. I’m what’s called an ABD (All But Dissertation). My teaching led to the unique and very enlightening experience of teaching university entrance courses in Essay Writing and Public Speaking at the Six Nations Polytechnic in Oshwegan, near Branford. I learned so much about Haudenosaunee history and culture from my First Nation
students.

I changed direction again in the early 2000s. We moved from our solar home in Nithburg to begin our retirement running a B&B in Stratford. (We did this for 16 years and only retired from B&Bing when Covid 19 changed all our lives.) Once in Stratford I took up playing the horn again, playing in the newly formed Stratford Symphony as well as the Stratford Concert Band. I soon looked to the KW region and currently play in the Full House Brass Quintet, Ebytown Brass, the Wellington Winds, and of course, the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Orchestra.