I grew up in a working-class family of four in Knoxville, Tennessee, a small industrial city near the Great Smoky Mountains. Over the years of ministry, I have lived in New England, Pennsylvania, the Upper Great Plains, New York City, and Atlanta, Georgia.

I have been married for thirty-eight years to the Rev. Terry Sweetser, who is also a Unitarian Universalist minister, currently retired. We have one grown daughter, Abigail (Abby), who is an actress. She and I share a similar sense of humor, and at times we can be found doubled over in laughter.

Growing up near mountains, I spent a good deal of time swimming, hiking, and gathering for extended family picnics in the Smokies, the beauty and power of which shaped my spirit. Since my marriage to Terry, the sacred place where we seek renewal and rest is at his family’s camp on Orr’s Island, Maine.

I come from an extended family in which cooking is a passion, and I love food and cooking it. Reading, writing, and bird-watching are also interests of mine. My family considers me a cat-whisperer, and our feline companion, Sherlock, is often in my company.