Jill Milton – Bio for 50^th reunion

I live on the west coast of Canada, on Cortes Island (population ca. 800) - about 100 miles north of Vancouver and two ferries removed from the nearest town. I moved here in 1972, pretty much on a whim, but loved the natural beauty, the unhurried pace of life and the congenial community - so here I still am. I met my partner, Barry, here; we have one daughter, Zoë, born in 1982. We cleared some land, built a house, put in a large garden and orchard - all things we knew nothing about, which is what made them interesting and fun. My jobs were always seasonal, mostly as a cook in tree planting camps and fishing resorts, a skill learned very much on the job. In a nod to my higher education (BA in English from the Univ. of Michigan) I’ve co-authored two books - a cookbook and a literary biography of a local writer. These days (besides doing the hateful amount of yoga and exercise necessary to keep a body functional) I manage the archives in our local museum, spend a lot of time in the garden, and travel to a less rainy part of the world for two months of the winter. It’s a life I could never have imagined when I was in school, and I feel immense gratitude for it.