Patsy Truxaw has been observing and writing about her Irish-Catholic (and partly Czech) family for fifty-plus years. The second of eight children and a baby boomer, Patsy believes she and her siblings inherited some good genes but bad wiring. The bad wiring, compounded by the sudden death of her college-age brother in 1969, is the impetus behind this, her first book. Along with being a lifelong writer, Patsy is a retired educator, a Dem-ocrat, and dog lover. She got sober one month after her fortieth birthday and remains active in recovery groups. Patsy lives in Los Osos, California, with her husband John Hansen and their two dogs, Belle and Max.