The hospital in Ohio where Annemarie was born forced me to have a spinal – even though I told them I had had such an easy delivery with my first born. Also, in those days they liked to keep the mother in the hospital for a week and they would take the babies away and would only bring them every 4 hours for feeding. I was so mad at those rules I discharged myself the next day! Who did they think they were to tell me when to see my daughter!! The only good thing about that hospital was the cute picture they took of her just a few hours after she was born. Unlike her brother, Annemarie was a very loud baby. When she cried, she let the whole neighborhood know she wanted attention.

Annemarie is a real charmer and it started very early, as you can see in the picture with the Greek sailors 😉 Even as a toddler she used to change clothes several times a day and go show off to all the neighbors. She would also find ingenious ways to amuse hereself. Like once when we heard a strange noise that sounded like giant popcorn popping all over the house. It turned out She had thrown a whole box of paper cups in one of the air-conditioning vents! Another time I found her all wrapped up in toilet paper and she proudly stated she was an Egyptian mummy.

When we moved to Athens, Greece, she went with Alex to the British Embassy School. Here she is with one of the many au-pairs living with us during those years that I was a full time working single mom. 

When they moved my work to London, I did a lot of research trying to find a good co-ed school. The majority of schools at the time where either all boys or all girls and I strongly believe that children of both sexes need to learn together. That is one of the reasons I chose to live in Ashtead, even though it meant 1 1/2 hrs commute for me to my work in London. They could both attend City Of London Freemen’s School.

Of course I have to include a picture of her ‘attitude’ as a teenager so that her teenage daughters can tease her – ha ha!

And I will balance it with a beautiful artsy picture of her.

Like Alex, she did not want to come to the U.S. with me when I moved here. She stayed in England and attended Epsom College of Art.

But eventually, after several visits she also decided to move to California.

Annemarie married an Art Dealer, David Lee Shaw and had two beautiful girls:

Ivy and April.

They divorced after a few years but remained good friends and did a great job at co-parenting.

On May 19, 2017 Annemarie married Derek Ashley Ridgway who came with three beautiful girls of his own: Lauren, Brooke and Lily.

We are now one HUGE family, here with Alex’ family, Derek’s parent and my second-cousin, Vlad Cardei.

Annemarie is a very successful and sought after Stylist.