AC_1965_Web

47 AN T I OC H CO L L E G E C L A S S O F 19 6 5 5 0 t h A N N I V E R S A R Y B O O K A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z F R E E D thought it might help me find a goal since it seemed that neither art nor music would provide much of a liv- ing. There was a lot of opportunity at Antioch and I learned many things but again few were in the classroom. I did learn that I had no interest in a career and that art, craft and music were my passions that I somehow must pursue. Judi and Harvey Freed. After dropping out of college and getting various “jobs” all based on my good typing skills (learned in 8th grade), I moved to Hollywood. I enjoyed the excitement of working in many political campaigns and the jobs got better paid. I did bit-work in TV, joined the musicians’ union and was discovered. However, I dis- covered that I did not have thick enough skin for rejections, patience enough for cattle calls or enough single-minded focus to make it in “show biz.” So I worked campaigns by day and joined musical groups for after hours.We performed, and it was serious, but nobody got paid. In a folk troupe calledWestwind I met and fell in love with a young man who sang and played guitar but who spent his days in dental school. Harvey graduated in 1966 and we got married in March that year. He found a job and I quit mine to make a nest and plan for a baby. I also went back to school for art classes and began to paint watercolors. Our son, Adam, was born in 1968. I made as much as I could myself and kept my needles and sewing ma- chine humming. We also began to take in stray animals and soon had two dogs and five cats living with us. Harvey felt restless. Both of us had been inspired with Israel’s birth and had separately thought of going there when we were single. Now we decided to make Aliyah. To the dismay of all our families, we sold or gave away most of what we had. We stored some things with parents; packed up a trunk with a few things to start a new life; packed our gui- tar case with diapers; and, with 14- month-old Adam, boarded a plane for Haifa, Israel. Harvey had been promised a job after we completed language train- ing.We were assigned a tiny apart- ment in an immigrant housing cen- ter and we arrived in the middle of a major holiday. Immediately I got deathly ill with food poisoning, our son became very ill with severe bron- chitis, all of our luggage was sent to Germany and Harvey was left to try to find help.A true immigrant expe- rience.There was no job of course. Unlike others from Eastern Europe and Africa, we could return, which we did after five months.While we were there Harvey was offered the chance to get graduate training back in the U.S.We returned so he could work and I could find a job at U.S.C. which would allow him to get re- duced tuition. Those eighth-grade typing skills got me work. Once again we were poor but with potential. After two years, Harvey graduated as a perio- dontist and we set up an office in Century City. I helped with letters and record keeping—first from home and then, over time, became his office manager.Along that path I became our IT person as well when I fell in love with computers.We had the practice until 2007 when we sold it. I worked for the new doctor until 2010 when I retired. Harvey is still enjoying working a few days per month. Music and art are huge in my life. I joined more performing groups and sang in choruses. I have made recordings. I continue to take many musical lessons and work- shops. Currently I do shows at nurs- ing homes and retirement centers. I have done musicals in local ven- ues and sung in clubs. Arthritis has cramped my playing for piano, gui- tar, banjo and autoharp but as long as I have a voice I will continue to sing. As soon as we could, Harvey and I began to travel.We have been to many places throughout the world and here in the U.S.We have had wonderful adventures.We took up backpacking and have spent many weeks in the Sierras navigat- ing with map and compass.We be- gan skiing and have spent countless hours flinging ourselves down steep hills on silly wooden sticks.All mag- nificent fun. In our travels we both discov- ered how much we loved photog- raphy. I continue to love pen and ink drawing and sketching.We have twin grandsons and I am continu- ally chasing them with my cam- era. Fortunately, our son is success- ful and happy in his life. We now live half time in Brooklyn, so that we can share our son’s family life. This is a new adventure—living bi- coastal. Following upon my early inter- ests in needlework and sewing, I be- gan to quilt and it has remained a lifetime enjoyment. In 1975, I bought a loom that was hanging around a fiber shop. I began to weave— rugs, blankets, coats. Then, in 1978 in Queenstown, NZ I saw a woman spinning and I was hooked. I bought