Ann Ingalls: Author

I am such a lucky person! I have a kind husband (Winston), three lovely children (Sarah, Kevin and Mary), lots of sisters, brothers, cousins and friends.

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio on Thanksgiving Day. For my birthday, I get turkey and all the trimmings, and pumpkin pie with birthday candles. And…Macy’s has a parade every year.

I have had many interesting jobs. I was a teacher for a long time and enjoyed that a lot. I worked in factories manufacturing cars, sold shoes and greeting cards, made donuts and scooped ice cream–any kind of sundae I wanted.

Now I work as a writer for both children and adults. I write picture books, recipes, poetry, prayers, and lots of other things. I enjoy all of it. The best part is writing something and seeing that it pleases others.

I write at home in an upstairs office. If I take my laptop computer downstairs, I begin to think, “Maybe I need a snack, maybe I should read a good book, maybe I should call a friend, maybe I should pet the cats, maybe I should take a walk….”

When I’m not writing, I love to read, play cards, go for long walks, ride my bike and travel. I would like to swim more often than I do, and I like to try new recipes and share them with family and friends. One of my favorites is “Second Day Soup.” My daughter, Sarah, made up that recipe. It is the best turkey soup ever!

I’ve also been lucky to see a lot of the world–Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, Germany, France, England, China, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, Guatamala and many cities in the United States and Canada. My favorite place is still home in Kansas City, Missouri where people are friendly, barbecue is great and jazz is grand!