Bio

I was born hot, with a sense of humour. It was a blistering July 26 and my dad Bill Scurfield had finally given up on another false delivery, and was driving home to Manitou to his fledgling law practice. My Uncle Jack Scurfield, who had a great sense of humour too, was left behind with my mother Cynthia Beamish, and got a big kick out of being taken for the expectant father, handing out “It’s a Girl” cigars to all the poor schlubs still sitting in the waiting room. Uncle Jack and I had a special affection for each other all our lives.

I grew up wanting to be an actress or a singer and was in all the productions in Manitou, singing, dancing (badly), and acting. I was Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and the Princess Who Couldn’t Cry. Laughing class reminded me of that play. I did wonderfully in school until I discovered boys and romance—and found a whole new education. I started dating my Grade 2–7 crush, after wresting him away from another girl, at 12.

Then I began babysitting for people with illustrated medical dictionaries the same year. It was a great fit. I liked sex research and I liked boys. I became the junior high expert on what went where, and a popular addition to any sleepover with friends who wanted to know about stuff. Although I didn’t do “it” until many years later, I knew all the ins and outs, gymnastic positions, possible problems, and their cures. Miss Lonelyhearts, in training.

At the University of Manitoba I took a Bachelor of Arts, and got a Certificate in Education. I taught for six years, but my great passion was love and romance and travel in Europe. I read Sex and the Single Girl in my early 20s, and was happily influenced. I was extremely independent to begin with, so decided I didn’t want to get married until I was 37, like Helen Gurley Brown. I loved being single and having serial monogamous romances—three or four years a piece. When the romance ran out, so did I. When I get old and am sure all my old boyfriends are dead or unable to read, I will write my naughty memoirs with each one’s name as a chapter. It will be a nice long juicy read, I promise.

Teaching in regular school was fun in many ways. I loved the kids, but longed to take them everywhere and show them the world, like The Magic School Bus cartoon with Lily Tomlin.  At 30, I went to Carleton University, studied journalism, and found my milieu. After a short stint at the National Examiner tabloid in Montreal, and the Hamilton Spectator, I started working at the saucy new Winnipeg Sun as a reporter—good place for a snoop—and started writing Miss Lonelyhearts. I wrote general news, then entertainment, a gossip column for many years, all the while writing my great love—the Miss Lonelyhearts column. The first time I walked into a  newsroom and saw people with big mouths and independent spirits and messy desks and creative ideas, I knew I had found my people. Going out to do stories suited me perfectly, and the Miss Lonelyhearts column still allowed me to teach, which I was born to do in my fashion.

I taught seminars and workshops and founded Goddess classes – out of the box adventures for women – a most exciting teaching time in my life.

I’m an independent sort, but I do love children. I met a charming younger man with a thriving biz (Mike Huen of Mike’s General Store, Antiques and Collectibles) when I was 36. He was young enough not to be cynical and he also wanted babies. We were in love quickly, got married at 37 (he was 28), and we managed to have two kids by the time I was 40. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t work out in the long run, but the divorce gave me a greater compassion and understanding for my readers

Dan Huen, now 21, is a stand-up comedian and works with four guys in assisted living situations. His brother Stac Huen, almost 20, is at University of Manitoba studying theatre and business. They have just gotten their own places, so I’m excited to be a Single Babe again. I had two serious relationships after the marriage ended, and nothing in the last few years when the boys were old enough to know what’d be going on behind closed doors. (Blush!)

Now it’s time for me. I have my own great place again and an office, called The Blue Lagoon. It’s both scary and exciting as business is taking off – goddess classes, speeches, syndication, seminars, workshops, field trips, book writing, spousal entertainment at conventions, and a little stand-up for fun.

I have pushed off from the nest, and am flying high.