Phyllis Edgerly Ring left a part of her heart in her childhood home of Germany. She has studied plant sciences and ecology, worked as a nurse, been a tour guide, served as program director at a Baha’i conference center, and taught English to kindergartners in China. Her hundreds of articles and essays have appeared in such publications as Christian Science Monitor, Ms., Writer’s Digest, and Yankee magazines. She is the author of two novels, a children's storybook, and two nonfiction books about creating balance between the spiritual and material aspects of our lives.