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Thank you for visiting my page. My name is Angela Baden. I grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, the capital of the state of Maryland.

Annapolis is a beautiful place. I had great fun there as a child. It is a small town located on the water: the Severn River, the South River and Weems Creek flow through and around it before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. So, I have grown up with a love of living near the water.

My family was very warm and nurturing. My father worked for the post office delivering mail after he returned from WWII and my mother rented rooms to boarders while he was gone. Later, she worked for the movie theater we could attend and then, as receptionist for the only black woman physician there.

My paternal grandfather was a cook at the U.S. Naval Academy for years. My maternal grandfather was a watchmaker. My maternal grandmother was a maid in an upscale department store in Baltimore. Her two brothers, my great-uncles, were both Pullman car porters in Philadelphia.

My family insisted upon education, love of music and reading for my brother and me. Both my parents loved sports so we listened to baseball and boxing on the radio. I heard some great Joe Louis fights. We watched the Baltimore Colts and on Sunday evenings, the Ed Sullivan show.

I developed a longing for art, ballet, museums, plays, photography and being on my own. I even learned how to play piano, however, never liked it. I preferred ballet, drama and modern dance, all of which I did in high school and college.

My father played piano by ear and could play anything he heard. I grew up on jazz, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Duke Ellington, Pearl Bailey, Nat King Cole, swing bands and Blues. This from the vinyl records my parents had. On the radio I heard what are now called “oldies, but goodies” and country music.

I had an uncle who played jazz and classical records all the time, and he loved photography. Every Saturday afternoon, an aunt would play the Metropolitan Opera on the radio. I loved all of it. All of this explains my eclectic taste in music. I still listen to all kinds of music.

My love of cooking led me to become a personal chef later in my life. That also comes from the family. I never had to cook until I got married. It seemed that everybody in the family was a great cook. My mom cooked the dinners; my dad specialized in great breakfasts. When I went to college in the same city as my grandparents, many Sundays, my granddad would bring me fried chicken and other goodies in a care package.

I became a French and Spanish teacher, although, at first, I wanted to be a social worker. In retrospect, I’m glad I learned the languages and was able to teach kids.

Fast forward many years: I got married, had 2 wonderful children eleven years apart, taught school, worked for an airline and the Library of Congress, went to law school, got divorced, worked for a non-profit organization, the federal government, several local agencies, the DC City Council and the Office of Campaign Finance.

During this time, I took the DC bar exam 10 times over a period of fourteen years before I could practice law in the District of Columbia. Afterward, I became a city attorney for the DC Office of the Corporation Counsel, then a court-appointed public defender for people who could not afford an attorney.

Eventually, I started a solo law practice. After 10 years of practicing law, I got really burned out and decided to leave my law practice. They had been difficult years for me and I had had it.

As I was leaving my law practice, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and with strong faith in my spiritual practice and unflagging determination, gave myself a year to get rid of it. I took all the treatments necessary (not the most fun time in my life, there were many things, I would rather have been doing:-)) and by the end of the year, I was totally healthy again. I had tremendous support from family, my religious community, friends and from the universal forces.

I started looking for a way to work from home and create some fortune so I could achieve my dreams. I started my own personal chef business and built up quite a client list. Even though I really enjoyed what I was doing, I realized I still was working harder than I should for the return I was getting.

Sure I was a small business owner with a great vision; however, it did not work for me. The business I thought would free me from working for someone else actually ended up enslaving me.

I love traveling. So far, I’ve been to Mexico and found the ruins and the Pyramids in Mexico City fascinating. And, fun to climb. When I went to Copenhagen, I was surprised that the statue of The Little Mermaid was so small. Paris, the city of lights, is truly glorious. Japan was a treat beyond compare.

I’ve been to a few small Caribbean Islands. So many more Islands and countries to visit and enjoy! I can hardly wait! The people I have met in these places and at home in the US are treasures beyond measure. I am extremely fortunate. I am very spiritual and very happy. My family is the best! My two adult children are tremendous. My granddaughter is a real gem. I have a great brother and sister-in-law, many cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and loads of friends who put their trust in me.

This is an exciting time for me. I continue to grow and develop and learn new things. I treasure the relationships I have. I will always have the spirit to keep growing and moving forward.

What’s next for me? Going to Cancun with some of my friends in November. As the creative director of my own life, I intend to achieve many more dreams and keep dancing like nobody’s watching. *******************************************************

Skype: DivaBiz
angelabaden1@yahoo.com