Stasha's Secret Dream, A Hot Air Balloon Adventure (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781500866976)

Tomi Jill Folk is a poet, photographer, public speaker, writer and publisher who had the joy of sharing life with a little white dog named Stasha. Tomi and her husband Hank Bruce have lived with many rescued animals, but Stasha was something special. This little Bichon/Maltese cross discovered hot air balloons when the family moved to New Mexico. The story of Stasha's love of all things ballooning was written by Tomi as the dog's health was in decline, but never her spirit. In addition to being the main editor/designer for Petals & Pages Press, Tomi and husband Hank invested many years with their nonprofit organization Hunger Grow Away. This cause gave them many opportunities to work in the area of increasing food security both close to home and through people on the other side of the planet. An example of that comes from their children's book "Miracle of the Moringa Tree" that introduces a tree that has very nutritional and tasty leaves, but also has seeds that can purify water. This book has helped children and families in Africa, South America, Australia and Asia learn to add Moringa to their diets. The seeds are used in small amounts to purify a bottle of water, or in mass quantities layered with sand to make a filtration system to meet a family's needs. Earlier in life Tomi graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN with a degree in elementary education, while also spending much time in camping ministry. She then went on to Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN where she earned her Master of Divinity degree and was ordained as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. She served in that calling until health difficulties made it no longer possible. Little did Tomi know that in leaving normal parish life, she would be given the opportunity to help feed people and provide clean drinking water through the gift of writing and the internet. She has also served as a hospice caregiver and volunteer, and assists Hank in his work as a horticultural therapist.