Hi!  I am Rosanne Higgins.  Every day I juggle 25 (or so) barking dogs, the latest chapter in my second novel and the inmate and hospital records from the Erie County Poorhouse!  Why you ask?  Well, 17 years ago I received a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Buffalo.  I left the field shortly before the death of my oldest child (at age 11 from a rare form of pediatric cancer), and opened a doggy daycare.  My husband and I have been running this business for the past 11 years.  For years I have been thinking about writing a novel based on my doctoral dissertation research on the Erie County Poorhouse (which served the destitute in Buffalo from 1829-1926).  Two years ago, I became involved again in the ECPH research at U.B. when part of the poorhouse cemetery was excavated.  By then my head was full of story ideas and my first novel, Orphans and Inmates literally spilled out of me (now available on Amazon).  Although I am trained as a skeletal biologist, the focus of my current research at UB involves looking at patterns of demography using the various inmate records associated with the institutions.  So, why am I telling you all this?  Well, some friends of mine have told me that this unusual juggling act of business owner, writer and researcher is at the very least interesting, and often amusing.  They thought other people might want to read about it.  Everyday I will share with you some aspect of one or all three of my endeavors.  Please join in the conversation when you can!