In the beginning...

Born in Mission, Texas and raised in El Paso, by most standards would mean that I am a Texan. However, I have lived and settled in several states and many major cities over my lifetime.

Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Palm Springs, Portland (Oregon), and just north of Seattle, Washington, in Stanwood, I have lived and loved in these places. Currently, I reside in Orlando, Florida (see below).

I grew up listening and appreciating all kinds of music, even played piano competitively during my childhood. I've never been a big sports geek, but did manage to be on my high school tennis team.

Drama, newspaper, and photography were more my speed, winning me some awards during that period. I did end up lettering in Drama and thought that might hold a future for me professionally. A stint at Olan Mills as the photographer was a great start!

In Los Angeles, I worked for Paramount Pictures almost ten years before deciding I had enough of Los Angeles and made my move to the East Coast. I did manage to get a bit part in a Jerry Lewis/Madeline Kahn movie, and an extra role on a couple episodes of General Hospital, but these weren't enough to warrant staying put.

While living in Boston, I discovered I had a knack for cooking and that led to the creation of Wesley's Family Cookbook, something I have decided to bring online to share with everyone.

Wesley at 9 months old, 1961

Spending time in the garden is how I find peace and it is my form of meditation. Watching nature do its thing... in springtime, especially... is rewarding when you see what makes it back from the dead! Finding just the right plant for each and every corner of the garden makes for a joyful summer and fall.

As I enjoy cooking, it is nice to have fresh herbs available at my fingertips. It all comes together, gardening and cooking.

Lastly, a great portion of my day is spent taking care of my 94-year old aunt who has Alzheimer's. I do this with my cousin, who has always been good to me, and for my mom, as this was her closest sister and companion to the end. It is a familial thing, for certain, and it brings challenges every day, but it also gives me a sense of fulfillment.

So my days consist of all these things, including working on these pages of the website, cooking most nights after working in the garden, and making my aunt feel happy and safe!

...and Now

Wesley and his dog Luna smiling for the camera!

What is My Florida Story?

My name is Wesley Harrison and I am currently living in Florida with my cousin, Leticia, who is like a sister to me, along with her mother, my aunt Yolanda. She is the last living sibling of my mother, Stella, who passed away almost three years ago at a month shy of her 95th birthday. Coincidentally, Aunt Yolanda will be 95 in September of this year (2024). She has Alzheimer's and we are all living through this disease together as a family.

In early 2019, my mom was driving and had to pull over because she could see nothing but blackness. The situation was bad enough that it warranted I fly to Texas from Washington state, where I had been living with my brother, Ryan.

Communication with my mother had already been a bit difficult, as she had been steadily losing her hearing over a period of time. It was also the early stages of dementia for her sister, Yolanda. The situation for both of them made it necessary for my cousin and myself to fly to El Paso and see what exactly we were dealing with.

We took my mom to a specialist where she was diagnosed as legally blind - completely in one eye, with only pinhole vision in the other. It was decided at that time she and her sister go permanently to Leticia's house in Orlando, where she could look after them both.

However, shortly after the move, my mom had a small accident and was hospitalized, whereby the doctor determined she needed around the clock care and was admitted into a Senior home. I was used to speaking to her on a regular basis, even though she had her hearing issues, but she did not have a private phone in her room and so it was difficult having any communication with her at all. I left my job and family in Washington and moved to Florida to be near her! She passed away in July of 2021, almost two years after I made the move.