1. I am a native New Yawkah! (born in Mt. Kisco's Northern Westchester hospital)
2. I will kick your butt in a friendly game of ping pong. I'm a pro...no, really!
3. Chocolate, wine and music are the way to my heart...and not necessarily in that order.
4. I miss the mountains so much I would seriously consider moving back North...maybe not as far as NY, but where the change of seasons and landscape and SMELL of mother nature in the thinner air would inspire me to paint, paint, paint.
5. Four years ago I was a finalist in The Artist's Magazine's National contest for a German Shepherd portrait I did. It was the first contest I entered...and the last;)
6. I love to write almost as much as I love to draw/paint.
7. I am an advocate for the Arts here in my county and am the Public Relations Chair and historian for the Spring Hill Art League.
8. I love guacamole almost as much as I love chocolate. Oh, and don't forget the blue chips.
9. I believe people are basically GOOD.
10. I REALLY DON'T care that Michael Phelps smoked a bong! In fact, I think it's really too bad that he won't be able to experience all the ordinary events in early adulthood without being under scrutiny in the public eye.
11. I am more spiritual than religious. In fact, corruption in organized religion has disillusioned me. I believe we are all tied together in this huge universe of ours...and we feed off other people's energy. Positive energy is an incredibly super-charged force. Negative energy will suck the life force out of a person... Finding a balance between the positive and negative is the key and something we all strive for in our own way.
12. I love to spend time with OLD PEOPLE and listen to their experiences. I didn't have much patience for them when I was young so I'm making up for it now.
13. Speaking of...I am helping an incredibly talented OLDER friend put her artwork and stories into a book. It has been a year long project, but one that has truly enriched my life. A group of 5 of us...two artists, one musician, one writer and one of her good friends...have collaborated on the venture. It is in the final stages now and should be out by mid June in time for her 80th birthday. We learned from her and each other and forged lasting friendships through the sharing of stories, life experiences, Friday night dinners and drinks. The Irony of her story is that she is a pen and ink artist who actually dips a quill pen in an ink well....and she has Parkinson's. She adapted to the shaking by switching to a sharpie pen and will use whichever hand is shaking the least. Courage and Determination are her middle names;) I will be both happy and sad when the book is finished. Read Tuesdays with Morrie and you'll get the general idea of the process we've gone through, watching her decline over the last year.Also, what makes this project even more special is that she knew my father some 13 years ago and was in a writer's group with him. She gave me my first opportunity to hang a piece af artwork at City Hall Art gallery next to one of my father's poems 10 years ago. And now I am helping her to document her life's work, including some of that writing.
14. No matter how hard I try, I cannot teach myself to juggle. I just don't have what it takes. I think the key is patience and I'm an instant gratification girl.
15. I was so painfully shy in high school that I was nervous pretty much all the time. I'm not sure how I wound up with any friends, but I did. And those friendships stand strong.
16. Public speaking makes me want to vomit, though I've gotten much better as I've gotten older. I barely squeaked through my college class with a "C." I was interviewed recently for the local Culture TV program and was holding a piece of paper ...the Host had to gently reach over and take it out of my hands because I was folding it and crushing it and just generally making a big old mess out of the situation. I'm thankful they shot me from the chest up most of the time. I will NOT have a career in TV anytime soon.
17. I was born in the wrong time...should have been a hippie. Peace, love and roof envy is my mantra. And only my peeps from girls weekend will understand that one.
18. I think we should be able to eat meat that is minimally processed and not injected with all kinds of crap and chemicals without paying an extra $4.oo a pound...I mean, they're putting less into the meat...shouldn't we PAY LESS?
19. My favorite self indulgence is a deep tissue massage followed by a spa pedicure with a nice glass of wine. There is nothing better...except maybe experiencing both of those on a beach with the ocean sound and smell all around.
20. I am stubborn and thick...must be the Irish in me. Or maybe it's the German.
21. I am a Delphic Dahlia...little sister to the Delphics of Gamma Sigma Tau, though now they are called the Gamma Rubies. I will always be a Dahlia. It took us a long time to come up with the name...a beautiful flower with many layers of petals. I think I can still say the Greek alphabet. 22. I did not get my college degree from where I first went to school in NY. I got sidetracked. Finally got my degree at age 35. I enjoy learning now that I'm older...especially the art history and culture classes and may even go back and get my BFA one day. I appreciate the fact that everyone is on their own time schedule...graduation day found me sitting inbetween a dual enrolled high school student and a 65 year old grandma. I was proud to get my GPA up to honors level and then realized that s no one really cares about GPA's anyway.
23. I can make a mean calzone. Most of my cooking skills came from Michael Ingulli, owner of the pizzaria I worked at in high school. My mother did not teach me... I taught myself by observing in the kitchen at work.
24. I waitressed for many years and have a deep respect for people in that line of work now. It's hard work, but it's what pulled me out of my awkward teenage shyness...I was forced to talk to people and found that the more I talked, the more money I made. A few times bartending also helped...and I was shy no more.
25. One of my dearest friends killed himself 5 years ago. He called me to say goodbye and I was not able to talk him out of it and I have wrestled with guilt on and off ever since. Obviously, there is much more to the story, but the one thing I have learned is that life is short and you should live it to the fullest each and every day. Carpe Diem. Seize the day. I have become a more productive and compassionate person since.
