ABOUT ME

I would say first that I have an enthusiastic and positive outlook on life and that I am outgoing and engaging because i am active both politically and spiritually. At the same time, I can be introspective and enjoy quiet time in the great out of doors. Also I am thoughtful and sensitive of the feelings and perspectives of others. Having a good sense of humor would be another aspect as well as a person who explores new ideas with an open mind. My best friends would say that I am adventuresome in spirit too.

Interests

Currently, I am the director of a woman's singing group called the Threshold Choir which sings songs of comfort to those at the end of life. The songs are simple yet profound; creative and soothing and bring greater inner peace to my life as well as to those receiving the gift of song. Music and dance together also has been a very important aspect of my creative spirit throughout my life, from international dance to contra dance to free form. I also love to garden and see things grow. Last year I planted 3 apple trees in this northern place where I now live and hope to see apples some day! Another passion is being around water and kayaking in it. And of course, I love to travel and learn about new cultures. My husband and I just returned from 2 months travel in Mexico and Guatemala and delighted in the warmth and richness of both countries.

• writing
• singing
• dancing
• running
• flying
• gardening
• traveling
• eating out
• music
• kayaking
• lakes

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Four summers ago, I traveled to Northern Thailand with members of the Threshold Choir to visit an elephant sanctuary. It was an extraordinary trip in many ways. We learned about how intelligent elephants are and they do not need to be punished in order to be trained. This special sanctuary run by volunteers from around the world, gives the elephants time to heal from horrific abuse. When our group of women sang our threshold songs to the elephants, they began to sway to the music. Pretty amazing to witness what music can do.

When I moved to Minnesota from California, I spent a lot of time kayaking on the many lakes during the summer, here in Itasca County. Out of 1,007 lakes, I kayaked 60 of them and found myself enchanted by the delightful Minnesota bird: the loon. The fascinating calls of the loon during the mating season is absolutely enchanting. I wrote my first song called,"Lovely lovely loon" while paddling on a lake and it expressed my sadness in seeing the leaves change colors, the loons flying south and the approaching winter of these north woods. What a surprise to discover myself writing a song when I don't even read music!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United Kingdom, United States