About me
You already know about my lack of fashion sense. That hasn’t changed. So while I’m a freelance writer, the fashion industry can rest assured that I’m not writing fashion or beauty articles. Everything else is fair game. I write for national magazines like Parents, FamilyFun, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, American Baby, National Geographic Kids, Woman’s Day, and others.
I’m also the author of a handful of science activity books for kids:
- Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself
- The Human Body: 25 Fantastic Projects Illuminate How the Body Works
- Energy: 25 Projects Investigate Why We Need Power & How We Get It
You can visit my writing site to find out the fun details.
Feel free to contact me, too, if there’s something you’re just itching to find out.
…And then there’s that “25 Things About Me” craze that’s whipping up frenzies on Facebook. I was tagged. I wrote my list. I didn’t tag anyone, because I don’t want to be the one who makes someone else have to spend an hour of their life in deep reflection. Here’s my list, so if you find me on Facebook…for the love of all that’s polka dotted, don’t tag me.
25 Things About Me You Really Don’t Need to Know
1. I can’t put my toes down when I’m in the shower.
2. Although I studied balloon animals and can make anything from a wiener dog to an octopus…the process still terrifies me.
3. I know how to make Brussels sprouts taste like potato chips and I’ll eat them by the bowlful.
4. I live my life to an internal soundtrack, and unfortunately have been known to burst out in song (although I try to choose one appropriate to the current situation; I’m not loony, you know).
5. I don’t have a great singing voice.
6. I once did tadpole CPR to save Toadini when he got out of his bowl and made it halfway across the room before experiencing dehydration and a brush with death.
7. My first job out of college was working with “troubled youth” at a wilderness camp.
8. Although I have a strong faith that guides me, I don’t feel the need to jam it down others’ throats.
9. I’ve belonged to a fabulous group of online moms for about 12 years.
10. The first book I wrote was when I was five (“The Dog, the Cat, and the Rabbat,” illustratted by the author…yes, I caught the misspellings a decade later. When you write on orange paper with green crayon, there’s no spell check).
11. When I was little, I wanted long hair so badly I would make long braids out of yarn and pin them to my head. I blame Laura Ingalls.
12. I still miss Marathon Bars.
13. I do my best thinking on the treadmill.
14. I’ve lost about 20 pounds walking on the treadmill.
15. I think a lot.
16. I taught dog obedience for over ten years, and my own dogs did therapy work, agility, and competitive obedience. I was that kook who had dog pins on her lapel, dog earrings, dog t-shirts, and dried liver treats falling out of her pockets at business meetings.
17. When my dogs died, I turned in my dog training hat and still can’t bear to do it any more. I sometimes get teary thinking of my dogs.
18. My favorite color is purple.
19. I’m compelled to make themed food at the holidays: shamrock-shaped pizza, red layered Jell-O for Valentine’s Day, mummy meatball sandwiches for Halloween…
20. Whenever we go on vacation, I have to see if there are geocaches in the vicinity.
21. I’m a Disney Worldaholic and when I retire I may live in Fort Wilderness and sing off-key at the campfire sing-along with Chip and Dale for the rest of my natural days. I’m not sure yet what I’ll do with the unnatural ones.
22. I always wanted to be a veterinarian until, as a vet tech, I had to assist in a euthanasia where the owner just dropped off the dog and left her alone for the procedure.
23. Those little rubber nose-protector thingies both fell off my computer glasses, and yet I keep wearing them.
24. I’m nuts about fruits and veggies. I love how they’re gorgeous, full of colors. I love how they don’t run away when it’s time to harvest them to eat. And yes, I even like how they taste.
25. I try to use words like “premblememblemation” and “subatomic toasticles” (go look them up if you have to; they’re real) as often as I can, just to keep myself on my toes (but not in the shower…see number 1, above).