When I read others' blogs, I always look for an "About Me" page. It's fun go get to know better the bloggers whose work I admire. And yet . . . writing about oneself is a little awkward! One or two readers have requested a page like this, and my reply is generally, "Why should I write an 'About Me' page? The whole blog is about me!" But the idea has been niggling away at me, for the reason mentioned above. So here goes . . .
I was very fortunate to be raised in a crafty and musical family, by parents who loved to try different kinds of "making." And I'm one of those people who isn't really happy unless I've got some kind of creative project (or three) going. I shared a list of the many things I've tried over the years in this post.
When I was around 8 or 9, my mother taught me to knit and crochet, and knitting has been my first crafty love ever since. I've only recently come to appreciate crochet more, thanks to the variety of lovely patterns available now. Mom also taught me to sew at an early age; I remember making my own one-piece swimsuit at around 12 years old, and many of my own clothes in high school. But I tend (like my father) to jump from one thing to the next. I've dropped and come back to sewing many times over the years, but knitting is the one craft I've been passionate about since day one.
As a teen, I considered going to either art or music school (I played flute, and to a lesser extent, oboe and organ), but finally decided to go the eminently more practical route of majoring in French at a small liberal arts college. Along the way I learned Latin, Spanish, and German as well. But once I graduated, I realized the job market for French Literature majors was not strong, and I needed a JOB! I was offered one at a local Montessori school, as a classroom assistant/French teacher for the elementary class. Despite being convinced I didn't care much for children, I took the job, and within a month was completely in love with both the Montessori method of education and the children.
Still, I wasn't ready to let go of my more academic dreams, so I enrolled in a Masters program in Medieval Studies. Thankfully, half way through I realized that my job prospects in that area weren't great either and that I could study the Middle Ages on my own without shelling out lots of tuition. I was also falling more and more in love with Montessori, and decided to take the year-long training course to be a Montessori Elementary teacher.
I taught my own Montessori class for eight years, during which time I met and married Hubby (and thus learned Turkish as well). After deciding I wanted some time off from it, I continued to teach part time and to consult with other teachers. But at the same time I enrolled in some classes that took me down a path that would end in me teaching glass bead-making, metalsmithing and other jewelry arts, and helping my friend manage her studio, for another eight years.
In 2009, Hubby got a job offer he didn't want to refuse, so we packed up and moved to Chicago. For now, I've made the decision not to work, but who knows where the future will lead? In the mean time, I'm able to indulge my love of writing and craft by keeping this blog.
Other bits and pieces:
I've been a vegetarian since I was 18, and have been practicing hatha yoga for just as long, and meditation for almost as long.
I was a very sedentary child, but now enjoy rowing, walking, running and weight lifting (as well as yoga). And I just learned to swim a couple years ago, but I don't get much chance to do it.
I'm one of those people who needs a lot of alone time, but I also love to be with people.
I often claim I don't watch TV, and I really don't - on my television. But I watch an awful lot of streaming Netflix. I especially love silly comedies and spy fiction from the '50s and '60s.
I'm completely apolitical.
I dropped my Facebook account a couple years ago because they made me mad.
I'm a very visual person.
I'm almost always cracking jokes, even when it's not especially appropriate.
Gosh . . . that's a lot of sentences that begin with I. This is probably a good place to stop. Anybody make it this far?
