CURRENT MISSION

To be a kind, nonjudgmental, adventuresome woman who continues to learn and change in a positive way

ABOUT ME

I am a 60 year old woman who forgets how old she is on a regular basis. I don't know if this is a good thing or not. Perhaps I should ask the bagger at Safeway....? Just kidding. He is adorable, but I am not a pedophile.

Seriously, I have to say that age has kind of sneaked up on me. One minute I was traveling all over Europe on a Eurail Pass and the next minute I found myself signed up for an Elder Hostel program. Whoaaaaa! I think it's safe to say that I am young at heart. And none of that "growing old gracefully" bullpucky for me. They're going to have to drag me into my senior years kicking and screaming.

I think you can probably figure out what kind of a person I am by reading the rest of my answers. I read a lot. I'm a staunch liberal. I am an Obama fan. I would've liked to have voted for a woman candidate, but I cannot stand the sight of Hillary Clinton. I'm a pacifist. I think the war in Iraq is an abomination. I cannot tolerate racism in any form. I am pro-abortion, but glad I never had to have one. I am pro-gay marriage. I worked for 14 years in an HIV clinic. And yes, I think being gay is genetic. I don't go to church but I believe in a higher power. I support the "big bang" theory, but I think that there may have been a God behind it. I don't understand how someone can be against capital punishment and for abortion. Have I covered everything? Ooops--I forgot that I am an animal lover of all kinds. I have a dog and cat and I saw a ferret at PetSmart last week and now I want a ferret!!

PHILOSOPHY

I try not to ever deliberately hurt other people. There is so much pain and suffering on this planet. I try to eliminate what I can and not create any more than there already is.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have done a lot of grant writing and was hoping to help out with the Alaska Project but the role was already filled. Maybe next time...

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm new to the CS experience, so I don't have any experiences yet. Three people have bailed on me at the last minute, so I've been kind of bummed about that. I haven't tried staying with anyone else yet. I mostly travel to Europe, so I may try CS if I go there.

Interests

I love animals of all kinds, except flies, fleas, ticks. I think you get my drift. I also love to garden. I am a compulsive weeder. I also take cuttings from people's gardens and root them, and I am constantly trying to save plants that people have left to die.

I read a lot, too. I go on binges where I find an author that I like and then I have to read everything that that person has written. My latest "gem" is Joe Lansdale and I still haven't been able to find some of his books. Driving me nuts! And obviously, I have the travel bug. Although a lack of funds and my love for animals/plants do cramp my style a bit! It's really hard to find good help these days--I went away and came home 5 days later to find that quite a few of my favorite plants were no longer with me. How hard can it be to water a plant for 5 measly days?Apparently, pretty darn hard for some people.

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• writing
• books
• dining
• gardening
• reading
• traveling

Music, Movies, and Books

"Cinema Paradiso" is still one of my all-time favorite movies. I am probably one of the few that hated "No Country for Old Men." I read everything by Ruth Rendell and P.D. James. I have an eclectic taste for music--everything from Garth Brooks to Nelly. But my favorite is classical music which I have loved since I was a little girl. I would give 10 years of my life to have lived when Schumann and Liszt were alive. Imagine sitting in a small parlor and listening to Mozart playing to a group of his guests by candlelight. Absolutely breathtaking!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Given birth to my 3 children. Childbirth is still the most amazing thing I have ever seen/done. I know it probably sounds corny, but it is nothing short of miraculous.

The most amazing thing I have ever done is to go to Cameroon by myself for 2 weeks. It's a very primitive country not structured for tourists. I had to eat food cooked by street vendors and sleep in very basic sleeping quarters with no hot water, etc. The really amazing thing is that I never got sick!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, United States