CURRENT MISSION

I'm currently focusing a lot of energy on completing my house--I'm making 40 handmade wood windows for it--and on researching my family history, a fascinating effort that takes me and my husband and children across the country and around the world.

ABOUT ME

My husband, Lee, 57, and I, 60, are transplants to rural Utah where we have been rebuilding an 1850s log house, gardening, raising dairy sheep and making cheese, woodworking. I recently learned how to clean and prepare the wool from our sheep and to spin it. We enjoy the out of doors. We're snowskiers (go about every weekend to the free ski area nearby) and water skiers, hikers, fishers. We do a lot of family history research, which has been a great adventure. Lee is a software engineer for library systems at BYU in Provo, Utah, USA. We are non-drinkers and non-smokers. We are lifelong learners and enjoy adventures. Lee grew up on the beltway around Washington, D.C. and I'm a native New Yorker. I worked in the food publishing industry for a time and love to cook and eat well.

PHILOSOPHY

I like to live life as deeply and broadly as I am able. I try not to pigeon hole myself or other people, as people are generally capable of a great range of thought, feeling, perception, understanding, competency and experience. I am deeply committed to my family and spiritual life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Mostly I want to converse with people in German, but I am also happy to have people come work on my house and enjoy our historic, rural area and art community here in Spring City, UT. The house is a work in progress, so please don't expect something else. There are rooms and bathrooms and kitchens, but many things still to be done. I prefer non-smokers and ask that people not imbibe while they are with us. There is no bus service, and you'll want bicycles at least to get around. We can work that out. There are historic home and studio tours and other events in town. Check out springcitycorp.com/ and www.historicspringcity.org/.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

This is a beginning for me. My Weisenberger cousin with whom I work on family history learned of couchsurfing.com from her son, and we both registered.

Interests

I've been an English professor, poet and food writer. Lee and I are restoring/rebuilding an 1850's settlers' cabin in our historic town. I'm building the wood windows by hand. We also have a herd of dairy sheep, as well as chickens, turkeys and goats. We enjoy theater, cooking, preserving food, doing family history, hiking, skiing, traveling and conversing.

• animals
• arts
• writing
• dining
• cooking
• cheese
• gardening
• traveling
• restoration
• woodworking
• hiking
• skiing
• teaching
• engineering
• history
• religion
• software
• tours

Music, Movies, and Books

I've read and enjoyed too many books to start listing them here. Right now I'm reading Munin oder Chaos im Kopf (2018) by Monika Maron.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived in Germany when the wall came down, I've gone to school in Japan, won 3rd place in a Park City ski slalom, skied off precipices , climbed the Shawangunks, driven the ice road in Alaska, rebuilt a hand-hewn log house, and helped raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but the most amazing thing for me personally has been raising my three sons. I've had many exciting experiences, but his has been the most personally transforming endeavor of my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd be thrilled to have people come learn restoration/building skills by working on the hewn-log house with me. There is still interesting work to do-- finishing the windows, routing reclaimed wood and making floors, installing lighting, building decks. Lee was a carpenter before he went into IT, and I've studied and practiced traditional building skills. I also make cheese and cook extensively. At BYU I help people learn to family history research in the records of England, Northern Ireland and Germany, mostly--very happy to share that obsession!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I often cook for people when I stay with them on trips. I'd be glad to do that and to help my hosts with researching their family history.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Chile, China, Denmark, England, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Japan, United States