CURRENT MISSION

To interact with others as a responsible and eco-conscious citizen of the world, my state and region, and my neighborhood.

ABOUT ME

Krys (writing this) and Tom (husband) live in a passive solar house that we built together, starting in 1979 and never quite stopping (we are expert incorporaters of reused building materials!). We have two grown children (Austin, TX and Delmar, NY currently), a daughter-in-law and a grandson and granddaughter. We grow black locust wood on our 24-acre property about 4 miles Nortwest of Ithaca, as well as extensive ornamental plantings of trees, shrubs and flowers. We are members of the North American Rock Gardening Society, and its local Adirondack Chapter (www.acnargs.org -- some pictures of our gardens there under "member gardens"). Other hobbies/activities include swimming in Cayuga Lake (both), volleyball (Tom), local and state politics (Krys), Scrabble-playing (both), eclectic music-listening (both), reading economics books, articles and blogs (Krys) and building and re-building stuff around the house.

Tom's occupation is "Construction Manager," now-- he was a carpentry foreman for years before that. Krys works as a consultant on food systems planning, ag economic development and nonfood biomass heat-fuel industry development, as well as other projects. We love cooking and good food, and are enthusiastic supporters of a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and Farmers' Market. We also know our way around the local wine trails, and are happy to recommend good local wines.

PHILOSOPHY

Under construction. Perpetually.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Well, we really enjoy hosting ;-)

Are hoping to have the chance to "get out more," too.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We did-- and enjoyed!-- some couchsurfing-type visiting among people we had networking contact with before we had children, before there was this way to do it. It was a great way to get to know people in other places.

We heard about the Couchsurfing website when I looked for a farmstay opportunity around Chicago, around the time of my grandson's birth. We wanted to visit, but not stay in the new parents' apartment and be in the way. Hotels were all expensive and far away... we ended up being offered a spare room by a wonderful urban bee-keeper in downtown Chicago. He is a very special person, and I was honored to have the opportunity to get to know him. Since then, we have both hosted and stayed with others in the US on occasion.

Interests

I put a lot of our interests in the description above... but, we are interested in a LOT of things. We both really like to learn, and you do that best by being interested in others and paying attention! Show us why what you think is cool is so interesting!

• writing
• books
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• farmers' market
• gardening
• flowers
• politics
• reading
• music
• volleyball
• swimming
• agriculture
• economics
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

Yes! (Well... more World Music and Nonfiction than the rest, but.... we like 'em!)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Tom-- saw an active volcano up close.
Krys-- swim in Cayuga Lake most Octobers.

Teach, Learn, Share

Buy fresh local food from the farmers we know, and show us how to make your favorite dishes! We love to cook and preserve foods, as well as trade horticultural and agricultural info with others. Culinary cultural exchanges are really scrumptious fun, and a good way to bond.

We also are happy to share our knowledge about how to reuse building materials in an effective, practical and thrifty way. We know a bit about raising children, too.

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