Wordsmith

I love music and movies, and my house is overrun with books. I am a freelance writer/editor. My personal writing is memoir and narrative. I make every effort to keep snail mail alive and my postman employed. I crochet blankets for Project Linus and for the NICU at Comer Children's Hosp at U Chicago. My dog, Fletcher, is short-listed for the Laziest Dog Ever award.

That was my original profile. I didn't get into all the things I love and do and am interested in for fear of being seen as a crazy person. Now, after looking at many profiles on swap-bot, I see that there are loads of people who love many things and do many things and are interested in many things and don't seem crazy at all!

That said, here is the real story:

I grew up in northern Ohio and went to school in southeastern Ohio (Ohio University), then went to grad school in Michigan. I've lived in Michigan (Kazoo, GR), New Orleans and Cincinnati, finally coming to settle in Louisville, Kentucky.

I am an RN, but I have made my living as a writer and editor for a long time now. My clients come to me through email, I work through downloaded files, I bill through email and get paid through electronic transfer. I never meet my clients anymore and only rarely speak to one of them on the phone. So the world gets smaller, but human contact is more rare.

I studied photography and art history as an undergrad. I'm particularly interested in black and white photography, and recently have been sucked in by instagram, which is pretty funny considering my outrage at digital photography a few years ago. But it is pretty wonderful after all and I'm enjoying it. Still, I miss the dark room and the vinegary smells and the magic of watching the image come up on the paper.

I love American folk art and the sub-category of "outsider" art.

I have three daughters, all of whom are incredible human beings. Each of them is tremendous source of pride and joy..

I sold the house where the kids grew up a few years ago and moved into smaller accommodations. Sorting through the books was a nightmare. Still though, there are lots here living with me, which makes me happy. The craft stuff and fabrics are in storage, but accessible.

I don't have my studio anymore, so my projects are limited. I make what I guess would be called "dolls." They are folky, charming but not what I would call "cute." They are not "dolls" as in "Madame Alexander." It's more like as in "Tim Burton."

Halloween is a huge passion. I collect folky witches and assorted Halloween art, much of which stays out all year because I can't bear to put it away.

I crochet tiny blankets for premies in the NICU at U Chicago. I make blankets for the friends of my daughters' who have babies. The premie blankets are about 14" square, perfect for a wee thing that weighs sometimes less than two pounds. I use Bernat Baby Coordinates, which is so soft and pretty. It has a sheen to it as well and holds up well after laundering. For me, the blankets are like sailing origami boats into a stream. It's simply an exercise in giving, which makes me a better person.

I love paper, fabric and fibers--all the textures and colors. I hope one day to be able to travel in India and northern Africa to shop for textiles. I don't know what I will do with them; I just want to possess them.

I've traveled some. All over the U.S., then in Mexico, all over South American, the Caribbean, the UK, Ireland and western Europe. My middle daughter and I are planning a long trip to Ireland, England and Spain in May 2014.

My dog, Fletcher, is a rescue. He is half Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and half Cairn Terrier. He has a longer, silky, curly white coat and is adorable. He' s about 30 pounds, the smallest dog I've ever owned. I am thinking about seeing if he can qualify as a Therapy Dog. He's incredibly lazy, so I don't know . . .

I speak some French and some Spanish and am always in the process of more classes and more books to get better at both.

I play the violin. I'm not very good at it but I love it. YoYo Ma is my hero.

I live on a small lake and where a bunch of Canada geese hang out to take advantage of the bag of feed corn I keep on the deck. The have their babies every spring, and it's fun to watch them grow up and learn to fly. I am fascinated by the geese, their family structure and their child-raising skills.

Music. I love lots of different kinds. My desert island music is probably YoYo Ma's "Bach: The Cello Suites." (I love the cello but couldn't see dragging it around, hence the violin.)

I love the Beatles, Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young, Irish music, and a bunch of the more indie-alternative bands. Just when I think there can't be any more great music to be made, there comes yet another artist that I can't resist. While I appreciate metal, I don't listen to it. Not a huge fan of hard-core rock, but again, I get it. I am probably more interested in lyrics than anything else. I am blown away by what some people can do with words . . .

I read a lot of literary fiction, memoir and personal narrative. (My personal writing is generally of the latter two.) I am annoyed that so much trash is being published today and taking up the very limited space on the publishers' annual allowance list. Instead of publishing an amazing writer of literary fiction, they publish a book on child-rearing my Britney Spears' mother or a cookbook by one of the pointless Kardashians.

I have all kinds of books, including a couple hundred titles in the trivia/info/lists/almanac category that are helpful in my work. I love coffee table books, travel books, cookbooks and photo books. I will buy a book simple because it has great pictures or a beautiful binding.

I used to collect ARCs, but I gave them up when I moved. They can't be sold, the library won't take them, and I couldn't house them any longer. It was sad.

I am particularly fond of "first works," like an author's first published book or the first CD issued by a band or artist.

I have too much writing paper, too many envelopes and way too many blank journals. But I love them and will probably get more. Eventually, I will have to move to a bigger place.

I don't watch a lot of TV, but I confess that I am into the Housewives nonsense. Don't ask why. The best reason I can give is that it is like a train wreck: I can't look away!

Swap-bot has turned me onto the world of Inchies. I feel myself about to tumble off the edge into that world here very shortly. I'll keep you posted!

I notice that many people have listed things they would like to have or swap. I need to think a bit more about that. I'm just getting started on swap-bot and don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

It's been a pleasure getting to learn about many of you through these profiles. I hope what I've written here gives you a feel for me. I'm delighted to be a part of this community!