dustcollector

I am media specialist in an elementary school in Palm Bay, Florida. Originally from St. Louis, I moved to Florida in 1987 and have lived here ever since. I am the eldest of eight siblings including one sister and six brothers. My son and his wife live just outside of Chicago. My daughter and her husband live nearby with my 2 little granddaughters--an 8-month-old and a 2-and-a-half-year-old. I love children and animals. Currently I share my home with three cats and two dogs as well as a quite large "little" brother. I teach students in grades Pre-K through 6.

I love most kinds of music, but I am not a musician. I only play the radio, and I only sing for small children who are very forgiving. If I must chose a favorite type, it would probably be folk music from around the world.

In my opinion, Charlotte's Web is right up at the top of the best books in whole world. I read lots of books intended for children and young adults. The illustrations in picturebooks make them particularly tempting.

My schedule doesn't allow much time for movies or TV, but one of my favorite films is A New Leaf with Walter Mathau and Elaine May. Other favorites are What's Up, Doc? with Barbara Streisand and Madeline Kahn and Man's Favorite Sport with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentis. I know they are oldies, but so much fun. March of the Penguins made me cry.

I have a weakness for HGTV, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and figure skating. I also listen to some PBS programming while I am doing other things. I am a fan of NPR.

I like arts and crafts, but I don't have much wiggle room in my work schedule. Matchboxes are fun, and I discovered them through Swap-bot! I am trying my hand at making postcards now. I have done some sewing and embroidery, but not counted cross-stich. I enjoy making something out of nothing. My mother was and is very resourceful that way. I fiddle with some plants, but couldn't call it gardening. Only the hardy survive--but I love roses and fragrant flowers.

I plan to use my post cards from swaps for a geography research project with students in grades 4-6 at school. I appreciate interesting stamps almost as much as the postcards or matchboxes. I learned about Postcrossing from another Swap-bot member's profile, and I have been doing that, too. Mail is so much more interesting these days!

I like to wear interesting pins and long necklaces made of natural materials such as wood, shells, leather, etc. I like decorative items that represent different kinds of leaves or plants, birds, and butterflies. I like the fragrance of flowers, patchouli, and sandalwood, but I am not fond of fruity smells. My favorite colors are blue-greens and any sunny colors. I dislike grey and muddy browns--anything drab. Pastels are ok. I love things representative of other countries and cultures. Lemon, peach, and strawberry are yummy flavors. With our warm weather most of the year sending chocolate can be risky. I don't drink coffee, but I like coffee or mocha flavored things.