jlynch73

Hi, I’m Jennifer. I have so many interests and I divide my time among them. My passions are:

1. Wildlife. I am a wildlife biologist. I have been in love with wildlife since my childhood. I worked as a wildlife biologist for the federal government for 13 years. Then, 2 years ago, I made a career change to:

2. Writing. I work for a national magazine doing editorial research and some writing. I also write freelance articles from time to time for other magazines; my articles are usually wildlife-related. I have also written articles on tennis and racquetball...which leads me to my next passion:

3. Racquetball. I grew up playing tennis, but once I discovered racquetball in college there was no turning back. I'm a competitive racquetball player -- I travel the country to play tournaments. I teach it, as well -- private lessons and classes through a local organization. Sports, in general, have always been a huge part of my life. Weight training is a regular pasttime of mine.

4. Crafting. I have been drawing/painting/crafting/creating for as long as I can remember. These days my craft materials of choice are paper and fabric. I don't like working from patterns, but I do like to sew quick little projects when the fancy strikes. Many of them are -- you guessed it -- wildlife-related!

I have a wide range of interests in music. From Sinatra to Supertramp, and from Toby Keith to Michael Crawford. Country, oldies, 70s, 80s, rock, easy listening, alternative, jazz, big band, new age, showtunes, etc., etc. Some of my favorite artists include Chris Isaak, Natalie Merchant, Enya, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, and Michael Buble.

I have recently discovered my new favorite author: Harlan Coben. If you like suspenseful thrillers with lots of twists and turns, you have to check him out! Other authors I like include Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Nicholas Sparks, and D. H. Lawrence. I also have a thing for real-life extreme survival stories (Alive, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Adrift, Titanic, etc.) Another book that stands out to me is Betty Eadie’s Embraced by the Light—a short read, but a touching and inspirational story.

I am most drawn to action/thrillers, love stories, and comedies. Wedding Crashers, When Harry Met Sally, Jason Bourne and James Bond movies...

While I'm not too big on TV, I do like some of the older sitcoms: Cheers and Seinfeld, and more recently: The Office. I love to laugh! I also tend to get hooked on HGTV and DIY shows.

I enjoy making many different kinds of crafts. With my sewing machine, I like to make tote bags, makeup cases, small stuffed toys (usually little animals), sachets, etc. I also enjoy paper crafting—I’ve made handmade cards as long as I can remember. I like to paint, too, using acrylics and watercolors; although it’s been a while since I’ve painted.

I enjoy sewing and I'm always looking for cool and different fabrics. I'm more of a neutral-y color girl (browns, olives, deep oranges, reds and blues, etc.) as opposed to bright or flourescent colors.

I love birds. Anything that is bird-themed will make me happy! Especially owls.

I like art that is simple with clean lines. As an example, I love the art of Marisa Haedike (www.creativethursday.com). Very cute!

I LOVE chocolate! Milk chocolate, dark chocolate...I love it all. Fruit and nuts ruin chocolate for me, though. I like my chocolate straight up!

I love the outdoors--hiking, backpacking, camping, etc. I love the ocean, too, and ocean sports. I'm not much of a skiier, but do enjoy snowshoeing. I hate being cold, though, so winter sports are not my favorite. I find myself indoors playing racquetball in the winter, most of the time anyway.

I love houseplants, and propogating new little plants from the ones I have.

I love to travel and explore new places. I have moved around a lot over my lifetime, and really enjoy learning about new places.

Things I don't like: coffee, tea, lawn art, those themed flags/banners, glitter, lace, sparkly stuff, neon colors... :)

These are my favorite (nationwide) places to shop:

T. J. Maxx, Marshalls, Homegoods, Michael's, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Trader Joe's, REI