I’ve written about my daughter, Shannon, before. She is my 17 year-old female voice. And I trust her judgment. But when I asked her to suggest a topic for a blog post and she said, “Tell your readers about you,” I was doubtful. What would I say? Would it be interesting to anyone? But Shannon told me to do it so here goes. Ten things about me, in no particular order.

1. I love chocolate. I wish that the ‘experts’ would deem chocolate a food group and recommend that we all eat 5 to 7 servings a day. What’s more, I wish that following such a suggestion would lead to automatic weight loss and guaranteed perfect health.
2. I love to travel. I have often told my husband that there is almost no place I wouldn’t visit, with the exception of places that are unsafe. Otherwise, I’d like to see it all.
3. I lived in India with my family. This one goes with number two. I got to travel a lot when I lived overseas. I’d gladly do it all over again.
4. My family has three cats. So, it follows that I love cats. Our cats are named Albus, Minerva and Thunder. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter books, you will recognize Albus and Minerva as Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall from the stories. Unfortunately, my cats aren’t magical, although are enchanting in their own way. I don’t know about Professor McGonagall, but our Minerva likes to have her butt scratched and howls through the house until someone complies. Albus and Minerva hail from Bangalore, India and returned from there with our family. Thunder joined us when we moved back to the States. He isn’t named for a book character, but his name definitely fits his personality.
5. I am a certified yoga teacher. I tried yoga for the first time after moving to India. I was hooked from class one. A year into my four years in India, I decided that being a yoga teacher was what I wanted to do. I don’t currently teach, but I hope to again in the future.
6. I went to law school and used to be a lawyer, for all of about 10 minutes. My first child, Andrew, was born soon after I finished law school and was sworn into the Kansas Bar. Ultimately, I decided to forego the law and hang out with my kids practicing mediation. (That is my way of saying I refereed squabbles between siblings.)  I loved law school but I definitely made the right choice for me.
7. My favorite childhood book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I read it over and over again and it had a permanent home on my night table. I would finish one day and start again the next. Other favorites from my childhood include books by Madeline L’Engle, especially A Wrinkle in Time, and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I loved the Nancy Drew series, and as I got a bit older I discovered Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. The gothic romance, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte is another all-time favorite.
8. I love jewelry, especially rings with gorgeous gemstones. Crystals and gems had to be a part of my book. My current favorites are citrine, green amethyst, and labradorite.
9. I love springtime when the snow finally melts, the grass starts to green, and the flowers start to bloom. I would happily live in a climate where the temperature remained between 45 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round.
10. I hate Dodge Ball. I was the kid in school who got picked last for the teams and then was repeatedly smacked by the ball. I was always glad to get out, which fortunately happened early in each round of the game. Yuck!!! I had to add one thing that I don’t really care for.

So there you have it. A list of ten things about me. That wasn’t too difficult for me to write. I hope it wasn’t too hard to read.

Happy reading

KD