Family My family is really small! Just my kids, Patrick and Caitlin. I raised them as a single mom. We are very close.
Work I am blessed to be able to help people make the biggest purchase of their lives. I teach classes on credit repair and home buying, and I absolutely love it. When I first started public speaking I was a nervous wreck. Now I can stand up in front of a group and go on forever on my favorite topics.
Beauty Secret/Regimen I’m a California girl and for years didn’t do much of anything for my skin. Minimalist would be a good description. Now that I’m older my skin has gotten dryer, so I do more. I cleanse morning and night, use a moisturizer (right now I’m loving Bare Minerals Butter Drench), and use a mask about once a week. I love the texture of our local CreekBaby Coco-Olive Facial Crème.
Makeup I didn’t wear much makeup for years. However, lipstick has always been a must. Every time I find the perfect red they discontinue it! The guys teased me when I worked for the Boy Scouts because I always had lipstick in my pocket. My go-to lipstick is Revlon Liquid Lipstick. I found Bare Minerals when I was in California visiting friends. It feels like I’m not wearing makeup at all. The new Maneater mascara by Tarte is a must-have.
Salon Shiny Lime. Sylvia Williams is a wonder. I have fine, curly hair and she makes it look fabulous. With curly hair, every day is a new adventure. She has helped me keep mine in control.
Place to lunch with girlfriends I eat lunch out a lot. I try to go to different places to support the local economy. I really like Blackbird Cafe. I was an ovo lacto vegetarian for almost two years so I tend to eat a lot of veggies. I love the avocado and spinach enchiladas at El Chico.
Spot for a picnic The Big Bluff Trail in Bull Shoals State Park that Caitlin and I hike has the perfect spot to stop and have lunch. Great view!
Body of water I love the Caribbean. It’s the most amazing color of blue. Lake Alpine in the Sierras is one of my favorite places to camp. Horseshoe Lake in Jasper, Alberta is so clear it looks like you can see the bottom. And Lake Louise is an amazing color…okay, I like water!
Way to spend an evening I do a lot of volunteering and I’m out a lot for work, so when I have down time I’m kind of a home body—a cocktail or glass of red wine, a cozy chair, a good book or an episode of a favorite show (the kids got me addicted to Game of Thrones) and a warm puppy.
Outdoor activity Camping! I love the outdoors. I’ve been camping since I was a kid. Patrick went on his first campout when he was 10 months old. It snowed! Both my kids love to camp. It’s so peaceful to be out in nature. I love to hike, and food never tastes better than when you’re outdoors. Mother nature is a wonder.
Way to relax A massage. I get one every two weeks. Peggy Freeman has changed my life. I also love to settle in with a good book. M! April/May 2017
Advice for young women Take the time to figure out what makes you happy. Then find a way to turn that into a career or a hobby that you actually spend time doing. We spend a great deal of our time working. If you’re doing something you truly love, it makes that time a lot more satisfying. And don’t discount what you want to do as impossible. Anything is possible with perseverance and a strong desire to succeed. And find a mentor!
Movie I like chick flicks, action, drama…I’m not a harsh critic. I like the new movies, and all the tech stuff is amazing, but there’s nothing like the classics. My all-time favorite movie is the original Miracle on 34th Street with Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood…in black and white!
Vacation I love to travel. I really like the Caribbean, but right now on my bucket list is: Italy, Ireland, a European river cruise, London at Christmas (can you imagine Harrods!), and Egypt. I’ve seen a lot of our beautiful country, but need to see the East coast top to bottom.
What I love about April/May I enjoy Spring when everything is starting to bloom. It’s that promise of a fresh start that appeals to me.
3 words that describe me Ready to Go!!
What people might not know about me Oh this is scary. I have written and edited for both a newspaper and magazine, and was editor of a college newspaper. I enjoyed every minute of it. And I love to sing. I sang from the time I was able to all through school ending up in the Madrigal Choir in high school. My choir teacher wanted me to go to college and major in voice, but I was too shy to do that. Don’t ask me to sing, though, I only sing in the car, shower and in church. The voice is an instrument and gets rusty without use, mine isn’t what it used to be!
Motto I was a good Scout Executive! Be prepared and always have plan B…and C! M!