Embed Doc
Copy Link
Readcast
Collections

CommentGo Back

25 Random things about me:1.Family is everything to me. I delight in being a daughter, wife, mother,sister, aunt, cousin, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and a near-mother-in-law.

Being adopted was my fate. I was blessed to find Darlene and Lowelland their wonderful Scotch, Irish and German, and Swedish families. Iam partial to the crazy Swedish branch (here and in Sweden).

Adopting Daniel and having James were two of the most importantevents and adventures of my life. I couldn’t live without them. Theydon’t follow the rules but neither did their father or I.

My friends are like family, particularly because growing up I was anonly child and ‘built family’ through my friends. I plan on retiring withsome of them (Deb). Two of them (Rob A. and Susan) allowed me traveladventures I could not have experienced without them. I cherish one of them (Lisa) that lives behind me. One is now in Portland and workingfor a demography center (Gu). One I met at the Baton Rouge, YMCA atour children's swimming lessons (Jerri). One took care of my children inState College, PA (Bernie). One was my mentor in Human Ecology(Lyn). One I grew to know after her husband died (Kimberly). There areso many more.

I met my full-brother 15 years ago after we both grew up as onlychildren in the Northwestern United States, two states apart. Rich and Ilived literally blocks from where he and my birthmother lived inBallard, Washington. My brother was a gift.

I am ½ Greek and ½ Norwegian although I look totally Scandinavian(pale as all get out).

I was an AFS exchange student in Tres Rios, Costa Rica when I was a junior in high school, which started my travel lust. I recommendinternational travel or residency to nearly everyone, including mychildren. In this, and in many other ways, my children are so unlike me. They barely want to leave the state.

On Christmas Day in 1981 I was taught how to weave on a back-straploom from an indigenous woman named Rosa on an Island across fromLake Titicaca in Guatemala. I can remember thinking, “this will be thecoolest thing I’ll ever do.” Fortunately, that has not been the case, butit was one of the coolest…9.I met my husband, a Peace Corp Volunteer on a bus destined forCahuita, Costa Rica in the fall of 1981. The bus broke down and we metagain near the white and black sand beaches of Puerto Viejo two days

later. He visited me again in the summer of 1982 in Portland, Oregon.We got married in April of 1983 at the Orangetown Courthouse, in NY.At the time of our wedding we had spent roughly 6 months with eachother.

10.

Rich and I were married twice but not divorced inbetween-- once inApril of 1983 and again in October of 1983. The second was lesstraumatic than the first. Marrying him was the smartest thing I’ve everdone. He is truly my life partner. Thank God I listened to my intuitionand heart.

11.

Meeting the people of Nature’s Spirit in 1999 while working on aKellogg grant studying community, spirituality and sustainability wasone of the fortuitous events of my life

(XOXO Elisa, Ricks, Charlie,Kathy, Carolyn, Francisco). I finally got to visit Dr. Ariyaratne andSarvodaya, an organization that gives my life hope and meaning, and Iwas introduced to Auroville,

Vérité,

Village Action and Bhavana Dee,more reasons for hope in this life time. I need it, “hope” that is.

12.

On New Year’s Day in 2000, I spent the day with a channeling BuddhistMonk in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka and learned about my and SriLanka’s destiny.

13.

My favorite books and writers are all based in the spirit or on religion.However, a requirement appears to be that the authors are aboutready to leave their religion, or at least that they’re irreverent. I thinkthis speaks volumes about my relationship to religion but not to myrelationship with God. I am a converted Catholic that thinks like aBuddhist, and has a soft spot for Hinduism and Judaism, and Sufism.

14.

My grandson Kellan has been a shining light in my life, and is thesweetest soul I know (other than his mother, Brandi, and my cousinCarrie). He re-taught me what I already knew, that what is best for youcannot be planned.

15.

My mother has made my favorite cookies (white, puff, cookies thatmelt in your mouth), her spicy pumpkin pie, her creamy cranberrysalad, and my Aunt Lucy’s ham sauce for me for the last 45 years of my life, mostly on Thanksgiving and Christmas. She made me cook,travel and learn to ski – all of which I now love-- and is probably theperson closest to me alive.

16.

I have been lucky in love and have been loved well by the men in mylife. I owe this to my father’s love in the first instance, I think.

17.

I love to travel, cook, read, write, dance and laugh.

18.

I am a loud speaker and laugher, and all my life people have beentelling me to “shhhh.”