Since this is my web site, I guess that means a little info about me is in order. I was born on July 24, 1972 (which makes me a Leo, just in case you were wondering). I grew up in St. Joseph, Michigan (USA), a quaint little town on the coast of Lake Michigan. I went to Trinity Lutheran School for K-8^th (class of '86) and I spent 9^th-12^th (class of '90 - go Bears!) at St. Joseph Senior High, except for the semester I spent at Portage Nothern High School my sophomore year.

Immediately after high school I started at Lake Michigan College (the local community college) where I met my husband, Phillip. I dropped out of LMC in the summer of 1992 and started at St. Joseph Beauty College. I got my cosmetology license in the summer of 1993 shortly after I moved to West Lafayette, Indiana with Phillip so he could attend Purdue University. I worked retail until I got my license transferred to Indiana and then I started doing hair.

Our first son, Alexander, was born on Sunday, October 16, 1994, at 7:45 a.m. Phillip and I got married on Friday, August 9, 1996; Alex was our Ring Bearer. That fall we moved into Married Student Housing . In the spring of 1997 I was accredited as a La Leche League Leader. Our second son, Joshua, was born on Tuesday, December 30, 1997, at 9:08 p.m. In 1999 Phillip graduated from Purdue and took a job with SPX here in Owatonna, Minnesota. Our daughter, Caitlin, was born on her due date of Thursday, November 8, 2001, at 11:49 p.m.

I enjoy music, reading, web page design, sewing, crafts, baking, gardening and being a mother.

The city of Owatonna, MN is a wonderful little community full of beautiful parks (over 700 acres). The largest of these, with over 225 acres, is Kaplan's Woods Parkway. Kaplan Woods contains Lake Kohlmier, a 35 acre lake, over 6 miles of hiking and cross country skiing trails, and nearly two miles of hard-surfaced, handicapped-accessible trail.

One of our favorite places to go is the Owatonna Public Library - they have a great children's section! We visit at least once a week to get new books for the kids. If you are ever in Owatonna you have to visit Cabelas, the worlds foremost outfitter of sporting & camping goods. Their Owatonna location boasts two museum quality dioramas featuring African plains game and the Big Five of African game animals. There are also two aquariums holding almost 54,000 gallons of water containing fish indigenous to Minnesota. My sons love to go to Cabela's just to look at all the animals and fish (it makes for a great homeschool field trip). Don't forget to have lunch while you're there, the Northwoods Cafe` has some of the best food in town!

1. My middle name is Joy, hence I collect Christmas decorations with the word "joy" on them.
2. I wanted to be a mermaid when I was little.
3. When I was little, I wanted to be an actress and/or a model when I grew up.
4. I always wished that I had twin sister, when I got older I wanted to have twins. Call me crazy, most people do….
5. I hate…no, that's not strong enough…I loathe, despise, detest, abhor, the colour yellow. Pretty weird to have such a visceral reaction to a colour, eh?
6. My favorite colour is green. It ain't easy being green you know….
7. I love the Muppets! I think they are profoundly wise, and that people could learn a lot about life from them. I have even considered founding a new religion based on the wisdom of the Muppets. Want to join?
8. I slept with a teddy bear named Ralphie until I was 21 years old. I also had a baby doll that I slept with until I was in my teens but I don't remember her name.
9. I can't sleep with the closet door open.
10. I have a reoccurring dream about a large old house with secret passages and hidden rooms. I feel as if I've really been there before. I also feel as if it's haunted.
11. I have an irrational fear of being abducted by aliens. I'm also afraid of clowns, heights, and the dark. I still sleep with a nightlight on even though there aren't any little ones in our bed anymore.
12. Yes, our kids all slept with us in our bed when they were little.
13. I can type one-handed while breastfeeding. Actually, I can do lots of things while breastfeeding. Amazing how you learn to adapt when you have someone attached to your breast 24/7 for months on end.
14. I have breastfed my three children for a combined total of 11 years and counting.
15. I have had three miscarriages.
16. I have a 29 gallon freshwater aquarium. I keep Dalmatian Molly's (5^th generation), Tetras, a Clown Loach, and a Pleco. I have had fish off and on for most of my life. I like watching them. It's relaxing.
17. I love cats but I'm allergic to them, so I don't have any. We always had at least one cat while I was growing up. I miss having a cat.
18. I'm also allergic to the cold. I break out in hives if I stay out too long and my fingers get really hot and swell up, plus I start to wheeze. So why on earth do I live in Minnesota?
19. I break out in hives when I get sick or eat too much sugar, go figure.
20. I have a horrendous sweet tooth.
21. I haven't consumed caffeine since I was 19 years old. I also gave up chocolate when I was 19 (because of the caffeine).
22. I gave up dairy when I was 22 years old. I still miss cheese.
23. I actually like carob.
24. My favorite foods are ethnic; Mexican, Italian, Chinese….
25. My favorite beverage is water, I hardly drink anything else. Alcohol is only for special occasions, like weddings.
26. My favorite tea is chamomile.
27. I am spiritual but I am not religious. I had more than enough of religion in grade school to last me several lifetimes, thankyouverymuch!
28. I went to a parochial grammar school and I hated it. I knew my bible very well but I almost failed confirmation class because I didn't go to church every Sunday. When the pastor said we had to go to church to properly worship God I retorted by saying that I didn't have to go to church to praise God, that I could do it in my closet and God would know. The pastor got mad, turned red actually, and shook with rage. He told me I was going to go to hell for what I had said. I calmly replied that I couldn't go to his hell because I didn't believe in his God. That left him pretty much speechless and he never bothered me again. Amazingly enough I did pass. I think he just wanted to be rid of me.
29. Religious fanaticism, in any flavour, makes me ill.
30. I wanted to be Catholic when I was little so I could go to confession.
31. I also wanted to be Jewish because I longed for a sense of tradition and belonging to something greater than myself.
32. My first french kiss happened in a deserted church at said parochial school while the rest of our class was outside for recess. It was my first truly profound religious experience. ;o)
33. I am not athletically inclined.
34. I fell off the monkey bars in 6^th grade and nearly broke my nose. I did end up with two black eyes.
35. I have weak ankles and wasn't above purposefully spraining them to get out of playing team sports, especially basketball, in school.
36. The only sport I enjoy is volleyball. I even played on the girls volleyball team in eighth grade.
37. I love to watch figure skating and baseball. I hate football. Soccer is alright.
38. I was accused of being a witch in high school because I brought my tarot cards to school and did readings for my friends during lunches.
39. We used Zener cards in my high school psychology class to test our psychic abilities and I found out I was precognitive. (I didn't 'see' the next card but rather, the one immediately after it). I was teased about being psychic after that by one of the boys in my class.
40. I have played with an Ouija board. They scare me.
41. I had a teacher keep me after class to tell me that she thought I was a 'slut' my freshman year in high school. I had been talking with a boy in her class. I honestly don't remember what we were talking about but I think it was just some innocent flirting. I went to my counselor to try and get her fired and the only question I remember him asking me was if I was a virgin - the bastard. What difference should it make? Why don't we just blame the victim? I waited four long years to tell the b*tch to go f*ck herself. It felt really good!
42. I saw one of my teachers in nothing but his boxer shorts. I was doing slave work (a.k.a. "student service") for another teacher that he shared an office with. The teacher I was indentured to gave me the keys to their office and asked me to go get something for him. When I opened the door there was my other teacher changing into his 'coach' clothes. Talk about embarrassing! I always knocked after that.
43. My fist job was selling Levi's at a clothing store called 'The Depot' when I was 16. I've also worked in retail at Afterthoughts, GNC, and Sears.
44. I've worked in a deli, as a cashier, and bussing tables at a restaurant. Thankfully, I've never been a waitress.
45. The worst job I ever had was as a telemarketer. I was fired after one week.
46. My first car was a black Chevy Cavalier with red interior.
47. I drive a minivan now. Having three kids makes it a necessary evil.
48. I've never been on an airplane. I'm afraid to fly.
49. I want to visit Ireland someday (yes, I realize I will have to get over my fear of flying to do so). I'd also like to see most of Europe, China, Australia, and New Zealand.
50. I wish I could speak more than one language. I had a little bit of Spanish in high school and I've dabbled with learning Latin but neither one really stuck. Perhaps, someday, I'm make a more concerted effort.
51. I have lived in Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota.
52. I have been to Knoxville, Tennessee (1982 World Fair), Pensacola, Florida (1986 Spring Break), Chicago, Illinois (lots of times), and Golden/Denver, Colorado (1986 summer vacation).
53. I've never been to Disney World. I feel so deprived.
54. I learned how to play Gin Rummy from my paternal grandparents. It's still my favorite card game.
55. Despite being from Michigan I never learned how to play Uker.
56. I swim better under water than I do at the surface.
57. I went to college but I never finished my associates (liberal arts) degree.
58. I met my husband at the local community college. It was lust at first sight. It took us a year to become friends and another year to start dating. The rest, as they say, is history.
59. I dropped out of college because I couldn't pass algebra, even after taking it three times.
60. I ended up going into cosmetology. I got my license and worked for six months before I gave birth to my first child. I haven't worked for pay since then. I let my license expire so I'll never work in a salon again, but that's alright because I hated it. The pressure to sell products, and to hurry clients through, drove me nuts.
61. I cut my husband's and my children's hair. I have my mom cut mine about twice a year. It's long and straight so I can get away with ignoring it.
62. I like children's music. No, not that "The Wheels on the Bus" crap, I like grown up folk artists that do children's albums, like Peter, Paul & Mary. Oh yeah, I do like Raffi too….
63. I love Odds Bodkin! Storytelling is a lost art and I am glad there are still a few wandering bards out there of such fine caliber.
64. I enjoy going to Renaissance Festivals. I have been meaning to make costumes for myself and my husband for years now, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
65. I used to write poetryCongratulations! You've found an Easter egg! Click the link to view my bloody awful poetry. (Oh, and give yourself a pat on the back if you caught that BtVS reference. ~_^ ).
66. I play Dungeons & Dragons and I am not a devil worshiper - go figure.
67. I like to sew clothing.
68. I can knit and crochet. I knit continental.
69. I have made each of my children a 'Waldorf' style doll.
70. I hate to cook, but I love to bake.
71. I have a tendency to speak before I think. Unfortunately that means I sometimes hurt peoples' feelings without meaning to.
72. I am sarcastic too often.
73. I try to be tolerant and open minded.
74. I am a fiercely loyal friend.
75. I do not have a green thumb. I kill plants. I don't know why. My mom always has plants, my mamma did too. I just didn't get passed the gene I guess.
76. I am a bibliophile.
77. I love Shakespeare in all forms. Romeo and Juliet with Olivia Hussey is my favorite movie adaptation.
78. My favorite book genre is fantasy.
79. I am also a sucker for historical romance.
80. I buy every new Anne Rice book as soon as it comes out in paperback.
81. I have a lifelong fascination with vampires and witches.
82. I enjoy erotica.
83. I have written fan fiction.
84. My favorite movie/TV genre is sci-fi.
85. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my all-time favorite television show, followed closely by Rosanne, My So Called Life, and Gilmore Girls.
86. I am a geek at heart.
87. I know html, xhtml, and css. I can usually figure out java scripts but I can't write them.
88. My spelling is atrocious. (Can you say spell-checker?)
89. I love taking silly internet personality quizzesCongratulations! You've found an Easter egg! Click the link to view the results of all the silly quizzes I've taken. (Yes, I know it's a sickness. ~_^ ).
90. I am lazy.
91. I believe.
92. I don't like the food on my plate touching, i.e., the meat touching the potatoes or the potatoes touching the vegetables….
93. I was a vegetarian for six months, many, many years ago.
94. I arrange the clothes in my closet by sleeve length, then collar style, then color. Yes, I'm anal.
95. I love to organize things, as if the closet example didn't make that obvious enough.
96. I am neither a housewife nor a homemaker. I am not married to my house nor do I build them. I am a woman first and foremost. A mother, a lover, a friend, a daughter, a granddaughter, an aunt, a niece, a sister, a cousin, a role model, a teacher, an artist, a healer, a confidant, and a volunteer. Sometimes I feel like a scullery maid, but I repeat, I am not a housewife!
97. I don't like to drive. If I am alone, I will only drive around town. If I go farther than that by myself I have panic attacks. I also don't drive at night because my depth perception sucks at night.
98. I wear contacts because I am nearsighted. Really, really, nearsighted. My vision is 20/800. Rats see better than I do. I also have a slight astigmatism in both eyes.
99. I have optic nerve damage in my right eye that causes colours and brightness to be a bit off, possibly due to a really high fever I had as an infant. It's hard to explain but it is similar to the difference between looking at something under a 'cool' light bulb and then under a 'warm' light bulb.
100. No, I'm not British. I just like the Commonwealth spelling of certain words better.
101. I can't believe I actually came up with 100 things about myself!