Gr3tch3n's profile

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Relationship

Married. Interested in meeting people for friendship and meeting people for networking

Hometown

Born in Minneapolis, MN. Now live in northern CA

Places I've been

I've lived in Minnesota, Idaho, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Manhattan, Rome (IT), Genova (IT), Livorno (IT), and in northern California for the past 37 years. I traveled quite a bit when I was younger, the best trip being on a freighter from Hoboken to Naples and Genoa in 1961. I had started saving for that when I was 14, by breeding, raising, training, and selling one horse at a time. My father said he would match me dollar for dollar, if I went through college without getting married. I did, and he did. It wasn't much, but it got me there and I was able to stay a few months. I came home when I got really sick. In 1988, my (2nd and current) husband & I flew to Tahiti, took a small ship around the islands for a week, then stayed on land for a week. It was wonderful! Travel provides the greatest education of all!

More about me

As an art major at USC and then UCLA, I finished up my last lower division courses at the University of California, Berkeley. I tried all kinds of art media, and loved them all. I wanted to go to grad school, but that wasn't in my cards. I should have become an art instructor or art historian! Instead, I worked at all kinds of menial "girl" office jobs for most of my career, but did all types of art work in my time off, and frequented all the museums and galleries I came across, especially when I lived in Manhattan and Europe. The best job I had, other than giving private art lessons and classes, was my last- as a naturalist with the U.S. Forest Service on the Tahoe National Forest, out of the Sierraville Ranger District, in 1975, when the Feds were just hiring women for outside jobs. With my minor in human anatomy (pre-med) and intense interest in biology and natural history, I adored it, and worked as a seasonal employee for six days a week, for the six snow-free months, April - October, 1975. I also had to fight wildfires at the end of my stint.  Loads of training for that, four days of Fire School.

The Tahoe National Forest is also where I met my wildlife biologist husband, who was taking photographs of birds on his day off from his job in Sacramento, with a 400 mm lens on his SLR. I walked right into the picture, with a group of campers I was taking on a nature walk. Yikes! But he did not get angry, and, instead, we were married nearly a year later, in May, 1976 - right where we'd met, on a bank of Cottonwood Creek. Some 300 people came, even the District Ranger and his wife. That was more than 32 years ago, now!

Although quite housebound now, I am having fun and enjoying my life. I just want a lot more of it! There is so much I still want to do!

UPDATE: May 1, 2008: We have a small, nearly new motorhome - 2007 Winnebago Aspect, as of the first week of May, 2008. I found it online!

We have just returned from Teton National Park and Yellowstone, and took it first to Yosemite, here in California. We love it! We plan to run its little Michelin legs off!

Activities

I'm no longer able to walk much, so now I read, write, do needlework and make small quilts, along with quite a bit of art work for my classes, and photography. I loved all outdoor activities, especially walking and gardening, but now rely just on going out into our yard (we have no grass - just bushes, trees, perennials and annuals.) I am getting quite interested in having more irises! We are avid birders, but now I do it primarily here around our house, or on RV trips. Knowing about birds helps, since I can identify most of them by their calls, then look for them before they flit off. I have a great love of learning, and love the Internet for the help it affords in researching things. I also really enjoy the social networking it can provide, like Eons! Isn't this fun?

Favorite Charities

UNICEF, arts organizations, environmental orgs, Save-the-Redwoods League, and newly, Amnesty International and Planned Parenthood.

Favorite Music

Real jazz, old blues, and boogie woogie, as well as symphonic and chamber music. Some musicals, lots of rock and roll, but never, ever any Elvis! I had the great good fortune to attend the 1st Monterey Jazz Festival in September, 1958, and backstage, on a Press Pass. Cal Tjader, Gerry Mulligan, the MJQ, many others. WOW! 50 years ago already! I have eclectic music tastes.

Favorite TV Shows

Just about anything on PBS. Also, the History Channel, National Geographic; Keith Olbermann's news show, Chris Matthews' news show; Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert sometimes, David Letterman, and Craig Ferguson. I also love radio, especially NPR.

Favorite Movies

We get Netflix, the minimum membership, but I have no favorites except old classics and foreign movies.

Favorite Books

Am well into "T Is for Trespass" - Sue Grafton. It is spellbinding, a real page-turner, as "they" say. I thought I would try a mystery for a change - and I am enjoying it! "Tales from the Underground, " about the microbes, insects, and larger animals which live in the dirt; "Italians in the West, " which I had some part in researching; and a slew of books for reference, including quilting, English language, biological subjects, natural history, history (US) and crafting. I also love dictionaries. I guess mine is primarily a non-fiction diet. Well... except that I love short stories, too. Shoot - if it's in print, I'll take a look! I enjoy numerous periodicals, too. (I even have a subscription to Harper's), and enjoy reading articles in my husband's Science News.

Favorite Quotes

"This above all, to thine own self be true, and it will follow as night the day, that thou canst not be false to any man." (the Bard)

Favorite People

My mom (deceased), my three sibs, and old friends. My husband counts, too.

Favorite Places

Bora Bora, and other islands of French Polynesia, which we visited on 1988; northern Italy, where I lived for a while; Maine (in summer); Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (in summer); the northern Sierra (in spring, summer, and fall); and our house and yard any time.

Favorite Animals

Currently, our three Siamese cats, my Italian greyhound, Django, UPDATE: Dear, little, gorgeous Django suddenly went into a major slump, and ultrasound discovered he had malignant tumors in and around his blood vessels, spleen, liver...so, while he could still stand up and wag his tail, we abruptly had to have him put down. I held him until the warmth was gone from his gorgeous little body. June 7, 2008. His sidekick (our rescued mutt, Shelby) was the only dog for a while, and we took on another I.G. last fall. I still love all farm animals. I made pets of all of them when I lived in the country, especially my dear horses. We go to the California State Fair, primarily to see the animals, art, and fiber arts, and to visit any of my art friends who might be demonstrating for the public.

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