Watch out Terry Gross!

_ Who, what, where, when, why _ by NuageDeNuit at Flickr

The very talented Relyn very kindly agreed to interview me, here is the second half. When she e-mailed me her questions, she said, “I'm realizing that I want to be Terry Gross when I grow up.”

All I can say is, "Watch out, Terry!"

Thank you, Relyn, for taking the time to interview me. I loved having the opportunity to reflect on each question.

If anyone would like to be interviewed by me, just send me an e-mail or ask me in the comment section. Please read the end of the post for the premise of this interview.

4. This may seem an odd question, but it always tells me a lot about a person. Please list three movies that you absolutely loathe. Feel free to expound as to why.

I had a difficult time coming up with three movies because if I don't like a movie, I turn it off or walk out. So I feel reticent about passing judgment on a movie that I haven't seen all the way through.

I'm a total woose when it comes to violent movies. The first time I ever walked out of a movie was on my 24th birthday. I was traveling alone on a business trip in Connecticut. Fortunately I didn't have to spend my birthday by myself because my roommate's brother happened to be in New Haven at the time. He suggested that we go see Midnight Express. I agreed, thinking I was going to see a lovely escapist travel movie about trains. I didn't last very long. Evidently, I walked out way before the worst parts. I felt bad for my roommate's brother, but by George it was my birthday and besides, I had an important meeting the next morning. I needed a good night's rest and this movie was made of nightmares.

Midnight Express

The last movie I walked out of was The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger was brilliant but I couldn't handle the dark plotline.


Last Saturday I did manage to sit through all of Slumdog Millionnaire, but just barely. It was a fantastic, haunting movie, deserving of all the Oscar nominations, but I did have nightmares that night.

Slumdog Millionaire

I also don’t like movies that are morally bankrupt. I have never seen Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but the idea of a movie where husband and wife are pitted against each other holds no appeal for me.


5. I would describe you as a woman of many passions. Aside from your overarching love for home and family, there is art, calligraphy, floristry, computer sciences, blogging, and traveling. To name a few. Which one of these descriptions (again, aside from wife and mother) most defines you?

You are correct in saying that I have many passions, there are more you don’t know about yet. Stay tuned, I will be talking about at least one more in the spring. I don't think any one passion defines me. In fact, there have been times when I have moved from one passion to the next. I was a passionate cook for many years, but now I prefer to only eat rather than cook. For a couple of years I joined the Cornell University’s Project FeederWatch and I learned about the birds in my backyard, but now I just enjoy watching them without having to count them.

Computer science provided me with a terrific career, but I was actually more passionate as a manager than a software developer.

My interest in calligraphy, flowers, and travel has been with me throughout my life and I don't see that waning any time in the near future. I have no idea if my yen for blogging will hold, time will tell.

One thing that has been consistent is that I often turn my passions into teaching. I love teaching and I seem to have a knack for it. When I was fourteen, I was selected to go to the junior high school across the street to be an in-class math tutor. From that point on, I often find myself in a teaching role.

Doris Day in Teacher's Pet

When my kids were in elementary school, my favorite day of the week was Friday because that was the day I taught math extensions to half of my kids’ classmates. I pulled out the students who already mastered the week's curriculum and the teacher had a chance to spend time with the other half of the class to review and reinforce the week's lessons. It was great working with enthusiastic learners. Unfortunately, our school district does not allow parents in the secondary school classrooms.I even turned my passion for flowers into a forum for teaching. I enjoy holding the wreath clinics twice a year and love seeing how proud my students are with their creations.

Over the years I have given calligraphy lessons to anyone who has shown an interest and I often cooked with my children. I think I get so excited about having learned something that I want to share it with the whole world. I guess now, with the blog, I literally am.


If you would like to be interviewed by me, leave me a note in the comment section. Give me a few days to send your five questions. Here's the scoop:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.