Christy Ilfrey said:

1.I’m pregnant with my first child. (Congrats Christy & Dave! - Pub.) After 15 years of togetherness, my husband and I have finally decided to take the plunge into parenthood.  Our NativeBabe is due to arrive in January.  Each day I learn something new about this pregnancy business…

2.    I’m a writer.  When I was a little girl growing up in Nashville I started writing fiction and poetry with a group of my friends.  My passion for writing and literature continued through high school; I was presented with Most Promising Writer Award by my freshman English teacher.  In college I won a couple of writing awards and, after much introspection, decided the artist life was for me.  I knew I had many stories to share with the world; whether or not I thought I should be a professional writer, it was my True Path.

3.    I co-own a sustainable landscape design business with my husband.  He is a native plant guru, I’m a writer.  Together we teach others about creating sustainable landscapes by focusing on local native plants.  Our mission is to inspire positive changes in our community for the purposes of conservation, preservation, restoration and celebration of Nature.

4.    I love to run.  But I’m not currently!  Our business ‘bloomed’ the past year, so my routine was spotty at best.  After we learned we are expecting, I decided to walk instead of run.  Mark my words: I *will* resume running next year as soon as possible.

5.    I love the beach.  All beaches rejuvenate me, yet the tranquil waters off the coast of Northwest Florida truly engage me.  We lived there for one year and I’ve never stopped thinking about the sugary white sand, turquoise water, and pastel sunsets.  Someday…

6.    I’m a fan of raw food, but not exclusively.  Each day I start with a cornucopia of fresh and/or frozen fruit blended with water.  I also have at least one green smoothie per day.  Love to experiment with organic produce, fresh herbs and my high-speed blender.  However, as much as I adore raw food smoothies and entrees, I still like to have one cooked meal per day.  Anything goes for dinner, usually.

7.    My nickname is GreenQueen.  I voraciously read about new and improved ways to live more simply, more planet-friendly.  I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others by way of writing projects and speaking engagements.

8.    My friends say I move places or take extended visits, rather than vacation.  It all started in the fall of 1994 when my husband (then boyfriend) and I bicycled across much of southern Texas, then backpacked for nearly two months in Mexico.  Our adventure took us from Mexico City to New York City for a week, home to Dallas briefly, and then off to Seattle for six months.  Another trip in 2002 landed us in an RV on the beaches of South Walton County, Florida.  We had planned to winter there but it turned into a year-long ‘working’ vacation.  I’ve also ‘studied’ five weeks in Hannover, Germany.  When I was in college – another fascinating adventure – I wrote my undergraduate honors thesis about German Romanticism, specifically the ring cycle.  I enjoy learning about new languages and cultures, and my wanderlust has taken me on many physical, intellectual and spiritual journeys. 


Bernadette Sukley said:
1. Have 4 kids (2 girls, 2 boys) the eldest and the youngest are 20 years apart--crazy!

2. My eldest daughter and I have the same name.

3. Worked for a magazine based in Copenhagen, Denmark (never got to visit though).

4. Was an AFAA-certified aerobics instructor for three years.

5. I was on a ski float as part of the ski queen's court in a Halloween Parade.

6. I sang the US National Anthem before a cycle race (Velodrome, Trexlertown PA).

7. Coached 1st base for recreational league softball team.

8. Touched a wild snake, bat and horse, but not on the same day...


Kira Freed said:
 
1. I found a mistake in the World Book Encyclopedia when I was 7. It had something to do with dinosaur hip structure; my life-science geekdom started early! I received a letter from the publisher stating that the text would be changed in the next edition.

2. I write nonfiction books for educational publishers. I wanted to be a writer for many years before finding my writing niche. Every writing assignment feels like being sent on a mission to learn something else amazing about Planet Earth.

3. I'm also a certified life coach. I used to be a psychotherapist but got burned out. I spent several years thinking I wouldn't be using my human-development skills professionally anymore, and then I discovered and fell in love with life coaching. I'm a coachee in addition to being a coach, so I have direct experience from both perspectives on the power of coaching.

4. I've been to all 50 U.S. states. I set the goal in 1977 and visited the last one in 2005, when I went to Alaska. My favorites (because of the scenery, flora, and fauna) are Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah. Now I'm working on seeing all of the Canadian provinces.

5. I've been to Scotland five times. My parents were there in the late '70s, and when I saw their photos I felt a compelling need to go there. Once I was there, I totally fell in love with the place. On the first trip, I was fortunate to meet a local who recommended some non-touristy places to go. I highly recommend the Outer Hebrides and the northwest coast from Ullapool north to Durness.

6. I grew up in a politically progressive and activist family. I participated in civil rights marches when I was young, and I was a volunteer with the United Farm Workers at their headquarters in California during Cesar Chavez's last fast.

7. I got my tubes tied when I was 29. I'd known since I was 22 that I didn't want any children, but finding a doctor who'd perform the surgery took seven years! One doctor had the nerve to tell me that I'd surely want children as soon as I met Mr. Right. When I finally located the doctor who performed the surgery, he said, "You're an adult -- I assume you know what you want." Aaaaaah, the power of respect! I've never once regretted my decision, and it was incredibly empowering to claim my right to decide on my own.

8. One of my favorite activities in the world is being exquisitely present to nature -- to project my consciousness into the soft yellow breast of a goldfinch or a red sandstone cliff face or the waxy skin of a saguaro cactus or a snippet of a cloud. It's like instant meditation -- everything other than being present falls away.


Trudi Evans said:

1.    I am named for my maternal grandmother, who was Gertrude. I am not Gertrude, just Trudi.  Though my husband’s name is Robert and I always thought we could have a diner and call it Gert ‘n Bert’s.  No one else is amused by this but me.

2.    I want to have a big vegetable garden. However, I fail to water even my one old houseplant, so I don’t think I can weed, feed, water and nurture an entire plot.

3.    I won honorable mention in a local writing contest when I was 7. It was a Christmas theme and my story included Rudolph’s nose not lighting up and a frog in a blender joke curing all.

4.    When I’m angry, I clean the house. The cleaner the house, the more pissed off I’ve been. The house is a disastrous mess these days.

5.    Should my son ever get a tattoo, I will only hope its not across his face, that he pays for it himself, is an adult at the time of getting it, and that it doesn’t say anything profane.

6.     Growing up, I wanted to be the store lady at the convenience store.  At age 15, that dream came true. Then I realized I didn’t want to work at a store, I wanted to own the store.

7.    When I was 23, I had inherited a little money and decided I should own a car. However, I did not have a driver’s license. I had a learner’s permit when I was 16 and was pretty sure I remembered how to drive. I called up a prominent driving school and paid for one refresher session. The teacher thought I was ready for my test, so a week later, I took a test and passed. That night, I bought a car… with a standard transmission I did not know how to drive. I drove 40 minutes in traffic in first gear to get the car home and then spent the next week going out around 10:00 PM and driving up and down a service road, teaching myself how to shift. I’ve never driven anything but a stick shift since then!

8.    Back when I was dating my husband, he wanted me to fly from B.C. to New Brunswick to meet his family.  He went home a few days ahead of me and I had a stand-by ticket. One night I finally decided to hit the airport and start my trek.  When we landed in Toronto, my connecting flight was leaving in 14 minutes and was ten gates away. I sprinted to the gate and got on at the last minute. In Montreal, I had six minutes. The next two flights were booked solid, so the airline staffer gave me some codes written on paper, sent me through a door and I found myself in an underground hallway under the aiport.  She had given me security codes. I ran like a madwoman trough the halls and out the last door onto a snowy tarmac and found myself at the bottom of a few steps that led to a very small plane. I think it sat 12 people.  The flight attendant waved me up, closed the door and we promptly took off. I got to Saint John around 11:00 AM. My luggage arrived at dinner time and true to Maritime fashion, the counter attendant called me from her home to tell me a taxi was on its way with my bags because she was off-shift already but didn’t want me worried about my stuff.

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