Whew! That's me on a very hot day somewhere in the Nevada desert on the way to Hoover Dam. Born and reared in Miami I can still get lost here. (Thank God for GPS.) I've traveled to several of the lower 48 states; to the Bahamas, my mother's birthplace; the US Virgin Islands; and to several countries on Africa's east and west coasts. One day, I'll visit my father's birthplace - Augusta, GA. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa, I taught second and fifth grades. After 35 years as a government employee back in Miami, I retired in '07 to pursue other interests, like attending AARP conventions and thoroughly enjoying the Internet. I grew up a lot in Liberia - upcountry where the only town with electricity was 15 or more miles away. Standing before my students who were so eager to learn freed me of shyness. Thank God they all spoke English. If remaining in the country depended on my speaking Kpelle and Loma (two of 36 Liberian dialects), I would have been deported after the first lesson. Fortunately, they let me stay and I met some of the kindest people in the world. They still think the streets of the USA are paved with gold

Interests:

Writing poems, short stories, and essays, and reading make my day. I also love to meet new people and read and listen to their stories. We all have a tale or two to tell

Music:

I can and do listen to classical music all day. Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2 and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu are my favorites. Also love Beethoven and Mozart. However, sometimes my soul just needs to sing Negro spirituals

Movies:

I can watch the Sound of Music, the Wizard of Oz, and The Holiday every day

Books:

Quietly Comes the Buddha is my all-time favorite book, but I also read To Kill a Mockingbird in one sitting in my teens. Other favorites are too numerous to mention

Television:

The Waltons and Touched by an Angel held my attention from the first until the very last episode. I still, on occasion, view them in reruns on the Hallmark Channel. For comedy, give me I Love Lucy and the Carol Burnett Show. Although I watch modern TV shows like Greys Anatomy and Survivor, none so far hold any lasting value for me. TV writers today rely too much on sex, murder (violence), and profanity, the underbelly of life. Give me a show with some measure of soul redemption