What cities do you want to visit?

I don’t think that there are any cities in the United States that I would like to visit because I have basically been to the places in the U.S. that I would like to see. I know that I would like to visit Catania in Sicily because that is where my grandmother is from. I still have relatives there and there is a family winery I would like to see.

I would also like to see Paris, France and various parts of Spain, maybe Barcelona.

Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

What I hope that people say about me is simple: I hope that people say that I am honest and reliable……because I definitely am both of those things.

I also hope that people see me as easy going and open minded.

What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

I’m not sure that I admire people, but I will say that something I admire and love about others is when they tell the truth no matter what. I also admire it when people are loyal to others in that they do not talk badly about others even when they are not around. I love it when people are not fake and have good morals and ethics.

Do you ever see wild animals?

I see wild animals all the time, almost daily. In fact, there was a raccoon on my roof the other day just sitting there eating something. And I have horses and I ride them the trail, so I often see deer, coyotes and other wild animals, even bears sometimes. We also have opossums and skunks around here. On occasion, I do see a fox or two. And I have run into the occasional mountain lion and bobcat.

Are you more of a night or morning person?

I have never really thought about whether I am an evening or a morning person. I suppose it depends on the day and what is going on. I think I am usually more of a morning person though, because I am normally not the type of person who likes to stay up really late. I’d rather get up at 6:00 am and start my day. Although I do like working out later in the day, depending on the day. In the evening I’d rather just lounge around and watch tv.

Name your top three pet peeves.

Hmmmm….I’m not sure that I have actually thought about what may pet peeves would be, but I guess if I am going to come up with something to answer the question I would say that a pet peeve would be when people block the aisle at the market and look at social media on their phone. I understand looking at shopping lists on your phone, but I’m talking about being rude and not paying attention to other people around you because you want to watch someone lick cake off the floor on TikTok. LOL.

And I suppose another pet peeve would be people who can’t wait their turn in line at a left turn signal like everyone else, and they cut people.

And to summarize it, rude people in general who do not consider other people’s feelings.

What major historical events do you remember?

One of the first major historical events that I remember was when Ronald Reagan was shot. I was 12 at the time, and I remember that the Iran hostage crisis was ongoing at that time too. I didn’t pay much attention to the news at that age, but my dad always watched the 6:00 pm news with Walter Cronkite, so I sometimes paid attention to what was happening. I remember tuning out a lot of what was happening.

The first major historical event that really affected me as an adult was 911. I remember everything about that day, and where I was when I heard what was happening. At first I thought it was a skit being put on by Mark and Brian, the two guys I used to listen to first thing in the morning on KLOS radio station. But I soon realized that they were not joking. I was a horse trainer at the time, and I was close to the stable so I went to work anyway.

When I got to the stable everyone was watching a tv that one of the other horse trainers had. We all thought that we were going to get bombed. I ended up going back home to talk to my then husband, who was not concerned at all, and told me I’m an idiot for caring about it. Actually he was the idiot, and I divorced him a year later. But that’s beside the point.

What are you most proud of in your life?

I think the thing that I am more proud of is my perseverance to not give up even when I really wanted to give up. I realized my dream of starting my own business and being my own boss because I did not give up.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Hmmm. Maybe that is a question better left unanswered. LOL. But okay, if I am going to answer it, then something most people do not know about me is that I am really good at learning languages. In fact, I am so good at learning language that I taught myself basic Turkish just by watching Turkish dramas with subtitles. I speak, read and write Spanish fluently, I am fairly fluent in French, and I can understand basic Italian/Sicilian.

Describe your most memorable vacation.

I’ve had a few memorable vacations, but I guess the one that stands out the most was the vacation that my family and I took a few years ago. My husband, son and I went to Cancún. We swam with the dolphins, and in Mexico they actually let you swim with dolphins, not like at Seaworld where you just stand in a wade pool. We were at the water park called Xcaret, and there were so many fun things to do. The food was amazing – so much better than the United States. We saw the Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza, and took a scuba diving lesson. My husband was born in Mexico so he has never been a tourist there, and it was fun for him to see Mexico from the other side. The people were really nice, the resort was nice, and it was a relaxing and fun vacation.