25 Random Things About Katrina
Okay, this was one of those Facebook things I resisted for a loooong time, but I finally caved. I wrote this while I temporarily lived in Brooklyn during my Year as a Gypsy (in case you might wonder when Dayton got a subway system…)
1. I love fresh-ground, French-press dark coffee with cream.
2. I have a thing for vampires, and wish they were real. I used to want to be a vampire (and left my window open at night in hopes of inviting one in) because the idea of living forever was so appealing.
3. I worked my ass off for over a decade to realize my dream of being a full-time writer—I now celebrate living my dream life in some way every single day.
4. I have a secret special place in my heart for zombie movies.
5. I require huge chunks of solitude.
6. I am completely missing the shopping gene…except for kitchen gadgets, garden stuff, and books.
7. Imagining a life without books feels like having a limb amputated.
8. I love to cook. Especially when I’m working on a novel, cooking that involves lots of chopping and stirring is especially helpful. The ideas flow when I’m busy with my hands. Baking and making soups are the most idea-generating activities I’ve found for figuring out a problem in a scene.
9. When I daydream, I’m most often designing a garden or planning new travels.
10. I adore all animals, but most prefer to live with cats. I’m fairly certain I was a cat in another life.
11. Horses are like vitamins for me. If I’m without them too long, I can feel the deficiency.
12. My family and tribe of friends are my most valued treasure.
13. I was not prepared for how much and how fiercely I would love my niece and nephew. When I met them, I could actually feel something breaking open in my heart to make room for this love. Their smiles light my life.
14. I derive deep pleasure from dark chocolate, fresh flowers, and handwritten letters.
15. I have always wanted to learn to tango and am finally taking lessons.
16. The best advice about solo travel I ever received: when you feel afraid, make yourself laugh out loud. It works.
17. In Ghana, I once spent a night not knowing (at first) there was a goat under my bed.
18. I hate to be cold, and am very comfortable in heat and humidity that makes others complain.
19. I have frequent dreams where animals (especially my former cat Montgomery) speak to me in English.
20. I am Capricorn to my very core—stubborn, determined, tenacious. I HATE to be told what to do.
21. I’m most attracted to people who are passionate about what they do.
22. If I go too many days without writing, I get grumpy and mean.
23. I can remember conversations verbatim.
24. I sometimes let the B-train go by and wait for the next so I can keep listening to the drummers at the Broadway-Lafayette station.
25. I believe in true love, taking risks, asking for clarity, American generosity of spirit, good manners, learning all you can, practicing compassion, and savoring joy.