Spotlight of the Week - noni!

dawnofsierra

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Hi, Michele!


1. What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?

2. Please describe the area around your computer.

3. What do you wear around the house when your just relaxing?

4. What color and material are your sheets on your bed?

5. What do you enjoy doing to relax?

 

noni

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1. What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?
Coffee. I'm not a breakfast person, but when I go out I usually order eggs over medium, hash browns, and bacon/sausage. Usually - all right, every morning, it's coffee, and then off to the office.

2. Please describe the area around your computer.

A mess. CDs, papers, knitting stuff (for long threads), the cell phone, note paper, the mouse and mouse pad, photos, vitamins, face cream and astringent, the ashtray and the coffee. That's the first level. The other levels have dead phones (2), reference books (dictionaries, thesaurus, et cetera), medications, speakers, games, tissues, a clock (not working), a baseball cap, and various wires and connector cables which do something but I don't know what so they lay there.

3. What do you wear around the house when your just relaxing?
An oversize teeshirt. If it's cold, like now, I have my nightshirt on, sweats and a robe. If it's hot, just the tee or a tank top (oversized).

4. What color and material are your sheets on your bed?
Pale lavendar egyptian cotton sheets (300 count) with a butter yellow quilt and a patch-quilt of lavendar, greens, and creams.

5. What do you enjoy doing to relax?
I'm not terribly good at relaxing. I read, or I surf the 'net, researching something I know nothing about. I also write/journal; I find getting it outside of me is easier than keeping it in. Also, I knit, and I play computer games.

Best-
Michele
 

noni

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I've journaled on and off all my life. Once I had the depression under control, journaling became a way for me to track symptoms and learn how to cope at an adult, successful level. And while I still track symptoms, journaling now is a way to handle feelings that I don't want to keep inside, and that I don't have anyone to talk to about.

I don't journal every day, but I do journal most days. It's very very helpful for me personally.

Best-
Michele
 

sar

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Congratulations on your nomination!


Here are my questions:

1 When did you learn to knit?

2 What do you knit and what are you knitting at the moment?

3 What is your favourite colour?

4 What is your favourite feel good outfit?

5 What would be your dream holiday?

6 What other crafts do you do and which would you like to learn?

7 How long have you been writing? What drove/drives you to write?

8 Would your book be touching for someone who has/had depression?

Sorry, quite a lot of questions there!
 

noni

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Hi, Sar. No worries, not too many questions.

1 When did you learn to knit?
I learned how to knit and crochet when I was about 4. I made bunches of stuff, and then stopped for many years. In the last 10 years, I've picked it back up again. I love both knitting and crochet, and find it very soothing (as long as it's not a complicated pattern. Then it's simply frustrating! LOL).

2 What do you knit and what are you knitting at the moment?
Generally, I make scarf/hat sets for friends at Christmas, baby blankets and children's blankets for those who want one handmade, and I've dabbled in shawls/capes. I am right now making both a cape and a carcoat for myself. I swatch things all the time, to see how the yarn works with a particular stitch, or when I'm learning a new stitch.

3 What is your favourite colour?
It really depends on my mood. The top three are lavendar/periwinkle, rich, deep greens, and rose.

4 What is your favourite feel good outfit?
I'm not sure what you mean. Generally, if I'm going to dress up, I like low heels, a nice skirt, and a nice blouse. If I'm working, I've got a long dress with slits up the sides in reds blending to tan, with an overshirt. If I'm home, sweats and a teeshirt.

5 What would be your dream holiday?
A skydiving holiday which starts in Ireland, goes through the UK and Scotland, off to France, Germany, Spain, and ends in Italy.

6 What other crafts do you do and which would you like to learn?
I don't do many other crafts, but I would love to learn how to make lavendar bunches/wands. A friend of mine who lives near the lavendar fields in Washington state sends me lots of stuff each year. And each year, I marvel at her ability to take lavendar and make artwork from it. I also love to garden, and paint. I'm not very good at either of them, and both are indeed crafts.

7 How long have you been writing? What drove/drives you to write?
I've been writing as long as I can remember. However, writing for the public only came about after I started skydiving. What drives me to write is that I'm confident enough to think I've got something to say which people want to hear. Dunno if I'm correct about that, but it seems to be so in most cases (I've only had one rejection slip in more than 18 submissions). I've led an unusual life, and because of that I think I've got perspective and perceptions which can contribute to others' lives. Like I said, I dunno if that's exactly true, or if I've just got a big ego. LOL.

8 Would your book be touching for someone who has/had depression?
I hope so. I hope that someone who reads it and has/had depression will come away knowing that this is an illness, not a character defect, and that they are most certainly not alone in the abyss. Knowing that there is someone else out there who has the same thoughts, patterns of behavior, and demons to fight helped me immensely, even though I didn't *know* them. I hope to pass on the understanding of depression that I've come to, and the living with the illness balance that I've been able to strike, in a manner that isn't technical nor preachy - just sharing my heart and life - so that everyone can read it and understand what depression is, isn't, and what can happen in our heads while in the abyss.
(Man, that sounds arrogant...it's not meant to at all. Sorry)

Best-
Michele
 

sar

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Great answers!


You say that you aren't very good at gardening and painting? I personally don't think there is any definition as to what good or bad is! Appreciation and liking makes you good at anything/everything! I especially believe that everyone can paint!!
I would love to see some of you work!


I certainly don't think you have a big ego either, regarding your writing! As you say, you have something to share and people want to share in it - that is a good thing! You are also extremely articulate and intelligent with what you say (i only have your posts to go by, but I can see that from those and your answers here) I would certainly like to read your book - I have often though of sharing my experiences of depression too, but I think i'd be too shy


I have some more questions, if you don't mind!


1 What does your ideal home look and feel like?

2 When was the last time you painted and what was the subject?

3 Have you tried sculpting? (if not, you should! it's very relaxing and tactile)

4 What was your favourite subject at school?

5 Have you got any Higher Education qualifications eg Degree etc?

6 What is your favourite thing about having a family of cats?

I think that is all for now, but I am sure that I will come up with some more!!
 

noni

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Hi, Sar. Great questions again (man, I wasn't sure anyone would have any questions...LOL!)

1 What does your ideal home look and feel like?
Ah....my favorite fantasy. On a bluff, facing east. The entire back of the house is glass, overlooking either a river or the ocean, and I can sit there in the sunset, either inside or out, and breathe freely. It's mostly open beam ceilings, with a large master bedroom whose bath has a ton of windows (on the 2nd floor), and a sunken tub-for-two. It's apparent style is that of English Country, but like I said, that's just appearances. It is completely open on the ground floor, more like a loft space, with no walls anywhere (except the potty, of course) and all the rooms blend into each other. Upstairs are all the bedrooms. I have a second cabin on the property, where I house rescue feline FIV/Leuk. kitties, and they get a home all to themselves forever. The housecats are all rescue, and I also have a few big (rescue) dogs who think they're cats. And I have great parties!

2 When was the last time you painted and what was the subject?
Forever ago. And the subject wasn't recognizable in the painting (still life of fruit...but I think the fruit rotted and became misshapen betwixt the subject and the canvas!)

3 Have you tried sculpting? (if not, you should! it's very relaxing and tactile)
Yes, but I didn't find it as fun as I do other things. I am getting into photography, though...

4 What was your favourite subject at school?
English.

5 Have you got any Higher Education qualifications eg Degree etc?
No. High school education and that was it for me. I do hold a real estate license, though.

6 What is your favourite thing about having a family of cats?
They are all so different, just like people. I think perhaps it's the relationship I have with each of them which makes it so special, the love I give and receive with them in their own way. And I really think a purring cat sleeping in my arms or next to me is the closest to heaven I can get while on this earth.

Best-
Michele
 

coolcat

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Hey Michele, I´m back!

Let see for today:....Hummmmmm

1.- Can you ride a Bicycle? do you have one?
2.- Place to live: what do you prefer? Mountains or Beach?
3.- wich weather do you prefer? Hot or Cold?
4.- Do you know the Snow?
5.- Wich beverage is your favourite? Beer or Wine?

Ahh, by the way I like too Fleetwood Mac!!!
I´m super fan of the Music, like some, Pink Floyd, Def Leppard, Alan Parson to metion some!!!


have a nice begin of Week!!!
 

gargoyle

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1. How/why did you become a Realtor?
2. What's the largest number of properties you've sold in a week?
3. Are there any pictures of Pengy, and if not, when will there be some?

4. What's was the flavor of the last ice cream you ate?
5. What's the last restuarant you went to and what did you have?
 

noni

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1.- Can you ride a Bicycle? do you have one?
Yes, I can ride a bicycle, and yes, I have one. Do I ride it often? Nope...

2.- Place to live: what do you prefer? Mountains or Beach?
Dunno. How about the mountains at the beach?

3.- wich weather do you prefer? Hot or Cold?
If I had to choose, I'd prefer cold. But since I live in So CA, I generally don't get to choose...it's generally pretty mild here.

4.- Do you know the Snow?
I love the snow. I've skiied all my life, and think that a good snowstorm is a wonderful thing. I'm actually jealous of those back east right now.

5.- Wich beverage is your favourite? Beer or Wine?
Actually, I will drink wine over beer, but my favorite is margaritas.

Best-
Michele
 

noni

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1. How/why did you become a Realtor?
I love a challenge. Real Estate sales are the highest dollar investment a person can make, usually. To be able to guide a person in either selling or buying their home (or both) is an amazing journey, and most fun. I'm good at what I do - I've only lost 4 from escrow in more than 6 years. And that's a pretty outstanding record. Sure, the money's good, but what's more important is helping people acheive their piece of American Pie.

2. What's the largest number of properties you've sold in a week?
I once sold 5 properties in 3 weeks, total value of over 2 million dollars (gross value). That was when I had just started out, and it made me think real estate was easy. I got a rude awakening when I had a dry spell lasting over 9 months, with no change in activity to create or break the dry spell. That's one of the things I teach about, too...how to survive the down time and make the most of the uptime.

3. Are there any pictures of Pengy, and if not, when will there be some?
There were some up, but they went poof in the crash. I will try to get some up again tonight over on the photos forum.

4. What's was the flavor of the last ice cream you ate?
Black Raspberry Avalanche.

5. What's the last restuarant you went to and what did you have?
My word, that's thinking. Um....Jerry's Deli, for lunch with my father, last Friday. I had a corned beef on rye with pickles and french fries.

Best-
Michele
 

yayi

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Congratulations Michele!

Do you have a favorite quote or prayer to help you overcome the challenges in your life?
 

noni

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Do you have a favorite quote or prayer to help you overcome the challenges in your life?
Yes and no. For a long time, the Biblical story of Job was something I'd think about a whole lot...and crave that sort of faith and patience. More recently, it's been the Prayer of Jabez:

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
And that You would enlarge my territory.
That Your hand would be with me,
And that You would keep me from evil,
That I might not cause pain."

And then there's the search for the window.

I had a teacher who befriended me as a teenager. You know, the teacher that you met that you went to talk to and "hang out" with even when you didn't have her for a class. The one that, as you look back, you realize cared for you as a person, and not just a name on a roll-call list.

Mrs. Rosoff was such a person to me. And when things would go wrong - I didn't make cheerleader, or I didn't get the part I wanted in the school play - I'd go to her. During some of the toughest years of my life, you could find me with Mrs. Rosoff, just hanging around. The year my parents divorced and my dad was diagnosed with cancer (stage 4 non-hodgkins lymphoma, life expectancy 1 year; he's still with us, 26 years later), I stayed after classes and helped her with all the classroom stuff; I'd be there before school, helping get her arranged for the day. She was a solace, a comfort, an island in a violent, stormy time.

She would always encourage me to keep my eyes open for the window which was sure to open when the door closed. She knew - really, completely knew - that the window was there if we but looked for it...I'd tell her my troubles, confide in her, and she'd say "yes, but where's the window? Let's find that..." and together we'd find it. I learned how to look for the window because of her...and it's an active looking, an art and skill, that I discovered under her teaching.

Her guidance has stayed with me all my life. When I go through rough patches - and they can be extremely rough for me - I try really hard to remember to look for the window...always look for the window.

So yes and no....see what I mean?

Best-
Michele
 

coolcat

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Oh Michele, thank´s for your answers!
hummm let see...

1.- Wich is your favourite colour to wear?
2.- If you can travel in time wich age you choose to live and say why...
3.- Choose one Sunrise or Sunset and say why like.
4.- What is the most crazy thing that you do it? ( I mean for example, Jump in parachute, Bungie jump etc)

Cheers!
 

kittylover4ever

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Congrats Michelle! Just one question! (I'm busy at work darn it)


Tell us about your grandparents......did you know them, etc!
 

noni

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1.- Wich is your favourite colour to wear?
I don't have a favorite color to wear, but often I have something lavendar or purple on. For some reason, that seems to be a lot of my wardrobe lately.

2.- If you can travel in time wich age you choose to live and say why...
I think I already answered this above, but again, 1300's England, or the 1800's in the "Wild West." There was great opportunity and challenge, both of which I crave.

3.- Choose one Sunrise or Sunset and say why like.
Sunset. There is something peaceful about it that I don't find in sunrises. Something completing, something ending, and an opportunity to look back on the day and see your accomplishments. That and we have amazing sunsets here, and not so spectacular sunrises.

4.- What is the most crazy thing that you do it? ( I mean for example, Jump in parachute, Bungie jump etc)
Actually, the most crazy thing I do is parachute. I will NOT bungie jump. That's insane...and I don't really think of skydiving as crazy. There are a whole lot of safety precautions, checks and balances, that we go through which makes it as safe as it can be. Of course, we still are jumping out of an airplane, but the equipment we use is over-engineered and the safety features are redundant.

Cheers yourself!

Best-
Michele
 

noni

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Hi, Susie!

Tell us about your grandparents......did you know them, etc!
I didn't know my maternal grandparents at all; both had passed away before I was born. My grandfather on my father's side had passed away, as well, but I knew Grandma on my father's side. She passed when I was about 18...at 98 years old. Grandma Rebecca was a funny, quiet, shy lady, who thought the sun rose and set on my father. She was a sweet, jewish grandma...her family came from Russia in the late 1800's, and she grew up in New York City. She came out here in the early 60's, and lived out the rest of her life near my father.

Best-
Michele
 

kittylover4ever

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Originally Posted by noni

Hi, Susie!

Tell us about your grandparents......did you know them, etc!
I didn't know my maternal grandparents at all; both had passed away before I was born. My grandfather on my father's side had passed away, as well, but I knew Grandma on my father's side. She passed when I was about 18...at 98 years old. Grandma Rebecca was a funny, quiet, shy lady, who thought the sun rose and set on my father. She was a sweet, jewish grandma...her family came from Russia in the late 1800's, and she grew up in New York City. She came out here in the early 60's, and lived out the rest of her life near my father.

Best-
Michele
Awww, thanks for sharing.....I love grandparent stories......
 
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