Giving Voice to My Astonishment

WRITING: I am a freelance writer who enjoys writing on a myriad of subjects, especially nature, gardening, environment, and mindfulness. In 2014, I earned my Master’s Degree from Duke University Graduate School in Interdisciplinary Studies with a strong focus on the art and literature of The Bloomsbury Group, Virginia Woolf, and Creative Writing. I spent a summer semester at The University of Oxford studying Creative Writing. I’m a member of the Triangle Association of Freelancers and North Carolina Writers’ Network. My articles and essays have been published in several print publications, including Seasons Style & Design, O. Henry, Salt, Midtown, Cary Living, Confluence, and The Atelier Project: Conversations About Creativity. My work has been shared on Streetlight Magazine’s online blog. You can read that on their site. I continue to attend writing conferences and workshops to further my skills and to network with other writers. I believe there is always something more to learn.

VCCA Fellow: I was awarded a writing residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), an artist community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. February-March 2020

In June 2019, I was accepted into and attended the Orion Environmental Writers’ Workshop. *This renowned workshop is cosponsored by the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, NY. The workshop is for writers who seek to become better advocates for the environment through their writing (*Omega website).

EDITING: I completed the Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing in 2017.

READING: Reading has always played a large role in my life. I often say that books saved my life, and I mean that literally. Without books showing me the larger world outside the windows of my childhood home, I may not have dared to dream the improbable. As Roald Dahl wrote in Matilda, “All the reading that she had done had given her a view of life that they had never seen.” And again, “If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.” So read, I did. And still do.

NATURE and Environment: My inherent love of nature was born and fostered in the beautiful mountains and valleys of Greenbrier County, WV. I grew up hiking through the woods, swimming in the rivers, and admiring the local flora and fauna of my native home. I have carried this sense of wonder and great appreciation of the natural world throughout my adult years. I reside in Cary NC and still take to the trails, greenways, and parks every spare moment I get. I truly stand in astonishment of nature’s magnificence. I’m worried about the future of the Earth in regard to climate change, plastic pollution, overuse of herbicides and pesticides, and the corrupt use of natural resources. I am currently pursuing North Carolina Environmental Education Certification. In December 2020, I will have completed the Carolina Backyard Naturalist course through the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. I take to heart the Baba Dioum quote: “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” I want to learn more, so that I can teach through my words and writing.

HORTICULTURE and Gardening: I have a passion bordering on obsession for gardening and plants, and have extensive hands-on training and knowledge, as well as formal instruction. I worked as Program Manager, head of plant propagation, and gardener at Montrose Gardens, a 61-acre, private historic estate in Hillsborough, NC, for fourteen years. I served as a Wake County Extension Master Gardener from 2000-2008. After studying Horticultural Therapy with Sally Haskett at UNC’s Botanical Gardens, I became very interested in the healing possibilities that gardening can provide for everyone. It is no exaggeration to say that gardening is good for the body, mind, and spirit. Which is one reason I enjoy puttering in and maintaining my small North Carolina garden. Regardless of the size of your property, I believe everyone can create a place of sanctuary and pleasure. I am available for garden consultations and coaching. Please contact me for more information and rates. I also write The Garden Guru column for Seasons Style & Design magazine.

YOGA: I’ve been practicing meditation since 1993 and started a regular yoga practice in 2005. I am a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher. I graduated from InnerLight Yoga School, Cary NC, in October 2015 after completing 200 training hours spanning 10 months.

I work with women of all ages to design a practice that assists them in discovering their unique path to wholehearted living. I encourage women to listen to and be guided by their own inner observations to achieve personal empowerment and authentic selfhood. I also enjoy teaching underserved populations in the Raleigh-Durham area. I continue to further my teaching skills, as well as enriching my own personal practice, by attending workshops and retreats.

I’ve studied Yoga and Meditation with:

Rolf Gates
Lila Rasa Brown
Shiva Rea
Joe Taft
Cyndi Lee
Christopher Tompkins
Sharon Salzberg
Jean Shinoda Bolen
Sally Kempton
Nicolai Bachman

Local Teachers:
Susan Jackson
Leslie Waugh
Martha Engeman
Various meditation teachers at the Raleigh Kadampa Center