-Hobbies-

Personal Hobbies: as well as being an artist.  I'm also:

• a medieval researcher (emphasis on Viking-era London and Hedeby)

  It is through this that I have learned some really neat things like;

  • brewing beer and wine
  • carving wood and bone
  • making glass beads
  • medieval games to make and play
  • calligraphy and illumination
  • dying Pysanky (Ukraine Easter eggs)
  • Spinning wool
  • cooking medieval foods
    
    
• Things with Animals are another big part of my life.  I ride horseback, have clicker-trained my 2 dogs and 2 cats, and sometimes really miss the days when I was a Veterinary Nurse.

• a fan of horses and horseback riding.  I learned as a teen, and rode competitively in College (Wilson College, '89 - '93) in hunt-seat equitation.  I also learned dressage and was a HUGE fan of three day eventing.
  
• a pet owner with amazingly well-behaved animals.  My dog Kaylee earned her CGC ("Canine Good Citizen - it's a Kennel Club basic obedience certification) at 6 months of age.  I have both she and her rescued 'sister' Katie, as well as my cats.  With enough patience and motivation, you can use this methodology to train anything (it's operant conditioning - does the name Pavlov ring a bell?)
  
• a former Veterinary nurse (9 years experience, BS/VMT from Wilson College) - I had the great good fortune to work as a NICU nurse for the '97 foaling season at New Bolton, as well as many rewarding years before that working with domestic, exotic, and wild species of animals.  I have a large store of funny stories that can't be told in polite company, and a wealth of information about anatomy, physiology, and disease processes of many species.  I will be volunteering (January 2010) at a local rescue, preferably working with off the track thoroughbred horses.
  
•  Reading is something I do voraciously.  I read non-fiction, fiction, periodicals, and cereal boxes.  I also write reviews, and am in the midst of updating my Library Thing account.  When it's done to my satisfaction, I'll link to it. 
  

• Tabletop Gaming is not only a large hole into which I throw money, but also a way I have developed modeling skills.  I can make nearly museum-quality terrain and models, to go with the figures with which I game. 

  Think of it as chess with ornately decorated figures, and more rules. 

  I  have played DBA and Warhammer 40K.
  
  

• Outdoorsy Things - I hunt, fish, hike and camp.  Keeps me fit and limber, and mentally engaged.  I find it also helps with focus and perspective, as well as being physically healthy.