Hi everyone! Greetings from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Thank you for reading my profile. I guess I could describe myself as 95 percent nerd and 5 percent hippie. ;)

In 2024, a longtime dream came true when I wrote and self-published a book! It is a 60ish page well-researched historical fiction novella inspired by real people and events of the 1800s in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. It is paperback and best suited for adult and teen readers. PM for info and/or if you would like to order a copy.

I've been on swap-bot for years and before that swapped through the group Nervousness. I'd rather do a few swaps that are special than lots of quick swaps.

After many years, it was time to update and spice up the old profile with an A-Z list of favorite things; here we go. I am conflicted about it now though. It seemed like my old long profile paragraphs were outdated. A list is quicker, more fun, and more informative; but I don't want it to seem like a gimme list. I like lots of things and appreciate many things.

A- Autumn, Astronomy, Archaeology, American Gods (book), Argyle

B- Books, Birds, Bats!, Black Cats, Bookmarks, British Things, Bees, Baba Yaga

C- Cats, Candles, Coloring, Candy, Cemeteries, Crows, Creative Writing, Celtic Music, Composting, Cacti, Cthulhu, Cards (greeting and blank cards), the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland, Caves

D- Dreams, Diversity, Dragons, Documentaries

E- Elves and Fairies, Ecology, Egyptology, Ephemera

F- Fair trade items, Forests, Fu Lions, Folklore, Folk Music

G- Gargoyles!, Gardening, Ghost Stories, Game of Thrones, Gail Carriger's books, Gnomes!, Good Omens (show)

H- Handkerchiefs, History, Herb Gardening, Hex Signs, Homemade things, Halloween

I- Interesting rocks, Incense, Irish Mythology

J- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (book), Jack-o-lanterns, Jasmine scent

K- The Kennedy Family, Kingfisher birds, Kindness Rocks, Kopp Sisters from Amy Steward's books

L- Letters, Local History, Lumpy Space Princess

M- Museums, Memoirs, Mandalas, Monarch Butterflies, Mythology, the Moon!, Mid-Century Modern Style!, Mushrooms, Messiah, Macbeth, Mice

N- Nature, Neanderthals, Narwhals, Nonfiction Books, the Northern Lights, No Face from Spirited Away, Neil Gaiman's books, Nerdiness, Nautical History, NPR

O- Odd Cats, Owls, Organic Snacks

P- Planets, Prehistory, Pottery, Paper Lanterns, Patchouli, Progressive Christianity, Pirates (historic), Pollinator Gardening!, Paranormal, PBS, Pamphlets, Pens, Punch and Judy

Q- Quality over Quantity, Quiet

R- Ravens, Robin Hood, Rain, Retro Christmas Stuff like shiny ornaments

S- Saints, Soap!, Stamps, Socks, Small Press Books, Stickers!, Sustainability, Skeletons, Sandalwood, the Sea

T- Travel, Tea, Tote Bags, Toiletries, Tiki

U- Unnecessary Silliness

V- Valentines, Vegetarian Cooking, Vultures

W- Whales! What We Do in the Shadows (movie and TV show), Walks

X- Xena: Warrior Princess

Y- Young Adult Books, the Yeti!

Z- Zoos (well-managed modern ones)

I like about everything pleasant scent-wise and don't have allergies.

I crochet blankets for charity, make earrings, bead necklaces, cross-stitch, color, and collage.

About the only things I don't like are dogs (sorry), monkeys, rustic country style crafts that are really factory-made, and cig smoke. I like wool a lot but cannot have it next to my skin like in a scarf or gloves. It gets all itchy. Also, please no sugar-free sweets or gum. Those artificial sugars do a number on my tummy.

Here is a bit of a poem I like.

The moon-bird's head is filled with nothing but thoughts of the moon and when the next rain will come is all the rain-bird thinks of. Who is it we spend our entire life loving?

~Kabir~

You know what are awesome? Owls!!! I like the cartoonish owls that are in style now and have also had the chance to interact with some live owls! There was a beautiful snowy owl in my area of Virginia one winter! He was quite the local celebrity! I also attended an event where scientists banded the tiny Eastern saw-whet owls. And, I got to hold a tiny owl before it was released!

I read lots of non-fiction and enjoyed The Beast in the Garden about pumas in residential areas and The Devil in the White City about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

As fun as they are, I already have enough books with household hints and craft instructions. Thanks for thinking of me if you were thinking of sending one but I think someone else could make better use of it at this time.

Vegan and vegetarian cookbooks are always welcome as are quirky nonfiction books printed by smaller presses or sold by small distributors.