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I like to say that I’m five parts wild and creative spirit, one part executive, two parts servant, one part entrepreneur, two parts student of life, one part perspicacious, one and three-quarters parts witty, one and a half parts hippy, and three parts traditional country girl. Well, one thing is for sure: I have never been accused of being ordinary. It’s taken some time, but I have learned to embrace and love how diverse and uncommon I am. Perhaps the wisdom lines I now carry led me to the understanding that it’s okay to live an honest, unfiltered life. Even if it’s not acceptable to some, those wisdom lines also taught me not to put too much stock in the fact that I’m a strong coffee with a shot of Irish cream, and many in the world prefer super sweet herbal tea. I like to operate way outside the quadrilateral parallelogram, so far that I can barely see its shadow, and that way of living is just too foreign for many.
I am a student of life and love to learn every day and everywhere. I have a deep-seated need to know everything about everything. To some, that may make me seem like a know-it-all, but I genuinely enjoy learning and do so in the hopes that the knowledge I gain will help me help others. I have a servant’s heart and know no other way. Over the years, I spent a lot of time in Academia, but I believe life has taught me even more. I like to combine my experiences and unique outlook on life with my diverse professional background to create uncommon solutions to everything I do.
I was raised in the countryside of upstate New York with traditional values that focus on the importance of family, God, and country. My father, a military veteran, imparted Patriotism; my mother, the importance of family. I grew up surrounded by agriculture, where growing and preserving the food we consumed was a normal way of life. I spent my very young years living in Portaguaro, Italy, learning the Italian culture that is part of my DNA. I appreciate the simpler things and follow a strong set of values and beliefs. My multitude of multifaceted experiences and deep-seated need to help others live their best lives are why I started this blog.
Always exploring the faith of mankind and the breathtaking wonder of America, I have come ever closer to God. In my travels and adventures through this great land, I have both prayed that God spare the lives of me and my family as we encountered great peril, and thanked God for allowing me to lay witness to beauty and splendor that only He could create. When I am not adventuring away from home, you will find me living with the land in a beautiful Greek fishing village in the southern U.S. where I have built a little slice of heaven with my husband and best friend, my spirited terrier Quigley, and my feathered friends, Bailey, Annie Jones, Thelma, Lady Godiva, and Lana.
It is my little slice of heaven, where I cultivate the land and relish in the simpler things:
PH.D., NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (UNCOMPLETED)
Educational Administration with focus on Traditional Education Alternatives, Agriculture in Education, and the Business behind Academia.
M.ED., M.S., M.C., EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Concentrations in Administration, Curriculum Development, Special Education and Counseling.
B.S., SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Majors: Sociology and Economics, Minors: Urban and Regional Planning and Geography
PROJECT MANAGEMENT GRADUATE CERTIFICATE, BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Project Management Professional
1997-2000, LEGAL STUDIES, RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE
Pre-Law, Major: Legal Studies, Minor: Accounting
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE & INTEGRATIVE HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF WALES
Studied: History of Alternative Medicine, Botany, and Nutrition.
Taradiddlez & Tutelage is a website designed to turn the Ordinary into Extraordinary. To make our daily lives a little better. To both entertain and Educate. Taradiddlez (with an “s” not a “z” at the end) is an old west word meaning to tell a tall tale or story. In the Old West, cowboys often told Taradiddles around a campfire after a long day of driving cattle.
I chose the word for three reasons:
My book coming soon is one of the only Taradiddles on my website. The rest of the website focuses more on the Tutelage in the website name.
Tutelage, of course, means a guiding influence. Anyone who knows me knows I love to learn and pass down my knowledge. I love cooking, baking, gardening, DIY, studying health and wellness, and serving others. So expect to see blogs dedicated to all of the above. I hope to use this website to serve others, pass down my knowledge, and make your lives a little better. I also hope that you will reach out and share your knowledge and experiences with me; as I said previously, I love to learn, and everyone has something to teach.
To be entertained and educated, Hitch your Wagon to Taradiddlez & Tutelage.
