What books have most influenced your life?
So many! The one I often think of first is "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson. Her way of writing influenced me as much as her stories themselves.

Who are your favorite music artists?
I listen to Canadian music mainly cause it's a bit of home. Music is mainly background for me but I do notice when Bryan Adams, Jann Arden or other contemporary artists come on the radio. I've been known to bawl with homesickness listening to Anne Murray.

What are your favorite websites and why?
I miss InkSpot! These days I like the forum at CMF Ads cause they put up with my moments of self righteousness and good intentions. Mostly it is a good forum to bounce around ideas and get real feedback from people.

Where else can people find you on the web?
My splash page for the web, the universe and everything is thatgrrl.ca.

What are your professional highlights?
I never feel that way about myself. Other people have a better opinion of what I have done than I do. I loved working with the women at HerPlanet.com, I learned so much there! I enjoyed BackWash.com too for the people and the opportunities. Those might not be professional highlights in the traditional career sense but they are highlights to me.

What advice do you have for the journey of life?
Don't walk about looking at your feet. You may not stumble but you'll miss everything from your feet up!

What are you most passionate about in life?
Learning, exploring, art, creating, writing, life itself. There is so much! I wish I had infinite life to do it all.

What ticks you off?
People who have small minds and are proud of it. People who intentionally hurt others as a way of making themselves feel important in some way. I also don't like enforced rules that don't make sense.

Any thoughts or ideas on living a greener life?
Keep yourself healthy, that's a start. Stop smoking and end cigarette pollution and litter. Eat food that doesn't have a lot of packaging. Do your best cause there isn't another planet to move to.

What would people be surprised to know about you?
I have a deep, dark, twisted sense of humour and I like it! My best friend broke her leg and my first reaction at seeing her hobbling around was to laugh. She laughed too, eventually.

"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Eden Phillpotts

There is so much in the world to explore, to learn, so many adventures and mad science experiments. But, if you have a bad day, someone yells at you or you let yourself focus on the negative, you stop seeing the good things. I see people walking around with their head down, people who stand in front of you without ever looking at your face. I've been really down, had bad things happen to me, but you can't stay there!

Keep your head up, looking for the magic all around us, all the time. In my life I seldom look back as there is so much ahead that I don't want to miss.