I have lived in thirteen houses during my life. I now live in New England! I've lived in the West, MidWest, and now the NorthEast. I've also been lucky enough to briefly live in the UK and Europe.
I love ghost stories, and my greatest fantasy is to write a mystery involving ghost hunters! My greatest fear is that it will end up sounding like "The Ghost & Mr. Chicken" - which was a fun movie when I was a kid, but not quite what I'd like to write!
I tend to have long-term friendships. The friend I've kept in contact the
longest, I met in 5th grade. My first boyfriend remains one of my very best
friends.
I love music, and it is an important part of my life. I listen to a wide variety from country to classical, and thanks to my father, I also have a true love of Jazz, the Blues, and the Standards. Since 'Fabulous 690" in Los Angeles went off the air, I listen online at Martini in the Morning online for my fix of fabulous music!
One of the biggest motivating factors in my life is "fear of regret". When I have the opportunity to try something new, even if it is scary or I think it may be too challenging for me, I consider whether I will find myself regreting missing the opportunity later. I used to live my life this way, and then got away from in in my 30's when I was concentrating on career, marriage, etc. Turning 40 was a great moment in my life, and I began to challenge myself to "live fearlessly" again. Since that time I have traveled extensively, did my first (of what I hope will be many) skydives, did 3 laps (at an average of 172 MPH) at the Daytona Speedway with a professional driver, and rode in a hot air balloon over DeLand, Florida while the sun rose over the Atlantic ocean. I have been back stage at the Grand Ole Opry for their 80th anniversary, I have been given a private performance at the School of Ballet at the Orlando Ballet, and watched an Opera in rehearsal. I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the US, visited the Taos Pueblo, sat in a hot tub looking up at the stars in Taos, and visited the private home museum of Charles Trois at the Trois Estate in Texas. I have spent the day in Mexico with two buses full of San Diego police officers just hanging out and getting drunk. I have cruised the west coast from Ensenada to Long Beach with a wild bunch of artists wearing Tiara's. I have been a guest on TV shows from network morning news programs to DIY crafting shows. I host my own radio show online and have had the pleasure to talk to some of the most amazing artists in the world. I have been featured on the cover of a local magazine, had a two page feature in Real Simple magazine, and been a "real woman" model for All You magazine. "Fortune favors the Bold!" and I have been very fortunate indeed.
Outside the US I've been to: the Netherlands, England, Germany, France,
Austria, Switzerland, Scotland, Wales, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Canada, and
the islands of St. Thomas, St. Crois, St. John, St. Vincent, St. Martin, and
Puerto Rico.
I've visited the following US states: Arizona, Arkansas, California (native),
Colorado, Connecticut, D.C. (Okay, so it's not a state.), Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois,
Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachussets, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, and Washington.
I maintain three web sites My personal site (you are on it), my creativity
web site (http://www.teras-wish.com/),
and my professional web site (http://www.teraleigh.com/).
I also maintain the web site for the Memory Box program at http://www.memoryboxes.org/
and am working on a new site about travel. So, if there are any mistakes on the sites, I have no one to blame but
myself! My ex-husband was an excellent teacher and gave me the basic skills
I needed for HTML and photo editing.
My guilty pleasure is watching "Ghost Hunters" and "Most Haunted" on TV. However, I refuse to be a slave to my TV, so "TIVO"
(a digital recorder) is my friend.
My drink of choice is vodka (on the rocks, no garnish), but I have come to enjoy Portuguese Port, and Pinot
Gringo wine . . . although I only drink occasionally. I know what I like!
I went by the name of Teri Gemmil in Elementary, Jr. High, and High School.
At one time or another in my 20's, my hair was pink, green, purple, black,
and blue. (But never at the same time.)
I celebrated my 21st birthday at "The Magic Castle" in Hollywood.
When I was a teenager, my parents had a limousine and private airplane.
I took full advantage of this whenever possible.
My teen idol was Parker Stevenson of the "Hardy Boys" TV series.
Yes, I had the lunch box. (No, I don't have it anymore.)
I have read every book in the Amelia Peabody series of books by Elizabeth
Peters. I often read 5 - 7 fiction books a week, plus non-fiction business
books. I read most of my news online.
I would love be an archeologist except that I hate getting dirty and am
afraid of bugs.
I cannot pass a display of pens without bursting into a frenzy of desire.
My favorite pen is a Waterman. At the moment, I have eight. I will not be truly
fulfilled as a human being until I have one of those little wood cases with
dozens of wickedly expensive pens in it. Okay, so that isn't true, but the
case and pens would make me happy.
My first paying job was as a make up artist for an educational film for
Walt Disney Studios.
I went to parochial school from Kindergarten through High School graduation
(Whittier Brethren Elementary and Whittier Christian High School).
My toenails are usually painted pink or orange (orange is the color of change - and I like change!).
I have been known to have my nose pierced - usually with a tiny diamond.
I have a tattoo on my left ankle, and one on my right foot (a toe ring design).
I have two digital cameras; a Canon Rebel and a Sony Cybershot (both 5.1 megapixels.)
I use both weekly. When I can afford it, I plan to upgrade to the newest Canon Rebel. It is a amazing camera! You can see my collection of photos from my trips, and from my life online at Flickr.
I was voted" "Most Dramatic" in the "Senior Favorites"
at my high school. Some things never change.
My teeth are not straight even though I had braces on my teeth in Jr. High
and High School. The doctor ultimately removed them early because I never
did what I was supposed to do with rubber bands, headgear, etc. and he sort
of gave up on me. Actually, he told me that my brother and I were the worst
patients he had ever had.
When I like something, I can be sort-of obsessive compulsive. I saw "Phantom
of the Opera" on stage 12 times. I saw "Les Miserable" nine
times. I can eat the same thing for several meals in a row for days and it
doesn't bother me!
