I’m perfectly content spending free time crafting at home (either by myself or with the kids). A few of my hobbies are crocheting, sketching, refinishing furniture, and photography.

I also love creative writing, and nature. This is a picture I took from my classroom window.  I have been blessed with this view for the past 15 years, teaching almost all of the English classes that we offer in our high school.  Most recently, I’ve been teaching seniors exclusively (AP Lit, AP Research, and 12R).  I used this photo for a creative writing prompt alongside an analysis of Emerson’s “The Snow Storm.” Regardless of the season, to me, nature’s beauty is incomparable (and makes me seem so small).

Barkley is our newest addition after we lost our 12-year-old Great Dane mix in May. He was adopted from South Carolina after he was found in a puppy pen at a dog fighting house. We love him to pieces. Animal lover would be an understatement…just ask my crested gecko.

My family and I love cooking, specifically pizza and brookies (brownies meet chocolate chocolate chip cookies in one pile of deliciousness). Here’s my typical Friday night— making homemade pizza.

I love being in the city: food, art, museums, shopping, shows. My daughter is following in my footsteps.  Each year, I take my students on a trip to the Met, and we end the day seeing a Broadway show.    This summer, I studied at Fordham for a week and was lucky enough to stay across from the Metropolitan Opera for the week.  Professional Development can be awesome.

My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the music. I love the message of a human coming to show the world about love and benevolence. Most of all, I love the joy it brings my children to spend quality time with the family.

One of the most important parts of my life is giving back. Here, my son and I are making blankets for the children’s section of Stony Brook Hospital.  It’s the one thing I want to foster in my children…the rest of their lives and choices they can carve for themselves.