""When a Hungarian or Romanian feels sad, or when, on the contrary, he wants to celebrate, he needs Gypsy music to exteriorize the state of his soul." ~ Martin Block, ethnologist, 1936"

I AM A GYPSY, by both blood and spirit... fire, passion, restlessness and boundless creativity course through my veins. My life journey so far has led me through many deep valleys and up many lofty mountain tops. My personal experiences have given me a deep-rooted compassion for people, especially those affected by domestic violence, addictions, and poverty. I have been through much, as most of us have, but have few regrets as I wouldn't be the person I am now without the path I've taken.

I believe in living life passionately, to the fullest potential my Creator has given me, and welcoming others to join me on the journey. I love to play and work, I love to laugh and to cry, to dance and to sit in silent reflection. I love to celebrate life with lots of friends, but I also like to spend time alone with just my thoughts (which can get pretty philosophical and outside the box). I am energized by the culture and diversity and bustle of urbania, but my soul is more at peace connecting with Mother Earth with her dichotomous balance between intricacy and simplicity. I get an adrenalin rush from high speeds and high altitudes, but don't take me on any spinning rides!

I love to hug (even trees) and be hugged, to hold and be held, to understand and be understood, to nurture others and to grow myself, to show love through action, not just words, to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my Maker. I am a deep thinker who enjoys challenging myself and others. I am a musician, a poet, a writer, an artist, and I love creating and expressing ideas through visual media, music, and written word. I am a visionary... a dreamer... believing that I CAN make a difference in this world and looking to connect with others who believe the same.

playing keyboards - recently joined the original southern rock band "Patrick Godbey & the Devil You Know" and will be gigging weekends - and hand drums, writing, poetry, sketching/drawing, graphic art, photography, social justice, women's issues, child & youth work, psychology, philosophy, religion, animal welfare, animal therapy, nature, beauty... hiking, camping, scrambling, running, horseback riding, biking, yoga, , drum circles, reading, volunteering.

Anything but rap and hip hop (though I can even find aspects of these genres to appreciate)... I love blues, indie, jazz, instrumental, folk, world, new age, classical, country, rock, eclectic... so much music, so little time! Music expresses the passion of the soul and touches me deep inside on a level that eyes can't see and words can't express. As for musical influences, I love Eddy Hawrysch & the Black Crowes, Dr. John, the Doors, BB King, Los Lobos, Dylan, Waylon, Willie & Merle, Janis Joplin, the Stones, Steve Earle, Georgia Satellites, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon & the Animals, John Mayall, John Lee Hooker, Fred Eaglesmith, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Casey Chambers, Robert Earle Keen, Kid Rock, Bonnie Raitt, CCR, Tesla, Colin James. Oh yeah... and my boyfriend, Domenic.

Any film that can move me... to tears, to laughter, to anger, to hope, to dream, to action... films that bring social awareness and self awareness, that leave me with unsettled thoughts and ethical debates running around in my head. Films (and books) like the Dead Poet's Society, Crash, Dead Man Walking, Schindler's List, Sophie's Choice, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, Babel, Bridges of Madison County, What Dreams May Come, Patch Adams, Chocolat, The Deer Hunter, The Killing Fields, not to mention the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I also love British humor... Monty Python can always cheer me up... anything with Johnny Depp, Robin Williams, or Steve Martin... epic adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean... historical sagas like Last of the Mohicans and Braveheart... and my most favorite movie of all time - The Princess Bride... inconceivable!

I only have rabbit ears on my TV, but I like shows like CSI and Law & Order, American Idol, CMT, Biography, The Passionate Eye, 60 Minutes, etc. Documentaries and dramas are my preferred genres, but I can get a good laugh from the Simpsons once in awhile.

Same as films... inspiring, philisophical, ethically and morally unsettling, outside the box, spiritual, heart-wrenching... To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, Dead Man Walking, Mister God it's me Anna, Blue Like Jazz (Donald Miller), What's So Amazing About Grace (Yancey), A Place Called Hope (Kim Meeder), The Hiding Place, anything by Torey Hayden (Somebody Else's Kids, Tiger's Child, etc.), anything by Dave Pelzer (A Child Called It, etc.), anything by Tom Brown Jr. (The Tracker, etc. on aboriginal culture and spirituality), Chicken Soup type books, biographies. I also like poetry and quotes, educational books about history and culture, and Bloom County comic collections. I'm currently reading Women Who Run With Wolves (Clarissa Pinkola Estes) and just finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

"Be the change you want to see" - Ghandi