1. I met my husband Ted, my senior year of high school. We have known each other for over 36 years and been married for 29 years. We have had several people who needed a place to stay move in with us including one person who is still there, 20 years later.
2. Instead of children, my husband and I have had fur babies. We have had several dogs and two cats. Additionally, I have always been an animal lover and have had turtles, hamsters, an iguana, rabbit, fish, ferrets and a parrot who loved to swear. We have rescued a parrot, several cats and dogs and either found them good homes or they became part of our family.
3. We love going to Maine – especially Bar Harbor and hiking on Cadillac Mountain. The view up at the top is breathtaking. When we hiked up to see the sun rise one morning, the wind was so strong that I had to wear a backpack, hold onto parked cars and sit on a rock up at the top in order for me not to blow away. I can say this, I never thought I would say - I actually was standing in a cloud. Also, my favorite food is lobster! I love lobster!!!
4. I love music and started playing the flute in 6th grade. My music teacher approached my mom and suggested I pick an instrument to play that would prevent me from singing at the same time. I was never in choir. I also played the fife and piccolo. I played in a fife and drum corps, I was also in the NYS Youth Orchestra when I was younger and I have played my flute at weddings or store openings.  I tried to play the oboe, I discovered that reed instruments was not for me.
5. I am a breast cancer survivor, five years out. I was lucky to have so much support from not only my amazing doctors, family and friends, but also my Siena family. My Siena family gave me amazing love, support and assistance that made fighting the cancer easier.
6. I am afraid of heights. I realized this as a child when I climbed a tree and the fire department had to get me down. However, when I was at balloon festival a few years ago, I was chosen to go up in a got air balloon. I was hesitant and said I was afraid of heights. But decided if I could get through breast cancer that why not try. It was the most amazing feeling. My fear of heights went away when I saw the beauty of the sky and while watching all of the other balloons floating by me, it was like nothing could bother me at that moment, I felt free.
7. I had the opportunity to meet Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) from Gilligan’s Island and participate in a fashion show of clothing she designed for people who were sick, elderly or have disabilities. My niece, Medea, and I walked the catwalk and amazed everybody when we didn’t trip or fall off the platform. Many years before I walked the runway, I won a Shirley Temple look-a-like contest.
8. I got a jeep and took an off-road driving course through NORA (Northeast Off-Road Adventures) in Ellenville, NY. I learned how to drive up and down hills, over and around rocks and trees. They guided me near a cliff and had me position my jeep with one wheel in the air. I was First in line to do this but if I had known what is was, I would have refused. 
9. I love drawing. I draw Zentangle pictures mostly of animals. I even drew a Siena St. Bernard, I thought it would be fun. It’s one of my favorites. I have donated a few of my drawing to different organization like the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, Albany Stratton VA Medical Center fundraiser and the Scleroderma Foundation. Interesting thing about my art, I hide my name in all of my zentangle drawings and it’s not my signature and I call me art work Mind-of-Medea.
10. I am also a certified scuba diver and have had the opportunity to swim in the ocean with the fish including swimming over a nurse shark in Key West.

Bonus!

I became a dog trainer because of a dog my husband and I decided to purchase. We previously had a rottweiler that has passed from cancer. My husband thought it would be a good idea to research lineage to be sure we got a dog with good blood lines. He found a breeder in Orange County that was selling a litter of rottweilers and had one left, it was the dog the breeder wanted to keep for himself for a police dog but his mother-in-law became ill and had to move in with the family. We met Jadey, she was the sweetest thing. Jadey came home with us, a few days in we were ready to call the breeder back and offer him money to take her back. Luckily, we found a dog trainer close to us that dealt with difficult dogs. She trained us on how to train Jadey.  It took at least 3 years to get her where she needed to be, we trained a police dog to become a home pet. I would not recommend doing that. My mother calls me one day to tell me the police were on the way to our house; the alarm went off and one of the doors was open. I pulled in the driveway to see two cop cars. The officers walk towards me from the barn and asked if I was the owner. I said yes, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Mam, I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to walk in that house with that dog”. The reason why two cars were there was because the first officer was concerned about Jadey. They wanted to check the house so I said come on in, with hesitation they both walked in. Jadey comes running around the corner, I calmly said “Jadey, by me” she immediately sat down by my left side at attention. She wanted to meet the officers but knew she had to wait for the release word. The officer looks at me and said “I was afraid of that” I released Jadey and she went over to the officers to be pet. The officers and Jadey all checked the house out, they said good bye to Jadey and left. Training Tip: Only tell your dog to sit once. If I hear someone say sit, sit, sit. I will walk over and ask them what the trainer asked me, “are you asking your dog to sit or telling your dog to sit?” If you have to say it more than one time, your asking, so stop asking. I was a puppy dog trainer for several years.  

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