Getting to Know Me

It's not that I've never written a blogged, but I've never blogged...

ON MY OWN WEBSITE!

I'm so exited (and anxious) to be starting this space and my brand...

Manticore Writing Works 😃

Welcome!

In this post, I'll be telling some things about myself ... other than the obvious one of being an author.

So...

HOBBIES!

I enjoy creating

in a lot of forms and one of them is with 🧶 .

I grew up crocheting and spool knitting (although I was so young when I learned I didn't know the name of it). I cross-stitched and embroidered.

Between 2007 and 2008, I took up knitting. I wanted to learn how to knit socks. Not sweaters. Not shawls.

Socks.

I found a yarn store in Sandy, Utah (that no longer exists or I would totally plug it here) that was doing a sock class and signed up. I knew the basic stitches before I started the actual class.

I learned to knit in the round with 5 knitting needles. 😮

It is still my preferred way of knitting socks. Slower, yes. I think, I enjoy the control I have with all the needles. (I only have to really think about 1 needle at a time instead of the whole circle... 😀).

While that is not my only fiber hobby, that is where I will stop...

I play piano.

Unfortunately, not often anymore. 🤷‍♀️ Life ya know.

I started playing when I was 5 and took lessons, but had to stop for quite a while because we moved quite a bit. I still wanted to play, so I worked on playing myself. I knew enough to teach myself notes and then songs.

I would sit at the piano, with a song too hard for me, and teach myself. Note by note. Chord by chord.

It wasn't until we settled in Price, that I got to start lessons again. I started with an amazing teacher, Ruth Scoville. I quickly out-grew her and she knew I had talent and recommended I try out for Janice Siggard.

Ruth and my parents knew that if I knew I was "trying out" for Janice, I wouldn't do it, or wouldn't do well, so they just said I was playing for her.

It worked.

Janice took me as student. I didn't realize what I had, like most kids. But I was so grateful for what she taught me and how she pushed me.

I really loved my time with Ruth and Janice.

I took piano lessons through college.

I was asked to play in the college band. I was confused at first because I didn't think a band really needed a piano player. I went to a very small college (College of Eastern Utah ... now a Utah State University off shoot --change--) and they needed more flute players. The professor was progressive and didn't mind using synthesizers to fill in the sounds they were missing, so I joined the band, playing flute parts.

...because Lynette Bills told him I played piano and he asked me. Lol

Anyway, long story short, I wound up playing in the Jazz Band and the Synth Ensemble. I learned so much during this time.

Being trained by Janice was purely classical, which was awesome and punishing and amazing. Being able to join all the bands at CEU was challenging in a very different way. Different styles of music while also pushing me to be a great musician with rhythms and learning to play with other instruments.

Scary and great. --see written notes on remarkable too--

At this point in my life, I feel my real passion is learning. I really love learning about all sorts of things. Quantum Physics. Racism. Accounting. Managing. Feminism.

...basically the world in general.

Follow along if you dare. Often my thoughts are not for the faint of heart (cliche 😉 )

Also, ENJOY!!!