Seven Things About Me

• Introducing myself through the "Seven Things About Me" meme is a fun way to find common ground.

• I hope you'll discover that the seven things about me are interesting.

• I hope you be inspired to share seven things about you.

• Let me know when you share seven things. I'll link your article to this one and share them on social media if you'd like

• This world is a wonderful place, and I love to find out how we're similar, yet unique.

1. The desert plains of North America would be one of my favorite places to live. I enjoy the low humidity and cool nights, as well as traveling to nearby mountains for respite in the hottest times of the year. I especially like New Mexico for its lovely landscapes, rich history and relatively small populations when compared to other mountain states.

New Mexico Plains by glennharper Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

2. Gardening and caring for the environment have been a passion of mine, since I was a toddler. Recently I completed the Master Gardener program offered through our Kansas State Extension service. This is a national model, yet it was offered for gardeners in Neosho County, Kansas where I live. My cohort forms a team who will work to encourage more participation in our southeast Kansas area and complete volunteer public gardening works to give back to the Master Gardener program.

3. As a citizen of present day United States of America, I like to talk about the founding fathers' foresight in organizing our country and establishing traditions that continue to serve us well. Next to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the American Bill of Rights, my favorite American historical documents are the Northwest Ordinance, the Land Ordinance of 1785, Jefferson's pivotal moment when he tried to stop the spread of slavery, The Land Ordinance of 1784, and The Morrill Act of 1862. The founders used these documents to establish firmly held beliefs about democracy. These laws were the blueprint for the public land survey system. They also helped establish the people's right to public lands for various uses, including government, community, recreation, and schools.

4. I enjoy discussing topics that others believe arcane.

5. Besides reading and gardening, collecting things I'm interested in became a favorite hobby. Over the years, I've focused on various items, including fossils, minerals, furniture, glassware and other items like stamps. The longest running collections I have are the minerals and fossils. I enjoy leading fieldtrips and have developed several daytrips and week long tours of our region.
One of my favorites is the Volcano Tour, while another is the Sun and Stars Tour. One of my favorite fossil hunting sites is in Peru.



6. I appreciate irony and even a sardonic sense of humor at times.
I agree with the beloved American humorist, Will Rogers, when he said, "Everyone is ignorant, only in different subjects."






7. My Personal/Professional Learning Network continues to encourage me to push my skills to match my abilities, and I need that. I always hope to work well in groups. If I could, I would like to meet my colleagues in the World of Matter. They all make me think, cheer me on and push me to see opportunities and possibilities.