20 Things You Never Knew About Susan

1. Extremely proud of three lovely daughters – Cathy in Stirling NJ, Beth in Rantoul IL and Anne in Jericho VT – and three super stepsons – Rob in Huntington Beach CA, Bob in Warren PA and Jay in Oil City PA – and all their wonderful families.
   
   
2. Designed the home she now lives in when no “book plans” had the right view or could fit the layout of the land.
   
   
3. Lives on a tiny lake and has taken up kayaking which is so much more fun than the canoe. Swims some but is a little afraid of the snapping turtles, water snakes (they're big!) and, especially, the clingy weeds.
   
   
4. Loves gardening (weeding really) and keeps a photo records of over 180 wildflowers (those weeds!) found on the property.
   
   
5. Same for the birds with identification and photographs of almost all.
   
   
6. Wrote a novel and, after many years of putting it off and much urging from others, finally published Her Reason For Being. Reviews have been terrific and she hopes many more will give it a try. Sample pages are available at Amazon.com. It can be purchased from AuthorHouse, Amazon, Powell's or any bookstore will order it. Happily, the royalties do keep trickling in!
   
   
7. Studied piano for many years and, in fact, thinks her dream career would have been as an accompanist for opera rehearsals.
   
   
8. Took up the double-bass in high school and has played off and on ever since – including the Sandhills Symphony (NE) and Berkeley (CA) Opera Theatre Orchestra. Also spent many years with the Warren (PA) Civic Orchestra. Never felt she was very good though took lessons seriously and even practiced 4 to 8 hours a day at one point!
   
   
9. Has lived in Colorado, Nebraska, the Bay Area of California, Pennsylvania and now New York which, in spite of their high taxes, is the best of all.
   
   
10. Lives within a couple miles of a lovely college with fantastic schools of music and theatre so there's always something to do.
    
    
11. Is also an hour from Buffalo and Erie and just a couple from Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Toronto. Can't beat it!
    
    
12. Loves golden retrievers, especially Harley and Henry, though Hoover also captured a special place in her heart.
    
    
13. Has traveled quite a bit. Enjoys cruises, especially going nowhere but the best trip has to be a 5-week bus trip through Europe – London to London via Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Greece and many points in between. Doesn't feel she could possibly repeat that now (early morning departures simply aren't her thing).
    
    
14. Is good with a needle and is happy with cross-stitch, crewel and knitting. Won a BIG ribbon for a reversible crewel bedspread and hopes eventually to learn to crochet.
    
    
15. Has discovered she's a pretty excellent editor which serves her husband's writing well.
    
    
16. Has a bike and great intentions.
    
    
17. She swam across Chatauqua Lake -- twice!
    
    
18. Still happily drives the bright red TransAm she bought from a Buffalo Bill (Carl Byrum) in 1988. She made a down payment two and a half years ago on a Fisker Karma. It's the most beautiful (and, as far as she knows, only) four-door sports car. It is gorgeous but still isn't up and running. So who's in a hurry?
    
    
19. Although their training camp is no longer in Fredonia, she remains totally loyal to the Buffalo Bills. Hey! You never know . . .
    
    
20. She thought of an excellent number twenty, but it escaped from her mind and is long gone.