How might I describe myself? Hmmmm, well, professionally, I am actually a professor in the field of Deaf Education at a university in Pennsylvania. I am also a Speech and Language Pathologist and worked for almost 20 years in the public schools before moving into academe. I’ve also written a textbook on teaching speech to deaf and hard of hearing children.
I’m MUCH MORE interesting on a personal level though. I’ve been married (to the SAME GUY) for almost 31 years…dude has great patience and perseverance. I have two grown children (I shudder every time I have to say that); my daughter is an expatriate living in Belgium and my son works in the field of communications media. No grandbabies yet, but I DO have a grandkitty and a grandfrog.
I LOVE to travel and were it not for my current profession, I would be an extremely frustrated observer of the world. Instead, I had the extreme pleasure visiting: In alphabetical order:
Aruba, Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Cairnes), Austria (Innsbruck), Belize, Canada (Banff, Toronto, Vancouver), Croatia (Dubrovnik), Curacao, Germany (Munich), Greece (Athens), Honduras (Roatan), Italy (Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Rome, Sorrento, Venice), Mexico (Cozumel), New Zealand (Aukland, Christchurch), Spain (Barcelona), St. Marten, St. Thomas, Turkey (Istanbul).
The States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia.
I’m not done yet…on the horizon is…Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Russia, more of Spain and a definite return trip to Australia/NewZealand/Tasmania, and, drum roll please…..I plan to travel into space as soon as us plebes are permitted….if I have to mortgage my house, I AM going to travel into space. (I didn’t get into the Teacher in Space program–I was too pregnant at the time.)
I went skydiving, whitewater rafting, mountain hiking, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and jumped off ‘the bridge to nowhere’ into the Allegheny River. I love to read, sit in a jaccuzzi, walk in the sunshine and in sunshowers (we get those in the ‘Burgh)…
I love my Steelers, Penguins, Pirates (sorry…I DON’T do Pittsburghese even though I am a native/lifelong resident) and the Symphony, Ballet, Opera, and Public Theater. I’m eclectic and proud of it!
Thanks for checking in to learn a bit about me…read the blog and you’ll learn a titch more!
Hi there! I can’t find an email address for you so I hope it’s okay to post here.
Thank you very much for your comment on my blog post about the Omagh Bomb – you may of course use it in your teaching, if it is of any use to you. I’m kind of curious how it would be useful…
I am fascinated reading your bio here – such an adventurous and well traveled lady! I need to take a leaf out of your book.
I have to tell you that I’m the proud owner of a Pittsburgh Penguins towel lol! My Dad spent a month in Pittsburgh (from Ireland) as part of a pan continental program to share best practices on work placement/training initiatives. He brought Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins goodies home for all of us as gifts
I am also interested reading about your profession. Our son was diagnosed with a very minor hearing loss – since birth – and we see an audiologist regularly. He’ll also see a Speech and Language Pathologist in October to assess his speech development. He has needed no intervention and his language acquisition as far as I can tell is ahead of what is normally expected for his age. But I will tell you that many times in the last year or more I have worried and been anxious that he would need special treatment and programs. I am eternally grateful that thus far that does not appear to be the case – but I’m equally grateful that people like you are available to those who do!
Okay – sorry to get so long winded
Annie