Since September 2003 I've been a master's student in the Department of Classics, University of Western Ontario. Why? Just cuz. And I've been thinking of doing some classics-related web pages (for example, historical novels, maybe...) but, as usual, there just isn't the time. :-(

I'm a dedicated bibliophile, and usually have three or four books on the go at any given moment. (Well, the first part of that sentence is still true, but since going back to school the second part hasn't been. Oh well.) Favourite authors are Madeleine L'Engle, Canadian childrens' authors such as Jean Little and L.M. Montgomery, British humorous authors such as Douglas Adams and Helen Cresswell, and too many others to name. I also read a lot of non-fiction, especially history and biography. I've been putting together a few web pages with book recommendations... but there just aren't enough hours in the day, or days in the week, or something.

I have a B.A. in Classical Studies from the University of Ottawa, 1998. Yes, I am among the younger generation of genealogists. Often when I visit the Family History Center or attend an OGS meeting, people look at me strangely like I must be in the wrong room. However, this is happening less, and I don't know whether this means that people are getting used to seeing me, or because of the fact that my hair is coming in white - so soon I will blend right in with all the other genealogists!

I recently decided to return to university, and in January 2002 I began full-time in the Masters of Library and Information Science program at the University of Western Ontario. I'm also taking correspondence courses through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, for a Certificate from the University of Toronto, though I have put them on "pause" right now (Louise! Don't delete my file! I'm still here!).

I volunteer with Ontario GenWeb and have been since February 1998. Currently I only maintain the Perth County page. I'm also one of the founders & co-ordinators of the Ontario GenWeb Census Project.

Also I've been a volunteer with Perth County Branch of Ontario Genealogical Society I've worked on census indexing, and proofreading transcriptions of church records, though the latter didn't actually get published. Perth Co OGS sent me a package about two inches thick, and I really didn't expect there to be so much! Yikes!

Published my first (and, so far, only!) article, on the topic of Ontario GenWeb in Families, the journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society in November 1998. (Yah, that's what "OGS" stands for!)

I began creating web pages early in 1998, and my very first web page was the Perth County GenWeb, which looks completely different now. I am self-taught in HTML, which really isn't as difficult as everyone makes it out to be. I don't know what the deal is with getting a program to write HTML - in the time I'd spend learning to use the program, I could have written the whole page by hand!

I also used to host the York County GenWeb, however I handed this over to Grace Jewell in May 2001 because the demands placed on my time were overwhelming. For a very short time I even hosted the Kent County GenWeb, but I decided that I was nuts for volunteering for it, so I "don't do it no more."

I've been vegetarian since age fourteen and vegan for over two years. (Actually, it's very difficult to be vegan on campus. I need to cook more so that I can bring my own food!) My favourite collection of vegetarian recipes is the one located at Vegsource, by the way.

And I only watch TV when there's something really good on. Right now I'm going through a phase of addiction to cheesy British science fiction - specifically Doctor Who and Blake's 7. But I also watch The Simpsons, Frasier and That 70's Show rather insistently, even to the point of shushing my room mate.

As you can see, if you email me expecting me to do tons of research for you for free, your email will be ignored. Yes, it will often even be deleted without acknowledgement. Nothing personal, 'kay?

Other stuff about me? As you can see, I am opinionated and quietly outspoken (if such a thing is possible!), with a rather sarcastic sense of humour that not everyone appreciates! I was recently asked whether I'm an introvert or an extrovert, and I replied that I'm probably an introvert who has learned to be an extrovert.

Contact Information

Yes, I do have about five other email addresses, each of which is reserved for a purpose. So, if you know any of my other email addresses, hey, go nuts.

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