A transplanted westerner (born in LA, went to Lewis & Clark College, Portland), I've lived in the Northeast for, well, a long time. I have been, in various lives (no particular order) a substance abuse counselor, a file clerk, an adult educator, a clergy wife, a department store peon, an administrator in a high tech company, a stay-at-home mom, a preschool teacher, a writer and editor, an executive assistant, unemployed, and I forget what else.
I love to have living things around me, and have three cats (with bells on), an aquarium, a little shade garden full of bird feeders, lots of houseplants, and a husband, David. The two of us are variously interested in sailing, oriental rugs, VW Westfalia campers (we own two beat up old ones), wood and metal working, cooking, and all sorts of music - rock, folk, blues, jazz, classical, sacred, Byzantine chant....We are both voracious readers and keep running out of bookcase space. We're active members of an Orthodox Christian church, where I am a chanter. Two grown daughters are off living their own lives, but we stay close.
David and I constitute "Synergy," a very personal computer consulting operation. We support individual PC users and small library systems, and provide web development and support for St Nectarios Press, an Orthodox book and gift store. This is in addition to my day job at Providence Water Supply -- title: Confidential Assistant to the General Manager and Chief Engineer -- (and is a lot more fun).
Summers focus on the garden and on sailing "Scamp," the family boat. She's a Pearson Vanguard, a lovely old 32' sloop whose design is my Epinions identity. Summer is short - carpe diem!
MOST RECENT EPINIONS
Dream Gardens for Real Gardeners: Fine Gardening
Dream Gardens for Real Gardeners: Horticulture Magazine
Oh Aye! - Scotland on a Budget
Critiquing the New Epinions: Do Your Homework, Please!
How to Achieve that Natural Look
ON THE DRAWING BOARD
"Dream Gardens for Real Gardeners" -- magazine reviews of:
Organic Gardening
Country Living Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publications
HOW I RATE
A Very Helpful review is one which a) demonstrates genuine effort, b) includes adequate facts about the topic/product, and c) uses personal experience to illustrate the facts and/or enliven the review. A VH review is d) well written: organized, clear, and with no egregious errors of spelling or grammar. (Extra points if e) I laugh out loud).
I do not consider Helpful to be a bad rating! An H review probably misses out on one of the above criteria but is still, well, helpful.
Somewhat Helpful is reserved for those lame reviews that show more good intentions than effort. I am really an old softy, and reserve Not Helpful for truly objectionable reviews.
I will always comment if I downgrade the review of someone who is clearly inexperienced, taking a faintly schoolmarmish tone and making gentle suggestions about what I would like to see.
I've had to struggle a bit with the notion of "helpful"-ness when I'm not really in the market for the product being reviewed. However, old softy that I am, I have decided to take the position of "If I were looking to buy this, would I find the review helpful." Good work deserves good feedback.
Finally, I try to look at some of the reviews of those who read mine, or who trust me. When I miss out, it's because of the juggling act of reading, writing, and fooling around, mostly on other people's time.
I don't expect that this will be reciprocated, but I love it when it is.
