I would like to introduce our TM of the Month for May - Shimmerskin! May, being a big book month for Twilight fans, I thought she would be a perfect fit since she seems to know more about literature and the english language than anyone I have ever met! She is one of our own Moderators and I received TONS of suggestions for her to be our next TM of the Month. She's one popular gal and I think we all would love to pick her brain and get to know her better!

Here are her answers to my questions and a few other's, but feel free to ask some of your own.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in West Virginia but grew up in Arizona and southern California.

What were you like as a small child/elementary school?

I was on my own a great deal, probably one of the original latchkey kids. I used to scare myself senseless imagining all the horrible things that were about to happen to me--intruders coming in the window, ghosts coming out of the lightbulbs (because I once made up a story about an angry spirit escaping from a broken bulb). To this day I won't answer the door if I'm home alone. Or change a lightbulb. I pretty much got my upbringing from Lucy Ricardo, Bugs Bunny, and Old Hollywood. I loved the Afternoon Movie Showcase that came on right after school, too. I never dawdled on my walk home or I might miss it. Old movies are the only way I ever see life in black and white ;o)

What were you like in jr.high/high school?


I wasn't a very good follower but I didn't want to be a leader, either. I'm pretty content by myself though I always had really nice friends at school. At home there was never anyone nearby to hang out with so I read books, played with my pets (which included my little brother, who always had to be Grace Ingalls to my Laura; Boris our St. Bernard was Pa, and so on); and, as I got older, I worked a lot. I worked a great deal more than I socialized as I had to save for college and a car. I ran a babysitting service and was the salad/sandwich/pizza person in a restaurant kitchen.

I didn't actually enjoy school until 11th grade. That's when it finally got interesting, mainly because of my Lit. teacher. I'm still friends with him after all these years.

Did you ever date anyone that reminded you of Edward?

My crushes usually were on guys with Edward's qualities. Mysterious, sort of brooding, very smart, classical-looking...and unattainable. That was my prerequisite ensuring I would never get up the nerve to speak to them. If you don't approach them, they can't reject you. So, no. I never dated any Edwards, I just worshipped them from afar.

Did you ever date anyone that reminded you of Jacob?

My husband is a lot like a giant puppy. I think that qualifies.



Any college attended and if so, what were those days like for you?

Just really busy. I carried a full load of credits and worked a lot. I didn't have the typical co-ed life, I just went to classes and to my two or three jobs. I was in a hurry to get all that out of the way so my real life as an adult could start.

How did you meet your husband?

We met in a driveway in Irvine, CA. There was a church Young Adult event and that's where the carpools were being divided up to go to Sea World for the day. I was brand new, and this huge group of people stood there just staring at me like I was an alien invader until the YA leader finally recited their names. Then one girl said in a rather snotty voice, "Did you get all that?" so I recited their names back, greeting each person individually. I believe in good manners.

My husband says he fell in love that day. I didn't. I thought he was arrogant. Turns out he was tongue-tied, but I ask you, do bashful guys usually go around in fire-engine-red polo shirts? At the time, I didn't think so.

Within three weeks we were inseparable. That was in August. The following September we were married. I was 20 and he was 22.




Names, ages and accomplishments of children....

You'll be sorry you asked. I have NO modesty when it comes to talking about my boys. They are a parent's dream. Bryson is 23 and a total Edward--earnest, handsome, brilliant, witty, deep, complicated, one of my best friends in all the world. We talk for hours on the phone, read all the same books (except TW...so far), love all the same movies, like the same people....Skuyler is 20, my special pal and utterly adorable--mischievous, spunky, sentimental, sharp as a tack, funny as can be, wonderfully affectionate, popular, generous, with a heart as big as the ocean. I could go on forever but I'll take pity on you. Who wouldn't be proud: they were easy to raise, they were both valedictorians, they're always concerned with making the world a better place. Bryson is a Civil Engineer and an officer in the Coast Guard (he graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy); when he's not deployed at sea he volunteers at the Seattle Aquarium, and for his local animal shelter, and in a literacy program, and with the Civil Air Patrol. Skuyler is in his junior year at Cal State studying to be a high school history teacher. He lives at home and works at Starbucks, and likes to help the homeless and do animal rescue. He loves hiking and backpacking, and little kids, and classic Westerns, and horrible music.

Bryson



Skuyler



Umm...I'd like to interrupt this interview to say, "OMEEE!!" Can I just tell you that your sons are beautiful! Like Cullen-Vampire-like beauty! Plus - they sound, um, oh, I don't know.... PERFECT! Uh, oh - all those single ladies are going to be pming you about your sons....be prepared!

Any pets?

At one time or another we've had every species imagineable in our household. I can't even list them all, from South American Shorttail pygmy possums to hedgehogs, scorpions, centipedes, chameleons, bearded dragons, Pekin robins, ducks, parrots, tarantulas, salamanders, chickens, finches, skinks, newts, rabbits, chinchillas, mice, rats, hamsters, crows, cats, cats, cats, and more cats, alligator lizards, giant millipedes, canaries, iguanas, squirrels, desert tortoises, box turtles, and I'm forgetting some. (I used to work as an Animal Health Technician...people would dump their pets and, what do you know, I have a big S on my forehead). As for dogs, we've had fox terriers, rat terriers, shelties, a retired greyhound, an Italian greyhound, a corgi mix, an animated mop, an Aussie/whippet mix, a papillon, a Doberman, and chihuahuas (a close relative of the dog). I used to do fostering and placement of abandoned animals, except most of them stayed "placed" right here. Not many people want to adopt beakless birds or two-legged anoles, apparently.

BUT, having said all that, now that the kids are grown I don't have help with the animals (also, I've discovered Twilight and don't wish to be interrupted). Animals are a LOT of work, especially if you care about a clean, non-malodorous house. So we're down to a chihuahua, three cats, a tarantula...and two finches (a zebra and a bluecap) who are about four years past their expiration date. And why not, the way we spoil them?? There are also some stray outdoor cats we look after. Our Christmas gift to the Universe last December was rounding them up and getting them spayed/neutered.

Describe your life now using 3 adjectives.

Settled. Simple. Sorted-out.

What are your current hobbies, interests, etc?

Not-rearing children. Twilight Moms. Reading Twilight. Other reading. Reading on my elliptical (which is now the "Ecliptical"). Reading on my stationary bike. Reading in bed. Reading in the car. Reading in the porch swing. Reading in the bath. AND I lived, ate, and slept HARRY POTTER for all those years.

The art of tea. Geology. Geography. Waterford crystal. Baseball (Anaheim Angels!) Travel. Collecting DVDs (I have nearly 1000 now). Watching DVDs. Watching DVDs with Clive Owen in them. Wait, please; give me a moment...mmmmmmm Cliiiive Ooooowen....Okay. Better now. Jewelry. Clothes. Aromatherapy. Pittsburgh Street Soapworks. Holistic medicine. My organic food co-op. Freecycling. My birdfeeding station out back. My yard. Ethnic restaurants. Bargain-hunting with my husband (the man is an artist and this is his art). Studying Film Noir. And one of my favorite activities--making brunch or dinner together with my husband on Sundays, trying out new spice combinations.

What are your goals for the future?

To have one.

You've said that you have some work that's been published... What is it, what is it about, and how can we access it?

The poetry you'll never find. I don't even remember where it is--in periodicals somewhere. Then I had some stories published in an anthology series called, The Gifts of the Animals or The Lessons of the Animals or something like that. Can you tell I'm terribly attached to my writing? The publisher was Guideposts, I believe. A dear friend was responsible; she actually got her editor to write to me asking me for a submission! I'm not bold enough to submit anything on my own.


What is your professional background?

I always seem to end up taking care of sick animals and people or trying to teach someone something (I've worked mostly in the health and education fields, in other words). My longest tenure in one position was as a science instructor, K-5. Health issues have forced me to scale way back in terms of my activity level, so I currently work parttime as an RSP aide. I teach Special Ed math and language arts in grades 1-5 and I absolutely love it!! It's not an easy job by any means and it pays peanuts, or maybe that's sunflower kernels, but I think it's my favorite job of all time. I thank Heaven for a husband whose career supports us so I can do this without worrying about finances.

How did you come up with the fractured fairy tales analogy found here: http://twilightmomsforums.freeforums.org/fractured-fairytales-t423.html

I'm constantly alert for patterns/ similarities/ comparisons/ relationships in everything, and the fairytale angles in Twilight just really stood out.

Where did you frequent before finding us?

I just keep adding obsessions to my list. Some of the groups I have been involved with had to do with Mel Gibson, Jeremy Northam, Colin Firth, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, LMM Montgomery, rescuing greyhounds, fractal geometry, Scottish tartans, mineral makeup, Angels baseball, Gaelic languages, breed rescues, exotic pets, xeriscaping, disfluency, overcoming obsession....


How many languages do you speak?

I talk English good. ;o)

And intermediate Spanish. I can pretend-speak many languages. Students love this, by the way. Which is why I do it. And this summer Brian and I may start taking Polish lessons! We're not Polish but we love the food and want to get the ingredients right....

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Thinking of people reading this interview.


List some of the songs currently on your ipod.

If I carried one it would have Chris Isaak, U2, Depeche Mode, Alison Krauss, REM, lots and lots of songs from the 80s, Bruce Cockburn, Blue Oyster Cult, Dvoraks' Slavonic Dances and Songs My Mother Taught Me, OMD, Jayhawks, Wallflowers, Handel's Wassermusik, Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, KD Lang, Enya, The Chieftains, Peruvian wind music, Clannad, Maire Brennan, Loreena McKennitt, Sarah McLachlan, They Might Be Giants, The Righteous Brothers, INXS...and...the sweet 'n' swing sounds of the Big Band Era! To name a few.


Any current books you are reading?

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card; the Dead Sea Scrolls translation; a Regency romance

I'll be on an airplane right after The Host comes out so I'm going to read that on the flight. I have two books picked out for any downtime while I'm spending a week with Bryson on his ship (the polar icebreaker/research vessel USCGC Healy--Brian and I are meeting the ship in Juneau and disembarking in Seattle). The two books are Catch Me When I Fall by Nicci French, and The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde. But I don't know how much time I'll have for reading.

When was the last time you revamped a part of Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse?

April.

Name one thing you believe to be unique about you.

The unique thing about me is that there's nothing unique about me.

What's one thing you thought you'd always do or be but never have?

I thought I would manage to find a decent hairdresser by now!

What is the inside of your house like? Decorated? Organized? Spotless? Messy? Cluttered? Can't see the floor?

I like to be organized, I don't like mess, I hate clutter. My husband is a paperstacker-packrat-saver-crazymaker. Between him and bad hairstylists it's a wonder I haven't snatched myself bald.

My home decor is eclectic--native arts from around the world, natural fibers, pottery, stone carvings, that sort of thing. Every bit of bric-a-brac is something I've collected while traveling or otherwise has special significance. There's nothing in my house just for the sake of filling a space--it all has to mean something. My front room is centered on a Gustave Klimt giclee painting ("Birch Forest") and other, smaller Klimt prints--his landscapes, not his portraits. And my family room is largely about Van Gogh, from the prints on the walls down to the Charlotte di Vita and Kelvin Chen Van Gogh bibelots. My den is Braveheart movie posters and Anaheim Angels memorabilia. Coast Guard items and lighthouses are also well-represented, but of course! Now SHHHHHH...The master bedroom and bath are slowly, steadily, and somewhat sneakily being converted into Twilight rooms ;o) The colors in my house are mostly light and dark browns and jeweltones. I like rich, saturated colors and natural woods.



What is the one thing you love best about TwilightMOMS?

All the free merchandise the Mom of the Month receives? No? Okay. Um...well, the best part of TMs for me is how welcome I've been made to feel. I feel like I have a place of my own in this village. For someone who seldom feels at home in the world, that's big.

Any closing remarks you would like to make?

Yes--I would like to say Thank You!

What a great interview! Yay! Okay...some things stood out for me--Laura Ingalls Wilder, Clannad, Scottish tartans, Gaelic, Handel and was that a picture of a Van Gogh exhibit? We'll have to chat more sometime! Your boys are gorgeous too! Thanks for sharing so much fun stuff about yourself!

Jaime, great interview, but then again, that is no surprise!! Loved the pictures of your boys, very handsome indeed. You are a perfect choice for Twilight Mom for May. Bravo, and congratulations!!! Enjoy your trip on the Healy with Bryson, I know how much you have been looking forward to it!!

What a great interview! Perfect TM of the month. Shimerskin, I could read what you write over and over...it feels so warm and comforting. I loved how you described you life now: "Settled. Simple. Sorted-out." Your boys are gorgeous and I agree that they could be relatives of the Cullen boys! Congrats on all the TM merchandise comming your way, lol and on being the TM of the Month!

I am really enjoying these interviews, it was nice learning more about you Shimmerskin.

I had to laugh when I read - I thought I was the only adult who did that...

WOW! You are an amazing woman! Thank you so much for sharing all those wonderful details of your life. Your sons are gorgeous. What a perfect TM for May! Thanks again!

Yeah for Shimmerskin! You are great & I love reading your posts. So insightful!!! Congrats to you as TM of the month!!!

Your boys are so handsome! But oh no, you're an Angels fan? But seriously, I love reading your posts, they always get me thinking!

You have a lot of unique things about you.

I think it's wonderful that you enjoy teaching special ed. so much.

I have a 10-year-old son on the autism spectrum, and we had a terrible
time in public school. We are homeschooling now. I applaud that
you care enough to actually work in that field. I've found that if teachers enjoy their work, they are wonderful teachers. Thank you for that.

Congratulations on being TM of the month!!

Thank you, Wellwishers!

chocoholic--It's a Van Gogh exhibit. I was hoping Endless would caption it as being my family room...but it's the Boston Museum of Fine Art

immortalbeloved--I wasn't joking. I really won't answer the door unless it's someone I know well (and even then I might not answer if it means tearing myself away from TwilightMoms ) I'm really bad about answering the phone, too. If I were a dog I probably wouldn't come when called, either. Is it because I don't like feeling as though I have to respond on cue like a trained seal?

Getting back to the door thing...it's paranoia. If I'm working in the yard I keep the doors locked and have the key in my pocket. I wouldn't want someone slipping in the front door while I'm out back, or vice versa. About 26 years ago in Irvine a woman was tending her garden and an assailant crept inside the house to lie in wait for her. That made quite an impression on me, obviously.

debbie-dub--I grinned when I read your "warm" comment--it was 102 degrees here the day I worked on the questionnaire! I was definitely feeling warm.

momof5--I can't wait to meet you for the Host signing! I'm just so thrilled we'll be getting together

sk8ermom--Thank you for thinking I could belong here as an interview subject. At first I told Endless, sure I'll accept...as long as I don't have to answer questions or post pictures

Lisa--Yes, I've been looking forward to the Healy cruise, but I've also tried to keep it off my mind, if that makes any sense. I'm afraid to jinx it by having hopes or expectations too high. Brian calls it superstition but I say I'm just being realistic. (Your crossed fingers and health vibes seem to be working, BTW. So far, so good). If I don't let myself get too excited, then if something prevents me from going I'll be able to survive the disappointment, right?

Jamie..There are no words to say what is truly in my heart..but, you know what is there. XO Joanne

Shimmerskin... Congratulations on being TM of the month. It is so wonderful to know that there are other teachers out there that are so passionate about Twilight.

Nice to meet you shimmerskin! You sound so fun!
My book club is reading: So you will have to let me know if it's good - I haven't read it yet so I now have, oh, a week or so to get it read!

Shimmerskin:


Lovely sons. Its great that you are so proud of them because you SHOULD be. You have done a wonderful job raising your boys!!!!

And I can't believe how much we have in common!!

I am the same way about taking in animals. My dream is to have a Boston Terrier rescue one of these days.

I love that you are into Freecycle. I love that! I also love co-ops, geology, birdfeeding (i am really big into birdwatching), love ethnic food and brunch... I love tartans as well.

Oh and you have marvelous taste in music!!! Just marvelous!!!! My favorite on your list is INXS. I am a HUGE HUUUUUUGE INXS fan (with Hutch of course).

LOOOOVE Klimt and Van Gogh.

You are just so cool!!!

twilightnv --Yep, I root for the Halos. And I'll have you know I've been a fan since before 2002. For you folks who don't follow MLB, that was the year the Angels not only went to the World Series (finally, after 41 years as a franchise)...they WON. Oh, what a ride that postseason was, and what an experience that WS was. Game 6 (the potential, probable elimination game) put me through the wringer, how low can you go and then how high? By the end of Game 7 when they had the championship I couldn't even move. I sat immobile on my family room floor while tears rolled down my face. So, nv, even if you hate the Angels (gasp) you don't begrudge me that experience, I just know it

SouthernBella --Thank you for what you said. I love my students like crazy and I want so much for them to progress and succeed. I wish all their parents were as concerned and involved as you are. There's a direct correlation between the child's gains (or lack of) and the amount of support he receives from home, but you know that. BTW, I homeschooled my boys for a couple of years, until a program opened at our local elementary that I really believed in. It was wonderful for them, and since I was a SAHM in those days, I volunteered in the program four days a week, primarily working with kids who needed remedial help although I also led a gifted reading group. That school program was so successful that we had a higher percentage of top award winners in junior high and high school from that generation than from anywhere else in the district. Not that I'm saying awards are the be-all, end-all; I'm saying those kids (and yes, some of them started out with grave difficulties) became and remained enthused about learning. One big factor in the success of that program was that in order for your child to be in it, you had to commit to a minimum number of hours of volunteer time, either in the classroom or through support services (but not 4 days/week! I was a glutton). Like I said, when kids know parents believe in them and in their education enough to be involved, the kids develop a better attitude and work ethic and "lifelong learning" is more likely to be a big part of who they are.

Now that you're homeschooling you may be discovering the same thing we did--everything is "school"!! Every moment is a teaching moment whether you're hitting the books or not. Car rides are for memory games and word games and mental math and making up silly songs and crazy license plate slogans (and when they're that engaged, kids don't squabble in the backseat :wink: ) Cooking dinner is for learning about measuring and where ingredients come from and how it was when people didn't have electricity. And so on. I know, I'm preaching to the choir here. But dang it, it was FUN. Sure, having the kids involved in everything was messier and more time-consuming but we made cleaning up just another game, and what else should I have been doing with my time? (I'm SO GLAD Twilight wasn't written yet!!!!)

Joanne --I know what's in your heart 'cause it's in mine, too <3 <3

Wildflower--You're a teacher? What, where, who???

Lizzie--I just started Enchantment. I'm only at the part where Ivan is busy "not searching" for the "lady in the leaves." And let me just say you're going to have a total Twilight moment early on, enough to make you wonder if Stephenie read this book before she had her dream. Does that intrigue you enough to start it? :wink: