I LOVE the theater!
It's what initially brought me to NYC in 1995. As an aspiring stage actress I packed my bags and moved across the country with my best friend T. Scott. Even though my performing days are far behind me, I still absolutely love losing myself in the music, lighting and drama that is LIVE theater. It is truly my "Happy Place"! I like to joke that I've taken all the money I used to spend on wine and now spend in on the theater and guess what...I'm TOTALLY ok with that!
I have two cats (that don't really like each other)
I loved cats when I was younger, but because my Mom was allergic we could never have them. As an adult I developed allergies to them as well, but I always heard the best way to get over a cat allergy, was to get a cat! Well, one night in 2014 a beautiful tuxedo cat was dumped in our building. My husband John grew up with cats and LOVED them. I took it as a sign that maybe we were "meant" to have this cat? The kids were so excited and we immediately named her Lucky...because she was! Another cat soon followed (because you can't have just one right?) and we named him Dewey. They are NOT best friends, but they tolerate each other and give the whole family just the right amount of love. And guess what? My cat allergies DID go away!
My Family means the world to me
My Hubby John
John and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary! He has been my ROCK though this alcohol free journey and I don't know what I'd do without him. He made the decision to stop drinking shortly after I did (with absolutely no pressure from me). He was a moderate drinker in every sense of the word, but since quitting he has felt so much better! It just goes to show, it's not how much you're drinking but how you feel when you REMOVE it. He was the first guest on my podcast, it was an incredibly honest and vulnerable interview.
My daughter Maya
Maya made me a Mom in 2003! She is a very determined, smart and sassy your lady. Some call her a "Mini Mel", which I consider a HUGE compliment:). She is also one of my theater buddies. We've been known to drop everything and rush to midtown on a whim to find last minute tickets to one of our favorite shows. One of the beauties of living in New York. She is a senior in college studying Criminology and hopes to go to law school and fight for our countries unending social justice issues.
My son Nick
Four years later I had my son Nick in 2007. He is my artist and my creative one. He follows in my gift of gab, is an empath and an old soul. He's in his last year of high school and in the fall will be heading down to Charleston, SC to study woodworking at the American College of Building Arts. He's a smart kid and knows he would rather work with his hands than sit at a desk all day. Both of these kids make me very proud!
