I am an English Composition/Speech/Theatre College Instructor who is also a freelance Editor/Writer looking for a house sitting opportunity that enables me to complete my book, which is under contract. Recently I moved to Chapel Hill, NC, where I have family; however, I spent most of my adult life in Manhattan and City Island in NYC, and its Northern Suburb, Westchester County, where I raised my two daughters, now married with careers of their own. I moved here from Edgewater/Andersonville, on the North East Side of Chicago, a town I grew to love, where I worked as an educator and free lance writer/editor.
I spent most of my childhood on my family's farms in PA; half of it was spent on our 112 acre estate; and the other half was spent on my father's 70 acre farm that my father, after returning from WWII, began farming. There, as the oldest daughter, I spent most of my time raising my little brothers and sisters; tending our acre gardens of tomatoes, corn, potatoes and vegetables; canning our produce for the family meals over the long Pennsylvania winters; and studying, reading, playing piano; participating in athletic events/extra curricular activities; and writing for the high school newspaper and literary magazine.
I have much experience to prepare me for taking care of your grounds, home, and the usual variety of household pets and domestic animals. I am particularly interested in house sitting in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, Charlotte and East Coast of North Carolina; NYC & surrounding suburbs; Connecticut; N.J.; near Dubuque, IA; Chicago, Boston, MA; Washington, D.C. and their surrounding suburbs, and have indicated interest, particularly in Norway, where my father and paternal grandparents were born and relatives live; France; England; Denmark; Iceland; Spain; Portugal; Italy; Ireland; Scotland and Finland.
I have lived for months at a time in Paris and London, and have spent substantial time in Italy, Germany, Spain, Scotland and other counties on the European Continent.
During my professional career as a theatrical and lighting designer/director, I toured all over this country and Europe for several years supporting my husband as he obtained his highly successful international career as a singer/songwriter, while employed as his stage and lighting director/designer. My maternal grandmother is a first generation American whose mother was born in England; my maternal grandfather was born in Ireland; and I have family in Australia; thus, my interest and familiarity with some of the above countries.
I am responsible, love art, reading, writing, gardening, cleanliness, nature, pets/domesticated animals and the sea. I am a tolerant person who is well educated, reasonable, practical, single, security conscious, big-city savy; well-mannered and friendly, who is interested in learning about/respectful of people and the cultures from which they come.
My degrees are a Bachelors in Theatre w/a double major in Theatre/English and an M.S. in Upper Level English Education. I attended Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University for my Master of Divinity degree as an Education major, Education courses from Columbia University Teacher's College. I would love to take care of your home while I complete my book, and am very interested in places in the country and near water or on the coast, as I love to sail and all things water-related. I love the country and big city culture.
My experience is that children and animals seem to be drawn to me; I love to cook and have a "green thumb," if that is helpful to you.
I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your consideration!
My best,
Elizabeth
FinishMyBook