28 things about me – in no particular order

  1. I grew up in Burbank, California, home of Johnny Carson and Burbank Studios (now Disney Studios). Despite this, I’m completely “celebrity blind”. I never recognize celebrities even when I’m seated next to them. Unless Rutger Hauer has his LadyHawk costume on and is riding his Friesian horse I don’t recognize him.
  2. I wrote my first book at 11 years old. I was supposed to be setting the dining room table for dinner instead I was finishing up a children’s book. The book didn’t go anywhere. I did get a very nice rejection letter from a publisher who said, “we don’t publish children’s books but keep on writing”. That encouragement was what I needed to keep going.
  3. I’m not musical. I don’t play any instruments. I have no music apps. The same CD has been in my car stereo for the last two years.
  4. One of my first jobs was in computer programming (back when computers took up entire rooms). Currently, I can code the most basic HTML websites, nothing fancy but this skill has been very handy in my life. I also learned Desktop Publishing back before it was popular. Having these skills has helped me know that, given a little time, I can figure out almost anything.
  5. I studied Astrology and Feng Shui with private teachers in the 80s.
  6. I wrote a column on Feng Shui for the New Mexico Light for eight years.
  7. My first book on Feng Shui was published in Switzerland in 1996. I don’t speak German. The book was translated by the publisher.
  8. My first best-seller was a booklet I wrote in 2000 on space clearing called Sage & Smudge: Secrets of Clearing Your Personal Space. So many people had asked me how to use a smudge stick I finally sat down and wrote the booklet. It’s since sold more than 100,000 copies.
  9. I owned both a spiritual bookstore and a wholesale company that sold Feng Shui cures to companies like Whole Foods and Harrah’s Casinos. I designed most of the products we sold. I won the COVR award in 2004 for product design. I sold both companies so I could focus on my clients and writing.
  10. One of the reasons I’m drawn to Feng Shui is because I’ve struggled with keeping a tidy house. I know my environment affects my emotions and my ability to get things done but I’m a creative person and creativity (the Fire Element) causes messes. In my Chinese Astrology chart I’m also the Metal Element, which loves organization. These two elements are in conflict hence my struggles. I would love to say I’ve found the balance and my house is neat as a pin but as with any balance, it’s easy to get off balance.
  11. I love public speaking and teaching. I had severe stage fright through college but one day it shifted and since then I’m no longer afraid of being on stage. That’s how it works in my life. I’ll be stuck for a long time while my brain is working on the problem in the background and then one day it just clicks over and the problem is solved. This is how I lost 45 pounds after carrying the extra weight for decades (Feng Shui for Weight Loss is now a video course).
  12. As of 2021 I’ve written 18 books. I have one manuscript about to go to my publisher and two more I’m working on. My latest book is Chinese Astrology 2022 Year of the Water Tiger. This was the #1 selling annual Chinese Astrology book according to Amazon.
  13. I love dogs and cats. Currently, I have a magical cat named, LaRue.
  14. I have a black belt in Aikido and a blue belt in Kempo Karate. I continue to study Tai Chi.
  15. I’ve done Standup Comedy and regularly perform Improv with ImprovCity in Orange County, California. Improv is wonderful practice for being on stage and it also gives very important life lessons about listening, engaging with others and saying YES even when you’re uncomfortable. I recommend everyone try Improv.
  16. I enjoy making YouTube videos and I have a small but growing channel where I talk about Astrology and Feng Shui. My cat does cameos.
  17. In the last few years, I’ve lectured on Feng Shui at Warner Records, Western Digital, Syneron, Brion Jeannette Architecture, Vision Solutions, the Rancho Santa Fe Water District, Room & Board and the San Diego Airport Authority. In 2018 I lectured on Chinese Astrology at the United Astrology Conference in Chicago. In 2019 I lectured in Baltimore at the NCGR Conference lecturing on the “Astrology of Home”.
  18. I have been on the board of the International Feng Shui Guild. And currently I’m on the board of the National Council for Geocosmic Research – San Diego Chapter.
  19. I make my bed every morning so that at the end of the day I can at least say one thing was accomplished.
  20. I haven’t had a TV in 10 years but I do watch YouTube videos (probably more than I should).
  21. I don’t eat sugar (though I will have fresh fruit occasionally). That’s not to say I’m a super healthy eater. If you salt it and fry it, I’ll try it.
  22. I talk to 2-4 clients a day and clock in nearly 1000 hours of consultation time every year.
  23. I’m not good at taking vacations. I am really passionate about Astrology and Feng Shui. Every day I’m excited to work with people and work on my projects so I don’t schedule a lot of time off. But when I do take time off I like botanical gardens and places where the night sky is filled with stars.
  24. My favorite color is blue. I have a capsule wardrobe of mainly black, gray, blue and green. I used to spend hours shopping and still not have anything I wanted to wear. Having a capsule wardrobe has been wonderful. I’ve saved thousands of dollars and countless hours. I get dressed in under three minutes and always feel put together.
  25. I’ve been married once. My husband, Dannie, passed away in 2009 of leukemia. I’m open to marrying again but currently I’m not in an exclusive relationship.
  26. My favorite places I’ve lived are in Orange County, Oceanside (where I live currently) and Boston. I haven’t traveled much but I hope to do more in the future.
  27. I do a lot of writing. Currently, I write weekly and monthly predictions for Astrology.com and monthly predictions for Horsocope.com for both Western and Chinese Astrology. Right now I write a minimum of 36,000 words per month.
  28. I’m absolutely convinced that the best way to a happy, prosperous life is through self-knowledge. Astrology provides the most detailed and direct way to know yourself, your talents, your struggles and what’s ahead. It’s a hundred times more precise than any personality test you can take. Feng Shui tells us what’s going on inside you by what you’ve placed in your personal space. By shifting what’s around you can bring in new opportunities. More than any other tools, these have been the most helpful in my life and the lives of my clients. I’m so excited to share these every day.