I grew up right here in Lexington, MA, went to College in Connecticut, then lived in Cambridge MA, Oberlin OH and overseas on sabbaticals: in the other Cambridge (UK), Canberra Australia, and St. Andrews Scotland. My favorite place is probably out swimming in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH in front of the tiny cottage my parents bought in 1960.
I joined Harvard Neighbors twice, once in 1974 (to sing with the Harvard MIT Women’s Chorale) when I worked in the Harvard Herbaria, and my husband Andy was a Teaching Fellow/grad student at Harvard. After I worked with the Student Deans at Oberlin College, we moved back to Greater Boston and Harvard, and I re-trained in computers as a Programmer and Systems Analyst. But my main interest is learning multiple languages and the cultural background of words. I joined Harvard Neighbors again from 1997 onwards (after our young son started going to all-morning kindergarten.). That year, the Japanese Culture group taught Sumi-e painting, and the Art Explorations group let me try all kinds of Art, including my own ideas for a class portrait in Mexican paper-cutting style.
Sometimes, if you stay long enough you get promoted! I was co-leader with Yayoi Witzel for Japanese Culture for a few years when we taught Healthy Japanese Cooking, paper crafts, and new ideas in Bonsai using backyard weeds. I also began co-teaching Art Explorations, with its founding teacher Kitty Pechet and longtime co-teacher Audrey Lum.
Later, I co-founded the Cultural Traditions group and introduced a Winter event “Celtic Night”–all the Celtic cultures. We shared Scottish oatcakes, Welsh cheeses and other foods, sang Scottish and Irish folksongs together, and I taught everyone the Welsh National Anthem (in Welsh!) Nothing beats coming into a warm place with friends on a cold February night, singing by the fire.
I love spending time outdoors and stay up too late whenever there is a meteor shower, or when I hear local Owls trilling from nearby trees. Indoors, I can never resist jigsaw puzzles or word puzzles of any kind. I have been dancing since I was 3 years old and have just started learning Cape Breton Step Dance.
Spouse of newly retired Professor in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (Andrew H. Knoll) in FAS