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!
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!
