Hello -
Well, I’m into my crone years although still a maiden in my heart. I retired from teaching about 10 years ago. At one time or another during my 33-year career, I taught grades K-12, and was a full-time university instructor in the teacher education department. The K-12 subjects taught include English, French, Journalism, Literacy, Remedial Reading, and Study Skills.

I grew up in a close community just north of Nashville, Tennessee, an only child. I majored in French and Secondary Education at George Peabody College for Teachers, which is now part of Vanderbilt. My MEd degree is in Reading/Literacy from Middle Tennessee State University. I’m a doctoral drop out due to family obligations, but I got a few years of study under my belt and learned much about curriculum and instruction.

My love of nature began at an early age. My father taught Chemistry and Physics, plus Biology. So a walk in our wooded backyard became a fascinating science lesson every time. We turned over rocks to find bugs and to look at fossils in the rock. We studied clouds and weather patterns. Daddy named many wild plants and we examined leaves in detail. My mother loved flowers, but didn’t like getting her hands dirty! To her dismay, the kitchen was often turned into a science lab after dinner.

I come from a Methodist religious background, but found much missing - especially the lack of focus on nature. As I matured, I found myself drawn toward a variety of spiritual paths. I researched many, and practiced some. But Druidry is the only one that has felt right for me, and I feel most connected with AODA’s approach to Druidry.

Personally, I’m married to a Druid who won’t admit it. Ha! In the autumn of 2023, we moved to a wooded, rural area of Trigg County, Kentucky. Our lot is on Lake Barkley/Cumberland River. It’s a perfect location to observe seasons, wildlife, and native plants.

I have lived in a several states: Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama, and now Kentucky.

Some of my Druid interests include divination, story-telling, rituals, and all things nature related (especially stones, herbs, and birds).

Other avocations are needlework (hand quilting, crochet, embroidery), scrapbooking, reading, writing, and genealogy.

I’m an Apprentice within AODA and volunteer as a moderator for the AODA Forums.

Blessings from beneath the Hackberry trees of southwestern Kentucky.
Brenda