FIRST OFF - I WILL SAY THAT I AM NOT LOOKING TO COLLECT AS MANY "FRIENDS" AS POSSIBLE....SO, UNLESS I KNOW YOU, KNOW SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU - OR WE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON TO BE FRIENDS ABOUT, DON'T REQUEST TO BE A "FRIEND". I DO WELCOME YOU TO MESSAGE ME IF YOU SEND A REQUEST, JUST TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF IF WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY MET. OTHERWISE, I'LL JUST DELETE YOUR REQUEST (because it means you haven't bothered to read this).
My name is Jenipher Sutherland. Mother, artist and teacher. I defy explanation....you don't know me - I am an enigma. Some people think I'm one of those Earth-Mother-Hippie-Chick types...but I'm not. I refuse to be defined by my looks, my opinions, my lifestyle, or by anything else people use to pigeon-hole other people. I am what I am....nothing complicated about it. If you want to know something, ask me - I'll answer.
I have four boys: Ethan, Elijah (twins, 13), Emmett (11), and Escher (8). My son Emmett is autistic...you can go to his profile by looking below in my "friends" section - he's a really neat kid! We also have a golden retriever named Miles and a ginger cat named Mingus.
I am married to Scot, a professional musician. He makes my heart flutter and my knees weak. We have been together since 1991....we met while I was singing in a reggae band - whoa, that's a long story! Scot is the bass player for the Tommy Castro Band (again, see my "friends" list, or go to Tommy Castro's website ), based out of the San Francisco Bay area. Scot goes on tour a lot, but the kids and work keep me busy.
I make jewelry (see my jewelry slide show to the left)....and I am an English/SpEd teacher at a local high school and I teach a class at the Des Moines Art Center for young children with autism. I write songs and I love to sing, but despite having tons of musician friends, I've never really done much...lack of self-confidence, I suppose. But, if you are curious..got to the last friend on my "top Friends"...it's me singing a song (written with my friend, Mark Jung) at the 2003 Iowa Blues Hall of Fame induction jam (yeah, I wasn't being inducted...I was just jamming!). Ahhh, someday...or not.
I really enjoy fishing (I can gut em' too...proof is in my photo album!), cooking/baking (I like baking cakes for friends!) , creepy crawly things (ESPECIALLY snakes!! Most recently, a spotted python named Cleo and a blue tongued skink named Marley!), spicy food, going to see live music & I am passionate...PASSIONATE...about reading. I have 14 tattoos (but some are pretty small) - with plans for many, many more.....
I am a member of MENSA, but I'm not a smarty-pants. I am the Membership Chair for Central Iowa Mensa. I love to write, though I don't write as often as I should (I express myself better through writing). I enjoy having intelligent conversations, but I'm sometimes a bit shy so I really suck at making small-talk......
I believe in karma. I believe in swordfish. Later....
