Miss Andrea:
1.What is your idea of perfect happiness?
My heart and mind at peace — free from worry, quiet, appreciative, filled with love. Also, pink beach house full of happy dogs, good wine, gorgeous music and good friends.
2.What is your greatest fear?
Growing old alone. Being brunette.
3.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Worry. I have a Ph.D in it.
4.What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Selfishness, arrogance, lack of compassion.
5.Which living person do you most admire?
Sister Hazel Williams, a street minister in Gainesville, Florida. Rock star single mothers. Artists/creatives.
6.What is your greatest extravagance?
Time away from working.
7.What is your current state of mind?
Philosophical, determined, meditative.
8.What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Temperance
9.On what occasion do you lie?
When it keeps someone's feelings from being hurt.
10.What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Short legs, arms and hands. But they all work so well, I'm thankful for them, too.
11.Which living person do you most despise? Child and animal abusers.
12.What is the quality you most like in a man?
Compassion. Sense of humor.
13.What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Compassion, wisdom, a heart for other women.
14.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
No worries. The F bomb, when angry or excited. (emphatically, not profanely)
15.What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Jesus Christ — the most boundless, perfect love.
16.When and where were you happiest?
Floating in the ocean, Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI — epic beauty, weightless, quiet, turquoise ocean, no where to go or be. Bliss. Wine, water, laughs, love. Many times.
17.Which talent would you most like to have? Patience. I can already tap dance and twirl a mean fire baton, so yeah.
18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My capacity to judge something before it actually happened. Go team Virgo — the ultimate, natural-born critics.
19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Inspiring others through teaching. Hair color.
20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? An angel, of hope, who looked after those who needed someone.
21. Where would you most like to live?
On a beach, away from others, somewhere in the Caribbean. With a pink house and serviceable Wifi.
22. What is your most treasured possession?
My dog, Labby Sue. But she really owns me. The baby grand piano of my childhood. It represents so much.
23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Living without faith or knowing God.
24.What is your favorite occupation?
Dancer, writer, creatives.
25.What is your most marked characteristic?
Wit, command of language.
26.What do you most value in your friends?
Loving acceptance without judgment, humor, honesty.
27.Who are your favorite writers?
Pat Conroy, Tennessee Williams, Rick Bragg.
28.Who is your hero of fiction?
Mary Frances Nolan, the protagonist from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
29.Which historical figure do you most identify with?
All those women journalists who blazed my path — thank you.
30.Who are your heroes in real life?
Black grandmothers who have always kept families together, all over. They are powerful and beautiful. Missionaries. People who adopt children. Dreamers.
31.What are your favorite names? Allegra, Christian, Eve. In French class, I was always Mademoiselle Eve.
32.What is it that you most dislike?
Cruelty, thoughtlessness, cold weather, gray skies, men who hit and denigrate women.
33.What is your greatest regret?
Marrying someone I did not love; not traveling enough.
34. How would you like to die? Lying down, on a beach, watching the sun set and hearing the waves. It would be nice if someone who loved me was holding my hand.
35. What is your motto?
There are a several: Jesus loves you and so do I. The higher the hair, the closer to God. May your faith be greater than your fear.
Marsa:
1.What is your idea of perfect happiness? Living totally in the moment. And music. . . loud music!
2.What is your greatest fear? Dying alone.
3.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I deplore nothing about myself. Give to others, Love yourself, Own your potential - GLO is our corporate philosophy and I wholeheartedly believe in it.
4.What is the trait you most deplore in others? Insincerity.
5.Which living person do you most admire? Lord Herbert Hurwitz. If you don't know him, you should.
6.What is your greatest extravagance? Diamonds.
7.What is your current state of mind? Happy.
8.What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Chastity.
9.On what occasion do you lie? "Happy to be here."
10.What do you most dislike about your appearance? The silver fox strip down the center of my head.
11.Which living person do you most despise? People who despise others.
12.What is the quality you most like in a man? Intelligence.
13.What is the quality you most like in a woman? Intelligence.
14.Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Now.
15.What or who is the greatest love of your life? Just one?
16.When and where were you happiest? Now.
17.Which talent would you most like to have? To sing amazingly well - even if for just one song.
18.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I'm always growing.
19.What do you consider your greatest achievement? That I'm here.
20.If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? My dog.
21.Where would you most like to live? I like to live on the move - traveling around the world.
22.What is your most treasured possession? My capacity to love.
23.What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Not sharing.
24.What is your favorite occupation? Running Be Brilliant Bags.
25.What is your most marked characteristic? That I always get my way.
26.What do you most value in your friends? Letting me have my way.
27.Who are your favorite writers? Musashi.
28.Who is your hero of fiction? Heroines. Only heroines.
29.Which historical figure do you most identify with? Cleopatra.
30.Who are your heroes in real life? The people who do their daily work to take care of their family.
31.What are your favorite names? Marcus & Jillian.
32.What is it that you most dislike? Haters.
33.What is your greatest regret? I live without them.
34.How would you like to die? Peacefully. In my sleep.
35.What is your motto? "I choose" - the two most powerful words in the dictionary. Choose wisely.
