I never want my days to end. I like driving and listening to country music while flipping back and forth to talk radio.
I am the fifth child of seven kids.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My family has been in Monrovia for over 60 years. My mother is African-American and my father is Hispanic.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Current: kitchen manager for Poppy Cake Baking Company PAST: cook for Northrup Grumman in Azusa FUTURE: homesteader in the city .
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
T- Burgers, Peach Cafe
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Lived: 25 years. I had moved to Covina but I missed Monrovia, so I came back.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
My landlord. He is an immigrant. He came to America with no family, fleeing the war in his country. He lost everything. He talks to me almost daily. He allows me to hot compost on his property. He brings me fish, and we sit in my house and talk and laugh and he tells me stories about living in Lebanon during the start of the civil war. He is a man that has built five different houses and still works to this day at the age of 71. He owns five multi-unit properties and is a multi-millionaire, but continues to work to stay healthy.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Spain. I love eating at Urth Cafe, so I imagine it looking like that . Silly, I know. I also love OLD buildings – basically OLD anything!
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Movie: Kiss The Ground. TV Show: Martha Stewart cooking
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Grow your own food.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
To live off grid
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
Dolly Parton
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
JB burgers
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Jane Porter. She was the teacher that loved me openly, despite me having a learning disability. She was the first person that told me I could be anything I wanted, even with a disability.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
It’s very blended
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Starting my own food business of repurposing food, teaching food preservation and composting
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am afraid of the dark (lol)!
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Sedona, Arizona
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
December – I love the feel of Christmas. Thanksgiving. Best day: December 27th – my son’s birthday .
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Poppy Cakes PANNA Cotta Berry cups. I eat one of them every morning!
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My landlord, Moses
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Tea and coffee
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
“The M in the mountain”, “Bradoaks Bobcat” and the Boys and Girls Club
