[Capstan]

LedBoots is our latest Star in our ongoing series of Celebrity Member Interviews. LedBoots hails from sunny Florida and has been a contributing member of VB these past 2½-years! A round of applause for our new Star!

Here's how the interviews work:

-Please ask only a few questions at a time, so everyone has a chance to participate. (You can come back often to ask more questions!) Each interview runs for a week, typically from Monday to Monday.

-Anyone (and everyone) can be a VB Star. If you would like to be a VB Star, just send me or any of the moderators a PM, and we'll arrange to get you into the hot-seat! In the event no one comes forward, it will be up to our current Star to choose next week's victim, er, interviewee. If you're asked to be a Celebrity, but don't want to be one, you may take a pass; likewise, the current Star is free to pass on any questions they are not comfortable with answering.

-Please keep our posting rules in mind, and let's keep this PG-13 or better. And remember, if our current famous person expresses an opinion with which you disagree, please do not give an argument in return. This is an interview, not a debate!

NOTE- If you'd like to read about our previous Stars (they go back several years,) all of the interviews are archived in the Meet Outstanding Users forum, for your reading pleasure!

Some essential information about our Celebrity:

Quote:

Real first name? Maureen

-Age? 55

-Sex/Gender Identity? Female

-Relationship status? Married since 1986

-Location (as specific as you are comfortable being)? Tampa, Florida USA.

-Religious beliefs (or lack thereof)? I am a sort of Buddhist. I have meditated daily for many years and the Buddhists are who taught me about that.

-Political leanings? I am a life long registered old-fashioned Kennedy Democrat, but appear so conservative on this board. My main issue is always to stop killing the animals--and stop the wars too, please.

-Are you a vegetarian, vegan or raw foodist (or something else?) I'm a vegan. My husband and adult son are vegan (son convinced us of veg*nism as a child) and our daughter is omni: pescatarian with no dairy at this time.

-What is the meaning behind your username? I like gender neutral user names, and I was listening to Jeff Beck when I was signing up.

-Have you ever met anyone famous? Fabulous screen legend Sylvia Sydney helped do our stage makeup and gave us acting tips when I was in high school. Um, Jimmy Buffet partied with a bunch us when I was in college. Not too exciting I'm afraid!

-Do you live with any companion animals? No, I don't have any pets.

-Do you live with any companion humans? Yes, husband and 20 year old son.

-Where is your favorite place that you have visited? Kauai, Hawaii. We wanted to move there, it's incredible.

-What do you enjoy most about being veg*n? The lightness I feel. I feel much happier now that I know what the right thing is to do and how to live this way.

-With whom would you most love to have dinner? My dad one more time.

-Do you have any secret talents? I'm a pretty good dancer (I was a ballerina) and will dance to anything!

-What dish/recipe can you make that knocks people's socks off? My veggie pinto bean chili with jalapeno corn bread is a stand by.

-What's your favorite restaurant? Hmm, there's a new craft Brewery and restaurant nearby that keeps adding good vegan things to the menu! So I will say them, although Mellow Mushroom and their fantastic Daiya pizza has to be up there.

-What do you do to cheer yourself up when you're feeling blue? I go outside, even though I sometimes have to force myself a bit. I like the woods the best, but anything outdoors.

-What's your biggest cooking/baking disaster? Oh ha, lots of those. My husband always tells me everything is fantastic, so I can't go by him

I think the vegan brownies that were maybe half an inch tall and the consistency of hockey pucks was probably the worst. Oh, once I dropped a huge wok of stirfry on the kitchen floor, but for some reason that was more funny than anything.

-What's the one food/product, that you'd love to "veg*nize"? Baked brie.

Welcome, LedBoots. The interview begins!

 

[River]

Do you like clouds?

If so, do you often find shapes and animals and things in them?

Have you ever been affected by a natural disaster?

Beach or rainforest?

 

[60225]

''With whom would you most love to have dinner? My dad one more time."

That is the most amazing answer I have seen in these interviews; made a tough old bird like me cry x

*pulls self together*

What is your favourite band or style of music?

How did you get into Buddhism?

Why did your son become vegan?

 

[LedBoots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by River

Do you like clouds?

If so, do you often find shapes and animals and things in them?

Have you ever been affected by a natural disaster?

Beach or rainforest?

I love clouds and studied them in depth with my son when he was interested in them as a child. We have gorgeous sunsets here on the west coast of Florida. I am always looking for the green flash.

Tampa was in the path of Hurricane Charley several years ago. It was supposed to hit "the mouth of Tampa Bay" which could have put the downtown under 10 feet of water. It hit further south, devastating the coastline, but luckily in a place with far fewer people. We get lots of tropical storms in the summer.

Beach!

 

[LedBoots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quiet-Vegan

''With whom would you most love to have dinner? My dad one more time."

That is the most amazing answer I have seen in these interviews; made a tough old bird like me cry x

*pulls self together*

What is your favourite band or style of music?

How did you get into Buddhism?

Why did your son become vegan?

Hi Quiet Vegan, I teared up at your reply now! Ya, my dad and I were clise, but I was lucky to have had him healthy till he was 82.

I like classic rock and alternative rock. Love Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, lots of big guitar.

In Hugh school in the 70's, I went to a transcendental meditation class and really liked it. I met a Buddhist monk shortly after, and I used to meditate with him, and I've kept it up since. I am an anxious person, and meditating and going to the Buddhist temple calms me and makes me a nicer person.

I also like crystals and other woo things.

 

[LedBoots]

Oh and my son became vegan because he is awesome! He was around 10 and said he wasn't going to eat meat anymore because it was unnecessary and gross. He had assembled and printed out a list of reasons for going veg--ethical, environmental, and health. What could I do but start cooking him veg stuff?

He was vegan within a couple years, dragging husband and me along.

 

[Tom]

You partied with Jimmy Buffett?!

<<<<< (just a bit jealous)

How many different types of dancing have you tried?

If you were to dance in a ballet, which ballet would you want to dance in?

Have you ever seen a manatee in the wild?

 

[pandiculationco]

Will you write a book about your son growing up and your family?

It's such an inspirational story, I want to read it all ^_^

 

[LedBoots]

Tom, I did party with Jimmy Buffet and his big group of friends in Tampa, long time ago.

I danced just ballet at first, then when I got less serious about it, I learned some ballroom dancing. And of course I will always dance to live music of any kind!

I would like to dance Giselle! The best role for a ballerina imo, but you have to be perfect.

I have seen a manatee in the wild, but it was kind of cheating because they hang out in the warm water in this one spring in the winter, so we knew we'd see them. I love the fat old things.

Thank you pandiculationco, I don't know if I'll write a book about our family--although some of it would be pretty entertaining.

My son would say he was more nagging than inspirational.

I do have a half-written novel about a prep school in the 1970's.

 

[logic]

Care to share the recipe for that corn bread?

What does your son do now? Did you make your son do ballet? My mom did until I started to complain.

 

[lavender phase]

Hiyas LedBoots

I remember you mentioning you're a nurse which I think is an amazing career and I was wondering if there were any situations where you saved a life ?

I lived in Tampa, Florida (clearwater) when I was younger and loved the beach very much! which season do you prefer the cooler milder temperatures of the winter or more sunny humid days of summer?
Thank you for taking time to answer

 

[LedBoots]

Hi lavender phase.

I have been a member of a team that saved a lot of babies' lives when I worked in the neonatal ICU. I did the heimlich manuever in a guy in a restaurant once too. I'd

I love the winters here, perfect weather, but I do love the dog days of summer, too. Humidity climbing until the sky just bursts with lightning and rain.

 

[Capstan]

Hi LedBoots.

In movies, TV, books, etc., who is the best (meanest) fictional villainous character?

Do you enjoy water-sports?

Who was the better dancer: Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?

If you could live in another time-period/place, would you, and if so, which one?

 

[lavender phase]

You know I am a former ballerina too ....Oh, loved Giselle very sad though the "White Part " I also enjoyed Coppelia too! Do you still add some ballet to your exercise routine? Like arabesque or plies ? I also have long hair like you Lol remember those big ballet buns?

Did you see Black Swan ? If yes what did you think of it?

 

[leedsveg]

Hi LedBoots (Mo?)

Do you have a favourite joke or pithy saying?

Do you have a (favourite) hero?

Anything about yourself that you would like to change?

 

[Werewolf Girl]

If you were given the chance to be immortal would you take it? (You wouldn't be a vampire or anything you would just live forever)

 

[LedBoots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by logic

Care to share the recipe for that corn bread?

What does your son do now? Did you make your son do ballet? My mom did until I started to complain.

Hi logic. Lol, no, my son did not dance, although he did attend recitals, rehearsals, etc when his sister was dancing. He has studied martial arts since he was small (he's 21 now) as that was his choice of activity. He does say that he learned to stretch properly as a tiny kid watching the ballerinas warming up. There was one boy in my daughter's class, but he was the teachers son.

My cornbread is good

, and you can make it spicier depending on how mellow the rest of the menu is. When I'm making it with chili, I like to cook the cornbread in an iron skillet since that's how my Georgia relatives do it.

Basic ingredients:
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 Tblspn lemon juice
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tblspn baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 jalapeno peppers,no seeds,diced (or to taste)
1 cup corn, preferably sweet and fresh
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup real Vermont maple syrup

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch skillet. Preheat with the over to heat the skillet.
In a small bowl, mix together soy milk and lemon juice.

In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and diced jalapeno peppers.

Mix the the corn, vegetable oil and maple syrup until smooth and well combined. You can use a food processor or blender, I just stir it up really hard. Add the soymilk and lemon juice, then slowly add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Pour the batter into the greased skillet, and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Thanks for asking.

 

[LedBoots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capstan

Hi LedBoots.

In movies, TV, books, etc., who is the best (meanest) fictional villainous character?

Do you enjoy water-sports?

Who was the better dancer: Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?

If you could live in another time-period/place, would you, and if so, which one?

Hmm, villians. I have always liked Dracula. Being a complete wimp about scary books/movies, I'm sure there are lots I have missed.

Both Astaire and Kelly were great dancers. I would have loved to dance with Kelly more because I liked his style better.

Once Ginger Rogers, when asked about Fred Astaire's incredible dancing skills, reportedly winked and said,"And yes, when we partner up, I do everything Fred does--but backwards and in heels."

(I should look up the details of this story, but it's funny as it stands, I think.)

I think I'd stay in this time period because I want to see what happens next.

I love reading about other times in history though, especially biographies [yes, and historical fiction.

]

 

[LedBoots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lavender phase

You know I am a former ballerina too ....Oh, loved Giselle very sad though the "White Part " I also enjoyed Coppelia too! Do you still add some ballet to your exercise routine? Like arabesque or plies ? I also have long hair like you Lol remember those big ballet buns?

Did you see Black Swan ? If yes what did you think of it?

Yay lavender phase for ballet.

I love dancing the sad parts. I still do my ballet stretches and use the windowsill like a barre.

I did have some serious hair buns in the day!

And it had better stay in or Madame would not be happy!

I liked Black Swan because I love all ballet movies, but I was disappointed in the dancing in some parts. I was conflicted, it was so dark.

 

[LedBoots]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leedsveg

Hi LedBoots (Mo?)

Do you have a favourite joke or pithy saying?

Do you have a (favourite) hero?

Anything about yourself that you would like to change?

Lol leedsveg, I always say the old guys call me Mo

. Plus my sister and a couple childhood friends do too, I like it.

I'm bad at remembering jokes, so my favorite one to tell IRL is "A priest, a rabbi, and a nun walk into a bar. The bartender says: Hey, what is this, some kind of a joke??"

Hero hmm hard question. I guess all the people who are quietly doing things to make the world a better place for others. I saw a local sappy news story about this woman rescuing old horses, and she was out there feeding them, saying she'd find the money to continue. Apparently a bunch of people donated after seeing her story, she was very heroic and hard working.