- I was born 10 weeks premature, let's just say long enough ago there weren't the medical advances we have in 2017. I was lucky enough to be born at St Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, WI which had one of the only neonatal units in WI at that time. Without the care I received from 24 hour nursing staff, I may not be here today! I was born on December 27th and as a kid I hated it. It was no fun as a kid getting your birthday present wrapped in Christmas paper or getting one present for both your Christmas and Birthday present.
- My family moved to Shell Lake WI when I was about 1 year old. We lived on the lake on Tiptown road. It was a great neighborhood to grow up in. All of us neighborhood kids met up daily on the beach at a central house - the one with the most sandy beach! Funny that the owner of the house didn't have young kids.. but she always made sure we were safe and were well fed!
- I went to Shell Lake High School and graduated as Valedictorian of my class. My high school friends are still some of my closest pals.
- I moved to St Paul, MN where I attended the University of St Thomas. I graduated with a BA Degree in Marketing and Psychology.
- I vowed never to return to small town living once I got a taste of the big city life. That didn't last long though. I moved back to the area just 3 months after I graduated from St. Thomas. I knew at some point I wanted to raise a family, and I have lots of family in the Spooner area. I think it's important to have a solid family support system for kids growing up.
- Shortly after moving back to Shell Lake, I got my insurance license and joined my father and Delores Christner in the insurance business. I learned most of what I know about insurance, everything I know about gardening, and much of what I know about being a good person from Delores. Dan King Agency is an independent insurance agency and we provide all types of insurance - Home, Auto, Business, Life, and Farm insurance. Insurance might seem boring to some people, but I really like what I do! I love the people I get to meet the most.
- I met my husband, John, on a blind date set up by his father. I had never been on a blind date before, so when he asked I said NO WAY! My best friend said I should reconsider the offer because she just had a "feeling" I needed to meet this guy. I guess she knew something I didn't! I have two of the most wonderful children a mom can ask for. They are smart, kind, and considerate (for the most part... they are teenagers!). Connor will be a freshman this year and his passion is football. We're looking forward to watching the Spooner Rails play this season! Taylor will be in 7th grade and she loves to read. She is working on writing her very own book. She also LOVES the water and will be getting Scuba Certified this Fall.
- When my son was two years old, he loved the number 38. We would ask him, how old are you?? He would enthusiastically respond "I'm 38!!!". Teaching him how to count if asked how many fingers am I holding up? He would say One, two, three, THIRTY EIGHT!!!! I'm not sure how or why this number was important to him at the time, but it continues to come up in our daily lives. I can't tell you the number of times we glance at the clock to find the time to be 8:38. Getting change at the store, the cashier will say "and your change is $1.38". My first marathon finish time.... 4 hours and 38 minutes. Maybe someday we will find out why this number keeps popping up in our lives. Until then it will continue to amuse and baffle us.
- I was a Girl Scout leader and cookie Mom for 6 years. One year my troops sold more than 11,000 boxes of cookies! I feel so lucky to have shared in the lives of my scouts and watch them grow from little girls to beautiful young ladies.
- I play the piano, the trumpet, and guitar. I love music! I was in band and choir in High School. I always thought it would be fun to be in a professional band and play real gigs. Maybe someday!
- Ever since the movie "Every which way but Loose" came out when I was a kid, I have wanted a pet orangutan. I have also always wanted a parrot I could teach to talk. Maybe when the kids move away I will replace them with a monkey and a bird. Ha-ha!
- I started working full time when I was 14 years old as a lifeguard at the Shell Lake Beach. It was a great first job! What's not to love about getting paid to hang out with your friends and get a tan? One day I had to help save somebody that was drowning. We did CPR and waited until the Ambulance came. I had never been that scared before in my life.
- I love to garden and grow fresh vegetables for the family. I make a mean spaghetti sauce and even better salsa that we put in jars every Fall. I would give you my recipes, but then I would have to kill you.
- I started running in 5 years ago. At first I couldn't run more than 20 yards without having to stop and walk or gasp for air. I decided I wasn't going to give up and kept plugging along. Since then I have done several 5K races, several 10K races, 6 half marathons(13.1 miles), and 2 full marathons (26.2 miles). I also completed and placed in two triathlons in Shell Lake. It has become a passion and I have met some great friends through training and races. Still after all of the races and miles I have put in training, there are days when I really don't like running.
- One of my best running friends is my black Labrador, Jack. He is slowing down now that he is almost 10 years old... but he still barks and gets that sparkle in his eye when I reach for my running shoes. He's also a great hunting partner and best friend to our family.
- I really enjoy cooking and am constantly looking up new recipes. I probably have over 50 cookbooks and every kitchen gadget known to a Master Chef, but I still look up recipes online when I'm looking for something to make for dinner.
- Growing up on Shell Lake, I spent lots of time fishing with my Dad and Grandpa. When I was in college, my dad had a power boat on Lake Michigan. One time we sprung a leak in the boat and it filled half way up with water before someone got to us to help us out. The engine compartment was flooded with water, so we had no power. We had to get towed a few miles back to the marina in rough water bailing it out with a bucket. When we arrived back at the Marina, there were about 50 people waiting on shore including news crews wanting interviews. That was a pretty scary day too.
- When I was 10 years old our Girl Scout troop was working on a music badge. We watched Simon and Garfunkel's concert in Central Park on TV. From then on I have had a huge crush on Art Garfunkel! Since then I have seen them twice in concert, and know the words to all of their songs.
- I bowl in Ladies league in Spooner every Wednesday afternoon. I love my bowling team girls, one is my Mom. We sometimes do good, sometimes not so good. But we ALWAYS have fun and laugh.
- I am an avid outdoorsmen (or is it outdoors women?). I love to hunt, fish, and go camping. I always pack enough food and gear to last a month.. even if we're only going for 2 days. You know the saying, "Better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it!".
- Things I love: my family, travelling to new places, and homemade pasta. Things I don't love: Ketchup, mustard, and people who don't tell the truth.
Last Update: Jul 27, 2017 8:10 am CDT
