Folks, today we are going to talk with my friend and co-chair, Cathy McGough. As you probably know, she hails from "down under." Cathy and I work behind the scenes together to make PnP a better place. Isn't the above picture cute? Cathy is the kid second in from the right, taken during her illustrious thespian period.
* * * *
Hi Cathy! Let's begin with our usual first question: Would you like to start off by describing your life--where you live, family, etc.?
I live in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in a suburb in the inner west with my husband Aaron and our son Simon. This is our third house since we moved here from Canada 3 years ago, and we really think we’ve cracked it this time! What I mean by that, is we really feel like we are in Australia this time, although we are still only 15 minutes to downtown Sydney by train. We have huge gum trees outside our front door, and passion fruit growing on vines all around our yard. Magpies make themselves at home on our balcony, and we wake up to a choir of kookaburras nearly every morning at four. Pelicans drift by, usually in pairs every day and we sit along the shores and watch the fish jumping.
I’m still getting use to it being as hot at Christmas time as it is summer time here. We are planning to have a BBQ instead of the traditional roast turkey dinner because it is just too hot to put the oven on! I use to live in the Snow Belt in Ontario, and it still feels somewhat silly when I’m walking through the malls being serenaded by all the traditional favourites about snow. When you sing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” down under – well you are REALLY DREAMING!
Could I sleep over on your balcony? It sounds so lovely! When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
The first thing I ever remember wanting to be was a ballet dancer. My best friend was taking lessons and my parents couldn’t afford to send me, so I found a pair of ratty old ballet shoes at a garage sale, and carried them around pretending I was going to lessons after school. I tried them on one day and it hurt so bad that I tossed them into the bin. Then I decided I wanted to be a singer and joined our church choir and the glee club at school. If anyone is starting a PNP Glee Club, I’m IN!
Well, I'm pretty sure Karen won't be starting the Glee Club. Actually, I think you might be our first-declared singer...but I digress...When have you had the most fun in life?
The most fun recently was last Tuesday. My mother-in-law was visiting from Adelaide and we decided to do The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. It was fun, but VERY SCARY at the same time. Just so you get an idea of its size it is the world’s largest (but not longest) steel arch bridge. The top of the arch is 134 meters above sea level (that is 442.2 ft. above sea level). First we were breathalized (at 10 a.m.), then suited up in something similar to what astronauts wear. Then we did a test climb on a simulator. After that we were given radios, earplugs and a cool gadget that hooked us to the bridge. Then we were off. I don’t think anything can, or will ever compare with the gamut of emotions I went through as I journeyed toward the top of the bridge. It was a challenge, exhilarating, frightening, and FUN. When I arrived, under the Aussie flag there was also a strong sense of I DID IT! YEAH!
WOW! Egad, I would have found a way to trip and be left dangling in midair--sort of like, you know, "Jo on a rope." At least you got to wear a cool-looking spacesuit. Speaking of clothes, for the benefit of those folks who are reading this, what are you wearing right now?
Jo, not nice…it is 9:15 a.m. and I’m still in my jammies.
Actually, I'm always in my jammies when I'm working on the computer at night. It is like my personal secret. When I win the Pulitzer for literature, I'll laugh and say, "I wrote it in my pajamas!" Errrr, I was supposed to ask a question now. huh? What is your favorite movie? Why?
I absolutely ADORE Cary Grant and watch any movies he appeared in over and over again. He is so handsome and charismatic! SWOON! My favourite movies of his are “Mr. Lucky”, “Monkey Business”, “Penny Serenade”, “An Affair To Remember” and “Arsenic and Old Lace”…I could go on! If it didn’t have Cary Grant in it, then I’d pick Moulin Rouge.
I couldn't agree more! They don't make 'em like Cary anymore. Next question, who inspires you?
I was born on August 9th and my Grandma’s birthday was on August 10th. Besides being Leo, we had something special from the very beginning. A mother-daughter bond that no one else could quite comprehend. She had a strong love for poetry, and led me to the masters like Tennyson who was her absolute favourite. When she was a girl, she won awards in school for writing poetry. So, I guess you could say that my Grandma has been and always will be my greatest inspiration. We are kindred spirits and even death could not separate us. Besides Grandma, I think there are angels moving among us every day, guiding us, helping us, helping the helpless and giving hope to those without hope.
Once again, I certainly agree about angels! Next question...what was the last gigantic belly laugh you had?
Last week, my girlfriend sent me a link, and asked me to try it. It had dots on it, asked you to lean to your right and stare and something would happen in a few seconds, and lo and behold a HUGE BUM popped up on the screen…might I add a bum with heaps of cellulite…I emailed the link to my husband, telling him not to open it before he had his lunch…of course, HE DID. He was leaning to the right, and the bum popped up and he SCREAMED! All of his staff members ran over to see what was wrong, and meanwhile he was frantically attempting to get it off of his screen and couldn’t so they all saw it. Red faced he explained I had sent it to him. I laughed so much when he described how embarrassed he was and couldn’t sleep that night because I kept sniggering when I imagined him trying to get the bum off his screen.
Gee, and my hubby took that picture of my bum, promising me he would only use it for wallpaper on his computer. Hmmm. Let me make a note of this... Oh well, on to the next question...Most people don't know that I ....(finish this statement).
…Had my picture on the front page of The London Free Press in 1972 as one of the leads in the musical version of Tom Sawyer. I played Amy the girl who Tom rejected for Becky Thatcher. I don’t know how Tom could resist me in that hat!
If you could spend time with any music star, with whom would you want to sit down and talk?
Bono from U2. I believe he is a great poet and humanitarian and would love to discuss the work he is doing with Third World Countries and find out what I could do to help.
What is your definition of a good book?
A good book is one I can read over and over again, and it always feels like the first time. Of course, I do remember the storyline, etc., but the writer tells it in such a unique way that I am drawn into the world of their imagination repeatedly. King Lear, Hamlet, Angela’s Ashes, Wuthering Heights, The Grapes of Wrath, The Poisonwood Bible, The French Lieutenant’s Woman to name just a few.
Very good! Here comes the question I love to ask: Excluding sex, what rings your chimes?
A hot bath, a bottle of fine wine, Body Shop’s Rose Milk Bubble Bath…you get the idea. Certain foods I miss also qualify like Cheerios, Twizzlers, Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Horton’s Coffee, Swiss Chalet Chicken…Traveling, seeing places I’ve only read about. The beauty of nature, its strength, its fragility.
Yep! Those cheery little O's sure ring my chimes in the morning. Sometimes I talk to them, but that's another story....Do you have any other comments you would like to make?
I’d like to say how wonderful PNP is, and to remind you all to order your copy of
Tides of the Heart. This is PNP’s first Anthology and it is a beautiful book, and would make a wonderful Christmas Gift for everyone on your list. Once you’ve read it, perhaps you could recommend it to your local library? All you need is the following information:
Tides of the Heart The Best of Prose-n-Poetry
ISBN 0-9722757-0-3
Publisher: Prose-n-Poetry, Inc.
1271 Wire Grass Road
Lumberton. NC 28358
Yes, the Anthology is a lovely little book, and a wonderful gift. You can tie a ribbon on it and take it as a hostess gift or as a gift for anyone on your list. It is a light, yet satisfying read that amuses and inspires....Er, uh, sorry! Got carried away there! Do you have some favorite authors at PnP, Cathy?
Kay Lee, A. R. Lewis, William Robbins, Karen, Jo, Betty, Ellen, George, Billy, Robert, Melissa…to name just a few. I am constantly discovering new writers and truly believe PNP has the Finest Writers around!
How about a list of favorite works at PnP you have written?
Black Rose Petals, Death Wish, Margaret’s Revelation, Cooking for a Critic, The Eyes of Heaven, The Paper Doll, I Can Fly, Food for the Muse, The Writer.
A wonderful collection! Well, thank you for a fun interview and a glimpse into your life down under. ...Now I'm off to talk to hubby about that bum picture...
Author Cathy McGough's Page
Welcome !
