My passion: Is helping women realize that they have the ability to make things themselves.

My favorite possession: An old etched juice glass I dug out of my grandmother’s kitchen cabinet. I drink almost every drink in it and treasure the idea that so many people have used it over the years.

What keeps me awake at night: The ‘uns’: un-read books, un-finished projects, un-phoned friends…

If I could be totally wild, I would: Disappear for a month with my husband and the girls. We’d go to India or Italy or Ipanema. We’d rent a house and live like the locals and explore and relax. I wouldn’t write a single postcard home or worry about work once.

My favorite body part: My hands. They can do so many different things.

Best one-liner you ever heard: “Imposing democracy is an oxymoron.” Madeleine Albright

My best friend says I am: Always late!

I still can’t get the hang of: Knitting! It makes me curse and act badly.

I wish I’d known: That fashion really does come back. I clean out my closet regularly and I have given away clothes I know I would wear again today if I still had them. Right now I am mourning a pair of knee-high, olive green boots from the ’80s.

I’d like to learn to: Finish everything I start.

Something most people don’t know about me: I used to be terrified of spiders. It made me feel stupid and foolish, so I checked out every spider book in the library and read up on them until I was more interested than scared.

Always... Wear lip-gloss.