READER PROFILES

Thank you so much to all the readers who have submitted questions and profiles. It has been super cool to get to know you. I love how unique and different all of you are. This week, we meet two readers… Mark and Tayo. Each one approached this in a different way and both are great! Thanks for sharing!

Reader profile: Mark Connolly

My name is Mark C, and I am from New Jersey (USA). I am a high school biology teacher and my birthday is March 24, which makes me an Aries.

I love Italian food. It is one of my favorite types of food to eat. A great Italian meal begins with good bread. It is even better if it is warmed and the basket includes garlic bread (very delicious). I enjoy a great caprese salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and here in NJ, we have absolutely fabulous Jersey tomatoes at the end of the summer through the beginning of the fall. So I must say that in the “Garden State,” a caprese salad is even more delightful than usual during the summer months. A few other great appetizers include a delicious cold antipasto and mozzarella en carozza with extra sauce on the side. I also enjoy a caesar salad (sometimes with grilled chicken). For the main entre, chicken/veal francese, lasagna, chicken/veal/eggplant parmesan with penne, penne vodka, or penne alla vodka (it has shrimp, scallops, & crabmeat in it) are all great choices. For dessert, ricotta cheesecake or New York style cheesecake is a must. A touch of ice cream also makes a great addition to any meal and is a great way to complete it. I must say that pizza is always fantastic, especially if it has thin crust and was baked in a brick oven. I feel like ordering some great Italian food right now!

My favorite seasons are both spring and summer. I really love that the weather becomes warm in the spring and everything comes “alive” again. I really like warm weather. I like to see beautiful green lawns, trees with leaves on them, beautiful gardens, etc. Summer is also a great time of the year. I like to spend time a lot of time at the beach and in the pool! It is a very fun and relaxing time of the year. It is really the best season of all!

A friend would describe me as a sincere person that is honest, dedicated, hard-working, and is respectful, caring and considerate of others. He/she would say that I am a great listener, and I try to helpful to people whenever I can. I am always friendly with a big smile on my face.

Happiness for me is spending time with family and friends, playing with my dog, and eating great food. I also love music, music, music!!!! Music is really a very big part of my life. I enjoy listening to wonderful music from the 1960’s through today and playing my favorite albums / CD's, singing along with a favorite song, collecting records & memorabilia, and going to concerts. I have been going to all sorts of concerts ever since I was a child, and I have even met many of the artists and celebrities after the shows over the years (that is always a very fun and exciting experience). Speaking of concerts, I can't wait for the “More Today than Yesterday” Tour (hurray)!!

I also find it fulfilling to give back by teaching and supporting charities. I am happy being alive here on Earth, learning new things, having a good laugh, meeting new people, trying to go for my dreams and take advantage of all that life has to offer.

If I could have my ideal job, I would like to be involved with show business through the music industry. I would actually like to be a singer/performer and recording artist. (I think I am getting too old for my dream job to ever become a reality; however, I have been thinking about this ever since I was a child.)

My proudest moment was when I earned my doctorate degree in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy. It was a lot of hard work and took years of graduate school to arrive at this point!

Since you asked me this question, Chudney, I will be very happy to answer it! You know, people ask me this question all of the time, and I always say that it is a difficult one to answer because Diana Ross has so many, many amazing songs. There are just too many to count! My favorites also change all of the time, and sometimes it even depends on what is going on in my life. I love all of songs by The Supremes – they are a lot of fun. I also really, really love the classic “Diana Ross” songs such as “Touch Me in the Morning,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “The Theme from Mahogany,” the live version of “Do You Know / Ain’t No Mountain,” “Upside Down,” “The Boss,” “Chain Reaction,” “It’s My Turn,” and the list goes on and on and on. I also really like “If We Hold On Together,” “Your Love,” “One Shining Moment,” “When You Tell Me that you Love Me,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Battlefield,” “Take Me Higher,” “Voice of the Heart,” “I Love You,” “More Today than Yesterday,” “Lovely Day,” and of course, “Best Years of My Life.” All of this fabulous music has given me the “Best Years” of my life. It is really amazing when I think about all of the years, but all of these songs have really been a part of me almost my entire life! They are very special to me!

Your blog is really FABULOUS, and that is why I tune in each week! Your blog topics are always fun, educational, and very inspirational to read each week. I am always SO VERY IMPRESSED with the many, many wonderful things that you do for so many people in need!! You always go the extra mile when it comes to helping people!! It is always wonderful to read things like this. We need more "Good News" in our world today. I also really enjoy being a part of your blog! It is great reading your updates and then to be able to share my comments and ideas with you and the regular readers. I have also met and become friends with so many nice people all across the globe due to your blog!

Life is really a journey, and I am learning new things everyday!

Find me Mark on Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/461623379

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=374654685883&share_id=100106203367174&comments=1#!/profile.php?id=1349085564&ref=profile

Mark’s Diana Ross Web Site
www.marksdianarosswebsite.com

Thank you so much Mark for starting us off right! You shared so much great information that I’m sure everyone will really enjoy! Thanks for this FABULOUS idea for questions and profile and for tuning in weekly.

Reader profile: Tayo Sekoni

I am not sure how I came to your blog. I think I was searching about your family and saw you blog and I have been reading about you every since. I love your stories and your fun life. Now you seem have grown older and your blog has become more meaningful to life, which is interesting. It makes me think. I like that. I think you are an inspiration to young women and that people can use their time wisely.

I do not take photographs, but I included my birthday picture from two years ago. I have gained a little weight, but I’ve been going to the gym. It does not seem to be working but I will keep trying.

I am Libra, and my family say's I balance my other siblings out, which is good to know. My Birthday is in Oct 7 and I am getting older. Gosh! My aim this year is to get a job in the hospital. So stressful job hunting! I have been with out a job for 2 years now. So that gets me down at times.

I am not sure if I have a favorite color, but when I was young I loved yellow. It is bright and vibrant. I am going to wear my african outfit on Sunday, predicted weather in London is going to be hot. Thank God. My favorite season is spring in London, all the flowers come out and the sun sometimes come out also.

I have very few close friends and I think one will say I am a good adviser… not that I seem to take my own advise.

I have started to enjoy life to the fullest, so I try to be happy. Go for few events and help others. What I am sad about was that I always dreamed I would see Micheal Jackson one day, it was not to meant to be, but my daughter got me This Is It dvd for mother's day. I was happy.

I am dreaming to set up my own Nigerian restaurant by 2012. Being a mum is my proudest moment and it is a big job.

I just watched on old interview of your mom some art studio for students. I saw most of your family including your dad. He is a very quite one. I loved seeing your Aunty with the White hair. It was lovely. My favorite song of your mom’s is -You Give, You Live. She sang it live as the last song in Caesar’s palace. I still remember you refused to sing. I still watch that show on you tube. That is when I fell in love with your mom's music.

I am on facebook (Tayo Sekoni and a flower picture).

Thank you, Tayo for sharing about yourself with such honesty! I wish you luck with your job hunt, opening the Nigerian restaurant and keep working hard at working out. I know it gets hard sometimes ☺

More coming soon… Stay tuned!

LET THE INTERVIEW BEGIN…

So… last week, I started writing a fun filled blog about my cruise to Mexico for my one-year anniversary with Joshua. It was filled with information for those of you who may be interested in taking a cruise on the Princess line in the future and it had funny and silly tidbits about my karaoke debacle, late night dance parties and horse back riding on tiny little horses in Puerto Vallarta. It was a good read (if I don’t say so myself), but sadly you will not get to read it this week. That is, unless you find the burglar who broke the window of car and stole everything while I was in yoga last Friday. Yes, I realize that I am the idiot who should have brought my brand new lap top into the yoga studio with me and that hiding it under the seat doesn’t always work when you also leave a good looking leather Marc Jacobs purse (my favorite one) on the front seat. UGH!

Well, instead of wallowing (I did shed a flood of tears for a couple days), I am moving forward, writing on my old computer and not dwelling on the writing and work that was not backed up. It’s definitely a bummer, but you gotta get back on the horse, so here goes….

Thank you so very much to everyone who has emailed questions and profiles. Please be patient with me though. I will try to get to as many of them as possible as soon as possible, but I also want to keep up you up to date with my other adventures. One of our readers Q was concerned about my busy schedule and disappointing people whose questions it takes me a while to get to, so I would like to let you know that I promise to read every email, try to answer at least some of your questions (if you sent 100 sadly, I may not get to them all) and post your FABULOUS reader profiles soon (don’t forget to send pictures).

Keep tuning in and your questions will be answered. ENJOY!

First up… JASE CARTER, a reader since mid 2007 who usually doesn’t leave comments submitted a slew of great questions. Like many people she discovered my blog while reading nasty things about me on radaronline.com and other gossip sites. After checking my blog out to see what the big fuss was about, she became hooked.


Questions from Jase:

Who inspires you besides your mother and why?
I am inspired by all people who go after their dreams. Sometimes I feel as if there is so much more I should be doing and more that I want to accomplish and it’s overwhelming. But, when I look at people such as my mother, President Obama, Oprah or even the kid’s that I wrote letters with at Children Mending, I am inspired to keep working with perseverance to reach my dreams. These people didn’t (and don’t) let anything get in the way of reaching their highest potential and to me that is inspiring.

What do you know about yourself now that you did not know when you were in your 20's?
When I was young, I was very shy and I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. As I have matured, I have learned that the goofy, nerdy, unique and special person that I am is perfect for me. Our differences are what makes us beautiful. I used to struggle with my body and the way I looked, but once I embraced who I am and the body I was born into, everyone else started to see my beauty, too. I was once too shy to speak my mind, but once I started talking I realized that what I have to say is important and just as FABULOUS as the next person. I think we all learn so much about ourselves as time passes and I am happy with the person I’ve become and excited about where life will continue to lead.

If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be and why?
I would describe myself as confident, happy and fun loving. Confidence has been a learning process, but I have made it to a point where I am very comfortable with whom I am. I am lucky to be the kind of girl who can always can find the silver lining in a bad situation. I try to keep negativity out of my head and out of my heart. I also would say I am fun-loving or maybe even goofy, because I love to enjoy life and live it to the fullest whether that be making up silly interpretive dances in front of the mirror or singing karaoke in my living room.

Jase had many more GREAT questions, which I will add to the pile for a future blog. Thank you, Jace!!

KRISTIN GUDMUNDSDOTTIR from Iceland was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to understand her English, but it was close to perfect! Keep working on your English, Kristin! You’re doing great! Thanks for reading my blog and writing in!


A question from Kristin:

You are children’s book writer, model, starting business with your friend, a host in young Hollywood and a teacher! That is a lot and your family are actors and singers do you have any time to see each other? Do you spend holidays together?
Family has always been super important to me and yes, we are all very busy people. My mom has instilled in us the importance of family and so we all make a good effort to see each other often. We used to do family dinners on Sundays, but that doesn’t always work, so I at least make an effort to call and chat with my mom every Sunday (Sunday Check-in!) I talk to my siblings often by phone and I have lunch with my brothers or Tracee who live in LA and go to NYC every couple months to visit Rhonda. We try to plan family vacations when we can and see each other on most big holidays. I am happy to say that I have not been with out family for one thanksgiving or Christmas since I was born. Not bad for a BIG family with a BUSY schedule!

Linnea discovered my blog while watching youtube videos of my mom. She says she keeps coming back because she looks up to me and likes that I’m not a show off and that I write about positive things in an honest way. Thank you, Linnea for your continuous support and kind words.


Questions from Linnea:

What is the background to your name?
I get this question a lot because Chudney is such a unique name. My mom and dad have different stories on this one. My mom says she was just being creative. They started with a pretty normal name (Rhonda), then got a little fancy with a double ee (Tracee), then went all out in the creativity department with me (Chudney). My dad says that they didn’t have a name for me when I was born because they thought I was gonna be a boy, then two nurses said names at the same time (Courtney and something else), every one heard Chudney and the rest is history ☺ Either one works for me as I have grown to embrace my unique name and found that many girls and boys have been named after me, too!

What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
As I have gotten older, I have become much more tame. As a teen, I was a bit of an adventure seeker. I’ve scuba dove a night in pitch back ocean, jumped off cliffs and jet skied over sharks. Now, safety comes first!

What is the biggest misconception about you?
I think that people often think that I’m a self-centered, entitled diva who is given everything on a silver platter. My mom has done a great job teaching us the value of money and the importance of being humble, working hard and being polite. Most people are surprised at how “normal” I am, which is funny because even though I was born into a celebrity family, I am just an average girl working hard and going after my dreams like everyone else.

Lot’s more FABULOUS questions and reader profile’s coming soon! Keep the emails coming. For now, I am happy to keep this going for a while. I think it will be a nice supplement in between my other blogs (and I promise I will try to get back to that blog about my cruise to Mexico)!

QUESTIONS FROM YOU

One of my FABULOUS readers, Mark had some great ideas for my blog and how I could get you guys involved. Here are two awesome ideas that I am extremely excited about. Please submit!

1. Ask and I will tell!

It’s your turn to interview me. Email your questions and I will do a blog full of all the answers. Please know I will be honest and open (as I always try to be), BUT I will not answer anything inappropriate, rude, ultra private or about my mother’s or siblings personal life (A quick reminder: This is Chudney Ross’s blog not a sneak peek into the Ross family’s personal life blog).

Email questions to: chudneyrossemail@aol.com

2. Meet my readers!

Mark has met and become friends with many other readers of my blog just by finding them here and then on myspace. I believe Gene and Ruth have done the same (anyone else?) I appreciate that many of you tune in weekly to see what I have been up to and post thoughtful comments. I know I would love to know more about you and I’m sure other readers would, too!

Please submit a photo and tell us about yourself. Some questions to ponder: How did you stumble across my blog? What brings you back every week? Who are you? When is your birthday? What is your sign? Favorite color, food, season? How would a friend describe you? What in life makes you happy? What would you do if anything were possible? What is your proudest moment? What is your favorite Diana Ross song? (A fun one to add in for all you mom fans) If you would like you can also include a link to your website, blog, myspace, facebook or twitter so people can reach out to you.

Please send your pictures and profiles to: chudneyrossemail@aol.com

I think these ideas are FABULOUS and will really add to the fun of my blog! Thank you, Mark for your ideas! Start submitting now and spread the word!

HEAL THE WORLD

GIVING BACK

I’m very aware that I am a very fortunate girl and I’m beyond thankful for the life I’ve been given. I believe that it is my duty (and the responsibility of those fortunate like myself) to give back to those in need. I don’t have big bucks to donate, but I do have my time, my passion and my heart to share.

This year, I made a commitment to volunteer when I can. I’ve found some wonderful opportunities that have brought me such joy and happiness. I’ve wielded a hammer and power drill to help build a home for Habitat For Humanity, read with first graders in an under-resourced elementary school in Los Angeles and written moving and heartbreaking letters to the President with homeless youth in New York and LA.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY –

My friend Jill and I volunteered to help build in Lynwood, California at the site of 10 future homes for deserving hardworking, low-income families. These homes will be the first LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) housing development in Lynwood.

With the help of our team leader Bill, Jill and I put ceilings on closets in the units. Guess what? I’m a pro with a hammer and power drill and Jill’s a pro with a power saw. Our team cruised through 4 closets and also built a plant box in record time! The other team doing the same job finished only 2 closets :) Boy, are we good!

Building is HARD work! I was exhausted after and could barely walk or lift my arms the next day, but it was all worth it to be a part of such an amazing project!

READY TO LEARN –

Once a month, I’ve been volunteering with LAJCC’s program Ready To Learn. Each Saturday, we meet in the auditorium of 49^th Street School in downtown LA to read with first graders who struggle with reading. The hope is to make reading fun for these kid’s and help them do better in school and have a better future.

The first Saturday, I read with Vivian an adorable 6-year old in a gold sparkly Hannah Montana dress. Even though it was freezing in the auditorium, she refused to put on her sweater (sometimes you have to suffer for fashion. I like your style, Viv!) Even though she couldn’t read the simplest site words (She speaks mostly Spanish at home), she listened intently as I read, described the pictures and counted the pages. We read 3 books in all and by the end she was pointing to site words (recognition is key), following along with her finger and retelling what I read (in comprehension she gets an A+). Next, we decorated heart napkin holders and ate pizza together. We definitely had a fun morning and achieved our goal of making reading enjoyable.

Since then, I have returned each month to read with another first grader eager to enjoy reading. The relationships I have built with the kids and the hugs I receive every time make dragging myself out of bed on a Saturday morning so worthwhile.

CHILDREN MENDING HEARTS –

Children Mending Hearts is a global arts exchange between at-risk children in America and children living in African conflict zones. The aim is to educate, empower and encourage children to have a voice.

So far, we have held two "PLEASE MR. PRESIDENT” workshops, one in LA and one in NYC. The workshops are amazingly moving days where we work with at-risk children writing letters and drawing pictures to be included in a book in the future. There is also a jewelry making workshop and table for painting T-shirts to be brought to kids in the Congo later this year.

I run the letter-writing workshops. I created a simple and fun lesson plan to guide the children in sharing their stories, their lives and their hopes and dreams for the future.

The workshop in Los Angeles was held in a large gym at the Union Rescue Mission downtown. We didn’t know exactly what to expect (how many kids, age range, reading and writing levels), but we were prepared and excited.

As the families started to fill the gym, an 8 year-old African American girl approached my table. She openly talked to me about how she lived in the Mission because, “her dad hated her mom and left them with nothing.” She told me and wrote in her letter about how he would hit her and that she knows the world would be better if there was no violence and no guns like the one that shot her brother. I was beyond touched by her honesty and her sweet nature.

I wrote letters with many kids (little ones to teens) and adults throughout the day. Some wrote touching, deep letters about their lives that brought tears to my eyes, while others stayed light. One sweet Mexican American 6 year-old girl wrote that she thinks the president should give toys to all the poor people because then everyone would be happy.

As the day progressed, we danced, made jewelry and painted t-shirts to be brought to the kids in the Congo.

The next workshop was held in New York City and was way bigger than the first. We met in a beautiful ballroom, which quickly filled to the brim with kids and families. We wrote letters with amazingly open kids about their experiences and how they think their world could be better. I was so moved by how honest and open the kids where. I think it must make the kid’s feel better to have a venue to share their stories and have someone to listen and not judge.

I worked with one amazing teenage girl named Crystal. She wore a baseball hat low over her face and when she spoke it was barely audible, but when she wrote the words came flowing out. She wrote 2 pages where she talked about being shy and having trouble communicating with people. She wrote about living in a shelter and reading to escape her world. I worked another girl named Sydney who described being stereotyped and judged for being Dominican. She wanted to ask the President to come visit her in Washington Heights and “smack some sense into the youth of America because they are the future.” She also wanted to ask the President to find a way for everyone to have the opportunity to go to college. She dreams of being in the medical field.

As I worked with the kids writing letter, the music blasted, we danced, celebrities mingled with the families, we ate pizza. Everyone was having a great time you could tell by the energy in the room, the smiles and the hugs. What an amazing day!

Next, the program will move to Las Vegas, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington, DC and finally to the Congo. I’m not sure if I will make it to each of the stops, but I am so very glad I was able to be a part of these two events.

Working with organizations such as these reminds me how fortunate I am and how extremely important it is to give back. You can’t beat the feeling you get volunteering your time. The smiles on the kids faces as they sounded out new words in a book they’d never been able to read before or the fact that some needy and well deserving family will be able to hang their coats in the closet that I helped build or the moving stories that are shared and the hugs received from at-risk kids make donating a day of your time SOOOOO worth while.

I urge you to give back as well. Volunteering is FABULOUS!