Jane Austen State of Mind

I am an incurable collector, and I just have an eye for antiques. It's not unusual for me to come across amazing rare and valuable items for pennies on the dollar at local flea markets, yard sales, auctions (online and in-person), and even on Facebook Marketplace. I cannot count how many times I have purchased an item for a dollar or two that end up being worth much, much more.  From the time I was very young, my parents took me to local in-person auctions. My paternal grandfather even dabbled in the auction business. I love holding a bid card and fighting for items that call out, "buy me!" Just know that I will frequently write about treasures I come across. Presently, I want to share an oil painting I picked up on the Facebook Marketplace this summer for only $25.  I'll admit that this little diamond in the rough shows it age. The plaster frame has many chips, and the painting itself has a large gash near the chandelier and tiny flecks of paint missing throughout. A...

I am a school psychologist by training and currently work in the role of middle school behavior resource specialist. I work with teachers to implement evidence-based strategies to support students with significant social, emotional, learning, and behavioral difficulties. Over my 14 years in the field, I've provided individual and group counseling (including crisis counseling after a school shooting), worked to have students placed in psychiatric hospital settings, written safety and behavior plans, and observed students engaging in some of the most erratic behaviors. I've also closely observed the behavior of students and teachers who not only thrive but excel.  With undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology, I have long been fascinated by how the mind works and how people behave. My college education included a variety of classes ranging from personality characteristics, cognitive development, neuropsychology, applied behavior analysis, interpersonal relations, human se...

First and foremost, welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read my new blog. I've never had an actual blog before, but I've used social media for many years to share my interests and my thoughts on myriad of topics. I have an old soul that is drawn to anything from bygone eras. I'm an avid collector of antiques and love the idea of holding something in my hand that someone wore or displayed in their home over a century ago. I have been addicted to Jane Austen Fan Fiction (aka, Austenesque Fiction) for nearly a decade now. This addiction has resulted in my becoming friends with many fan fiction authors, and I follow numerous blogs on the topic to stay abreast of new releases, interviews, and book reviews. I am a wife to a fine figure of a man, mother to a wee bonnie lass, and school psychologist/behavior specialist with a doctoral degree in education. While I wrote a dissertation that now sits on a shelf collecting dust, I am brimming over with ideas for my own JAFF stori...