My Life in a List

Born:
Mona Lea Sims, Sept 4th, 19long time ago.

My name was most often pronounced, incorrectly, as Mona Lee-ah Sims... then one year I needed a copy of my birth certificate and a typo in a New York office instantly, and legally, changed me to Mona Lee Sims. A request to fix it was ignored; unless I paid for it. So. I decided to change Lea/Lee/Leigh to the spelling I liked best; Mona Leigh Sims was born.

Then, I discovered online gaming. In 2006 Evangeleigh was born. After traveling to meet so many online friends over the years and being introduced as Eva in so many places, Eva has sort of stuck. These days Mona has become my "work name" and Eva is who I am at home. :D

Place of Birth:
New York, United States of America

Currant Citizenship:
Dual - American and Canadian

Longed for Citizenship: United Kingdom

Nicknames I've been landed with:
Nomad, Phoenix, Gypsy, Evangeleigh (Eva for short)

Favorite things ever:
My daughter, son-in-law, great friends, dogs, traveling, writing, gardens, photography, horseback riding, mystery novels, computer games, birds, dancing, Great Britain.

Plans for the Future:
- Making a living writing.
- Doing my 2 Youtube channels and TwitchTV channel.
- Living in Great Britain.
- More Travel.
- And vardos and vanners, there must be vardos and vanners.

Careers/business I've owned:
Animals (The Early Years) -  I owned dog grooming company and boarding stable (and was a riding instructor.)

Computers (The Middle Years)  - I owned an IT company, taught computer programming, web development, database design and other computer related courses (for colleges, universities, government agencies, businesses), and developed e-commerce sites for businesses worldwide.

Now (The Later Years) - I currently work as the assistant manager of a health food store in Canada where I'm a trained Nutritional Counselor and Certified Natural Products Advisor. I write every moment I can. I have a Youtube channel.

Short stints as a wedding photographer (great pay, no fun at all) and another as a trained and licensed financial planner (great pay, no fun at all).

In spare moments I've written and sold the rights to two script treatments to CTV/Bell Media, wrote a vampire serial for a short lived (I hope it wasn't my fault) fantasy magazine, authored a couple of computer graphic design training manuals, and authored a weekly IT newspaper column. During the last year I've found myself writing regular health related articles for local magazines and newspapers.

Training/Education:
Riding, Animal Husbandry, Computer Programming and Systems Analysis, Computer Support Specialist, Database Design, Adult Education, Financial Planning (acquired Canadian insurance and mutual fund licenses), Creative and Travel Writing courses, script writing and film making workshops, Travel and Tourism in college, years of Nutritional Counseling courses, and Biblical studies. I also take online university courses in topics ranging from the Life of Times of Henry the Vlll to Forensic Sciences to more Nutritional training. I like learning new things. :D

Bits and Pieces:
I have held down 'real jobs' for at least a few years of my life, doing such high brow things as being a welder in a factory, weight lifting instructor, veterinarian’s assistant, graphic designer in a printing shop, race horse exerciser, and parrot trainer. When you've lived long enough you find time to Do things. :D

I'm mostly a vegetarian. But, I do know how to set snares, and skin and cook the catch in an emergency,

I'm still playing World of Warcraft online (I've been a guild master on Kirin Tor since 2006), and the Sims 3 (a lot), run my own (2) Minecraft servers, and have a Steam library of over 150 other games. ESO is about to take over my life.

I like to study world history and alternative medical therapies, enjoy archery occasionally, once aced a motorcycle repair course. I've spent a few years volunteering as a sign language interpreter at local religious organizations, have lived all over North America, and currently live in Canada. I enjoy belly, gypsy, and ballroom dancing. I'm working on a thriller, a mystery series, a fantasy world where elves have erotic adventures, and an auto biographical snippet.

Favorite where and whens:
- Anytime in London, England, UK
- Dusty afternoons at the Concepcion Mission in San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Evenings strolls on the dock in Benica, California, USA
- Hot, muggy evenings on the porch of the Capital building in Washington DC, USA
- Winter afternoons at quiet vineyards in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
- Dawn on the beaches of Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Spring on the Tor in Glastonbury, Somerset, England
- Summer sunsets on Dreamer's Rock, Ontario, Canada
- Rainy afternoons in Kent, England
- Watching the moment the dawn sun touches the tip of Mount Rundle in Banff, Alberta, Canada (from the attic of the Banff Springs Hotel)
- Exploring Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Mill Run, Pennsylvania and Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
- Stormy nights in the Arizona desert, USA
- Rainy days on the grounds of Balmoral Castle, Scotland
- Autumn afternoons on horse farms in Kentucky, USA
- Stormy days in Glen Coe, Scotland

Awards and community involvement past and/or present:
- 100+ photographic awards since 1980,
- The Influential Woman Award of 2003 for Ontario, Canada,
- Was nominated by the University of Toronto for the Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year 2003,
- 1 writing award (a long time ago),
- Several volunteer awards,
- Director of the Ten Rainbows Children's Foundation where I won The Mayor's Award of Distinction,
- Chairman of the Mayor's Arts and Culture Advisory Panel (3 years), 
- Board Member and Media Project Lead of the Sudbury Elk Restoration Committee,
- A 'Winner' in the NANO writing contest 2007,
- Board Member of the Sudbury Horticultural Society

Years of support for:
The Northern Lights Festival Boréal,
Timmins Therapeutic Riding Association,
Big Brothers and Big Sisters,
Sudbury Women’s Centre,
Music and Film in Motion,
Village International,
World Wildlife Fund,
The World Society for the Protection of Animals,
Wild Aid,
The Sierra Club,
Various figure skating clubs,
The Humble Hearts School for Deaf Children in Kenya.

Hobbies: Hobbies? Meh...It's all a hobby!

Animals I've had:
Horses, dogs, a wolf, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, goats, lizards, snakes, spiders, turtles, fish, birds (parrots, cockatiels, canaries, budgerigars, doves, pigeons, finches, chickens, ducks, a seagull, etc) rats and mice, and two skunks.

Favorite books:
Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien,
'Midsomer Murder' series by Caroline Graham,
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowlings,
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene,
The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan,
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy,
'Robot' series by Isaac Asimov (any thing by Isaac Asimov),
Anything by Charles Dickens,
Anything by John le Carre,
'Inspector Banks' series by Peter Robinson,
The Armchair Book of the Garden by D.G. Hessayon,
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro,
Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle,
The Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum

Favorite movies:
Lord of the Rings series,
Under a Tuscan Sun,
Groundhog Day,
Harry Potter series,
Emma,
Pride and Prejudice,
Sense and Sensibility,
Howard's End,
My Fair Lady,
Ever After,
The Sound of Music,
Star Wars,
Hello Dolly,
Sabrina (old and new),
Ladyhawke,
Kate and Leopold,
Blade Runner,
The Matrix,
Dirty Dancing,
Three Men and a Baby,
Big.

Favorite plays:
Much Ado About Nothing,
A Midsummer Night's Dream,
Phantom of the Opera,
Chicago,
Grease,
The Importance of Being Ernest.

Favorite television:
M.A.S.H,
La Femme Nikita (Canadian),
The Darling Buds of May (British),
Star Trek - all of them,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
Magnum P.I.,
Midsomer Murders (British),
Rosemary and Thyme (British),
Yes, Minister (British),
A Touch of Frost (British),
Stargate SG-1 (Canadian),
Firefly,
Hercules and Xena,
Dollhouse,
Vampire Diaries,
Hercule Poirot (British).

Favorite music:
Everything!. Rimsky-Korsakov to Shania Twain to Lloyd Webber to Pink Floyd to Lacuna Coil.

Future favorites:
Italy, France, Austria, Russia, learning to play the piano, learning to speak Spanish and Italian, and being a best selling author living in Scotland. But that's all. :D

This is the Eva me

"I spent a long weekend with Mona... I still maintain that it was my FAVORITE trip I've been on. its SUCH an amazing adventure with Mona with you. I saw things in my own area that I had never seen or heard of.

Simply put, you think she is amazing online? Try spending a few days off-line and see if you can keep from tripping on your own tongue."
-B. Jones

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"Never stop writing. The world needs to hear you."
-A. Cooper
 
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"I am humbled by your talent. Concise yet rich in color and texture. Beautifully done! "
-S. Rice

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"Mona is a problem solver and a burst of energy. I see a vibrant, devoted, compassionate individual. Mona has what it takes!"
- D. Ladouceur

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"This is awesome writing, it is very good! I couldn't stop reading it...again I can say only one word about it.... wow!"
-W. Watson
 
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"I wish I had words as elegant as you've written to express how marvelous I think this is, and hot!! Phew! Instead, I will fall back on my all time favorite word.
Yay!!
Well done! I truly was enchanted."
- G. Shelley
 
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"Wow. Your writing is on par with E. E. Knight and Naomi Kritzer, two of my favorite authors I might add. I was enthralled by the imagery, you have a talent the best word to describe is...well... Wow!"
W. Juillet
 
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 "Mona is very artistic with a keen sense of design."
-C. Liinamaa, President
Sudbury Horticultural Society

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"I'm totally impressed! Thank you, thank you, thank you."
-G. Gervais

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"Excellent! Mona has such a huge grasp of subject matter that it's always interesting! Thanks."
 -Killarney Provincial Park Staff

The Nutritional Counselor Mona version of me

... and accepting an award