By Madeline Otten
Correspondent
Where do you live?
Parrish Farms on Ruritan Lake Road at Cunningham.
How long have you lived in Fluvanna? What brought you here?
All my life, born and raised.
Tell us about your family.
I live with my sister, Joan, on the Parrish home place farm. My brother Wade is married to Beth Thomas. My niece, Catherine Kidd, and nephew, Haden Parrish.
Do you have more family in Fluvanna County?
I have many relatives on both the Haden (Mama’s maiden name) and Parrish sides. There were ten children in my mama’s family and 11 children in daddy’s family, so there are many cousins in this county and beyond.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
As a kid, I remember thinking about being a veterinarian or working at the post office.
What was your very first job?
It was working at the Fluvanna County Circuit Court one month after graduating from high school in 1976.
What do you do for a living?
I work as Chief Deputy Clerk of the Fluvanna County Circuit Court. I have worked there for 43 years as of this past July 12.
What is one of your pet peeves?
People who won’t acknowledge you when you say “hi” and also people who won’t say “thank you”, for instance, when you hold a door open for them.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to walk outdoors, take photos, spend time with my animals, read, Sudoku puzzles, online games, jigsaw puzzles, and crocheting.
Books or movies?
Books. Books have always been a love in our family. Mama was an avid reader. I’ve always enjoyed reading. A Keeperby Graham Norton is one I know I want to re-read after reading only the first page or two.
Favorite movie?
The Man from Snowy River. It is a classic about horses and filmed in Australia.
What pivotal decision helped to shape your life?
My years of services and dedication working for Fluvanna County.
What has surprised you about your life?
In the last couple of years, I have been taking nature photos with my smartphone and posting them on Facebook. Friends gave me the confidence to display my photos, which I print myself, and mat and sell at a few local functions. I also give them as gifts to friends and family.
Tell us about a way you have changed over the years.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and going through radiation treatments made me a stronger person.
What’s one thing you hope to accomplish before you die?
I’ve had a couple of friends tell me I should write a children’s book about my kitten Patch and my potbelly pig Sage. Who knows?
Tell us about your proudest moment.
That is a hard one. The most recent would be winning ribbons for my photos at Old Farm Day and the Fluvanna County Fair.
Favorite spot in Fluvanna County?
“There’s no place like home” and walks along Cunningham Creek.
What is the craziest thing you have ever done in Fluvanna?
I have taken several helicopter rides and loved each one. The last ride had no doors because the air condition was not working and that was a bit loud and scary.
What quote or saying do you connect with most?
“Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. I feel closest to God when I am outside with nature.
