Biography

Photo of three children in Halloween masks

This is where I tell you everything about me. Well, maybe not everything!

I am the witch on the left in the photo. This was taken when I was 5 years old and going to child care in the afternoons in downtown Winnipeg. We made caramel apples, papier mâché masks for Halloween, and had lots of naps. I was well rested in those days!

Colleen in Ireland

Amazingly enough, the name "Colleen" is not very common in Ireland. That's because the Gaelic word for "girl", cailín (say "caw-leen"), is used in many parts of the country where people still speak Irish.

Some people are surprised by my name when they first meet me. Others hear something else when I say my name, like Pauline, Dolly, Colin (which is a boy's name and not even Irish), Coo-leen, Ki-leen, or Coh-leen. It bugged me a bit at first, but now I think it's funny.

Colleen in Canada

People are not amazed by my name in Canada, but they still mishear it and mispell it a lot. The most common thing is to use one L instead of two. The most interesting ways my name has been misspelled were starting it with a K and even with a Q! Guess it depends where you're from.

Canuck

Image of beaver with Canadian flag

I love Canada and am a proud Canadian. I was:

I have visited all ten provinces (and I want to visit the three territories).

At the moment, I am exploring all that Ireland and Europe has to offer. The world is a big, wonderful place!