Catherine Schafer, born and raised in Auburn, has been busy all her life. This busy-ness has included raising four children; running a flower shop with her husband; being a realtor for 35 years; serving as president of the Cayuga County Board of Realtors; and being a published poet. Add to that, oil painting, gardening, sewing and crafts, and you understand Catherine's involvement with many activities.

In recent years, however, it is line dancing that has been her specialty.

“I never danced until we retired to Florida,” she says. “I learned about line dancing down there and wound up teaching it. Later, I brought it to Boyle Center. Now I teach weekly at Sacred Heart Church. I consider dancing to be the best exercise of all. ”

Like most active people, Catherine has diversified interests. “I never danced at all until I was in my 60s. I loved it so much I wound up teaching it. Now I'm a member of the Social Ballroom Dance Club of the Finger Lakes.”

As a young girl, Catherine was taught to garden by her mother. “She taught me to get my hands dirty and to enjoy the miracle of planting and seeing the huge amaryllis blossom so beautifully. Another secret was to pull out the stamin.”

“We ran Schafer's Flower Shop on Lansing Street,” said Catherine.

She also remembers learning to knit, crochet, embroider and do oil painting at the “Neighbor House” as a girl, catching on easily to whatever was taught there.

One unusual hobby Catherine learned in Florida was “pine needle work.” She makes lovely little bowls out of woven pine needles, all original creations. She also does landscape paintings in oil.

Catherine Schafer's family “tribe” is increasing. She has four children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. These, she says, are her greatest pleasure. One can just image many of them being with her often, enjoying her crafts, gardening and of course her cooking and baking. Catherine is good at these, too.

“I catch on easy,” she says.

Dorothy Nelson lives and writes in Auburn