At Bat for Ashley Rountree: Carol Buckhout

For me, the phrase “so many books, so little time” definitely applies! I am an avid reader, and my list of favorites is really long. And the list of books I plan to read is almost as long. I enjoy Shakespeare’s works because the human emotion they convey is relevant today. For example, I saw a production of Twelfth Night set in 1850s San Francisco. The setting was entirely different from Elizabethan England, but the play still worked. Shakespeare’s plays also show some historical biases, and it’s good to read them to see where we have been as people and how we need to look at our past to learn from it.

I have re-read To Kill a Mockingbird several times as well as its predecessor novel, Go Set a Watchman. Harper Lee was challenged by an editor to explain why the characters in Watchman behaved as they did and she responded with Mockingbird. I am impressed at her skills as a writer to re-write her own work and develop the characters that are now so iconic.

Italy is at the top of my bucket list, especially Rome and Tuscany: history, art, good food, and wine!

As an undergraduate, I studied in London and loved traveling in the U.K. England, Scotland and Wales are wonderful places to visit. You definitely want to wear your walking shoes—being on foot lets you experience the sights and sounds that you would miss otherwise. And, our family even spent the night at Borthwick Castle, a medieval Scottish fortress. It’s pretty spooky when you turn out the lights!

I’ve played golf, or tried to, since I was a child, and my golf game is noteworthy for being mediocre at best. I’ve had much more success as a golf mom, driving our sons to and watching them in junior tournaments. As a family, we have lots of happy memories of multi-generation golf outings, and I hope to continue that family tradition. My goal is to take some lessons, practice, and really work on putting.

As our three sons were growing up, we had a beagle/terrier mix named Barley. She was quite maternal and would play ball with the boys for hours. My husband and I now share our home with Hops, a beagle (mostly). Hops is great for us as empty nesters, keeping us active and terrorizing the chipmunks and squirrels throughout the neighborhood. Both dogs were great companions for their particular time in our family’s life.

My mother used to tell me, “Never say never” – as in, “my children will never (fill in the blank.)” I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom of that phrase. Sometimes the “never” is something wonderful and completely unexpected; sometimes it is something you or a loved one has worked hard to achieve and despaired of ever seeing happen. The phrase is a great reminder to keep your eyes and mind open to all possibilities.

I’m recalling a quote: “What’s the most important shot in golf?” The answer is, “The next one.” Hit a bad shot? Shake it off. Hit a great shot? Super, but you still need to focus on the game. I’ve learned this is also true for the nonprofit sector and for grant makers supporting them, especially in their current context. They have come through challenging recent years with COVID-19 and its disruptions, while still accomplishing some amazing work when their communities needed them the most. Yet, what’s next could be even more fascinating and important.

• French fry dipping sauce: Nothing; I eat them plain.
• Cards or Cats: Neither – Vanderbilt Commodores
• Dogs or cats: Dogs
• Comfort food: A hearty beef stew on a cold rainy night
• Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving
• Favorite season: Summer