My Story

[iliz9]

Welcome Topaz, where in Colorado do you live?  we spent 3 weeks last Summer in the Boulder area...very pretty...enjoy this Board..

[iliz9]

Nice area, really all we visited in Co. was nice..we stayed at Blackhawk, and Niwat, but drove from Calif. back and forth...
I don't think will like it  that much during Winter..you have to be born there to enjoy all that snow/cold...lol....

[iliz9]

We were there in end of Aug/beg.Sep and it was gorgeous..and yes, we went to Estes N.P....We did not have time to visit a friend in Alamosa, maye next time...??

[resa]

Hi everyone, I'm Resa from Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia, So happy to see some old friends here!!! Mary B Watcher sent me the link, Thanks Mary,
Can't promise to be here much, as my time is limited even staying home anymore,
Yes my life changed when My Bill developed Dementia, but all hasn't been bad, I am very involved with things at the home, Oh he's happy as a lark up there, a beautiful place with wonderful people, he is healthy, and yes he still knows me and if I am not there everyday:) But that's ok, lots of music and dancing, I take him out for drives and hair cuts and just walking the mall like we used to do,
have made friends with other wives who visit their Hubby's up there, and we have started our own support group, we go to dinner almost every week, go to each others homes for meals, concerts!! go for coffee,
I am involved with the Alzheimer's society do the walk every year, help out any where I am needed, taking part in a fashion show next week,
I sold my home, and live in a seniors duplex and love it, great neighbours we also do things together, and Our landlady lets us work in the gardens, she just has the basic landscaping, we add the colour:) Just planted tulips yesterday, Don't miss all the work and worry of my own home at all!
So in essences I am too busy to be sorry for myself,:)
If I am on I am usually on FB, But will stay in touch here too! {{hugs}}

[Angela]

Hi Resa! Nice to see you here! I always read your thread on ToH. Does sound like you have adjusted well to a new chapter in your life. Love your upbeat attitude. Do stop in when you can. You do have a very busy life! 😊 Take care.

[Deleted]

Hi, folks.

Figured I should add my story to this thread.

I'm a former Southern California girl, born and raised there. In June of 1995, hubby and I moved up here to the north Idaho panhandle. This area is known as the "inland northwest".

It took awhile to adjust to the four seasons, and an extremely short growing season for gardeners. In So. Cal., heatwaves in January are common.

My garden started out as a forest tract, which hubby cleared with heavy equipment. The trees were too close to our new buildings, and we needed a fire-break. Gradually, stumps were removed and tree roots dug out, and my garden began. First, as a small plot in one corner, then growing over the years to several beds with footpaths of lava rock separating them.

For awhile, I was able to grow anything I wanted that would do well in this region, UNTIL some neighbors started feeding the deer. Now, I have to limit my garden to plants they don't like. However, I still can grow more of my favorites in pots on our covered deck, as the deer never venture up onto it.

I am an avid birder. I have two shepherds-crook poles with a variety of hanging feeders, suet cages, and hopper and platform feeders. I also have three birdbaths and a couple of small garden ponds. Surrounding my garden is mixed species forest with evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, natural, wild clearings which provide open fields for bluebird nest boxes, and a natural creek which had once supported fish until one of the neighbors dammed it off.

I'm a member of Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, and completed their correspondence course on bird biology back in 2002. I often submit bird counts via their ebird online checklists. I also participate in Project Feeder Watch and The Great Backyard Bird Count. I was doing the Christmas Bird Count for awhile, but haven't participated in recent years.

In 2009, hubby and I took a cross-country trip to Indiana to visit my sister. I was able to expand my birding lifelist substantially by adding several midwestern and eastern species, including Black Vultures, Red-Headed Woodpeckers, eastern Bluejays, Cardinals and a bright red male Summer Tanager. There were other species, also, which I no longer recall. I did write them down at the time, and submitted all of those sightings to ebird.org.

Our nearest town has a population of around 2,500 and dwindling.

I'm a lifelong poetess (so I've been told) and a compulsive writer. As a visual art medium, I like doing collages. I made the backgrounds for both of my aquariums as original aquatic collages.

I have two freshwater aquariums, both coldwater (no heaters, no tropical species). One is 20-gallons, the other 65 gallons. I have fish, invertebrates and mixed live and artificial aquatic plants that thrive in cooler water and lower light. I've had these systems in place since 2010.

Can't think of much more, right now. If I do, I can add to this story later on.

[novajoy]

Hi Resa, glad you were able to find us. I always followed you on the old sites, but never posted on them. Happy all is going well for you and Bill is doing well. It sounds like you have a very busy life and have made many new friends and are keeping busy.

[plantdoctor]

Resa....so glad you added your story here.  I am happy that life is going quite well for you despite the changes the past few years.  You certainly are the type of person that makes lemonade when lemons are thrown at you.  Glad you found us here.

Jan..what an interesting story you have.  It seems you have many interests that you have cultivated and really enjoy.  Glad that you also found us here and are participating.  Charlene

[bwatcher]

I was just checking here and I thought I wrote a post about myself but I just answered one. So I guess I better elaborate. 

My name is Mary but there are a few other Marys on here, so you can just call me bwatcher or MaryB. I think I joined this board in Feb. of 2006 and went to my first picnic in June of 2006. My kids thought I had lost my mind, meeting with total strangers and all the things that could happen.

I've been married to my DH, Jerry, for 36 yrs. as of yesterday (Nov. 29). I have two kids, 33 yr. old DD not married, and a 29 yr. old married DS, and he has a little girl, Brylie, who will be 3 in January. I get to babysit her for extended periods of time.

I live in NE Iowa only 17 miles from the Mississippi River. I love to feed the birds and play in the flower beds. 

I was raised on a farm and stayed at home for 5 years after I graduated from high school; I loved farming. I ended up getting a job as a local factory and moved to town when I started having back problems. I worked at the factory for 31 years and 3 months until they closed the doors. I met my DH, got married, had my two kids, while I worked there. Before they closed the factory door we were given the option to go to college with financial help because of the plant closure. I went to college for 2.5 years straight and got a degree and diploma that couldn't even get me a job. Everyone wanted someone with experience, but how do you get experience if you can't get a job. After 3 months, I put myself through 12 weeks of CNA schooling and passed my state tests. I had an interview and a job the day after I applied at The Good Samaritan Home. I worked there for just over 3 years. 

We (myself and 3 other siblings) sold some of my dad's farm while I was still working at the nursing home, so I was financially able to retire at 60 from the nursing home. I used the 12 week Family Leave Act and had carpal tunnel surgery on my hand; this was from the 31 years at the factory. I opted to take Social Security at 62. 

People ask me what I do all day and I tell them I tend to God's Flower Gardens. I'd love to expand and have more flowers but DH just gives me 'the look' when I mention it. He doesn't know it yet but there will be flowers on the east side of the house next summer. LOL I have people tell me all the time that they just love all my flowers. I've given seeds to people and plants to people. Ya just gotta share the love!

[posy]

Hi Mary in Michigan! So good to see you posting and glad you mentioned Jill, too. I had a very nice note from Jill after my DS passed away. I was so glad to hear from her. It is so nice Jill visits you often and you have a nice newly painted barn quilt from her.

Not doing much these days just trying to keep the house straightened so I can get through from one end to the other! DH has some health problems and is coping the best he can. He does good, just seems discouraged at times. His sister is in nursing home for rehab since heart surgery for bypasses and then a pacemaker had to be put in week later. She was in hospital last week due to fluid on lungs but has since been discharged back to the nursing home. So that has been a concern recently, too

Soon to get my spaghetti on cooking for our supper. I made sauce and meatballs today so that will be good for a change.

Take care and hope you are doing okay these days.

[maryinmichigan]

HI Posy. I will answer later. I hate spellcheck on my tablet.

it inserts wrong words. Drives me crazy.

[razzmataz]

Hello everyone! My name is Wanda Johnson, I live in Morehead KY, and was an active member of the B&B board. Never truly made the transition to the TOH board, but recently received an email from Charlene inviting me to check out this board. I am so glad Charlene contacted me, as I've missed the friendships and fellowship of the old board. I was holding off posting here trying to read all the posts on this thread, but haven't quite made it thru. I'm glad to see lots of the 'old friends' and see many new (at least to me) names.
For the past two years DH and I have been away from home in our motor home as I've worked as a travel RN. Family circumstances require us to stay home for now, so I'll look forward to getting back to starting my seedlings and enjoying the friendship here! Hope to see you all around!

[plantdoctor]

Wanda...so glad to see you here!  We have missed you.  I know you've had and are still having a busy life, but please join us here when you can.  I did reply to your PM.  Charlene

[kbratntex]

Hello, my name is Kathy(kbratntex). I was on the BY/TOH boards since 2002. My mom had always given me a subscription to TOH as part of my birthday gift. I'm not sure I missed the magazine, but I surely missed my mom and the association. I finally got the nerve to join, but it took a LONG time for me to have the nerve to comment.
I am a 68 yr. country girl, born and raised on a Texas dairy farm.
I owned and operated an upholstery shop and antique store for nearly 30 yrs. I am retired and I am REALLY good at it! LOL
I love gardening, but heart attack/heart failure/kidney failure/diabetes/COPD only allow me a few perennials these days. It is all good, as I feel great most everyday. I do still mow my yard, which allows me to still feel productive. Can't do the weed eating, but a man does it for me for $15. Even if I was healthy, I wouldn't do it that cheap! LOL
I keep 2 of the grands after school and love the other 13 and 1 great every chance I get. On warm days, my yard is full of neighborhood kiddos playing with Jayson and Brittany. I love to sit in the shade and listen to their squeals and laughter.
I always try to find the funny side of most any situation. I'm making a real effort to keep this post cleaned up, because I think, talk and type Texan. I'm sure I will have to explain some of my "coloquialisms". LOL
So glad to see so many familiar names!

[iliz9]

Welcome back...glad to see you don't take things too seriously...and have fun with family and friends