LOL Sierra, It seems I spend a lot of time on the computer and I guess I do. Wait until your my age.
I have to sit a lot in between doing things so why not at the computer. There are times when my legs don't cooperate so what better way to spend my time while recharging my batteries.
There was a time when I was so busy with home, garden, endless meetings and other commitments DH and I passed each other in the doorway, he worked 12 hour shifts.
Things and circumstances change. So every time I find I have to sit for awhile, 3 guesses and the first two don't count at where I'll be :o). I feel like I've made so many new friends here and I love checking in to see what they've been up to.

Annette

LOL, Sierra. I've frequented this forum since 2003. I've seen cycles where people come for a while and then go. Some are seasonal posters - you see a lot come out of the wood work in the fall and winter months.

Personally, I haven't time to garden, post, nor read posts. My excuse, work has been very demanding. The economy has played a large role as well.

I can't wait till this year is over and I can start 'a-new' next year. This has been the worst year in my personal life. Accidents, illnesses and unexpected expenses ... will it ever end!

The CG forum has been a refuge of sorts. I pause when I need a break, just to see what you've all been up to. I may not have time to post a response, but know this, you all bring a smile to my face when it's most needed.

Stepford Wives?

Flylady's Flybabies? "You can do anything for 15 minutes."

Independent Means? Household Servants?

Orphans? Recluses?

Takes a computer break everytime the rest of the office goes out to smoke?

I once participated in a chat where one young man contributed wonderful conversation, with many interests.
Turned out he was a quadriplegic and did so with great personal effort.
You never know.

Thank you for the encouragement, Edna. I enjoyed reading about your mudbabies.

Nell

I am retired.
DH is retired.
Empty-nesters.
We do all of our own garden/yard work, housework, cooking.
No servants.
No lawn boy.
No pool boy.
No cooks.
No housekeepers.
No boss! LOL Oh wait, that would be our dog!

We start our day with coffee and breakfast between 6:30-7:30am. I usually have my blog article written the night before and spend 15 minutes posting it.

DH goes off to run 5 miles each day. I go walk 3-4 miles or do gardening. We both do bowflex, I do yoga. Sometimes I substitute biking for walking. Sometimes we go kayaking. If it's raining, we have an indoor stationary bike.

We meet by our pool after exercise in the summer, where we swim. We both read books or work puzzles by the pool until lunch. We've been up for hours by then. We fix our lunch, then have the rest of the afternoon to pursue our hobbies/interests.

We do our chores around the house; we run our errands.

We have WIRELESS notebooks that sit on our laps so we're often chatting, watching tv or just picking up the notebook pcs/macs now and then between reading books. We are also both retired from a computer software company, so we've LIVED on computers our entire careers -- since the days of punch cards, in fact!

In other words, DH and I are sitting in the family room side-by-side; I'm not off in an office somewhere on a computer when I'm on the forums.

We read news, research items, etc. using a computer like we do a library. We both love learning about stuff...how things work...the economy...travel...

I post on threads between doing the reading in the evenings after dinner. Once in awhile during the day.

This is called retirement, but our days are full. It's a good life. We aren't bored. I worked over 32 years, DH worked about the same. This time is for us.

Does that answer it?

Cameron

PS I actually love blogging. I've spent a lot of time figuring out the technology to pull together all kinds of content on gardening from other resources...gardening gurus/authors, gardening news, other blogs, videos, interesting links. In other words, what I've put together should save other gardeners a lot of TIME . I did the research and bookmarked everything in one portal.

Here is a link that might be useful: one of my hobbies

Retired - I wish!! I actually have had too much sickness, and injuries - mostly injuries in my new home, so am not working at this time. I haven't seen Eduarda online in a bit, and I know she has quite a commute....I was doing 64 kms. each way, and it just wore me down. Even when I was working, I could come online to read or retort!! lol.

I am wih TDWW, it is a refuge of sanity!!! I want to keep in touch. None of my friends but one are gardeners, and she lives 1000's of miles away. You guys are such a warm safe place to come to.....

Cheers, Nancy.

cameron ~~ thank you, thank you for all the info you share with us ~~ i wouldn't have the slightest clue on how to find all the wonderful stuff you provide links for us to use ~~ you are indeed providing us with outstanding resources ~~ thanks again, phyl

I work part-time, and am allowed to use the computer at work because we have a lot of quiet time in our business, so I visit forums, search out things online, and send DH notes. (My boss tells me he hopes I have things to keep me busy while I'm there.)

I don't have a lawn crew, I do most of it, except lately, I've been asking DH to help me do things, because I'm getting older and things are harder or too heavy, etc. I love working in my gardens and being able to do all that I can.

I'm the cook, the laundress (no dryer, hang clothes out on lines to dry and love the smell of fresh air on them when I bring them in), and the housekeeper. Although, I would rather be outside working in gardens than doing things indoors. :-)

We live in a small cottage and are pretty much together all the time. We read, talk, laugh and work together on all sorts of projects. We listen to music, we watch movies.

I love coming here, friends have become family, there is always something new to learn, there are pictures to inspire, laughter and tears to be shared.

I am thankful to Nell, Cameron and others who share a wealth of info and inspiration for working in our gardens. I'm thankful to all who share pictures of their homes and gardens. Thankful to Carolyn for her recipes, and Cameron thanks for our Cottage Gardens cookbook via the web.

I miss hearing from Edna, Eduarda and others who are busier these days and aren't able to be in here like they were. We all have our lives to live, the best way we can. Sometimes our lives are full, other times they are not so full, but more relaxed and we have more time to do things, like be here on the computer.

Like Nell reminded us about FlyLady's advice, We can do anything 15 minutes at a time, and that is oh so true.

It is wonderful to be able to get in here any time of the day and chat with others about your shared interests. Most of us do not have people living in our vicinity that we can do that with.

I am thankful for this forum and for all who contribute.

FlowerLady

I'm here, I'm here, my friends, thanks for missing me! :-) I've been MIA a lot lately, yes, a very long commute, yes, very busy working full time for a company, etc. Actually this is bound to change again, since I have just heard this week that my contract is not going to be renewed next October (failing business), so I'll be coming back home again and plan to resume my freelance translation work - which I had been doing for a few years before joining that company 1.5 years ago. So I expect to have some more time in the next few months. If I don't get freelance work I will surely have *a lot* of time in my hands to post here :-)

With the exception of the last few years I have worked in the IT area all my life, so I have a somewhat similar experience to Cameron's. PCs are a familiar sight in our house, we have also wireless connections to the laptops, etc. The major difference between Cameron's lifestyle and mine is that I (and DH) still can't afford to retire. We want to be like Cameron and her DH when we do :-) We also love to travel and do it whenever we can afford the time and the money.

Weekends have to be used to do the laundry, tend the garden, go buy groceries and other assorted household chores.

In my present job, which is bound to end this month, even though I have access to the forum, I simply do not have the time to post - it's an hectic pace there (yes, even though business is failing so much they are letting all contract people go...). So I only have very limited time in the evenings to lurk or post. But I do keep an eye on everybody's whereabouts. I know Edna has had a very busy and frustrating year too, but I know she's here somewhere. And Marilyn has been MIA here a lot too, we need to bring her back.

Eduarda

I am not retired, though I am TIRED! I work full-time and for the past five years have gone to school at nights trying to get into nursing school. I haved raised two boys, though the youngest is in college baseball, and I have spent many springs at the ballfield doing my homework and not my gardening. I plan to only take classes during fall and winter untill I get into nursing school, so my garden will be looking a lot better next year.

I am one of those on- and off-again posters (mostly off). I have been posting on the Garden Web for many, many years--back to the days when Spike ran the joint and there were only a handful of forums. I stopped for a while when they began charging a fee to belong to the Garden Web (it was a long time ago, if my memory serves me right). I check back in every so often, but have been avidly lurking and then posting since school got out last spring.

I love the people on the Cottage Garden forum the most, though you will see them popping up on other forums from time to time. These are the nicest people and SO much knowledge all in one place! I have been gardening for about 12 years and devouring gardening books for about as long, and I don't know half of what these people know. It's really great to be able to share a passion for growing things with these lovely people and learn something to boot.

The thing that facilitated my lengthier return this time is the laptop my husband bought me for a celebration gift when he (erroneously) thought I got accepted to nursing school. I take the darn thing to bed with me and get caught up on email, these forums, and other things.

Even though I haven't been posting much or for long, I really cherish reading what you all have to say. It really makes my day (or rather--night!).

Pat

Friends really are a time drain, so I got rid of most of them. Then I set fire to the garden. Look for me on the news!

I've wondered too, Sierra. I rarely post anymore because I'm usually dead tired when I come home from work. And my garden, such as it is, has been neglected shamefully. I think 2 years running is more than a gardening slump. I'm considering ripping/replanting and making something like a mini-meadow (which I was interested to read about on this forum recently). I have 7 years worth of perspective on what will/won't survive here, so that's a plus.

Besides work, I'm still knitting furiously. I did just pick up a book and read it through without feeling a little guilty for the idleness. Johnny has actually gotten out and started reclaiming part of a bed that I gave up on. Between his efforts and the those of the hens, some aggressive weeds may be gone for good. So are a few nice plants, but I'm hardly going to complain. Now, we're in the process of deciding what shrub/tree to plant in that section of border to give us some more privacy. I've never been fond of evergreens, and he thinks we have enough thorny/prickly plants. I think you can never overstate a lack of desire for visitors.

Like most of us, I think, I still take a few moments to look in and read what I can when I can. Some days there are so many posts I can't keep up.

kent, antisocial knitter and hen herder

Some searching personal questions have been asked here and the responses, except for my post, were quite open. In almost every case, those who responded have information on their 'My Page' link next to their name revealing where and why they garden, other interests and if they are retired.

Years ago, I read The Three Boxes of Life by Richard Bolles (the 'What Color is Your Parachute' guy). In the book, he refers to education, work and leisure and how they apply to different stages of life. The point of the book is to show how to better balance those boxes at any age.

I'm curious about the questioner, who tells us nothing about self except that he or she is in a cold climate, spares little time to the Forum and is annoyed with those of us who spend much time at the computer and 'post constantly.' Perhaps we can help. Tell us more.

Nell

I too am not quite sure how to take this post...The typed word vs spoken work is much harder to "read". I hope it was meant postively tho not neg. I will pipe in with my responses.

I am NOT retired.
I am a empty nester tho
I work full time outside the home
I do NOT work in the summers tho
I go to work before daylight usually and therefore I am home mid afternoon, so it prolly seems I don't work. Even tho I put in a full day
My children live several hours away...so visits are weekend trips instead of daily.
I do not garden fulltime, nor do I pay anyone to do it. I do pay someone to mow ONLY tho. (mostly because of allergies)
I like my gardens, but they are nothing compared to some. Very small.. My theory is to only do as much gardening as you have time for "without" a burden. If it is not a pleasure then you have to much. Instead take one little garden area you might be able to do, and do it over the top...much flash for little work. That theory keeps me able to keep my garden in check for my life.

I think gardening is a hobby just like any other..photography, geneology, hunting, fishing, golf..reading, ect. You make time for it just as anyone doing those things makes time. If you love doing just as those with other hobbies, it is less of a chore. To each his own. We all have our own hobbies and skills..gardening is a fav of mine.

As far as posting or reading posts...I also have a laptop. I prefer surfing to the tube. I laptop while my hubby works the remote. I also find it relaxing, much like some find the coffee and smoke a way to unwind for a few minutes. I dont smoke, my vice is the forum. The forum is my "smoke" or way to unwind...

I think Sierra was really just asking, "How in the world do [we] do it?" Well, speaking for myself only--I don't!!! My smallish garden looks pretty good, I finished moving my second child out of the house, and my job is sort of caught up. However, you should see my house! I might let people over to see my yard, but have been known to make people wait outside while I run in to get something. School is about to start soon, so it will only get worse for a while. However, I always have it pulled together by the holidays, because I like to entertain family and close friends.

I suppose it is really all about balance, which I don't much have, but priorities, which I do. I keep up with the things that I value--family, work, school, garden, friends. There have been times when I have had to re-prioritize due to the unexpected, but I eventually get back to where I want to be. For example, my garden went to weeds for a couple of years because of school and baseball, and it became a huge chore and source of guilt and embarrassment for me, but I couldn't do anything about it because my grades and attending my child's baseball games were important to me. I later got on top of my garden, and am now happy with it again. I will eventually get around to a "spring cleaning" soon, and I will be happy with my house again, too.

And then, of course, something else will slide, and it will start all over again. But I bet I am not alone...

Annette, I know you have a beautiful garden and spend a lot of time gardening....you don't just sit on the computer. Your posts here are very informative.

Edna, Eduarda, Phill173, Thanks for stopping by, its nice to know some people can relate.

Kent, Your first lines cracked me up. Thanks for that!!!

Nancy, I hope you are recovering from your injuries and are doing better now.

Cameron, MMMMMM Coffee sounds good. lol. Sounds like you both are enjoying yourselves.

Flower, I don't know what a flylady is....but if I did my work for only 15 minutes...then nothing would get done....eeekkksss.

Keesha, I suppose this could have been worded a little better. LOL!!!

Nell.....If you are upset because I told you its not legal to steal photos.......you are going to have to get past it. It is not legal to steal, borrow or use someone elses photos unless you get permission from the photographer. Now if everyone just took photos anytime they wanted...photographers would not be able to make a living. Yes there is a difference between the pro photographer and the snap shooters.....snap shooters are flattered when their photos get used for no pay. Pro photographers however, like to have food on their table.

My post was not meant to be that personal really...it was about time and how my friends on here manage everything. I have never heard of a man named Sierra??? This is a gardening forum, so I talk gardening, when I visit.

It was very nice to hear from those that don't have the time or energy to post every day. :)

Sierra

Sierra, I don't know quite how to take your question........but will just accept it for exactly what it says.

Here is how I do it:

We are both retired.
I do the yard work, dh helps when requested, other than than, he isn't interested.
He maintains the farm, beef cattle and keeping the place mowed once or twice a year.
I do all my own housecleaning, gardening, canning, freezing and bookkeeping (thank you Quicken!) I do my own taxes.
In short, we do everything ourselves with the exception of putting up our hay. We hire that done.

Family obligations. At our age, we only have dh's parents and I have one aunt.

Both children live 3-4 hours away and we don't see them except three or four times a year. We don't travel much because of the cattle.

I have lots of hobbies besides gardening. I knit, crochet and read (probably way too much).

I really feel absolutely no quilt about the time I spend on the computer....love it dearly. I don't remember if I was on the internet as much when we milked, but I do know one farm forum I visited regularly. I find it a wonderful way to ask and share information.

I really have no "gardening" friends, by that I mean people who really love their plants and want to know the botanical name and all their requirements and companion plants , etc. I love it that I have found kindred spirits here....and some people my age and younger who share some of the same hobbies.

Sierra, your time will come.....trust me and you will wonder where it went. I treasure every single minute and spend it pretty much how I want!

Maybe it is just me, but I suspect this thread is more personal that it might look. It is a shame when a nice forum like this becomes a place for personal issues. I don't know if it is just me and my denseness but I dont follow some of these accusations from only what is in this thread, and that leads me to believe there is more happening here than meets the eye. I hope personal issues stay clear of such a nice place as this forum. On all sides.

As far as time and iifetyle issues..I say to each thier own...no one is should judge who spends to little time here or too much either. As far as I am concerned, no matter what your hobby, even if it is not gardening, all are welcome here. But I think "playing nice" would be a better game plan for the survival of this nice place on the net to share and learn, when there are so few really nice places really...personal issues should stay personal and privateespecially hidden agendas. If I am assuming to much I am sincerely sorry to all involed. I would just hate to see good people with common threads leave because of personal uissues.

These are my personal observations and honestely I would feel much better if they were dead wrong. I would LOVE to be wrong here...shh...don't tell my husband I could be wrong tho.. :)

gldno1...I want to be retired...and I want some chickens and some lil goats on a lil hobby farm. sigh!

Yes I like the cottage too....a place where you can ask questions and get some honest answers. Thanks all for that!!!

Keesha you are wrong! So no need to feel bad....and I won't tell your dh. LOLLLL!!!! This thread is not personal....so please don't make it go that way. I don't care who spends hours at the computer, I was/am curious on how they can do everything.

Okay now I am off once again....Anyone want to volunteer to put my garden to bed for the winter? I have a gazillion dahlias to dig...any volunteers? Anyone?

Sierra

No, no dahlia digging for you - I have way too many of my own to dig!!! Actually, I am thinking of pulling them early for under-achieving!!! I do have lots of bulbs to plant, as there are was little Spring colour here...

Sierra, I see no demons in the shadows, only an honest question. I used to wonder who had the time, but I now understand many other aspects of posting. I have way too much time on my hands right now, and this is a great place to be...think the old History slogan: time well spent, or the new Comedy channel: time well wasted!!! Love it. Either way, it is healthy communication, amongst like thinking people, for the most part.
Thank you for you kind thought - yes, I am healing, and looking for work closer to my new home. Much healthier for me.

Cheers to All, Nancy.