I work a full time job as an accountant.

I have hundreds of interests and no time to pursue them. Photography, finally getting comfortable with digital after many, many years of SLR film cameras. It's really great to edit photos myself. And so cheap. I take 10 photos of the same thing and erase everything that isn't perfect. No more developing and cropping by others.

Reading: mysteries, garden books, decorating books, archeology.

Genealogy.

Scrapbooking.

Cooking.

My house. I live alone in this huge old farmhouse. Foot wide wooden moldings, old 8-panel doors, a lot of original hardware, maple floors, huge rooms. I'll bet I'm the only person you know who has a secret passage;~) Anyway, I don't think I'll live long enough to finish all the plans I have for the place.

Animals. Used to raise quarter horses. Used to show my dogs in obedience. All those things fell victim to the divorce. Can't afford those high dollar hobbies anymore. Still help friends with an obedience training club. Help out with a collie rescue group. Just took in 2 more rescue cats to add to the 4 I already had. I have the perfect place for cats because the farm is more than a mile from any roads. They have a cat paradise in the old barns, pastures and woods.

Janice, please start another thread about makeup and cosmetics. I'd love to get everyone's input on the best stuff.

Marnie

I worked for a traveling petting zoo and pony ride for a long time, used to mainly run the home base and train the ponies, but I got to travel all over the west coast also.

Then I moved on to a vineyard and learned a lot, too much really about grapes :P

On to a small high scale furniture manufactor where we had a mill and cut the wood right there, I worked there long enough to learn to make almost every part and got to be a floater, one of the people with high wood working skills that could go repair or make missing parts.

Now I train horses, pet sit, and take care of my husband who hurt his back two years ago :(

I got a lot of hobbies, not much time, I like to decorate my house, and shop at yard sales. I someday hope to build a wonderful koi pond, I'm thinking about showing and breeding a few papillons, I breed hedgehogs, been doing that for over ten years. and I used to do endurance riding and horse shows but now my horse is retired and I got a rescue horse who is a nut job I'm trying to make into a nice useable animal. I also try to help wild life every chance I get.

Been married three years to my husband Josh, My name is Crystal.

our Kids are three dogs, Two horses, a mule, a goat, three chins, two hedgehogs, one bird and some koi and gold fish.

What do I do when not in the garden? NOT housework that's for sure!!! I only do that when all my furniture and hardwood floor finishes turn from shine to mate and the cat hair build up starts to float around when I walk over the floors!

My H says the computer has me in it's clutches and he's right! I enjoy reading and do a little volunteer work. I belong to a Red Hat group, do lunch with friends, and talk on the phone.

Women never retire like Janice says. We still cook, clean, do laundry etc.. Yes, I do break down and clean our 3 bathrooms once in a while! I still can vegetables from the garden but not like I used to, as all I'll do this year is can some tomatoes and do a little freezing of other vegetables.

We spend a couple of months in the south in the winter traveling in our RV from one state park or RV park to another.

Would I ever go back to work? Not! NO! Nada!

Connie

When am I Not in the yard/garden, lol.

I am a domestic engineer too and it seems like I don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done I want/need to do. That's why I'm usually not on the computer until this time of the night.

Hubby is a truck driver working mostly on construction jobs, but occaisionally helping out his farmer boss with grain hauling.

One of our favorite things to do is visit our local state park Starved Rock, where we are volunteers. We do everything there from guiding hikes to working in the visitor/information center and even picking up trash. I hate litter bugs! I would sometime like to ask people why they feel they need to litter, just to hear their lame answers, lol.

Anyway, I also enjoy reading, mostly nature or gardening books. So much I want to know about in the great outdoors, always something new to learn, keeps it interesting.

Janet

I am a library media specialist (librarian) in an elementary school. I serve 700 students a week aged 3-11. My job is fun most of the time, but I have a tough school. There are a lot of students who live below the poverty line (I believe we are at 60%) and a lot of transient families who move around a lot to avoid paying rent. We are in a pretty wealthy community, it's just that the housing around my school is the cheapest around and there is a state prison in Oshkosh, which is about 15 minutes away. Plus with companies who once kept this community going closing up (Kimberly Clark) and moving out of the country things are only getting worse.

I have my summers off. So during the summer I am usually out working in my yard everyday. When I am not working in my yard I am traveling, making jewelry, shopping for hostas, going to concerts, or, of course, reading. I have 6 nieces and nephews (going on 7 this fall), so my husband and I try to spend time with them. Since we will probably never be able to have kids of our own we have to suck up to them now so at least one them will take care of us when we are older! LOL!

Jeez Janice - how do you find time to do all that? I thought your dedicated career was posting on this forum!

Crystal and Marnie - seems like we have quite the group of current and ex horse people. I spent my youth riding and training ponies and horses. Mostly in hunters (Medal, Maclay, Jr Hunters, Pony Hunters) and dabbled a bit in eventing and horse trials. When I had to start paying the bills, I couldn't afford to continue at the same level (traveling with 2 horses, trainer, etc is EXPENSIVE) I moved to obed dogs. I have titled all my dogs (CGS/CD/CDX) and am currently considering starting agility with my red Dobe girl.

Otherwise, I have started making jewelry and am taking a sliversmithing class this fall.

I also work as a private chef on ocassion, catering luncheons, small dinner parties and cocktail events. It is just enough to pay for my gardening addiction.

I keep toying with the idea of going back to work in a more traditional position, but I think it would cut into my leisure activities too much. Hee hee hee.

I see that a few of us are into making jewelry. Maybe we should ask GW to create a Jewelry Making forum for us to meet and discuss techniques, etc. I know we can have OT conversations here, but I would love to have a place that we can dedicate to that topic.

Anyway, thats a bit about me.....

Alexa

What do I do? I guess I'm a professional volunteer, that's pretty much what I do.
I am a transplanted Eastern girl from "noth Jehzy" went to an Ivy League school where I met my Husband to be and left to get my Mrs and skipped that last year that would have gotten by my BA! LOL!
Moved to Iowa, worked until the kids came in the Lab at a major manufacturing company, had a couple of kids and took up the volunteer circuit.
DH soon became Vice president, then president and finally CEO of a food manufacturing and marketing company and I never worked more that part time so I could be free to do what he needed me to do.
We bought our first house with ground to call my own when I was 22 and I planted my first garden, just a little trench about 2 feet wide at the back of the house with some annuals, and an ambitious 4" by 80" or so vegetable bed across the back....which very soon became 4 tomatoes a little lettuce, some radishes and lots of flowers!!
I have 2 children and 7 grand children, my husband died 15 years ago....and here I stay in the big house doing my thing.
Over the years I have been the driving force behind the local community theater, appeared in many plays, directed many more and done virtually job there is to do at the theater but for climbing on the scaffolding and setting the lights, but I have run the board.
Another passion is cooking and currently I am the person that cooks and organizes volunteers for funerals and other receptions at my church. For about 10 years I wrote copy and propped photos for brochures. I worked part time for the Census Bureau for 4 years. And am currently sitting at the computer looking for inspiration to write a promotional letter for a fund raiser for the Arboretum.
My son and his 3 live 300 miles away and my daughter and her 4 only 45 miles down the road. I see them often and they are a major part of my life.
To set myself apart, I have never been on a horse that wasn't being held by someone, I have never made any jewelry beyond stringing beads and my dog is very ill behaved!...but cute! LOL!
But I knit very well, make my own patterns and all, I have refinished lots and lots of furniture and caned a lot of chair seats and made a fair amount of draperies, even though I "don't sew"...can't do darts, fitted seams etc!
You all may inspire me to do the jewelry thing though!
Linda C

Read. Mosaic. Collect everything. Work with photos. Visit with friends. Shop at garage sales and thrift shops. Cook (don't clean much). Decorate for Christmas. Plan for changes to the garden. Watch "Lost". McT

What do I do? Probably NOT ENOUGH if you ask my husband and 17 year old son! LOL!
Haven't worked outside the home for over 4 years. For several years I was a floral designer which was alot of fun. Was asked to be a temp "fill in" clerical as a favor with the construction company the hubby works for and ended up staying for about 5 years. That was the last job I had. Seriously been thinking about looking for a job again but haven't really decided what I want to do. My son will be going off to college next year (sniff, sniff) and I'll need something to do.
I have too many great ideas in my head for remodel projects on our house but many seem to never get done. Right now my kitchen is half redone and we have new flooring waiting to be put down in the kitchen and livingroom.
We have a yellow lab who weighs about 118 lbs without an ounce of fat on him. He's a BIG boy. Most of my time is spent "doing" for the three males of the house. In some cultures, I believe they call that slavery!
I've always spent more than enough time on the computer but since I found GW I spend way too much. Love looking at pics of everyones gardens.
We have a boat and like to spend time on the river. Live just a few blocks from the Mississippi River.
I do read alot. The girls at the local library know me well. ;) I wait until everyone else goes to bed and enjoy the peace and quiet!

Steph

I did not know we had so many horse people over here!
My mother has around 100. She has everything and anything anyone is looking for from Draft down to minis.
The ones I am especially attached too (which means they are NOT for sale, lol!!) are my barrel horse "Destiny" her Missouri Foxtrotter "Babe" (she is the one I usually ride in the parades) and Her Tennessee Walker "Shiloh".
my boys each have one, my 12 year old has a Appaloosa "Joker" and my 6 year old has a Welsh cross "Candy" I would break horses for people when I was younger, but that style of, slap a saddle on and jump on has passed for me, I really need to keep my bones intact.
My mother is really good with them though, I call her the horse whisperer, they all will do just about anything for her, in fact all animals are like that with her.

What I do during the day (clearing of throat)
I work in a machine shop (yippee, skippee)
I have stayed home the past 5 years so I had been out of the work force for quite some time, quite a jolt let me tell you, thinking I may need to invent a excuse to have another kid so I can stay home again (weak laugh)
no it isn't too bad, it is hot but it is Summer, I have been thinking that come Winter I will probably be estatic to be in between two CNC machines, nice and cozy:)
I have a colorful work history, I started out working for Butterball (or Con Agra just depending on who owned it at the time, they liked to buy and sell back, to each other) I worked on the Turkey farm gathering eggs, Then I went to Plastics production (you know those Blitz gas cans? I did the top two black pieces, had to screw them togather and slap a spout in) we made funnels and drain pans, all sorts of stuff for Blitz.
then I went to work for a Transmission plant, tearing down and rebuilding transmissions (warning, warning, do not buy a Dodge, lol!!)
last job before I stayed home was assistant manager in a Conoco (ugh! would rather work 12 hours in a factory) I don't do well with people, inanimate objects are much nicer to work with, they don't complain or get angry with you:)

I make ceramics and sell on ebay. I've made some beaded jewelry and do some beading on a loom and run a co-op group for buying plants and bulbs.
Pam

Like Linda, I am basically a volunteer...on the board of the swimming pool, Girl Scout leader for 13 years, PTA, support group for celiac disease, travel soccer manager, tutor at the elementary school my kids used to attend...

Have not worked full time in 19 years, and only for a few months part time a couple years ago before I broke my shoulder falling over the dog on the stairs. Previously worked at Georgetown University Medical School as an AA, and at a defense contractor. Quit work when I had kids.

Mostly raising the kids is my job. Both have chronic illnesses (celiac disease in the DD and Type 1 diabetes in the DS). Both are active and healthy so I guess I'm doing OK there.

And spend lots of time at their sporting events.

House is a mess.

Yard is slightly better though there is still one hosta waiting to go in the ground.

Would have 100 dogs if I could, though we are still getting over the loss of Scout last fall. So I "borrow" the neighbor's dogs sometimes.

I also spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer, and I watch a lot of TV. Been running either my dad's house or my own for almost 40 years, and I'm just plain tired, lazy, and cranky.

Becky

I'm a mom to 3 young kids...I'm spending a lot of time on potty trainng...yippee!

I'm in the National Guard, which keeps me busy on the weekends. I just got back from a trip to Ecuador. Did you know that Ecuador is the tuna capital of the world...can you guess what it smells like!?

Like Mct, I love the show 'Lost'.

I just have to catch my 'local on the 8s' on the weather channel...I'm almost obsessed with that channel...

No horses, knitting, or reading books (my mother in law jokes that prisoners are better read than me), but I LOVE housework...especially vacuuming...and dusting...

I'm starting my masters next month. My garden should be just about put to bed by then.

I guess, I spend all day in the hosta garden...not my personal one, tho (need so much work), but putting all my hosta "to bed" for the season....sell some them, love them....

In previous time, (Degree in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State) and worked as a Landscape Architect for 8 years. Burn out....did not have any time in the summer, and extra time in the winter (not for me).

Also taught Landscape Architecture computer program called Landcadd at the local Technical college. A real challenge, but worth it to see the final projects of the students.

Husband and I adopted a baby when he was 3 days old....now is 24!!! He has FAS (Fetal Alcohol Sydrome)...a challenge for us while growning up, now a challenge for him to work & socialize. He is wonderful socially, but challenged in reading, math, and will never drive a car.....He works at Walmart in the maintanence department.

Last year I had a triple bypass and a new valve put in ....ON MAY 3rd....what timing....could not use my arms for 4 months, but still managed to put all the hosta away for the season.....

enought rambling, thanks for the thread....karla

I'm really loving this thread! Isn't great to get to know one another alot better? Obviously, hosta people are busy
people and have varied interests, from plants, to animals and ultimately (and most importantly)---other people!

You know what they say, "If you want to get something done, you ask a busy person to do it!" Not sure if that
means they are better organized (I'm certainly not) or if they just don't know how to say "NO"! LOL

Thanks everyone, for making this thread so interesting! Keep 'em coming!!

Hey Karla, Congratulations to you for your success with your son. Both of my sons were adopted at birth. One is 24 the other 20. The younger one is full status -First Nations. He doesn't have FAS (that has been diagnosed) but did have learning diabilities especially in speech and reading. I don't know if he'll ever drive since he's not tried for his license yet. I consider him a HUGE success because he struck out on his own after high school - almost 3 years ago and has been self supporting ever since. He and his lovely girlfriend are living in apartment above our garage temporarily until they move to a larger city south of here in Sept. She is going to get her degree in substance abuse counceling. Raising both of my kids has been the high point, goal and biggest success of my life. McT

What a wonderful, varied, group we are! It's been fun reading everyone else's post, but I've been dragging my feet with my own. Mostly because I'd like to write a lot but am too lazy to do so :-)

I grew up on a farm in Nebraska, and like so many of the folks here, loved and owned horses for much (actually most) of my life. I literally grew up on horseback, taking my mom and dad's cattle back and forth to pasture, riding for fun, and training a couple horses of my own. By the time I got out of high school I had several horses of my own and continued owning, riding, and loving them until my move to Minnesota almost 13 years ago. At that time, we couldn't find a place we could afford that had room for horses, so I gave my last two to my sister in Missouri and that's where they have been ever since. They are old now, one is fully blind (has been since he was young) and the other is nearly blind (old age) but they are loved and well cared for.

I loved drawing and painting and might have made a career in art, but got married right out of high school instead. I did a little of this and a little of that, a few years later had two children (a daughter and a son, now adults), then went to work as..... a meat wrapper at a locker plant, then a part time cook at a hospital, then into the hospital's business office, then started taking part time computer classes and got an associate degree in computer programming. I eventually ended up as MIS director at that same hospital where I started as a part time weekend cook. Management changed, I wasn't happy any more and I went job hunting.

That's when I came to Minnesota. My ex-husband and kids followed once school was out for the year.

I currently work for IBM on the iSeries Support line (techincal support) where I provide usage and defect support for the iSeries computer and (mostly) certain IBM products that connect to the iSeries to access data. I've been doing my current job for almost 13 years, and like it better then I've ever liked any of my past jobs. I spend a great part of my day talking with customers all across the US. Most of the people I work with are very nice, even when under a lot of pressure due to the very problem they called me about. I love my current work schedule, which is 4 10-hour days a week. Although I drive 42 miles each way to work, I get to work at home on Fridays and that is great too. MONDAY, is my very own personal day and when I spend a lot of time in the garden and doing whatever I like.

I love gardening, photograph, backyard bird watching, doing things on my (personal not work related) computer. I love and have done many kinds of crafts and other creative things, but photography is the lifelong creative love. I had to restrain myself a little bit with that, for much of my life, but then along came digital and I went nuts! I own two good digital Canon SLR's and take photos literally by the thousands. I've photographed a few weddings, but don't really want to make a career of it. When I retire (in 12-15 years), I'd like to have a part time (at least in the spring and summer) at a garden center or nursery. I'd also love to spend part of my time traveling and taking photographs of beautiful and interesting places and people.

My daughter is married and she and my son-in-law live in Tulsa, OK. My son is married (as of last December) and he and my daughter-in-law are here in Minnesota. I can hardly wait until one of them makes me a grandmother :-) My daughter is in no hurry to do that, if ever, but I think chances are pretty good with my son. Cross your fingers for me!

Jel, I know how you feel. My daughter is nearly 30 but she was finally ready and so excited about our GB due in Oct. I grew up in Odessa which is on the edge of the Chihuahua desert. We moved to central Texas about 17 years ago, and I started gardening about 5 years ago. My parents were teachers, and I teach fifth grade. I am starting my 22nd year in about a week. My middle daughter just completed her first year as a biology teacher. She is going to go on to grad school. I have 3-6 more years until I retire. The nice thing about teaching is I do have time for the garden in the summers, but I also spend most of each summer working on our house. I do some kind of project every summer. Last summer we updated the bath, and this summer I am refacing the kitchen cabinets. I just thought this forum moved fast until I checked out the kitchen forum. They are passionate about their kitchens. I like to read, watch TV, fish, and garden.I used to like to travel, but I am finding I like it more at home the older I get. We had a horse briefly when I was growing up. She would buck you off as soon as you got out of the fence. I didn't much care for that, but I have a cousin who is big into horses. We have four children. Ages 29, 26, 23, and 18. The girls are all fine, but we have struggled over drugs with our son. We have a pair of shelties, and we are dog sitting our son's husky mix. I drive a 65 Ranchero, that my DH fixed up for me. I get more compliments on that street rod. It needs to be repainted right now, but I still get comments.
Mary

When not in the garden, I sketch, paint and tattoo. I love to paint, but need inspiration lol. Any ideas for a painting would be greatly appreciated.
Donnie

I'm the "mother" to about 500 kids of varying ages...LOL...(www.pourhouse.org).

Other than that, I'm a musician (percussion, vocals), love to read, bike and hike!

Here is a link that might be useful: The PourHouse, Inc.

First and foremost I am a father to my two year old son and a husband to my wife of a little over three years.

During the day, I am a lawyer. I work for a defense contractor in export controls, in part, helping to serve and support the men and women who are serving and supporting the US.

I grew up in very rural Michigan, but not the Northern even-more-rural part. My mom was born in Canada and moved to Michigan at age eight, so one would be right to call me a first generation American/US natural-born citizen.

My first job at age thirteen was weeding quarter-mile rows of onion fields in the small community in which I grew up. At about that time, my dad thought it would be fun to buy 100 baby white pines from the local FFA and task me and my two brothers to plant them throughout our three acre "yard". Just my luck a semi-drought would strike that year. The hose was not long enough. The trees had to be watered one bucket at a time.

I moved from the onion fields to restaurant work when I was still in high school and stayed in restaurant work pretty much all through college. I also worked selling gourmet kitchenware, building cubicle panels, driving forklift, and as a package-handler at a major courier service. After college, I got a job as a paralegal in a Chicago firm. I thought it looked better in the upper ranks of the firm. The rest is history.

As for hobbies outside of horticulture, I collect antiquarian books and collect coins. My wife and I love to travel and just got back from a trip to Iceland. I am beginning to explore the joys of investing in stocks and owning and managing rental properties. I have fairly recently become a Mason.

My wife and I bought a new house about a month ago in the DC metro area. It has a nice yard with lots of hostas. I think its too late this year to make any real impact on the yard, but I am already looking forward to next Spring and making plans.

Outside of pony rides as a kid, I have been on the back of a horse twice. Both times it was clear that the horse did not want me there. I am much more at home with a good dog by my side. Horses scare me a bit.

Matthew

I've really enjoyed this thread! It's so neat getting to know everyone a bit better!! And how could we know some of
the poignant and touching things some of you are dealing with had you not taken the time to share some of yourself
with us on this thread?

Thank you--everyone! It really does help to get a fuller picture of you all! I think you're a great bunch of folks!

I am almost 40, I have a 17 year old boy ready to graduate, a 18 year old girl starting college. Divorced with a long term relationship. A 13 year old cocker Spanial my daughter left 2 chihuahus and a Hahns Macaw Parrot. My boyfriend is into home improvement (lucky Me). I am a Master Gardner and involvedwith our area Pond Club , I do alot of volunteer work in the spring with gardening and I clean full time at our local University.

What do I do ALL day when not in the garden? Neat thread - very interesting!
I am an 8 - 5'er. I read here that someone works in a machine shop, well I'm in sales for a machine/compression molding shop. After working in a factory for 10+ years, I got married and decided to go to college. In 5 years' time, I got a Bachelor's degree in Business, mostly while working full time in the factory, taking voluntary layoffs when offered. THAT was fun - NOT!! Anyhow, now I'm in an office, which is much better, selling plastic components, chasing new leads and keeping customers happy.
I live outside of town on two acres, with a great DH and a few papillons (six at the moment, but three are 3 week old puppies and will be leaving the end of September hopefully).
Life is good, but most of the gardening has to get done in the evenings or weekends!