I have noticed a few new people on this forum who have not yet introduced themselves. If you don't mind, could you take a few minutes to tell us a little bit about yourselves? And you can find out about some of the rest of us by going to the archives (scroll down past the new questions to an alphabetical listing of older messages by category) and click on "About Us".

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 19, 2001

Answers

Good idea! We would love to hear about you! Make yourself to home and join us! God bless!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), November 19, 2001.

Cathy, I'm glad to know about the "About Us" category. I'd seen it but not checked it out. Had been wanting the scoop on all of you.

Me? I'm just past the mid-life crisis, must have hit it early in life. Married to Vicki, three kids: Micah (18), learning to drive (yep, only beginning at 18 in Brazil; nice, huh?), Joel (15), smart as a whip, and Leila (9) still in the little girl stage and we're glad of that. Micah and Joel's basketball fever finally rubbed off on Leila, so they're all three in training. Everyone but me was also swimming at a club near our house, until the doctor let Micah off the hook (said it had done all it could do for his asthma). And she's a homeopathic doc! Go figure. I started pumping metal in a gym two months ago; thought I'd be the last person in the world to do such a thing.

Vicki is teaching English classes for fun, besides her homeschooling and chauefffeeuring (where's my dictionary?) jobs.

I mostly write and edit, as well as a bundle of other jobs. We have lived in Brazil for 17 years as of November 28, big date for us, right behind the wedding anniversary. I'm from northeast Arkansas, Vicki from Texas and Mississippi. Micah born in Texas, Joel and Leila in Belo Horizonte, where we lived our first 10 years. Now in Sao Jose dos Campos, 100 km east-northeast of Sao Paulo on highway to Rio de Janeiro, busiest and most dangerous strip of asphalt in the country.

Whew! Now that I've put everyone to sleep . . . If you're a glutton for more punishment, see my "Of Me and Mine" category in Christians Only. It's my mother's favorite, if no one else's. ;-)

-- Randal (randal@rhyme.cjb.net), November 19, 2001.

Cathy: do i fit in your category of new people or am I classified as a oldie but goodie...Radar

-- Robert (snuffy@1st.net), November 19, 2001.

Robert, if you haven't introduced yourself, here's a good place to do so. I think there are lurkers here who might also come out of the woodwork if they so chose.:o)

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), November 19, 2001.

Randal~ Glad to see another Arkie on here. I'm from Springdale in NW Arkansas. Where in NE are you from?

-- Ivy in NW AR (balch84@cox-internet.com), November 20, 2001.

Ivy, was born in Paragould and grew up all over Greene County: Lafe, Hooker (yep, don't ask me where the name came from), Stonewall (from Jackson), Marmaduke (!), and finally back to Paragould. Seems my parents made it a habit to move just down the road about every two years. The family went to Houston job-hunting, but I think my dad thought about missing the hunting woods in Crowley's Ridge and the Ozarks and backed out. Whew!

-- Randal (randal@rhyme.cjb.net), November 20, 2001.

Hello all,

While I'm not exactly "new" to the forums, I'm not sure if I've ever properly introduced myself.

My husband (Russ) and I live in a community about 25 miles Northwest of Boston in Mass. We've been here almost 23 years. I'm originally from central Virginia and met DH when he was down there on a field assignment (he's a mechanical engineer). We have two children (Eric and Amy) and two grandsons, (Alex and Ethan). Daughter, Amy moved back to Virginia after graduation and now lives on an 80 acre farm with her husband, Jason and 2 year old Ethan. Son, Eric, lives up here, not too far away and has 10 year old Alex whom I see quite often. I am a homemaker although for years considered myself a "professional volunteer" because of my involvement in the community. About three years ago, I decided to "retire" and do what I enjoy best. I raise chickens, garden and enjoy learning the "old" crafts of basketry, quilt making, tin-punch, etc. I enjoy canning, cooking, baking, and many of the old ways I've learned from people on the forums. Forum people have so much valuable information and it's a pleasure to read your forum, Melissa.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), November 20, 2001.

Hi everyone! I'm Jean from Northern WI. I live with my husband Terry, son and grandson. Hubby and I have 4 married daughters, 13 grandchildren and 1 on the way in Dec. I am blessed to have them all living here. Same goes for my Mom, brothers and sisters. We are a close family. I lived most of my life in the country and glad I'm here now. I have a full time job in the Home Health field, so between job and family, I'm really busy. My goal is to find something I can do at home for income (don't we all wish). This has been a crazy years for me. No garden, no raising chickens or turkey. That's going to change next year for sure! I like to garden and do canning. I'm working on a quilt right now but would like more experience in sewing. I also like to read and play board games with the grandkids. I see there is another Jean here so I'll sign off as Jean in No.WI.

-- Jean in No. WI (jat@ncis.net), November 20, 2001.

Hi all! I'm new here and have millions of questions. My husband and I live in western Maine on the New Hampshire border about a mile down a dirt road with our Flat Coat Retriever Gabriel, our cat Ember and our goats. Our four daughters are all grown and moved out. I have a lot of craft experience (worked at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts in the late 60's/early 70's). Do spinning, weaving, pen and ink drawing, make hats and baskets, sew, cook, etc. I also worked in the past at Fort Western Museum in Augusta Maine and demonstrated dyeing, spinning, weaving and etc. I do gardening, in fact its an obsession. I am a born again believer and my husband is an ordained minister. I have been a lurker, but now here I am. Thanks for keeping this forum on the up and up and I look forward to many enjoyable hours of reading and communicating!

-- Janice in Maine (kenjan@nh.adelphia.net), November 20, 2001.

Hello from North Alabama, Huntsville area. I'm single since 1984 divorce. Have two girls now 22 and 20. The 22 lives in southern Calif. Been married and divorced now with a better guy. 20 year old getting married March 23. They are doing the Christian courtship and marriage way. I read, crochet, knit a little, go to church and get involved in costuming projects. Also involved in the ice skating rink as older daughter competed up thru Nationals (remember when Nancy got whacked, daughter had competed there in Novice dance the day before.). My wish is a front porch with a cabin attached and at least 5 acres of land with a stream I can hear. Will see what animals I acquire. I love porch swings, trees, streams, rocking chairs, and a good dark place to look at the sky without street lights. (I did get to see the meteor showers).

I work at a computer s/w, services use to be hardware company. I'm now in purchasing, so I buy things all day long. You would not believe how some people think money grows on trees!!!

All for now, back to lurk mode as I read at work between doing other things.

AngieM2

-- AngieM2 (ameininger@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

I don't remember if I did a formal intro on this forum, so better safe than sorry! I'm Sherri, I'm 38 and I live in central Indiana with my fiance Keith and our 3 cats. We are homesteading gonna-bes for the moment, we need to live frugally and get a few more bills paid off before we can make the big move to the country. I grew up in the country (in east-central Michigan) and I miss it. I currently work in regulatory affairs for an international medical device manufacturing company, but I am in the midst of a career change to become a herbalist and massage therapist. My other interests are reading, sewing, quilting, cross-stitch, soap-making, role-playing games, and Celtic music. I am the co-leader of a Celtic Reconstructionist/Druidic grove called Tribe of the Sacred Oak, and I am the past President of the Indianapolis Metro Pagan Coalition.

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), November 20, 2001.

Hi all,

My name is Alison and I've been posting and lurking on the forum, and other country ones (BTS,Countryside, A country place,A village commons and freedom) I have been married for twelve years to Adrian and we have three gorgeous children, Christopher (5), Charlotte (3), and William (1).

We live in North Devon in England. At the moment we have my parents living with us, but we are hoping to start converting a barn into a cottage for them in the spring.

We moved on to our land in June and have been really busy ever since. I did start posting what we were up to when we first started but work and a computer virus soon put paid to all that.

When we first moved in we had 45 chickens. I have been known to be paralitic with fear from any birds so they have been a steep learning curve for me. I am now able to collect the eggs, push one off the nest if needs be and perform a small operation, because I was the only one there who was able to at the time.(Oh how I prayed!!!lol)

Since moving in we have gradually reclaimed the hedgerows, are slowly refencing the 30 acres (What was there was holes and rust), we have put water into every field, and mended any of the post and rail fencing.

We lost 15 chicken in our second week to the fox. We now have a laying flock of 150 chicken ( we sell eggs at the door) A small love nest with Rooster Cogburn ( The Rhode Island Red) and his 5 wives, who are producing eggs for the incubater. Next hatch in three days time. A Welbar trio who have yet to come into lay, but the cockeral is soo pretty. 39 chicks which are in one of the stables now. 15 khaki Campbell ducks, which we bourt as day olds, to sell their eggs.

Foot and Mouth has made it difficult to obtain and transport livestock but we managed to get 23 weeners to fatten. They are large white, Gloucester Old Spot cross. I have found a source of old veg for them from the veg shop 1 mile away (I don't have to pay for it and she doesn't have to pay to have it taken away) We live just outside a small town two miles from the coast.

We have just taken in the Jersey heiffer calves that have been pasturing here for the latter part of the summer and they younger counterparts have arrived from their owners farm to overwinter in our barn. They have run out of pasture/hay/room due to foot and mouth. (the movement restrictions are really hard to follow)

Finally my Dad has bought a Springer Spaniel. She is 18 weeks old, Liver and white and her name is Topsy.

Sorry to go on, I didn't think we had done much, but obviously we have.

I love this forum. I am very family orientated and this place feels like home.

If you want to ask anything about smallholding in England go ahead.

God bless you all

Alison

-- Alison Homa (alisonhoma@aol.com), November 20, 2001.

Hi, all! I see a lot of familiar names from Countryside (though I don't go there anymore), Freedom forum and Christian Homesteaders but I've never done a bio here so I'll try. I'm Deena, married to Wade, with 5 children ages 3 to 25 (yes, that's right) and 4 grandchildren, ages 1 to 7. The mix of kids and grandchildren keeps life interesting. We are long-time homeschoolers, with 18 years down and 14 to go. We live in what was country when we moved here but the city is trying hard to move out here. Only have a little over 2 acres and would love to have more but I will NOT move again. We do a lot with our little acreage. Big garden, lots of fruit trees and blueberry bushes, a strawberry patch, 1,000 pine trees that we planted years ago for firewood. I love heating with wood, we've been using solely wood heat for the last 19 years. I read voraciously just about everything, am especially interested in anything that deals with self-sufficiency or preparedness. Most importantly, Jesus is my Lord and Savior!

-- Deena in GA (dsmj55@aol.com), November 21, 2001.

Hi all! I live in northwest Missouri on 5 acres with my husband of 24 years. We have 3 daughters - 23, 19, and 14; and 2 sons - 16 and 13. The two oldest are on their own, in college, and planning to be married next summer.(I have two weddings within 3 weeks of each other!) I have always homeschooled our kids, and I think they have turned very well. We raise a large garden, can lots, and raise chickens, ducks, and geese. I love to read, crochet, quilt, and do counted cross-stitch. I have lurked on the forums for about a year now, but just started posting once in a while recently. I love this forum. So far I haven't seen anyone else with the same first name, but sure there are others out there. Everyone take care. Winona

-- Winona in MO (thompsonwin45@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

Okay, here goes. I am a 32 year old homemaker with a bachelor's degree in Business that has never been used. My husband, Lance, is a firefighter here in Edmond, OK for the past 7 1/2 years. We also own a small lawn care service (very small, just about 5 yards) which used to be larger, but employees tend to be a pain in just about any body part you name, as far as I am concerned! We have two boys, Mitchell is 5 1/2 and Nicholas is nearly 3 - Mitchell is in Kindergarten and seems to really enjoy it (phew!). We own a house on 2 1/2 acres which we bought when the younger boy was 6 weeks old. I swear I am not moving again unless the new house is bought furnished and all I have to bring is my clothes! We also recently acquired 80 acres in Shawnee/Earlsboro, where I grew up. My father died in April, and my mother decided she had no use for the farm land, so split it up and let us kids all choose. The 80 we have is where my father was born and raised, it has been in our family in one way or another since 1901! My great-great uncle bought it from the family who homesteaded it during the land run of 1889, and then later sold it to my grandfather. There's no house on it, just a couple of old barns/sheds and a lot of pecan trees we're getting ready for picking in the next couple of weeks. Wish us luck! As far as animals, we have one dog (Dalmation, what else - named Aerial, not like the Little Mermaid, like the ladder truck), one hermit crab (thanks to my nephew who thought the boys needed one for Christmas last year), and six chickens (hens - 5 barred rock and 1 aracauna). Other interesting tidbits include: My in-laws bought the house across the street from us two months after we moved in; I, who swore suburbans were huge and ugly, now drive one; I was raised in the Southern Baptist church, but now attend the Church of Christ (where my husband was raised). I enjoy reading and posting here, and look forward to seeing and hearing from all of you!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), November 21, 2001.