Starwatcher

I like to view the night sky. I also take lots of walks, go geocaching, kayaking, fishing, and walk the Oregon beaches and generally do physical stuff as much as possible when my body and the weather is cooperating. I have begun scrapbooking - though most of mine are more like modified photo albums. However, after going through my mother-in-law's pictures, i have really learned the value of journaling. I really would prefer my kids not to say "Who are these people, and why are they laughing?" It would be nicer for them to be able to identify all the people who have made my life as wonderful as it has been.

We have two dogs again! In December 2010 we adopted another Jake, this one is a westie-poodle mix so he doesn't shed, to keep our jack russell named Jackie, company. It had been just over a year since Jake the first passed away. We miss him a lot. He had some wonderful characteristics. He used to run from the kitchen into the living room area and just dive his head onto the carpet. He would get up and do it over and over. Very funny to watch. And sometimes he would sit up and throw his head up to the right and give a short, loud, bark to let us know it was time for a treat. And one of his ears would just tip down in the cutest way. I sure miss the old fellow. BUT Jake the second has many of his good qualities. The most important is that he likes to walk - a lot. Jake II starts scratching at the door at 9am and is not happy unless we walk for 2 or 3 miles. This is good because we are all very heavy, so though we may complain a bit, we are also very thankful that he makes us walk even more than we had before he entered the household.

I am also into genealogy, and had researched my family history back to the 1620's while I was a night counselor at a Psychiatric unit (a great job!) and I am thinking that actually it is now time to start compiling the history of all these people. I have received the photo albums from my mother-in-law and my step-dad, both of whom passed away this past year and I am sorting out the pictures to make some sense of their lives to send down to the next generation - ie my grandson, Julian, who was born in December 2007 and my second grandson Isaac born December 2010. . At my sister's memorial, I got reacquainted with my half-sisters, and met a niece I had not seen before. Also collected some cousins on the trip across the country. It is nice to be part of a larger group of people!

My favorite colors are blue and green, especially when they are together, (another reason I love the Oregon coast - evergreen trees and beautiful blue ocean!) and I also love purple. But every color has possibility and a use. I'm a very plain person with plain tastes. I don't use perfumes or dress up my hair very often - especially since we get rather strong wind blowing through this area most of the time.

My husband and I have done a fair amount of camping - (we have an old 17 foot Terry travel trailer) -basically travelling up and down the western US coast, up to Chehalis, WA where my brother has a small winery (The Heymann Whinery - spelled that way on purpose as my brother is a fun-loving guy) and we help him with the crushing and the bottling, then down to CA to see our grown children who live near San Francisco.

I still work occasionally in the mental health field by filling in when case managers go on vacation, working in Quality Assurance, or for special projects. I am now the editor of the newsletter.

Life is good!

All types, though I lean towards 60-s and 70-s and new age. My husband usually runs our various music equipment so I really don't know a lot of names, but I like just about everything.

Kate and Leopold, Titantic, You've got Mail, Labyrinth, Serenity, Failure to Launch, Independence Day, Twister, The Quiet Man (with John Wayne). I also love Music and Lyrics with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.

My favorite new show is Unnatural History. It is on the Cartoon Channel but deserves a wider audience. The main character is like a young Indiana Jones and the scripts are interesting. Check it out!

I also watch Warehouse 13 with my husband. Otherwise, i watch Discover Channel or the History channel.

Card making and making ATC's, altered books, crocheting (relearning), counted cross stitch, rubber stamping.! I love using the Sizzix machine, and I love working with rubber stamps and coloring or embossing the images. I'm just learning about altering books. I've done round robins locally and have a half completed book about my early years, but I still am very much a newbie. I like working on ATC's because it gives me a chance to experiment without a large time or money commitment. 5/10/09 My husband bought me a Cricut! so I am learning how to use it now! Awesome machine!

I really enjoy swapping and have enjoyed corresponding with the wonderful people I have met on swap-bot. I usually mail on the last mailing date because I want to be sure I send the best I can do and I sometimes sign up for too many swaps that end around the same time (they are awfully hard to resist!) So please be patient. If you have not received anything 2 weeks after due date, let me know. The Post Office must have lost it and I will do my best to replace it. And if something comes in POSTAGE DUE, let me know. I Thanks!

FYI, the "!" I received was from a partner who had been hospitalized near the time she should have received my envelope. I've sent two others, knowing that she has been going through a hard spell, but none of them have been acknowledged so I don't know what the story is. I wish her the best and if this "1" keeps me from being in your swap, no problem.

As for the "3", yes, I did send out the item a day or so late, which I figured was better than sending out a piece of junk ("it could have been on time, but who would want to receive it?). I used to stress over these swaps, but I don't anymore. I do this for fun! So I don't sign up for so many, as tempted as I may be to do so (Thank you so much for creating the Watch list) and I sign up for swaps that have enough lead time so that I can prepare a nice package and letter. I also decorate the envelope (most of the time) I send you to make receiving the swap that much more fun!

It seems some swap hostesses require this so I thought I'd add a few ideas. Generally, I like rubber stamped images of all types, papers, and anything that comes to mind when you read my profile or the swap we are both in. I think everything I receive is a real gift - you chose it, you take the time to wrap it and explain it, and you pay to send it to me - that is a lot of time and energy. So, anything goes. Smoke doesn't bother me much - I just put those items out in the garage until the smell is gone.

Have fun ! Happy Swapping!