Nice to meet everybody! My story is in the Hello thread posted just before this one ;)

Karen, what a brave son you have!! Hopefully his story will help others.

Maria

Karen I've seen your son's story too!
When I was reading his page, It all came back to me. What an amazing person he is.......I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you.

Haziemoon

Hi,
I was born in Olympia,Wa.
I was an army brat.My parents were sent here from Arizona
2 weeks before my mom had twins (myself&brother)
after that we lived in almost every state growing up.
It made for an interesting life.
My parents had 50 years together and died within 6 wks. of
each other.
Had a son,divorced,met the love of my life 10 yrs.ago
finished raising his 4 sons,had the second to the oldest
blown up in Iraq 2 years ago,but he made it (still recuperating)now all are settled in to their lives.Was
blessed with a GD 2 yrs. ago.
Then found this sight(thanks to JeaninWa)
and have been here ever since you people are just wonderful!
Theres been times you make me cry because you need a hug,
and times you need a high five cause of a score!!...lol
keep up the great stuff here.I'm done rambling..lol
Debby

I have been so busy lately I feel like a newbie, I have not been to active on this site or with my GJ but hope to get back to it soon. As most of you know my DD had twin boys just one month ago and between them, moving to Idaho from Oregon and having to find work because I ran out of money I have been really busy. I have however been trying to read the post and am enjoying all the new people and the pics especially there are some really talanted people here.
I grew up in southern California married had 2 kids divorced and eventually moved north to Oregon then to Idaho. I enjoy horseback riding when I have time, I have 1 horse 2 cats and a boxer dog who is really bad this morning.
I was a fire dispatcher for the state of Oregon for 5 years and really loved my job but had to give it up when I moved to Idaho to be near my grandchildren, now I am working at Walmart and really not enjoying it at all, my home in Oregon just sold but has a 90 day escrow so I will be working for a while yet but when escrow closes I think I can retire which I am really looking forward to.

Good Afternoon!

My name is Ilsa, and I live in Prairie Village, KS (KC Metro Area). My husband and I have 3 children (16, 10, and 8). I was born & raised in the metro area & met my husband while we were both stationed in the Marine Corps several years ago. We've been together for 20 years, & married for 18. Time does fly ...

Anyway, I've been lurking for a little over a month now, and I've already got SO many great ideas for this Spring!!!! And just when I was about to get rid of that ol' Radio Flyer wagon, my cheapy garden shoes that just don't fit right, and that enormous aerator that doesn't fit on my current lawn tractor!!!! Gotta tell ya - between work & kids & gardens & the yard, Spring is typically pretty busy. My list just a WHOLE LOT longer!!!

Thanks for all the great ideas & info, and please keep those tips & pictures coming!!!

Ilsa

I'm Anita...been coming to GJ for years. First started out at Garden Accoutrements, then a bunch of folks started talking about garden JUNK and Spike didn't care for that too much, so he opened up the Garden Junk forum. I left for a while, after some friends were sent to Disney, then came back after a few years.

I'm married to a great guy, we've got four kids between us...G-23, G-21, B-21 (my stepson), and B-18. The oldest and the youngest are living with us and our 6 cats and 2 dogs in the house we bought 2 years ago. We're still renovating and relandscaping it to fit our personality.

DH and I owned a concrete statuary business for many years, but sold it two years ago. (so if you have any concrete related questions, I can probably answer them) I have always created garden decor, sold a lot of my stuff in our old store, and I still sell at artisan fairs. I'm anxious to work on our back yard so I can put my landscaping and decorating talents to work.

I have a health condition called lymphedema. It makes it very difficult for me to get around, so I'm concentrating on gardening/landscaping for the mobility impaired. I've also been in 3 bad car accidents in the last 5 years, all of which have taken additional toll on my body, but they haven't stopped me, just slowed me down a little.

I LOVE to create new stuff, but I work full time, then come home and help DH with his new part-time business, so I don't have a lot of time to work on my passions. Winter time is better, since I'm cooped up in the Oregon weather. I grew up in Southern California, but haven't been "home" for about 6 years. I currently live in Salem, Oregon's capital, and I like it here. The climate is good, there is a lot of agriculutre around us, and the big city (Portland) is only an hour away. So is the beach, the mountains, casinos, hot springs...you name it!

My name is Bee and I live in SC in the same town I was born in. We are kind of between the state capital of Columbia and the tourist mecca of Myrtle Beach. I have been married for 19 years and we have one daughter who will graduate from high school this year. She is my best friend and I will miss her something awful when she goes away to college. We have 3 other "children" who give us lots of pleasure and once in awhile (ok, a lot of the time) pains in the rear: a dog and 2 cats, all very spoiled. I am a semi-retired Hospice nurse, only working 1-2 days a week. I really am enjoying being a sort of stay-at-home wife and mother for the first time in a long, long while.

I don't remember how I found this site, but I know I was searching for something. I think it was Garden Totems. I see that there are a lot of insomniacs on this board and that is a problem of mine. I am often awake a 4:00am either because I can't sleep or because Herman, one of the cats, has wakened me and I can't go back to sleep. I usually get on-line and check e-mail and my few little forums to see who is up and functioning.

Because of this forum, I now have 2 clothes baskets full of glass at the foot of my bed waiting to be turned into totems. I also look at a lot of thins as surfaces for mosaics. I view trash in a whole new way now. I think of this as a good thing.

Everyone here is so nice. But more than that, a lot of you have been through some really tough times and still seem to have such a positive outlook on life. I find that truly inspiring. I am sorry for your losses, I congratulate you on your triumphs and I consider it an honor to be in your company, even if it is only in cyber space.

Hello, I was born & raised in Detroit, MI. I have been married for 27 years and have a DD who is 21 and a DS that is 18. We have a 1-1/2 year old Bichon Frise, Missy, who has food allergies to lamb, beef, wheat & barley. Despite the fact she is also allergic to grass, weeds and trees including the huge Norway Maple tree in our backyard she still insists on trying to eat every maple seed and leaf that falls from the tree. Of course that is in addition to the dead worms and other bugs (dead or alive) she finds and eats too!
We have lived in our current home for 2-1/2 years and we spent the first year fixing up the interior and then last summer we had a huge concrete patio & sidewalk installed in the backyard to cover a big portion of the area under the maple tree where grass will not grow.
We haven't done anything to the backyard this year because my DH was laid off in April. It was totally unexpected! We've had no health insurance and my DH & I are both diabetic so we have been spending a lot of money on prescriptions. Fortunately, he has found another job but of course it is for less money than he was making. The good news is we should have health insurance again in October. I am profoundly deaf and have been unsuccessful finding a job where I do not need to speak on the phone. I have always enjoyed doing crafts and I hoped to make and sell my crafts but with the economy like it is, I haven't had much luck selling anything!
I was hooked on quilting until I searched for BB's and found the Garden Junk site. Now I'm hooked on mosaics. I spend WAY too much time reading every post and making notes of all the projects and ideas I would like to do. Thanks to this site I have started driving around my neighborhood on garbage night and have scored many great junk finds. Sometimes I don't sleep much and I feel so depressed that I don't want to do any crafts but I find myself drawn to this site like a magnet and I always feel happier after reading all the posts.
Thanks for listening to my rantings!
Barb

hi yall. i am from Florida, born and raised. i am married to my soul mate. i have 4 grown kids (4 boys 1 girl) and have 4 grandchildren. #5 is due in a couple of weeks.
i found this site about a year ago and have lurked for a long time. i finally joined and have posted a few things on the gj forum.
i belong to another bb (HomeTalk Entertainment...Mr.D's for short)and that is home to me. but i have found myself comiing here more and more.
i love, love, love the garden junk and have made my 1st totem. i have collected a lot of glass and am planning my next one.

hi everyone, i live in southwestern ontario, canada, born, raised and still live in the same town. i have a grown son and grown daughter, mother to my grandson and granddaughter. i am blessed with talents, inspired by all the creations i see from others. i love to garden, craft with wood, tolepaint, quilt, sew, knit, crochet and much more. mostly, i love to teach crafting and share my enthusiasum with others. i have been visiting this site for a long, long time, enjoying all of you and your creations. i am so glad i finally posted. thanks for letting me be a part of this. :)

Hello to all! I am loving reading all of your stories! We are new 'empty-nesters' as of 2 weeks ago...still adjusting! We have been married since 1973 and have a 28 year old son, 26 year old daughter and an 18 year old daughter. And a brand new granddaughter!! Gardening has always been a part of our lives, now more than ever. 10 years ago we bought 15 acres and we are having a wonderful time. We are always trying new plants and techniques and now that I have discovered the Garden Junk forum, I am filling the place with my beautiful junk. I also sew and love trying new crafts, especially paper crafting; cards, scrapbooking, etc. I look forward to visiting this site every day...it's the first place I look at with my morning coffee!

Its wonderful to read about everyone and continue finding just how much we have in common aside from a love of GJ.
So many stories of sadness and pain here, yet so much love and uplifting spirit too. It seems that GJ folks are almost a "Support Group" rather just a typical forum. I know I've laughed and cried and run a gamut of emotions on here. You all have brought so much into my life and I do love you for it.
Sewi, Maria, Hazie...thank you for what you said about Jason. He's my hero.

Karen

As soon as I read Katyrae's note I thought of the similarities I have with her.

My DH and I are also empty nesters as of 10 days ago. We have an 18 year old son (in first year of engineering and probably going for civil or mechanical engineering), a 20 year old son (in 3rd year of mechanical engineering) and a 21 year old daughter (who is finished her Batchelor of Science degree and is in her first year of education. She was married last summer) and a 25 year old son-in-law who works full time at the local Maple Leaf Hog Plant

We purchased our 10 acres 10 years ago and have talked many times about how much money a person can spend when they live on an acreage compared to living in town. Not just a little pushmower but a ride on. Not just a 1 minute drive to the store, but 15 minutes just to get to town. I started seriously learning about gardening about 9 to 10 years ago when I joined the local garden club. I have many flowerbeds and collect perennials.

This past winter a girlfriend and I started a new garden club in the area and we now have almost 50 memberships to our new club. Wow, the interest!! Our club meets once a month. We have a speaker, then tea/snack and then a hands on activity or garden related craft that someone shows and talks about.

I love crafts. I have opened my home here each Monday evening last winter and loved the friendships that have developed while friends/acquaintences were over here doing garden related crafts for their yards. For crafts, I love tole painting, pen & ink, scrapbooking, sewing, plexiglass painting, cross stich, crocheting and card making only to name a few.

Since finding this website over a year ago, I spend time on the Far North forum, Canadian Exchange, Daylilies and lurk here on the Garden Junk. I have siliconed clear marbles on a blue BB and have 3 others (a burgundy, a green and a striped BB) waiting for me. I have made tea cup birdfeeders and given them as gifts. I now see the potential in the junk that I see so often when I go garage saling on the weekends.

Thanks for being here when I have my breakfast, breaks during the day or times when I am wide awake in the middle of the night like tonight.

Just about forgot to include...I grew up and live in SW Manitoba, Canada. I met and married my high school sweetheart and we have been married since 1982. We have 3 kids and a son-in-law, 2 dogs (Jazz, a one year old border collie and Lady, our 13 year old cocker spaniel), one cat (Sneaker who is 14) and 3 goldfish who keep getting bigger all the time. We run our own businesses and I do the books, payroll, secretarial, etc. for both.

Brenda

It is very interesting to read some background on everyone. I too have been "lurking" and reading the posts with my morning coffee for a very long time. I have lived in SW Missouri all my life except for the 10 years we lived in NE Kansas. Grew up on a chicken farm. I've been married for 23 years and we have a 22 year old daughter that just started Graduate School. We have filled the empty nest with our three beloved dogs, a sheltie, a fox terrier and a boston terrier. They are all rescues and I would have 20 more dogs if I could!!! I enjoy gardening, painting, wood crafts, quilting, sewing, walking, yard sales, flea markets, antiquing, jewely making, eating and e-mailing. I enjoy all of the ideas I get here and start each day and end each day reading the posts.

This is really fun learning more about all of you. This forum has sure attracted a wide variety of people from all over the world and all ages.

I joined in August after stumbling across the forum and reading all the posts for a couple of weeks. It was so much fun seeing all the pics and reading about everyone's great finds!

My Dh and I were born and raised in NW Missouri. He served in the military so we have lived in Rhode Island, Kansas, Texas, and ended up in So. Calif. He works as a railroad engineer, and I used to be a bank Operations Mgr.--finally got to retire from that, and currently work a couple days a week at an antiques and collectibles store in a small downtown area.

We have one DS and Dil and the sweetest little two year old GD. We also have a golden retriever who keeps us laughing at his antics.

I have always had a passion for creating things. My main hobby is decorative painting, and I bought a saw so I could cut my own wood. Both things really helped escape the stress of a very demanding job! It is so fun to take something and give it new life! I see that several of you paint, so hope you will also stop over at the Tole and Decorative painting forum to share your projects and ideas.

That leads me to this forum and the fun things I am learning to make from all of your ideas. I have made one BB with colored half marbles, one globe with pale blue half marbles, tipsy pots, and I am currently working on three totems. Yes, I know you all want to see pics, and I want to show you too. Just waiting for DH to sit down and help me figure out how to do it! He is the computer guru in the family. He promises it will be soon.

This is the best forum ever, and it is great that everyone is so supportive and helpful. I will be looking forward to hearing about and looking at all your great finds and creations.

Happy Junking!
Kay

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kay for mentioning the Tole and Decorative Painting forum. I didn't know that it even existed. It is saved into my favorites and I now have another forum to check out all the time. I love to paint and do crafts in the winter when the garden is all frozen and under snow. Will definitely be over there a lot...

Brenda

Come on over, we'd love to hear about all your projects! That forum used to have some activity, but Nona said allot of them left because of Spike! There's about three of us posting regular now, and a few others stop by with a comment once in awhile--sure would be great to have more activity over there! I know painters are as passionate as GJer's, so it should be a fun place too!

Hello everyone. I don't think I have ever visited the discussion side of this forum before and I've been registered for quite a few years...2002, I think...LOL

Anyway, my name is Dottie. I was born in Virginia Beach and moved to Central New York with my mom and sister back in 1986. My Mom and Grandmother have always been gardeners, but I didn't have much interest until we bought our first home in 2001.

I met my soulmate online in 2000 and we were married a year to the day that we met in person in June 2001. I have never been happier. DH is also quite handy around the house and we like turning "trash into treasure". We have a one-acre lot on the Oneida river and love all the wildlife we get. We just recently had our yard certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat.

I think I found GW searching for something that was garden related. I am a member of several boards now and struggle with trying to keep track of the friends I have made on each one. I tend to frequent more boards than others based on what I am interested in at the time. Right now I am into decorating bowling balls and mosaics so I have been here more often in the last few months.

My hobbies are gardening, wintersowing, bird watching, photography, and garden junk type crafts. DH is into woodworking, so he has been able to make me a lot of great items for my new gardens, recycling a lot of things that would have been thrown away, otherwise. Over the past 2-3 years, I have put in over 2000 square feet of gardens and plan on putting in another 500 square feet next year.

I work full-time in a small office doing order entry and customer service type work. It's not my dream job, that is for sure, but it pays the bills, and feeds my gardening and GJ addiction. I would love to open a small gift shop some day that features nature inspired crafts, recycled art and garden junk, and even a small selection of plants. When my day job has drained me emotionally and creatively, I come here and get inspired by all you lovely people, and then go home feeling rejuvenated, which makes me more pleasant to be around....the DH thanks you for that...LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Garden and Craft projects

Hi I'm patti...I live in S.W. Iowa right across the river from Omaha NE. I live just outside town on 3 acres in an old converted barn. I've posted a pic of it before..

I can't remember when I first found this place but it was a long long time ago...before there was "pay to post"...that was when a good amount of the garden junkers left and started their own forum...I used to know where it was....and I'm not sure I don't still have it saved...but I don't see them on there anymore...

My husband is retired....I'm a wife...I don't get to retire from that...and that job is never done. I keep asking when I get to retire..I think he should share in the work...(when pigs fly!!)

We had two daughters and 10 years later a son. They all have their own homes.They all live within about 15 to 20 mins from me. My son is not married yet. The girls are married and between them I have three grandsons and three grandaughters...and now one great grandson.(1 month old)

I've always been a crafter and I love what I see on here.

This forum and the kitchen table forum are my two favorites...I used to go to the craft and the garden crafts (can't remember what it was called for sure) but I don't frequent those like I used to.

And I'm always forgetting about this side...lol...sorry...not about you guys...just that you are hid over here.

Thanks for posting a reminder of this side..

And if any of you ever get in this area....let me know...you are always welcome to stop by....shoot I may even put you to work in my little gardens...There's always a weed that needs pulling...More broam grass than weeds.

patti

So nice to meet all of you and hear your stories! Some sad, some happy, but we all share a common thread, don't we? It's great that this site exists for everyone to get together.

I'm an almost 46 yo English/Spanish/Multimedia teacher at a small rural school. My parents met in the AF (she from Massillon, OH [hey, Mt. Vernon!] and he from Stratford, OK) and we moved around a lot, including a few years in Puerto Rico. DH and I have been married six years and have a 5 yo son (my first). Though it has been a huge change in my life, I feel greatly blessed.

So, "Hi. My name is Carol and I am a packrat, junking fool!" I seriously doubt my life will be long enough to do all the projects I have planned, but half the fun is the planning, right?

Though I don't post often, I do drop in occasionally to read and certainly enjoy getting to know about y'all and your projects.

Carol

Hi, all. I'm a fulltime time lurker and a rare poster. I'm married, 56 years old, retired teacher. Been married to old "Twinkie" for almost 19 years. Between us we have three kids, seven grandkids, a dog and an everchanging number of cats. (Depends on who's had a litter recently!)

I enjoy photography, junkin', spend waaaay too much time on the darn Internet. I'm not much of a gardener! (Can I still stay!?) But I DO enjoy the junk part of gardening. I have a painted roof turbine on a pole out back and am the proud owner of a cobalt blue bottle tree.

You guys sound like my kind of people!!

Next?

hi i'm gwen from east texas. i love this site and have been on here either lurking or posting for quite a while. i love my yard and my junk. i've been gone for some time but i'm back, and it looks like i need to get reaquainted (sp) because i only recognize about 4 people on this post.
gwen

Hi everyone, what a fun forum!! I just discovered it today and hope to be a part of it in the future. I think any kind of "garden junk" or antiques, whatever, is the most elegant form of recycling. I am an avid recycler, btw.

I grew up in southeast texas. Have lived overseas and and all over the states. Currently live in Central Texas. I've been gardening, off and on, since I was about 5 years old. My grandmother lived right next door and she had huge gardens. Taught me a lot. Then, I became a teenager and had better things to do. The gardening bug hit me again at age 20 and hasn't left since.

I think I got my crazy, must create/change things/improve things, nature from my great Aunt Clara. She was like that and made some beautiful things in her life time. I have recently become the owner of her old pie safe. And, of course, my first inclination is to paint it!! My mom says she remembers this pie safe being every color of the rainbow, over the years. So, I guess it landed at the right house. lol

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all and sharing/absorbing ideas.

tr

Hello
I was born in Idaho, I have lived all over the NW, moved every 2 years for my husbands job, I moved back home to SW Idaho after a recent divorce. I am happy to be home and settled in one place.
I recent found this forum, just love the GJ and everyone is so nice....
I now live alone with my cat Cymba and love it.
I have been a quilter most of my life, but hardly ever touch it now. I think the art of quilting is so much like mosaic. (take small pieces and make big pieces).
I am on a budget now and mosaic is so much cheaper than quilting.
Anyway I am happy I found this site.....where do i find the rules?
janet

Hello!
My name is Kathy. I'm married (16yrs) and have good sized "patchwork" family- two boys (26 & 21) are "his", one boy (20) is "mine" and a boy (15) and girl (12) are "ours". Of course they are all "ours". At the moment we have two very noisy cockateils and one very spoiled kitty (who LOVES my garden). I work full-time as a printer/photofinisher in a small professional Photo Lab. Most of my spare time is spent crafting. I enjoy sewing, making Art Dolls using polymer clay and mixed media, drawing, and especially creating GARDEN JUNK!! Of course I love gardening too, mostly flowers, though I do have a few container veggies. I come from a big creative family who always has a "hand-made" gift exchange for Christmas and is a constant source of support and inspiration. I grew up in the heart of Michigan, and hopefully will alway live here. The folks I've met on this forum are just AWESOME. So warm and friendly and supportive. I hope this forum is here FOREVER!!!

Kathy

hey all

I'm Candace, born and raised in NE Ohio. Horticulture in HS led me to Hort at OSU which led to moving to Nantucket Island, MA where I lived and worked for 15 years. I met and married my DH there and we had our 1st DD. A change of scenery brought us to VA and we had DD2. married 18 years now, I'm 40, DDs are 9 and 5. I run my own landscape biz.

I have an artistic streak that begs to be fulfilled. Oct is my month of pure pleasure with halloween customes! I can't sew worth chit, but I can GLUE! LOL My passion is plants but my desire is to mosaic a bb! or anything for that matter! I love shiney baubbles...

if only I had some room for crafts and some time for crafts... and thousands of little tiles, mirror, gems... ;0

Hi All...have enjoyed meeting all of you thru your posts....
and being inspired my all of your talents and creativity...and yes even being reprimanded for posting on the wrong side...Mary

Here is a link that might be useful: https://auth.gardenweb.com/members/momof6

Hello,
I'm Donna, born and raised in Alabama. At 40, I have 4 children, 3 girls 1 boy and 5 grands. I do a lot of scrapbooking started 3 years ago when 4th grand was born premature. She then developed Group B strep then mennigitis (spell?), Hydrocephalis, CP, and 2 types of seizures. Had her for first 2 years, now she is with her mom and dad. My 19 yr. old son is special needs and love to hear the crazy quotes come from him. Just when you think something is really great you have created he will set you straight, step back and look at it and sure enough he is right. He wants to know what I am going to do with "all that junk" and walk off shaking his head. But then I start a project and he is all in the middle of it. I made my first BB w/pennies all on heads and he wanted to turn one on tails for the grands to have to find, then added a dime also. Limited income gives great cause for garden junk and when I came across this site I was so excited. Everyone has been such an inspiration and love the stories that one gives in addition.

Hi,
I am Valerie from the cold climate of Michigan I used to be a member here in 2004. I have not visited the boards since then I also forgot what screen name I used back then.
I have a veggie/flower garden and enjoy gardening.Looking forward to using these forums again.

Hi everyone! My DH & I were both born and raised in Illinois, and we now live in a small town about 30 miles south of Chicago. We have one child, a daughter, who started college this fall. We have lived in our current house for 12 years. It is a Sears Roebuck house. For those who are not familiar, it is a house that was ordered from the Sears catalogue back in 1926. All the supplies to build the house were shipped by train, and you built it yourself! It's the ultimate antique! I worked in a flower shop up until 2 years ago, when the owner went bankrupt! So I spend my time gardening, antiquing, garage-saling, painting, junking, crafting, just trying to be creative in general. Since posting here, I've developed a love of photography. I find I look at things differently when taking a picture to post here: the lighting, what's in the background, etc., because I want the picture to look good for you all! We are big football fans. My DH is a Chicago Bears fan, and my daughter and I are Green Bay Packer fans. You can imagine the tension here during football season I'm sure! It's quite a rivaly here, but all in good fun! I enjoyed reading about everybody. It's a good chance to get to know each other even better! Oh, I almost forgot. We have a fat cat named Mimi Lucy! Oh, and... I love roosters!

My name is Helen. My middle name is Sue (shysue) and I've always been shy. It took me three years of lurking before I was brave enough to post. I live in east Tennessee...was born there. I've been married for 40 years to my first love. Forty years! Well, I got married when I was five! Twenty years ago we bought 8 acres of woods and we've been there ever since. We have one son who lives on the same road. Three years ago I retired from my job as educational assistant for Knox County Schools. I found this site accidentally and the word "junk" drew me like a magnet. I have gotten so many ideas from this forum. I love to recycle things in the garden and in crafts. I am into a lot of different crafts and there are many more that I would like to do. That is my trouble, I want to do everything, but I know I won't get them all accomplished before I bite the dust. I will be happy trying though. I grew up poor, but my mother knew how to stretch a dollar by buying things at rummage sales (that's what they called yard sales back then). I remember she had a green thumb and planted flowers in all kinds of "junk". I guess I get my love for trash to treasure from her. I love this forum and can't miss a day without it. I am most definitely addicted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shysue's Albums

I want to thank Cait for starting this post! I took my time reading all the posts and when I was done, I read them again. I was sad when I got to the end,so I will add another short story and hope someone else will write and keep contributing to this patchwork quilt.
Hi , I'm Lori. I was born and raised in New Jersey and never got much farther! I had my first child at age 21 my second 3 years later, a year later I became a single Mom for over 10 years. I never had money for travel or for much of anything for that matter! It did make me stronger though, I learned how to do all sorts of things. (I kept in mind Gloria Steinem's line about "I am becoming the man I always wanted to marry")! I managed to put myself through nursing school. I learned to heal myself . A decade after the first disastrous marriage I met a nice carpenter and married him! [and we're living "craftily" ever after] !
My daughters are grown and have children and I have a 17 year old stepson and a 14 year old son . ( egads, those teenage years ..again!)
From as far back as I can remember I would nag my Mother with
" I wanna make something". We were a large family, 7 girls 1 boy and money was tight then too. We would make each other Christmas gifts like sock dolls and Christmas trees out of the Readers Digest magazine. I still love to craft, especially mosaic's & stained glass items. Being the daughter of a photographer I love to take photos and then create something with those.
I don't remember when I found this site, but it has been a godsend! Finding you all ~ kindred spirits~ makes me feel connected to something very special and I look forward to reading all of your posts. Keep those ideas and stories coming!

Hey Countrygirl, I'm in Wisconsin and in our local paper today(the Kenosha News) there is a large artilce about Sears homes it actually is about a lady in Ill. trying to save all the homes on her block.

I can't believe someone dug this old thread up again! But I'm glad you did, Valerie! There are so many new faces on this forum and it'd be great to hear from all of you. This is really the greatest forum on the web!!
Cait

Jlily here. My DH and I are both retired and tired. NO, maybe just slow!!LOL We were raised in Bloomington, Il. Then moved to kentucky with the Railroad. We raised our 4 children and helped some others. They are all raised and gone now. We have 3 granddaughters and 1 great granddaughter. Also a miniature schnauzer that is our family now. We garden, we have a water garden with Koi that are about 11 years old. The Koi are enormous. We like to camp and take it easy. I LOVE garden junk and love to make things in my spare time. I REALLY love this forum. Jlily

hi all
i am so happy to be back been gone for a while as a lot of you have said a lot of new people.but as always the best people around. i am a mom of 2 ds both grown 31&21
been a widow for 15 yrs.and i am not working much these day due to breast cancer.i am so happy to have a new laptop ds gave it to me for b-day boy is this new i had web tv befor. i feel so dumb. but you guy are so nice you will help.

thanks deb

ps. i forgot i am from md kent island.this post reminds me of when the sight you to get everyone to post name state so on . bye for know

OK i'll chime in. Have been a member for several yrs. but do not post much.
Born in Memphis TN and at the age of 5 we moved to what was the country, my parents bought 7 acres of land after a few yrs there in a trailer along with my baby sis and older bro. dad built a house. It took a few years because he built the entire house with what help me and Mom could do. We had horses, rode in horse shows for several yrs. had cows, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats. It was the good days, now I'm back in the city Mphs. and wish i could relive it all over again. I have a 25 yr old son that moved back home last Dec. and now him and GF have moved to NC and I miss him SO!

Well, I'm pretty new here. I was born in Indiana,but have lived most of my life in Minnesota. I'm married,and have 2 boys,14 and 10. We live in the burbs. We have a dog and a cat.
We like gardening, and making our own way of creating beauty. I don't like to be like everyone else, never have, never will.
We own a primitive store, and my hubby works his job. No, we are not snobby people, and we aren't rich either. We're rich in love. Business' takes time, and we trust that God will supply our needs, he hasn't let us down yet!!
My kids are in the Autism spectrum, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. They have come a long way.
My parents live out of state, and I see them a few times each year.
We're involved with our church, and I have at least one garden pal in my neighborhood now, so it's nice to chat.
I enjoy alot of things, but not enough time to do all anymore. Love this site, I have learned alot. Gardening is my therapy.

I'm Kara and I was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in the old naval hospital. My dad was a Navy corpsman and served for 20 years so we lived all over the country and in several different countries. Of all the places we lived my favorite was Okinawa, Japan when I was in my pre-teens/early teens. I love living over there! At the time I was in the girl scouts and my troup had a partnership with a japanese girl scout troop so I had a lot of exposure to their culture and vise versa. I even had the opportunity to wear a full kimono once!

I don't think I ever attended the same school 2 years in a row until he retired when I was 15 and just about to start 10th grade. That's when the family moved to florida and we've been here ever since. I'm not married and don't have any kids but both of my much younger sisters have kids who I adore. My house is right next door to my parents and my brother lives with me. Both my sisters and their kids, a 2 1/2 year old boy and a 1 1/2 year old girl, live with my parents. We're a pretty close family. I have 3 cats who are my kids.

I work full time as a engineering designer for a company that builds fire trucks. Gardening is my stress relief and exercise. Although my mom has gardened for as long as I can remember I didn't really get interested in it until I was in my mid-twenties. Now I love to garden and have become addicted to garden junk! I also collect old tools, vintage linens, antiques, read a lot, and do some free hand drawing.

hi everyone im kathy/kat.i live in richmond va(the capital city) ill be 40 on the 26 of this month/nov. i have 4 great kids (well most of the time they are greatlol) a daughter who is 21 and lives in nj, a son soon to be 13(and definately a teenager),and 10 yr old twins son and daughter. i tried my hand in gardening 2 years ago and transformed my barren yard into something enjoyable(atleast it is for me. the kids arent happy i took over their play area lol).last summer i made some totems,tipsy pots,and a cup and saucer bird feeder.ive always loved creating things. i didnt get to spend much time in the garden or crafting this past summer due to my fibromyalgia and 3 herniated discs.the disc pain got really bad. tried steroid injections,and physical therp and nothing worked so now ill be getting the 2 discs in my neck fused.hopefully that will help with the pain. i just hate not being able to do when i want to do. i love garden junk and the kids are getting into it too. we made bottle bugs(well one bug and 2 fish) this past summer.i love the gj site.and just found this one so now ill have to stop by every so often.
seems like one happy family here!

I somehow missed this one! I am currently 47 years old and live in an apartment in West Allis, WI (a suburb of Milwaukee) with my BF (who I met on the internet). I hope to have a yard one day but have to make do with a very shady balcony. I was born and grew up here. I used to do a lot of gardening with my grandmother and she liked to show off my knowledge of plants and flowers to her "Golden Ager" friends (an elderly lady society). I also enjoyed working in my aunt and uncle's vegetable garden when I spent summers on their farm as a child. Since then, I haven't had much opportunity to garden.

I suffer with fibromyaglia syndrome - a disorder in the same family with multiple sclerosis, lupis and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists have no idea how it is contracted and of course have no idea who to cure it or even treat it. It attacks the soft tisues of your body like your muscles, tendons and ligaments. You basically feel as though you have a bad case of the flu with all its annoying achiness every day of your life. So I am always on the look out for low maintenance gardening tips.

When I came across this forum, I was so happy to find other weird people like me who love to create things out of "junk." I have always loved shopping at TS, flea markets, rummage sales and antique shops and repurposing things I find or bringing it back to its original glory. I recently discovered mosaics and think it is a cool way of using broken dishes, pottery, statues and glass.

When it comes to inspiration and great ideas, this place is heaven!

Kat4kittens, its amazing how many of us share so much personally aside from our love of Garden Junk. Lot of animal lovers here and unfortunately lot of us with Fibro it seems. But the fact we can share the good as well as the bad, is what makes us a special family on this forum I think. I love seeing new people join, I feel sad when some of the old ones seem to disappear on us and always hope they come back. I can't imagine not being here...even when I don't post I come here and read each evening and look on "other side" to see what's been found and created. I'm also glad this post got bumped back up. Fun to read about everyone again.

hugs, Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Karen's albums

hi Karen,
im an animal lover too we have 4 kats and a ferret. never a boring moment here lol. my sis has a farm a couple of hours from me with 4 horses. i havent been able to ride since the disc problem in my neck. we are going there for thanksgiving and it will be torture not to ride. but atleast ill get to see the kids enjoy the ride. do u find that cold and damp weather makes you feel worse? i does me.
looking thru the garden junk side lastnight made we want to create. i have a huge tote full of glass for totems so im going to get my boyfriend to get it out so i can atleast attempt to creat something!time isnt the issue for me its the drive that i dont have. so i guess ill keep looking on the gj side and maybe that will drive me lol. have a blessed thanksgiving
kat

Not only do many of us have fibromyalgia but it seems many of us are named Kathy too! lol! My real name is Kathy and in some corners of the internet as well as among friends, I am called Kat too. I am a big animal lover as well. kat4kittens2002, I don't think I could get up on a horse to ride it let alone handle the jostling of a canter or gallop! It was only a few years ago that I thoroughly enjoyed a carriage ride. There is something comforting about the clip-clop of horse's hooves.

It sure is nice to read about so many of the members here!

Interesting how many of us have Fibro! Lucky us!

Kat4kittens, what's going on with your neck? My oldest daughter and I have both had cervical fusions...several years ago now...due to degenerative disc disease. We both did well with the surgery. DD had her right after having a baby, is a cop on the streets and doing well. She also had 2 low-back surgeries when she was younger. I'm due for more neck surgery now. It keeps getting stuck! OUCH!

Oh oh...got off the beaten track here!

I have four DDs, whom I raised by myself for close to 10 years after their father walked out when they were very young. (All four girls were born within 2 yrs. and 3 months.)

I finally married DH #2 who was raising his two DSs. At one point, we had 6 kids in the same high school! Oldest DS 4 months older than oldest DD. Younger son 2 days older than twin DDs.) Somehow, we survived their teenage years...and let them live!! Let me tell you...it was tough and go there for awhile! We now have a bundle and a half of grandkids...eleven actually...so far!

The two youngest DDs are identical twins...who have lived directly across the street from one another for 11 years...and delivered baby girls 2 days apart 10 yrs. ago. How's that for planning! Middle DD had a baby boy a couple of weeks before that, and oldest DS's wife had a baby boy a couple of weeks after the girls were born. Four new grandkids in 11 weeks...made the newspaper...and have kept us all on our toes ever since! Oldest DD, not to be outdone, had her first baby on her own birthday a couple of years later.

In spite of pain from degenerative disc disease, arthritis from head-to-toe, Fibro and some other nusence things, I manage to keep going...out of sheer determination! (Someone has to keep everyone else in line!) Because of an ulcer, I can't take painkillers and try to keep going by using "mind over matter"...which sometimes works better than others. But...like I said, I'm determined!

We have half an acre that was pretty much naked when we moved in 7 yrs. ago, but presently is covered with leaves! (I wish I had thought to take a picture of all the leaves out there when it was daylight!) There were lovely gardens a couple of weeks ago where the leave are now! Hmmmmmm...I wonder where all the flowers went! And...how the heck did those 5 Eastern White Pines grow so fast??!!

Definite animal lover here! Had four kitties, 3 of which I inherited when my brother died. Sadly, we lost 2 of them this past year...one just a couple of weeks ago.

Good heavens...did I neglect to mention...I'm a frustrated writer? Sorry...I got carried away!

{{gwi:127845}}

~Sandy~

Hello, I have been a lurker for several years. My sister introduced me to this site and now I think I am on here more than she is! I love gardening but have not had much time for that or for crafting garden junk. I am in a master's program at the grand old age of 54! I'm seeking my license in counseling and some days I know why! I need someone to counsel me!

My husband pastors a small church and I teach at a tiny Christian school. We also do odd jobs at various times.

We have 4 children (3 of whom are grown) and 1 who is almost there (17). We have 3 beautiful grand-daughters, two who are 12 days apart and are now 4 and one who is 3. We live quite a ways from all of them but treasure the time we do get to see them.

Our son returned last November from his second tour of duty in Iraq. We all went out to Texas after Christmas and had a second Christmas with the entire family. We were all so thankful to be together again.

I love this site. Sometimes I don't get to come on here for months but when I have the time I think I am almost addicted to it! I love to see the creativity flowing. I am not in the Secret Santa but I can hardly wait for the reports to start coming in. I feel I almost know some of you from your posts.

Maybe one day I will get the nerve and time up to post. My 17 year old is so creative and when he was little, his greatest reward was to take him "garbage picking."

May each of you have a wonderful holiday. We all have so much to be thankful for. What a great country with great people! God bless, Susan

hi Sandy.
i also have degenerative disc disease in my cervical and lower spine. i dont think humans were ment to walk upright lol. so many people with back problems. sounds like your famly is a very busy one. i look foreward to grandkids but im definately not rushing my babies to have babies.they will be grown and out of the house before i know it.ahhhh sometimes i pray for those days lol. i wish i could teach the three left at home to ask the same question as eachother at the same time not 20 mins appart lol. they keep me busy for sure.they are great kids and im so blessed to be their mom
ok ive seemed to gone on too long also
kathy

Gee...I just re-read my own post. When I said we "lost" our kitties...I didn't mean we let them out and they ran away. I would never do that! All our kitties are "indoor kitties". We had to have 2 of them "put down". It broke out hearts!

~Sandy~

Bumping for more newbies!!!

Hi all. I've been a member here for probably a year, more or less. (I belong to hundreds of internet groups and visit them sporadically.)

My name is Marci and I've lived with my husband in Vermont for the past 35 yrs. We have a house on 2 1/2 acres. Before that we lived for 3 yrs in Boston where I was born. I've worked at various jobs over the years but am retired at present. Hubby works for the state employment dept and will retire in a few years.

No kids but have had many generations of animals over the years, most have lived to very old ages. At present we have all old-timers (like us) the one still living member of our band of mares is a small Shetland pony aged 32, also have a 10 yr old collie (our 4th collie), 12 yr old sheltie, and a 15 yr old cat.

I've had veg & flower gardens over the years but only recently experimented with adding ornamental junk items to the flower beds. I've gotten a lot of inspiration from this and other forums and photo collections on the web. It's such fun to see what everyone else has created from junk! Thanks to everyone for their ideas and beautiful photos!

PS Like many others on here, I'm arthritic and somewhat hampered in what I can do these days. Our (ours and the 2 dogs') expenditure on glucosamine/chondroitin is immense. It and HRT help a bit, but no matter how you look at it, getting old sucks. But what can you do...