Thank you yssiM for reading (bumping) this thread! It's been wonderful to learn a bit about all of you!
My name is Lois and I'm 59. I'm the mother of two sons, 20 and 23 plus 3 furbaby kitties. Both sons are commuting to college from home and I also reside here with my ex. It's been years since the divorce and we co-habit as friends. He's been home now for several months because he was laid off from his last job. He's a tax accountant and very few places want someone with his experience (age) because of the pay level. He is going to be restarting his own business and will also hopefully get full time job or per diem work during tax season.
I've had several reinventions of my life, from being a flower child to a bookkeeper in law firms to a stay at home Mom, to who I am and what I do now, and I've always been interested in energy healing throughout. In my early 40s I discovered that although I loved jewelry my whole life, it was the stones in the settings that attracted me. I became self-taught about quartz, other crystals and stones.
When I divorced I had to find a way to make money and had dabbled a bit in flea markets with my husband prior to my divorce. I decided to sell very cool head shop boutique things plus crystals. I also started to make wire wrapped and beaded jewelry with natural stones. I wanted to be home for my kids during the week and realized the best thing to do would be to sell at flea markets, fairs, festivals and craft shows throughout the Hudson Valley, here in NY. My business was very successful. In the fall of 1999 with my brother's recommendation, I started to place the things I sold on weekends up for auction on eBay. My items sold. In March of 2000, the love of my life passed over and he had been a huge inspiration and assisted me with my weekend business. I could not find the heart to go out on the road again, and focused on eBay, where I am still selling. I recently read a feedback from a new customer who said that I was an eBay legend. That kind of surprised me, because I just do what I do. Every now and then I look back with nostalgia at my weekend biz. I discovered I loved to sell and meet so many wonderful people and especially at musical events..live music, fresh air, doing what I loved to do... Life was very very good then, albeit a bit insane at times.
After smoking for 43+ years (I had quit 3 times..once for 3 years, and twice for 6 months) I had read about ecigs on a forum where I had posted all the time, and the idea of it intrigued me. At the end of July I bought a kit through eBay, that although the batteries died on me every hour and the carts were minuscule, it made me realize the possibilities and if there was a better device out there? The same person who posted about ecigs also mentioned this forum and I decided to visit in August and never left.
I ordered a 510 from China and before it got here, a 510 passthough that I ordered here in the states got me off of analogs in 3 days. The regular 510s were a waste because of the battery life (I'm a heavy vapor) and I bought a Riva kit.
Since then have purchased other large 510 batteries and have not had an analog in over 4 months.
There are 2 smokers here and it can be tempting, but I take a deep breath and grab the closest PV.
I have no idea what my health is like because like millions of other Americans I am without health insurance. I don't have a clue as to my blood pressure, cholesterol etc. I do know that I breathe easier since stopping analogs and I've gone down a pant size since vaping.
That's a biggie because I've struggled with weight my whole life and for several years just decided to not go crazy over it. The more I would lose, the more would I put on, and at my age, losing is not easy. With vaping, my appetite has decreased and I'll see how this goes.
I was a voracious reader much of my life, but for some reason, since using the computer as much as I do, focusing on physical books has been next to impossible. I have a few hobbies that I get bored with quickly, ie drawing, crocheting, bead work, sewing. These are rotated as time marches on. Lately, on my days off, I have to at least cook one really great thing, or bake something delicious...cookies, cakes, pastries or bread. In the last few weeks, I've been addicted to making sugar cookies. The recipe I found on the net is way too good.
I love music and when I was much younger had a great voice, and have dabbled in guitar, banjo, recorder, Native American flute..and do none of those well at all..but it's still relaxing for me when I remember to do it.
I've had some fun adventures in my life, some of them included travel to England, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy, the East Coast from Canada to Florida, California and Colorado. The very thought of getting on a plane now fills me with dread.
Now I better get back to work here as I have packages to go out and those pesky little things called bills must be paid.