I just read about this website in last night's paper and I'm SOOOO glad to have found you all!

I live in Edmonds, Washington - hubby John is from Lowell, Mass. and we have two children, Keith and Kimberlee, 24 and 21(on Monday!). We just bought a new (old) house with a pretty good view of the water - a life long dream. We have an 11 year old basset hound who we spoil too much.

Whoever thought up this website - thank you! I'd about given up on internet forums (have you visited the craigslist or yahoo forums? )

Hi barbc, Glad to hear you have fulfilled a long long dream of living near the water. Lots of pet owners here too. What's your basset hounds name?

Dotsie Bregel is the founder of this website...and a Godsend to us all. You can read about her on the web homepage and chat with her right here in the forums.

I have never visited any other forum. This one seems to have everything I need. You'll be happy you found us.
A warm welcome.
chickadee

barbc,
Welcome! You will love our little family here! I am fairly new, and I love it already. I am married, an empty nester, 3 sons (24-25 Oct 28th, 30, & 36), 6 grand kids, (5 grandsons 21 mos, 4, 5, 14, 16) and a granddaughter-the oldest 17. We lived on the water in FL for 18 mos before moving here to Ohio. I am a Texan, bred, born, raised, raised kids, started raising grand kids. LOL All my family and friends are in TX and NM.

Welcome from another western Washingtonian!

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

Welcome Barbc, I just joined a week ago and already have had some wonderful "conversations" with many members of this site. Do you get back to Mass. very often to visit with your husband's family? How did the 2 of you meet, and how did you end up in Washington? We had dinner last night with my husband's aunt and uncle and they just back from a trip to Washington and Oregon. Visited with my husband's cousin outside of Eugene, OR and then traveled around, seeing the spectacular coastline and tasting rooms of wine country. Sounds like something we would enjoy as well! Anyway, welcome aboard!

Welcome Barbc,

Sooo glad you found us. That's what I absolutely love about the internet. No other way would any of us be able to know, support, care for, or love each other without it.

BWS is the best place online to be. Welcome!
Sandpiper

Welcome to our neighborhood Barb. I have three kids aged 17, 18 and 20. Lots going on as you can well imagine. My daughter just got in the door from work, our oldest is away at college (too far away, alomost 10 hours), and our youngest in visiting my sister in New Orleans filming a documentary for his college portfolio this weekend. Times are a changing. Ross and I just finished walking our dog three miles at the local park. There was a time we'd be out walking the kids. Not any more!

Barb, please tell us more. Jump in the other forums and begin sharing!

Hello Barb, Dotsie thought of this website. Dotsie, did you know you were in the paper in Washington?

Welcome Barb and all the other newbies!

Lenora, you confused me with your new name! Why the change?

Welcome, Barbc! You will love it here and look forward to checking in every morning like I do! It is so wonderful to share ideas with so many terrific women!

After being brought up as an Army Brat, I went to college in Boulder, CO and lived in Denver until 2 years ago - am now in SC. Culture shock, but a chenge was needed!

Looking forward to learning more about you!

Hello Barbc.

Glad to meet you Barbc!

So glad you've joined us. Welcome!!!!!

Welcome Barbc!

A hearty welcome to you barbc so happy you found us...There is no other Forum anywhere that can compete with or even come close to this one as you'll soon see...

[ October 24, 2005, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Welcome Barbc,
I'm in Olympia, and many others from Washington State have found this site. It's great!
I'm kinda new too, and am enjoying the forums.
I'm 59, married 41 years, two dts., 40 and 36, and four grandsons, 10 yrs., two are 6, and one 18 mos. The two 6 years olds are cousins. Their mother decided to share a pregnancy. It was the second for the oldest, and the first for the youngest. The pregnancies were really a hoot for me! The youngest delivered her baby at home. What an wonderful and worrisome experience all at the same time.
I worked for Providence St. Peter Hospital for 30 yrs., but then had to retired because of illness.
Now getting my health back, and enjoying life again.
Just bought a Miata and having fun with her.
Is that called a mid-life crisis thing, or just me finally giving myself something I deserve?
Welcome again!
Lynne

Barbc--Congratulations on your new house. I bet it's lovely. Since you're overlooking the water, are you anywhere near where you can see the ferry? We like taking the Edmonds/Kingston ferry whenever we aren't walking on the Bainbridge ferry to Seattle.
Lynne--Did you get to be at the home birth? I had both of my babies at home (25 and almost 20 years ago) and loved it. I've been a doula for many years now so I've gotten to be at a lot of births, both home and hospital. Glad your health is getting better.

Dream of the Circle of Women
by Dahti Blanchard
published May 2004 by Spilled Candy Books
visit: www.dahtiblanchard.com

Dahti..Yes, I was at the birth with my cell phone ready to call the Medics!
I must admit it was the most wonderful experience I've ever had, except for birthing my two beautiful dtr. in a hospital setting.
I found out all about doula's with my dtr. having her home birth. Her mid wife was a next door neighbor, so that made it very nice indeed.
Her second baby was a feetling birth, so she had to have a C-section. She was very disappointed, of course, because she planned on having the second baby at home also.
Barbc and Dahti...ever hear of the town of Concrete? It's on hiway 20 going to Winthrop. Have a second home there, but don't go very often. It's really God's country up there.
So happy to have some Washingtonian's in the group. Now everybody will get tired of me bragging about our beautiful State, especially the Western side. Ooops!! Won't say no more.
Lynne

Gosh, you all are the best! Thanks so much for all your responses, I'm looking forward to knowing all of you better.

Well I hafta say, I'm a little jealous of you that have grandkids; it's weird because lately I've been having these dreams about babies (not ME, of course, oh,heavens, THAT would be a shock!). But, I can definitely picture myself as a grandma, even though my kids (24 & 21) are still a ways away from that. My daughter has a serious boyfriend, but she's still in college and he's away on a mission. One of my friends at work just had her first grandchild, and she told me that she can't even describe the love she feels for that little one, it's different, she said, than anything she's felt before.

Anyway, as to our house, we aren't near the ferry in terms of being able to see it, but are close enough to hear it. I'm so glad to know there are other Washingtonians on this forum, and I look forward to knowing you better.

Someone asked if we'd been back East -- many times. My husband's from Lowell, Mass; and we've been back quite often to visit his family. We usually have gone in the summer and stayed in New Hampshire at Hampton Beach. I love the ocean back there; out here in the Pacific Northwest we're on an inland Sound, and the beaches are, well, not so much beaches as piles of rock and seaweed!

Oh, and I guess I better fess up with my age, 53. I laughed when I read some of your comments about age not being a big thing. I grieved when I turned 50! It was so bad that I stopped going to the health club, because the treadmills make you put in your age, and I just couldn't do it! How's that for dumb! I'm better now (but I still don't go to the healthclub!)

Barbc, now that's a new reason for not going to the health club. I'm laughing at your post.

Barbc......I thought I was being original when I said if I'd known the wonderful feelings that you have when you become and Grandparent, I would have been a Grandparent first before becoming a parent. Well, my daughter found a picture frame with "If I'd known grandchildren were so much fun, I'd have had them first." So I wasn't very original. There is no way to describe what it feels like to hold your grandchildren in your arms and to look at their beautiful faces. Then they get older and they become your pals. I could go on and on about grandkids!
I have a friend in Lovell, Maine who does his shopping in NH because he's so close to the border and says it's like Washington and Portland, don't have to pay those taxes so he does his shopping in NH. Was supposed to go back to Maine last week, but had to cancel due to a "pain in the neck." Bone spur on C-7. Hope to get back there next year. Never been to the east coast. I was like you with turning 50.......hated it, but am ok with any age. Turned 59 on the 20th. No big deal! Did go out and buy a Miata. That was nice!!!!

You know how those treadmills are...they are horrible gossips!

You think those treadmills are bad - I finally got my CO driver's license and they put your weight on it!!! I was horrified.

Do what I do...lie about your weight!

and your age...

Hey Barb, I too am from Wa state! Gotta get my 2 cents worth in! LOL...I live near the cascade foothills, in Enumclaw. I am 48 and married 27 years. One 18 year old son. I love puget sound, some day we hope to have property on it, but, very, very pricey!! I would love to visit the east coast some day, it would be interesting to compare it!
We here in WA state have always had to put our weight on our DL. I was surprised to hear about the post about it from Colorado!

I had a NY license for 30 years, they never had weight on it, just height.

Hello, All you ladies who would like to visit the East Coast someday. Please feel free to contact me if you are planning a visit. I love to play "travel planner" and I would try my best to set up itineraries based on your own specific interests. For example, some people love the honkey-tonk, bright lights, noise and action of Hampton Beach while others may prefer a more solitary stretch of coastline. My husband and I love to travel this great country of ours but really do appreciate the beauty and cool things to do in our own backyard. We are especially fond of local festivals! On a different note, I didn't know you had to post your age for treadmills. Guess that shows you how long it's been since I've been to a health club!

Bonnie, I'm with you. I didn't know I had to post my age either. Where have i been? Obviously not in the gym. Also, we have honkey-tonk beaches in MD that border lovely, quiet beach towns too. The older I get, the more I like the lovely, quiet type!

In Maryland we have our age and weight listed on our license too. I don't lie. I just haven't updated the information for YEARS so my weight is YEARS old.

Karla, I have sons that are 17 and 20, and an 18 year old daughter. Are you dong the college search? Is he a high school senior?

LSmith, I am very close to my oldest sister. She is awaiting the arrival of her first grandchild within the next few weeks. It's not even my grandchild and I am so excited I can't stand it.