Well, let me jump in here too and welcome you to our group, T-girl.

I have three children ages 23, 21, 19.

I write as well, women's fiction. What kind of writing do you do?

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Sounds like many of us have much in common. I'm sorry it took me a few days to reply - we are in process of setting up another computer on the home network for our 16 yr old. We're having some technical difficulties and it now it appears the store we took it to for upgrading (it was his grandfather's) have neglected to load the driver for the ethernet card and kept the disc. And of course, the service dept is closed for the weekend!

At any rate, once he's up and running, I'll finally have this computer to myself and will be able to post more. Both my husband and our older son have laptops. If you'd asked me a couple of yrs ago if we'd have 4 computers in the house, I wouldn't have believed it.

JawJaw, I write a little in many different genres, and like so many others, I'm still finding my way, and looking for where my strengths lie. I've pubished a few poems on line and in small mags, & some short humourous essays in women's quarterlies. I did a short stint writing "advertorials" for my local newspaper, and have written a few short articles, and was commissioned a while back to write some business pieces for a local chamber of commerce fundraiser.

I've been working on short stories for years, and enter a few contests, but haven't won anything to date. I have a story that could possibly turn into a novel, called "Fairhurst and Main" that I'm stuck in the middle of. My husband is my biggest fan and kicks my butt often for me to spend more time on my writing. In fact, he's convinced me to sign up for a workshop end of Oct called "Making Yourself Write" that sounds perfect for me, the Queen of Procrastination!

Songbird, December must be one long celbration at your house! Our boys were both born on the 18th of the month, but one in March and one in August. They are like night and day, but that makes life interesting. They were very close until about 5 yrs ago, when Matt decided he resented being "the baby" and saw Mike starting to date, drive, be a senior etc. Now that Matt is starting to do all those things, relations have imrproved.

TVC, how are you enjoying NC? Must be quite a change from Long Island.

Sherri, good for you with your steady writing gig. That's great experience!

Looks like many of you have websites; I'm looking forward to checking them all out.

Well, I'm off to put on my chauffeur cap yet again. We have but one (older) car and both
M & M, as I call them, are working today, so I must fly. Thanks again to all of you for your welcomes and good wishes.

Welcome T-Girl! I'm later than most chiming in with a hearty welcome, but it's still HEARTY - glad to have you aboard.

I'm a writer too. Am writing a mystery series for Hilliard & Harris - first book out this past June and I was lucky enough to have the Boomer Women Book Club read it as their "selection" a few months ago. Great feedback from the wonderful ladies here.

Sounds like you are VERY busy but glad you still manage to squeeze some writing time in there.

Anyway - happy boomering here in the forums!

Pam thanks so much. Congratulations on getting published - that's so cool. Your book looks great. I'll definately order it from Amazon and let you know what I think.

Busy yes, but I'm trying really hard to find balance in my life. Someone asked why Transitionalgirl...As I reached 45, things in my life were started to deteriorate. My spine, my nerves, relationships, my dream of a career in the corporate world that would be satisfying and do more than pay the bills...

I changed jobs (not as easy in midlife as earlier I found to my dismay, and then promptly was laid off after six months), took a meditation class, became certified in Reiki Level I, joined a gym, dropped out of the writer's group that was holding me back instead of urging me on, and began to actively seek friendships with other women who were of the same mind.

Two and half yrs later, I find myself backsliding a bit, and looking for more support to keep moving forward with the constantly changing tapestry that is my life. In a few short years, I'll be an empty-nester, and will have to soon decide if I'm going to walk my talk and leave the corporate world to be a freelance writer. My husband has suffered a couple of downsizings and we've been down deep in the financial trough the past five years, so it's a long term goal, but a goal nonetheless. This site seems a perfect place to gather strength and friends for the journey

Well, a lot of us here have had our ups and downs but find a "level" of sorts here in Dotsie's forum. Lots of supportive women here with a wide variety of backgrounds and knowledge but one thing we ALL have in common is a desire to BE THERE for each other when needed. There's a topic here for every frustration, joy, wish, hope, dream......and plenty of opinions.

We're here for you when you need us!

I'll add a big amen to that "we're here when ya need us" thing...T-girl, you might also want to watch the post on us forming a writer's group...seems we might have that coming up shortly. I've raised two boys as well. I bet we could swap some stories, eh?

Well, so glad you've joined us and looking forward to hearing more from ya...

JJ

T Girl along with JJ, I also raised two sons to manhood mostly alone. My story of success with one is astrinomical, he's the light of my life but the other son decided to take a different path in life nine years ago and has not been seen or heard of by his family since then...I can only hope he is alright and has turned his life around. I hope he would know that my door is always open if he as....

Chatty, I join your prayers for your son. Tough love is probably one of the hardest parts of your past, but some kids need it. May God bring him home to you one day so you may find peace in knowing you did what was right for him.

Thanks Dotsie and Nancy, I appreciate your good wishes and understanding. I believe being a mom whether of a boys or girls we have trying times, either self imposed from shear worrying about them or the things they do to makes us crazy. After so may years apart I've tried to say to myself,"so be it, if thats the way he wants it fine." But I can't help but remember the chubby rosey cheeked, blonde haired, big blue eyed little boy that clung to me saying,"mommy I wuv you this much," as he stretched his little arms apart. See, now I'm crying....How can a mom ever get over not know where her child is and if he's alright? I pray to God constantly that he is okay and happy even if he doesn't wuv me anymore...

Welcome Transitional Girl! I've been computerless for a few days due to a death in the family, aka my computer's hard drive. No kids except a husband who often acts like a 2-year-old. I'm a jewelry designer (allegedly paying job), poet and essayist.