Boy, next to you guys, I feel like a slug.

I work full time, for a newspaper, come home, crack the whip on the homework, sometimes I need to clean the kitchen, sometimes not; have four kids between 22-10, one daughter, the oldest, and three sons.

When everyone is home at the same time it's like a Marx Brothers movie, and then if they let the new puppy in and she starts to chase the cats....well that's really a blast. (NOT)

I draw/paint/doodle and right now my canvas is gourds but it's different all the time.

I have a passion for trees although I'm getting ready to cut the huge fruitless mulberry tree that's in our front yard down because I think it has a love affair going on with our sewer pipes.

My kids cringe every time we drive (or I spot) a pile of junk on the street because I could actually whip a U-ie and drag some of it home.

I'm on a self-imposed moratorium against Christmas trees, not because I don't like them, but because I love them but want no party to cutting them down.... so I drag limbs home, birch limbs mostly, and decorate them.

I read, used to write poetry and am trying to embark on a free lance bit....to tell "my story" of how you make a peaceful life even while living with an addictive spouse, because there is a way.

I think that's probably it. I have found in the last couple of days that I'm hogging 'post' space and don't want to be piggish.

DreamrKate