# Tell us something about you



## DWinMadison (Dec 6, 2014)

Post something non-soap-related about yourself that is unique or you think members would find interesting.


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## lenarenee (Dec 6, 2014)

I grew up in a very rural area and spent my time running wild through farmland, timbers and pastures. To my  mother's dismay I brought home all manner of hurt and orphaned critters: cats, dogs, raccoons, possums,  coyote pups, birds....to raise. A lot of them survived too.

My dad and uncle raised pigs, and they used to do the Charlotte's Web thing to the runts until I found out. After that I was at every birth personally to snatch up the runts and hand raise them.
Every one of them thrived, thank you very much. (I don't have a shred of tolerance for wasted life)

By the way, it's much easier to play dolls with piglets than  cats. Pigs can't slink out of the dresses, and they love stroller rides!


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## JustBeachy (Dec 6, 2014)

I taught myself to play guitar when I was 16. Just bought a guitar and played it for hours on end till I learned a few songs. Then started writing songs. Then by college, I decided I was going to be a rock star.  Played and sang in some bands in SA and Austin, but obviously that endeavor didn't turn out like I planned. Thank God for back up plans.  haha.  I still play and write, it's my other hobby. 

I'd say I also love the beach, but I think everyone's already figured that one out. Surfs up! 8)


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## DWinMadison (Dec 6, 2014)

I'm a hospital CEO by day and have been in hospital administration for almost 30 years. I'm a husband to the same awesome, godly and infinitely patient woman for 25 years with 2 awesome kids, 20 and 22.  I'm also a very novice wood worker, suburban gardener and SCUBA diver.  I have a gun and a Bible and gladly cling to both.


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## hud (Dec 6, 2014)

DWinMadison said:


> I'm a hospital CEO by day and have been in hospital administration for almost 30 years. I'm a husband to the same awesome, godly and infinitely patient woman for 25 years with 2 awesome kids, 20 and 22. I'm also a very novice wood worker, suburban gardener and SCUBA diver. I have a gun and a Bible and gladly cling to both.


 
 Wonderful story, wish you and your family all the best. 
May I ask please what your profile picture means, and why you chose it?


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## DWinMadison (Dec 6, 2014)

hud said:


> Wonderful story, wish you and your family all the best.
> May I ask please what your profile picture means, and why you chose it?



Sure. The symbol is the Arabic letter, nun, or equalivent to the English "N."  It is used by ISIS in Iraq to mark the homes of Christians or "Nazarenes" who are forced from their home, tortured and soametimes killed. The symbol is an expression of solidarity with my persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.


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## hud (Dec 7, 2014)

DWinMadison said:


> Sure. The symbol is the Arabic letter, nun, or equalivent to the English "N." It is used by ISIS in Iraq to mark the homes of Christians or "Nazarenes" who are forced from their home, tortured and so Eric e's killed. The symbol is an expression of solidarity with my persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.


 
I am with you and with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world but I am a little careful not to let the media to be the source of my information because more than 75% of it's news is not the truth.
Again, I wish you and your family the best.
Thank you for sharing your happy story.


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## IrishLass (Dec 7, 2014)

Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be able to play the piano- not in a concert pianist-type capacity or anything like that, but just for the sheer pleasure of being able to sit down at any piano and tickle the ivories and have something beautiful come out as a creative expression. Unfortunately, when I was growing up, piano lessons were not in the realm of possibility for me, but thanks to my wonderful hubby, who is a part-time musician, and also thanks to my self-chosen cyber teacher, Scott Houston (that piano guy that shows up on PBS just every pledge week), my dream is finally becoming a reality. 


IrishLass


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## Ruthie (Dec 7, 2014)

hud said:


> I am with you and with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world but I am a little careful not to let the media to be the source of my information because more than 75% of it's news is not the truth.
> Again, I wish you and your family the best.
> Thank you for sharing your happy story.



I'm also a supporter of those persecuted for their faith.  If anyone wants to help (or learn more) this is a good source:  http://www.persecution.com/ .  They even have a T-shirt with the Nun on it.  Really cool.

I am a public school teacher.  I teach pre-K (4 to 5 year old.)  I'm old enough to retire, but hope to be out of debt when I finally do, as well as I am working on getting more clients for my soap business.


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## CaraBou (Dec 7, 2014)

I am an atheist, and have been for just about as long as I can remember.  6 or 8 years old at most.  I spent most of my life hiding this core attribute, because of the way people react to it. I can't even imagine having to fear for my life like so many people do around the world.  It is awful the way people treat others who don't believe what they believe. I embrace the Golden Rule.


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## snappyllama (Dec 7, 2014)

I'm a business intelligence developer. In my spare time, I hang out with my almost-grown kids, kayak, hike, read, listen to indie bands & NPR, and play video games. I'm a humanist and fully support the right of anyone to his/her own beliefs so long as they don't infringe upon others. 

I adore holidays and would love to go to India for Holi and Argentina for Carnivale! Actually, I'm looking forward to getting to travel more often once the kids are completely out of the house (last one is in high school).  I was married and had kids at a fairly young age and am looking forward to the next phase of life.

I love terrible puns, badly singing at the top of my lungs, and dancing (again, badly) for no apparent reason.


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## DWinMadison (Dec 7, 2014)

CaraBou said:


> I am an atheist, and have been for just about as long as I can remember. 6 or 8 years old at most. I spent most of my life hiding this core attribute, because of the way people react to it. I can't even imagine having to fear for my life like so many people do around the world. It is awful the way people treat others who don't believe what they believe. I embrace the Golden Rule.



Cara, I will hopefully never treat you with anything but respect. One of my best friends is an atheist. We each have to find our own path. Christians in today's world are an increasing minority and get a bad wrap too. I cannot separate my faith from who I am. It affects how I view the world, but I never want to offend anyone with it. The verse I use as my tagline is how I view my faith. To the contrary, people of my faith are to be like a pleasant fragrant in a room...unique, refreshing and something to which people are drawn. That's the standard. I don't pretend to always meet it. 

Interesingly the "golden rule" was a key tenant of Jesus' teaching: “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get." Matthew 7:12. And He said it was basically the essence of the Old Testament books of the Law and Prophets.



snappyllama said:


> I'm a business intelligence developer. In my spare time, I hang out with my almost-grown kids, kayak, hike, read, listen to indie bands & NPR, and play video games. I'm a humanist and fully support the right of anyone to his/her own beliefs so long as they don't infringe upon others.
> 
> I adore holidays and would love to go to India for Holi and Argentina for Carnivale! Actually, I'm looking forward to getting to travel more often once the kids are completely out of the house (last one is in high school). I was married and had kids at a fairly young age and am looking forward to the next phase of life.
> 
> I love terrible puns, badly singing at the top of my lungs, and dancing (again, badly) for no apparent reason.



Snappy, I'm finding out that they always come back!


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## JustBeachy (Dec 7, 2014)

If I had to "classify" I would say I'm of Christian belief, yet I'm definitely not main stream. I believe in everyone's right to belief. While I'm not a Buddhist, I have a pretty extensive background in martial arts. A man who taught me a lot of skills and some wonderful idea's once told me a a Buddhist saying, that I use when people start talking about beliefs. 

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”


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## hud (Dec 7, 2014)

Ruthie said:


> I'm also a supporter of those persecuted for their faith. If anyone wants to help (or learn more) this is a good source: http://www.persecution.com/ . They even have a T-shirt with the Nun on it. Really cool.
> 
> I am a public school teacher. I teach pre-K (4 to 5 year old.) I'm old enough to retire, but hope to be out of debt when I finally do, as well as I am working on getting more clients for my soap business.



Thank you for the link. I am a little careful though with other people from different faiths. I don’t like stereotyping; the action of a little group does not necessarily give the right to judge all of them, still there is a lot of good out there in the world. 
I admire people with good heart. 
I wish you and every good soapmaker to have thousands of clients:razz:.



JustBeachy said:


> If I had to "classify" I would say I'm of Christian belief, yet I'm definitely not main stream. I believe in everyone's right to belief. While I'm not a Buddhist, I have a pretty extensive background in martial arts. A man who taught me a lot of skills and some wonderful idea's once told me a a Buddhist saying, that I use when people start talking about beliefs.
> 
> “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”



Observation and analysis
Same here too, this is my favorite.
Thank you; I just love it*.*


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## navigator9 (Dec 7, 2014)

One of my favorite things in the world is to travel. When I was much younger, my college roomate and I drove cross country in my Volkswagen beetle with $200 apiece, a gas credit card, a tent, a Coleman stove and a lantern, for two and a half months, through back roads and highways, the Rocky Mountains, deserts lit by a full moon, endless miles of wheat and cornfields, cactus and redwood forests, mountain tops that looked down on the clouds.......a trip I'll never forget.

I love diversity! I love seeing how other people live,  to eat what they eat, to walk the streets of their villages and cities.  I love nothing more than to wake up in a city where I don't know a soul, and don't speak the language, and walk out the door and explore. 

I have been fortunate enough to listen to fado in the Alfama of Lisbon, to hear thunder echoing in the hills around Rome,  to have seen the sunrise reflected in the windows of buildings along the canals of Amsterdam on a crystal clear winter morning,  to have walked the twisting, fragrant alleys of Seville, to have explored the medina in Marrakesh, and to have seen the spectacle of the Djemaa el Fna, to have heard a beekeeper singing to his hives in the mystical mountains of Mexico, to have seen a storm churn the surf so wildly that pieces of foam fly into the air like giant snowballs, in Iceland, and to have climbed pyramids in the jungle of Guatemala. And I have met kind and generous people in all of these places. I think our differences are what makes us fascinating. 

Since I bought my house, I haven't been able to afford to travel, and it makes me really sad, but I'm working on it. I miss it dearly. Can you tell?


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## jules92207 (Dec 7, 2014)

I grew up Catholic. When I was 13 I stopped going to church regularly. I find my inspiration in life around me, nature, human kindness, the Golden Rule. I go to different churches sometimes, I guess still looking for one that inspires me, but mostly I find peace in nature and the beauty of this world.

I also have spent years studying astrology. I use to meditate a lot to find balance but since I had my kids (they are 5 and 2) I have been slacking. I plan on getting back into it (New Year Resolution). I am also a step mom to two grown daughters and a granddaughter (I am under 40 and a grandmother!)


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## Cindy2428 (Dec 7, 2014)

I'm a retiring occupational therapist who's about to hang up her spurs. I need 10 more CEU's to renew my license by the end of Dec. and just don't have the passion anymore. After 30 years, I'm finding hiring managers who want therapists who can discuss theories and not how to put them into practice. I always made it a professional goal to have each patient feel like they accomplished something every session - now managers just want you to talk and BILL about it.  My house is slowly being overrun with soap, ingredients and tools. I'm working on my business plan, perfecting my three favorite base formulas and starting to play with color. My goal is to be able to market my M&P next spring and my CP/HP be ready for summer. So much to learn, so little time.


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## shunt2011 (Dec 7, 2014)

I was a single parent of a wonderful daughter who I adore and respect and am so very proud of who is married to a Marine and is a teacher.  I have worked in the Medical Field for the last 36 years but unfortunately still have another 12 years to retirement unless we win the lottery.   I got married for the first time just before I turned 41 and have a great supporting wonderful husband.  I also have 2 terrific grandchildren David 1 and Sophia 2 who live in Missouri.  To me family is the first and foremost important thing in my life.   I'm also blessed to have both of my parents close by.   I consider myself Christian however I do not bend to one belief...my belief is to live life by being and doing good.  I love soapmaking, reading and traveling.  I have had the opportunity to travel quite a lot as well as participate in 3 missions to Guatemala with the hospital I work at as well as experiencing a broken ankle and having my interns/residents have to react a splint for me.  I have the greatest friends and family a gal could ask for.


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## seven (Dec 7, 2014)

i'm so not a morning person  in fact, i find waking up in the morning terribly hard. i like to work when the house is all quiet and everyone is asleep. been doing that for years. 

i'm a Moslem by birth. i'm a moderate Moslem and have great respect for other faiths. i truly believe that God is 1 and all humans are created equal. although inter-faiths marriage is forbidden in my family, my ex for 5 years was a Christian and we got along wonderfully at that time. 

it took me close to 7 years to finished university, i was too busy "enjoying" life, doing all sorts of things (mostly forbidden)  in my mid 30's now, just got engaged, and making soap is something i truly enjoy. although it is not my main job, it is slowly overtaking my life and becoming my main focus. i'm also left handed, an only child, and a pro-choice.


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## hud (Dec 7, 2014)

I loved playing music in my childhood and I had my own instruments. When I grew up I became interested in pharmacy work so I got a degree in pharmacy then I became interested in designing and handmade arts so I quit the pharmacy work for the last 13 years and during that time my interest developed later on to  fall in love with soap making.
I went a lot of places in the world; I got to know different people from different back grounds, different faiths, and different countries. I am careful not to judge people according to their faith, or their back ground. I met a lot of good people though. I work with my children to think, analyze what’s going on and to be fair with the others. A lot of times the truth is totally different than how it looks.
I like to treat people with just and dignity because I believe that we are all humans and we are all equals, we deserve to be treated decently.
Thank you for this nice thread.

.


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## shunt2011 (Dec 7, 2014)

seven said:


> i'm so not a morning person  in fact, i find waking up in the morning terribly hard. i like to work when the house is all quiet and everyone is asleep. been doing that for years.
> 
> i'm a Moslem by birth. i'm a moderate Moslem and have great respect for other faiths. i truly believe that God is 1 and all humans are created equal. although inter-faiths marriage is forbidden in my family, my ex for 5 years was a Christian and we got along wonderfully at that time.
> 
> it took me close to 7 years to finished university, i was too busy "enjoying" life, doing all sorts of things (mostly forbidden)  in my mid 30's now, just got engaged, and making soap is something i truly enjoy. although it is not my main job, it is slowly overtaking my life and becoming my main focus. i'm also left handed, an only child, and a pro-choice.



 Hey seven, I'm a lefty too! :razz:


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## jules92207 (Dec 7, 2014)

Me three!!! Lefty's rule!


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## Pepsi Girl (Dec 7, 2014)

I'm a ranch wife, I use to enjoy raising and training horses, now I enjoy riding well trained horses, and tho they are adorable I am not interested in raising or training anymore babies, horses or human!  My wonderful husband and I have 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren.  I enjoy drinking a lot of Diet Pepsi, and eating as much dark Chocolate as possible without turning into a blimp.  I play several instruments and sing in a local band named The BlueMountaineers.  We play everything from old time fiddle music, bluegrass, old rock and roll, and anything in between.   At this time my favorite is the fiddle which I started playing only a couples years ago, in my late 50's.  (you are never to old). I'm a avid quilter, making 2 or 3 a year, I  also enjoy making cards, and scrapbooking.  More than anything I enjoy reading and studying the bible, singing songs of praise to my Lord, and helping others find the joyful, blessed life that I have.


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## lenarenee (Dec 7, 2014)

I am in awe. It's such an honor to learn about everyone....this forum is full of amazing people.


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## Lynnz (Dec 7, 2014)

jules92207 said:


> Me three!!! Lefty's rule!



Me four 

I am a Registered Nurse working night shift for what seems forever now  I have been Married for 21 years to my best friend and have two Children that I love with all my heart. We are Christians and I believe we are living in very interesting times. Outside of soaping I have been making candles for about 20 years and seen a lot of changes in that industry. About eighteen months ago I discovered Card making and I am a total addict............A few weeks ago I was very chuffed to serve as a Guest designer for a stamp company that was releasing new stamps so I got to design cards for the release and it was sooooo much fun, and bonus I received all the stamps and dies for the release and got to keep them


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## navigator9 (Dec 8, 2014)

What a fascinating, diverse bunch we are!


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## fuzz-juzz (Dec 8, 2014)

I am student nurse, getting my registration next year (hopefully!). I was born in Europe, moved to Australia ages ago. I am an atheist as well, by choice, born in to religion though, but surviving the war (in ex-Yugoslavia) that escalated over different faiths, made me abandon everything. I still have respect for others and think all the religions are beautiful and peaceful and should stay that way, they shouldn't be used to start wars. 
I married young, have stepchildren and one of my own,we are happy and I think I'm done.  Youngest is still in primary school, but I hope I will be now able to enjoy my life and to concentrate on myself, my studies and new career. I'm still in mid 30s.
I discovered soap-making 2 years ago and fell in love immediately, with the whole process and being able to use lovely home made soaps. 
I also love cats, movies (horror and sci-fi) and Mario Kart 8. 
It's been nice knowing a bit more about other members.


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## smeetree (Dec 8, 2014)

As a job I protect wildlife (biology). Birds. Enjoy art and complex systems, too. In the 90s I wrote an album that made it on college radio, in the 2000s I self-published a book, currently working on a 2nd novel. Also like photography and fascinated by economics (probably read 20 books on this subject just this past year), although I'm suffering from depression right now so I don't like much of anything (other than getting lost in soap making). Went through a "prepping" phase a few years ago and now have 8 enormous pails of rice in my closet. Self-taught expert with computers and (musical) engineering, which is just the art of recording audio. I'm trying to combine this with my birding/nature work and make an album of sounds (No nothing like Yani/new age..yuck). When I was a kid I wanted to do standup comedy and was very funny at one point, but the depression killed that dream. Can be OCD at times. Love baseball to the point I hope they spread my ashes on the diamond. Unlike others in this thread, I believe in God (and am pissed off at him).


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## Logansama (Dec 8, 2014)

I write romance novels.


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## ladieslikes (Dec 8, 2014)

hello from malaysia~

i'm housewife~ doing nothing~ taking care of two naughty boy yet having some blogshop~

invented new soap design


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## jules92207 (Dec 8, 2014)

This is such a great thread, it's really a joy to read about all you fabulous folks. Its really amazing how diverse and how much I relate to all of you at the same time. Thank you for sharing.


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## IrishLass (Dec 8, 2014)

I love this thread, too! It's so nice to learn more about everybody and their backgrounds- writers, musicians, horse-trainers, etc..... oh my! 

And I didn't know we had so many nurses here! I almost went into nursing myself, but changed my mind. My mom was a nurse, and my mother-in-law was as well. I guess I just heard one too many horror stories from them. lol

As jobs go, I've been all over the map. I've worked retail management, been a receptionist, a quality-control coordinator for an upscale hotel (i.e., a fancy way of saying I was in charge of making sure the housekeeping staff was doing their job), a child-care provider, a DJ's assistant (helped hubby spin records when he had his DJ business back in the '80's, which was a lot of fun), and even worked for the family business for a while painting the stripes in parking lots. As old-fashioned as it sounds, though, nothing compares or even comes close to being a wife to my wonderful hubby (he's truly my best friend), and a stay-at-home mom to my wonderful son. And as corny as it sounds, they are the joys of my life, and I am so thankful that of all the people in the world that I could've been saddled with, that I'm saddled with them. 

As far as personal faith goes, I went about with a big question mark over my head for a while, although never to the point of being an atheist. I grew up in a household where conversations about God just weren't a part of our lives, at least not in any relevant, in-depth way. But in the back of my mind, I never ruled out the possibility of there being a God, and as a youngster I can remember plying my grandmother with so many curious questions about such things that it came to the point that she thought I might end up being a nun one day (ha ha, no chance of that! lol). For those that are wondering, I am a Christian. The turning point for me came when the famous (or infamous, depending on one's perspective) John 3:16 seemed to come alive and literally jump off the page one night as I was reading the Bible. As weird, sappy, hard-to-explain, and as unbelievable as it sounds, I literally felt the tangible love of God envelope me that night in a very real way (instead of the proverbial, well-deserved lightning bolt coming out of the sky to strike me, lol). It was such a profound, paradigm-shifting experience for me and took me so much aback that my life has never been the same since. Christ's love and forgiveness for me is what makes me tick. I don't belong to any "organized" denomination or anything like that, but for what it's worth, if I were to describe my relationship with God as it were, probably the one book out there (other than the Bible) that I've ever run across that best describes my spiritual perspective is 'God Without Religion' by Andrew Farley.


IrishLass


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## navigator9 (Dec 8, 2014)

OK, since most of you included something about your faith, I feel compelled to add to my answer. I grew up in a New England factory town, which was really a melting pot of cultures and beliefs, because back then, immigrants knew that those factories meant that they could make a living and raise their families, and factory jobs attracted people from many different countries. I thought it was a very exotic place to grow up. My mother was French-Canadian, and my father's parents were from Hungary. Then taught me that we are all equal, no matter the nationality or religion. I was raised Roman Catholic and had a strong faith until I lost both of my parents when I was 17. Then I began to question everything that I had accepted up til then. I went through a stretch of many very difficult years, and a period of not believing in anything, but felt an aching void in my life. 

Then I stumbled upon a book that changed things for me, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" by Rabbi Harold Kushner. Part of Rabbi Kushner's job as a rabbi, was to counsel the parents of ill and dying children. He used to say all of those phrases that we're used to hearing, like "God has a plan, and we can't always expect to understand the way He works, but have faith and trust Him." You know, all of those meaningless words that really offer no comfort when you are the one who's suffering. But when his own son came down with progeria, everything changed, and he knew he'd never again be able to look into the eyes of the parent of a dying child and speak those well-intentioned, but empty words. In order to maintain his faith, he had to come up with a new way of understanding God. And that's what his book is about. It offered me a way of understanding and being able to accept that really horrendous things can happen to people.....and know that God can still exist. 

I don't belong to any organized religious group and I don't go to church, but I consider myself a spiritual person. One of my favorite quotes is by Meister Eckhart...."If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is "Thank you", that would suffice." And I am deeply thankful.


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## Earthen_Step (Dec 8, 2014)

We moved from the city to the woods with very few around us.  It's a nice slow pace and life has slowed down for us.  We were sick of life rushing us by and living in areas with somewhat higher crime.  We have a goal to slowly build up our land to provide food for our family of 4 w/ 2 kids age 7 and 9. Hopefully in time we will be able to provide an abundance of all we need for survival and extra to share with our friends and family around here.  We make very little money so the progress is slow.  We are on track to pay off our house/land in the next 5 years.  The house we came from we had 27 years to go!  Another contrast from our last house we had 0.03 acres or so, and now we have 5.7 acres -- the house is similar in size just not nearly as up to date.


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## Saponista (Dec 8, 2014)

It's great to hear things about everyone, I'm loving this thread. I am a trained microbiologist/marine biologist who is currently not working due to work stress bringing on my epilepsy which I have the misfortune of suffering from. I live in the south west of England with my husband and my cat and I love walking on the moors near our house. I am not a traditional girly girl and love boxing which I've been doing for three years now, I don't not all spar though and I did that for the first time tonight at a new boxing gym so I am buzzing tonight now.  can't wait to hear more about other people.


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## reinbeau (Dec 8, 2014)

I am a Pilates instructor by trade now, after my midlife crisis career change from the corporate world (was a business manager and project administrator).  I am a Pantheist spiritually, but have no issues with other faiths provided they don't want to impose anything on me.  Religions that are actually hiding a form of governance are a nonstarter for me.

I have two grown sons (30 and 34) and am married to my vastly new and improved Husband 2.0 - there will never be another


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## ronrho56 (Dec 8, 2014)

I am a registered nurse certified in psychiatric nursing; worked in that capacity for 34 years. I retired several years ago after surgery for a brain tumor, but still work on a casual basis (usually once a month) in an outpatient psychiatric setting. I am also Christian; have three grown children and 5 grandchildren. I live with my second husband (first husband died in an accident 11 years ago), my daughter and her husband and their three children, and my oldest son who retired from the Air Force in August and came back home to live. I am very blessed to be surrounded by the people that I love. Fell in love with soap making approximately one year ago, and have never looked back. I also enjoy gardening and canning.  I have learned so much from being a member of this forum, and continue to check in whenever I can as I am always sure to learn something new. What a great group people.


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## MarisaJensen (Dec 8, 2014)

My career has been mainly in telecommunications. I'm a windsurfer and a craft addict. Aside from soap making, I enjoy riding my bike, gardening, being close to the water and making anything that I can use in the bath. I Used to be really funny and outgoing but since the passing of my daughter this year I've become quite an introvert. My dream is to be in a place where I'm happy, not having corporate stress over my shoulders. I consider myself spiritual.


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## DWinMadison (Dec 8, 2014)

Marisa, I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. Regardless of the circumstances of her passing, I can't imagine anything worse than losing a child.


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## Lynnz (Dec 8, 2014)

Wow wow wow what an awesome and interesting bunch of soapers we have gathered here just want to grab you all and give everyone a great big hug! I have so enjoyed this thread


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## Lynnz (Dec 8, 2014)

MarisaJensen said:


> My career has been mainly in telecommunications. I'm a windsurfer and a craft addict. Aside from soap making, I enjoy riding my bike, gardening, being close to the water and making anything that I can use in the bath. I Used to be really funny and outgoing but since the passing of my daughter this year I've become quite an introvert. My dream is to be in a place where I'm happy, not having corporate stress over my shoulders. I consider myself spiritual.



So very sorry cannot imagine the pain of losing a child


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## JustBeachy (Dec 8, 2014)

MarisaJensen said:


> My career has been mainly in telecommunications. I'm a windsurfer and a craft addict. Aside from soap making, I enjoy riding my bike, gardening, being close to the water and making anything that I can use in the bath. I Used to be really funny and outgoing but since the passing of my daughter this year I've become quite an introvert. My dream is to be in a place where I'm happy, not having corporate stress over my shoulders. I consider myself spiritual.



A million people can tell you a million different things to try and make it better, but the truth is there is no cure. But in time, with the help of those that love you, you can find a way to live with the loss. Let it come in it's own time, and keep moving forward. I've been there, and it's not a fun place. Over 25 years ago now, and he's still in my thoughts, still brings a smile to my face at times and the occasional tear.  It gets better. 

Keep dreaming and remember happiness is just a frame of mind. You'll find yours.


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## IrishLass (Dec 8, 2014)

My heart goes out to you Marissa. (((((((big hug)))))))))


IrishLass


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## Jstar (Dec 8, 2014)

Wow, what a great diverse group of ppl on this forum! I'm honored to be in such company 

Myself, I'm a single mom of 4 wonderful kids, who are all grown and out of the nest {yay me}an avid gardener, {including canning everything I grow}major computer geek, and am a certified ceramic tile setter by trade. {Yup, and Im female }

I have worked in all kinds of fields, from manufacturing industrial filters, to being lead coordinator for a medical device manufacturing company. Also have worked for last 10 years as an administrator for one of the largest online artists communities.

I love horses {haven't been back on one since I had to sell my baby because I had to move and couldn't take him with me}, and am a firebug..I love cleaning and raking the yard and then setting the piles of leaves on fire hehehehe

I'm a Christian, altho I do not follow 'organized' religion. I believe what my KJV bible tells me, and I take it quite literally, as I don't think God has secrets and I don't think He would say something He didn't mean, or make it impossible to understand....and as mentioned above..I own guns and a bible..Im pretty happy about it  

I'm also a 'lefty', and as everyone should know by now, Im a chocoholic from birth 

@Marisa: My heart goes out to you as well, and I pray for your comfort.


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## jules92207 (Dec 9, 2014)

MarisaJensen said:


> My career has been mainly in telecommunications. I'm a windsurfer and a craft addict. Aside from soap making, I enjoy riding my bike, gardening, being close to the water and making anything that I can use in the bath. I Used to be really funny and outgoing but since the passing of my daughter this year I've become quite an introvert. My dream is to be in a place where I'm happy, not having corporate stress over my shoulders. I consider myself spiritual.



Marisa my heart goes out to you. While I have never felt that loss myself my husband has lost three children so I understand from him how much I don't understand about that kind of loss. Sending you big hugs.


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## Ruthie (Dec 9, 2014)

My thoughts and prayers are with you Marissa.  While I have never lost a child, I have lost a grandchild to SIDS.  I can not fathom what you have been through!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Dec 9, 2014)

I knew there were a lot of nurses here, which is why I joined!

Born and raised in England, lived there for just over 30 years (barring a year I spent in the very middle of Ireland) and now settled in the Austrian Alps near the border with Switzerland and Germany.  Married since July 2012 to an utterly amazing woman who lights up every moment of my life.  We share our Christian faith and are really blessed, I have to say.

I work in IT (at the moment! :shh: ) and am learning to play the cello.  Helped my wife (she's a violin teacher and plays in an orchestra here) on Sunday by playing along with her students in the Christmas concert - will also do that this Sunday.

I've never been very good at creative or crafty things, but for some reason soaping just works on me and that moment when all the gear is cleaned and squared away, when I look at the filled moulds before popping outside to smoke a pipe and drink a whisky, I find that moment so relaxing.

I enjoy shaving with a straight razor, too.  I have 3 at home with 1 more on the way.


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## El_Granado_Loco (Dec 9, 2014)

What a nice idea this thread!! So good to learn something more about all of you!
I dedicate nearly all my free time to soap, making it, reading about it, experimenting with it, talking about it and thinking of it! 
I love travelling and am really fortunate to have visited a lot of places in Europe. I had also the chance to live in various places, meet a lot of different people and have wonderful memories of each one. Lately, I can't afford to travel but I can live with that, I am just glad I had the chance to travel that much up to now.
I separated recently and still, in my mid thirties, haven't managed to have any kids, something that I really wanted, but I like to believe there is a reason for anything, so I try not to think about it a lot. My recent separation was really hard for me but soapmaking was really what helped me feel a lot better, I can't say get over it yet, but it worked like a psychotherapy for me.
I used to be a math teacher in senior high school and now work in an office which I find better for some reasons. But I would really love to be able to live on making soap...
I am a baptised christian orthodox but don't practise. However, I feel religious and think every religion is an aspect of the same Truth, which I don't know what it is.  But I can feel the existence of God watching a sunset over the sea, the view of a mountain, the clouds up in the sky, a sea of flowers... I strongly respect people who try not to have bad feelings/thoughts about others, who don't have stereotypes, who try to improve themselves, be informed and make a difference to the world, I mean take some kind of accion, even a little, and don't just try not to heart anyone. I believe indifference can be equally as bad. 
Once again, I really enjoy learning more about all of you and a big "thank you" to all the helpful members of the forum!! I hope I can be that helpful as well once I have the experience...


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## DWinMadison (Dec 9, 2014)

E.G. I agree. Only thing better than tucking that newly filled mold into towels to gel is the cutting the next day when you get to see how it came out. It's funny that so many of us find various types of escape and comfort in the process. Maybe we're just high on the fumes! :shock:


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## Luckyone80 (Dec 9, 2014)

Nothing real interesting about me. 
I'm in my mid 30's, been divorced since 2010, I have two kids ages 12 and 8 and a mini Dachshund named Autumn. I live in mid Missouri, born and raised at the Lake of the Ozarks. I've worked full time in state government for the last 15 years. My dad is still alive and lives at the lake in the house I grew up in but my mom passed away in 2003.
I enjoy working on many different types of crafts and have dabbled in many. I used to make custom soldered jewelry pendants and made good money at it but stopped after I got divorced b/c I moved and didn't have the room to do it anymore.
I can crochet but I can't knit to save my life. I make primitive decorations around Halloween and Christmas time. I only just got into soap making this past October after going to a bunch of craft fairs and seeing all the soap makers and their creations, it got me inspired to try it myself.


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## shunt2011 (Dec 9, 2014)

Marisa I am so very sorry for your loss.  I can't imagine the pain.  I hope in time you will be able to move forward and that the pain becomes less though never fogotten.  Big Hugs to you!!!


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## TVivian (Dec 9, 2014)

I love this thread! Thank you all for sharing! 

I am a married (to the love of my life) mom of 4, 2 teen girls and 2 boys 5&7 and I live in a suburb of Los Angeles Ca. I have 2 home businesses, specialty cakes and soap. I love home repair and renovation and can work a saw or drill as well as any man....  and I can paint a room with no smudges or drips  in 2 hours flat! Most days I wear holey jeans with paint spots and  bare feet... But I love to dress up and be a girl. I love to give my talents to my friends and church. 

I am a Christian had a similar experience with God as Irish Lass. I'm a regular church attendee and am proud of my faith. I'm also very accepting of other faiths and I support gay marriage. Christians who give Christians a bad reputation is my biggest pet peeve. I believe we should love and accept, not judge. 

Also, I secretly want to be a Burlesque dancer.


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## Susie (Dec 9, 2014)

I am a happily divorced (now empty-nester) mother of a 21 yr old son, and a 19 yr old daughter.  I am Christian(Southern Baptist flavor).  I try to be more Christ-like every day.  I may never get there, but I am going to keep on trying.  I think the most important "commandment" is the one Jesus gave:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  If I don't want to be treated a certain way, I don't treat others that way.  I don't care whether you are atheist or another Christian, you are still human, and still deserving of respect, dignity, and equal treatment.


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## Khanjari (Dec 9, 2014)

Well,  a quick reply from myside.... one unique thing I have is.... I have an identical Twin Sister 
We were ALWAYS together but after marriage we are cross country and too far away physically but we are still heart to heart.


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## MarisaJensen (Dec 9, 2014)

Thank you everyone. My daughter is in a better place even though it's rough for my hubby and I. While we would like to blame the doctors, she had very little chance of survival... We did everything in our power to save her. We learned from her and hopefully we won't have the same complications if we try to have a child again. 


I've read the entire thread and I love the diversity in this forum. It's nice that this one hobby brings so many different people together to share the love of soap making.


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