ktgirl10, I'm from CT, Southern Fairfield County.

Segbrown, so sorry to hear about your pup. We lost our Dalmation right before Christmas, he had stomach cancer. But, he was 16 years old, so we were lucky in that way. He passed away in my arms sitting by the fireplace. We miss him every day. Up until recently, my son was still placing his water dish by his headstone in the back yard.

Anyway, someone should start a post about our pets. Maybe even how we decorate their *interiors*. Hopefully not as crazy as Tammy Faye Baker, but hey, to each his own!

We actually did have a thread about our pets in the conversations side back a few years ago. As slow as that side moves, it wouldn't surprise me if it's still there a page or two back. In fact, I started one 2 years ago when our newest family member came to "adopt" us, and it's still on page one!

Here is a link that might be useful: New Family Member!

1. mid 40s living an exceptionally good life for which i am eternally grateful.
2. sometimes cranky but with a good heart.
3. suffering from thyroid condition which contributes to crankiness.
4. lives in beautiful monmouth county nj with loving dh, 18 year old geriatric cat, 1 boy, 8 with propensity for mouthing off but completely lovely; girl, 7 who is amazingly athletic and i sometimes mistake for a 30-year-old.
5. terrible pic of me with one of our neighbors.

At the risk of making this thread more about pets...

Here is D'artagnan before a haircut (his Chewbacca mode)...

...and after

Lisa a - Go for it! Parachuting (tandem) was a blast, and surprisingly not all that scary. We drug a handful of friends, and everyone really enjoyed it.

One more comment to all - before finding GW, I didn't know that I needed a range with >22k BTU open burners, a microwave with convention and a broiling element, or a DW that cost twice as much as my last one. Hmmmm, I think I'm glad I found this site. (Yeah, I am)

Jon

OMG, kateskouros, is that The Boss with you?!?! Or is your neighbor just a really, really good lookalike?

Jon, lol, you wrote that you "drug" along some friends and my first thought was that you administered something that either made them senseless or prone to risk behavior to get them to jump out of a plane! Too funny.

I am in my late 40s, and I am a middle school math teacher in western North Carolina. My DH also teaches math in the same school, same hall. We've been married almost 25 years and have one daughter who is 16.

Here's a picture of me:

And here's a picture of our westie:

nursetammi, I saw on the other thread when you recommended Wobenzym, and I actually ordered some that very day! But for me. I'll share with my doggie, though. Thanks for everyone's sympathy/empathy. Losing animals just sucks. But it's part of having them, so it's okay.

IÂm from northern Connecticut, and about midway through my "f" years (that 20 year span that will eventually be replaced with the 20 year span of "s" years.) I was an industry accountant for many years before stopping to help with older family/health issues. DH and I have a son in graduate school and a daughter in high school, so that empty nest is on the horizon.
I tend to internet research projects/purchases to death  which is how I found these boards. In the end we may not always make the right decision, but itÂs always the best informed possible! DH and I enjoy doing projects together when he has the time. (Carpentry is a hobby for him.) This project will have some DIY, but hopefully not an overwhelming amount.

We had knocked down walls, and did a kitchen facelift 18 years ago, assuming that we would eventually move into a larger home as our family expanded. But, weÂre still here and space is no longer an issue. There is a natural pond in our back yard that attracts an increasing variety of wildlife and a cedar tree outside the kitchen window that we just couldnÂt replace anywhere else. So, weÂve decided to stay put and do a "real" remodel. This time we have the benefit of some experience and hindsight plus advice from all of you kind people.

I'm pretty new to GW. I used to visit from time to time but have been pretty fulltime the past several months whilst planning the kitchen renovation.

I'm getting close to 40 years old, married to my dh for almost 6 years although we have been an item for 17 years. I love to cook and bake. I've had a couple of careers already, my current being a professional Pastry Cook. After my Mom became terminally ill in 2004 and things were not happy for me and my family in general, I decided to fulfill my life long dream and attend Culinary School in 2006 (for Pastry). It was the best decision I ever made, even if I never work in another professional kitchen again.

dianalo - I live in Western Nassau (South Shore)... so we're neighbors!

We have 2 dogs and a bird. We love to travel, and just have fun whenever possible. We love music, eating, drinking good beer and wine, and just enjoying life! We could manage to have a good time at an insurance seminar. I took my GW name from my favorite album by (fellow NY'ers) the Beastie Boys ;)

We've been in our house for 12 years and have known from day 1 that the kitchen needed help. Major help. We're now midway through the reno and things are looking good. What was once a room that did nothing more than house a few old mismatched appliances and about a foot of counter space is finally going to be a real working kitchen (still on the smallish side but hey you can't have it all).

I've enjoyed learning from everyone's posts here. it's nice to know a little something more about each of you.

Hi y'all, I'm Susie, and from North Central Texas. Rural area.

I'm 52, married to the most wonderful, patient, supportive man in the world, I keep telling him, he had no idea he was getting a lemon when he married me! LOL We have 4 grown kids, 32,30,26,25 and three WONDERFUL grandkids! They keep me living...

I've been a SAHM most of my married life, love, love, love, real estate, and sold it for a while, but after a couple years, it seemed too dogeatdog for me, so I quit. Never lost my love for it though. Have "House Hunters" on right now, HGTV most of the day, while reading GWKitchens. For now, that's a GREAT life!

We restored a 100 year old farmhouse in Oklahoma City, and had to put on the finishing touches in a hurry because DH got transferred to Texas, moved into this 1986 popcorn house, and I swear it needs more work than the 100 year old!

I found this place while looking for a range, and after finding the Kitchen Forum, we decided to take on a full fledged remodel, even though at the *time* I didn't really think it needed it! I was just on a mission to get a gas stove in place of this old electric coiled cooktop.

That was a year and a half ago, and I read every day, and ashamed to tell how MUCH. We (well, DH) are DIY's mostly. So, slow it goes, but I don't mind.

My next desire (chore) is to start finishing the popcorn removal, and that is not something to look forward to.

I love you all so much, you've given me so much help, ideas, and knowledge, that I hope once our reno is done, there is some way I can give back to the newcomers.

Good health to all,
Susie

I thought I had answered in the 2008 thread, but apparently I did not. Perhaps there was another one?

Anyway, I'm Holly, which you probably guessed from my name, and I am a late-40s professor at a university you can probably also guess from my name. My husband of 26 years and I have all four-legged kids, now including three giant dogs (as of yesterday, when our oldest dog left this world) and one very naughty cat named Nelson, who looks like a clone of rhome's Rory...

How fun! I am 59 years young, married almost 33 years. I've raised 4 kids & a husband in a remote town in Alaska and I'm still smiling! :) We are in the process of designing our first 'real' house to be built in the Spring so I'm really excited.

Hubby & me :)

Well, it appears I am the first poster not living on the North American continent. My name is Petra and I am a 44 year old single living in southern Spain. I share a house in the countryside with my dad and a Labrador named Quinn. We moved to Andalucia some three and a half years ago from the Netherlands.

In the near future we will renovate the kitchen, I'll keep you posted!

A heartfelt thank you to all who contribute to the kitchen forum: I have learned so much reading this board. Thank you!!

Oh Petra--if my flowers could look like yours I'd move there in a minute! That is one fantastic picture! I'll be in Barcelona at the end of September, I can't wait!

lisa_a: I think you're right! OMG kate? kate?

ok. yes. it's HIM.
and while i call him my neighbor he's really around the corner, about a 1/2 mile up the road. we call everyone in town "neighbors".

What a great thread! Love finding out more about everyone!

Holligator and rhome, your kitties look just like my Sebastian. He passed years ago, but was the best cat. (We drove him from Houston to St. Louis in the backseat of a Honda with his litterbox on the floor. He took the whole thing in stride. We'd never had a cat before and didn't realize how unusual that was.)

I'm in my early 40s and a stay-at-home mom of three busy, inquisitive, fun kidlets, one boy (11) and two girls (5 and 4). Before my mommy gig, I was the editor and programs person for a cultural nonprofit. My husband, also early 40s, is in high tech. We moved last year from Austin to the Boston area. It was a huge culture shock, but we're really enjoying so many things about the area (including winter)! We're renovating our 1935 Colonial and are in the midst of the kitchen reno. The master bath is next, but we're going to take a break for awhile. Reno overload.

My family also includes two shelties, one geriatric and a two-year-old. This is the young 'un, Portia. My son has been working on our adding a kitty to the family.

Hi, all. I will be 52 next month--married almost 34 years, have 5 children (32,30,22,21 & 17) & 5 grandchildren. I've homeschooled my kids for 20 years and just graduated my last this spring. We have a family farm corp and cattle trucking business that I do the bookkeeping for and I also keep records for a local cattle operation. Our home has been in the family for generations. We added on this last fall--almost finished the kitchen, working on the laundry room, then heading to the master bedroom and bath. There are lots more projects after that. I'm so thankful I found GW.

As you may guess by my 'computer' name I live in London, Ontario Canada. It is interesting to see where everyone is from...but I always thought there were a lot more Canadians on this site. I am 58 and retired at the end of 2009 from a career as a school secretary with the local school board. I have been married for 35 years and have 2 grown children and 2 adorable little grandsons, aged 3 and 11 months. I have an 8 year old Shih Tzu named Scooter. I love to read the notes and see pictures of all the beautiful kitchens. We did ours last year and without this site would have made some mistakes. I really appreciate all the advice from the experts on this site.

pickle2-- is Portia a "blue" sheltie?

What a fun thread!

First let me say thanks to all our men and women serving in the armed forces. My dad was an F-4 pilot married to a slightly neurotic BA arts major who ended up being a SAHM to my sister and I. She cooked from Bon Apetite and we never had the same meal twice. (I can really relate to David Sedaris.) That's how my life started out.

Now I find myself, at 42 a slightly OCD INTP who is a part time gas-passer married for 23 years to a sturgeon and is addicted to GW. We have 3 kids, the oldest about to go to colllege, 2 dogs, and 2 cats. I found this site last year at the tail end of our bathroom renos and what an enormously helpful resource it has been. I haven't asked a lot of questions, but I have paid attention and gleaned much knowledge from this site.

Ten years ago, we moved here, after training. We had 2 days to find a home, or choose to stuff all of us into an apartment. We found this spec home in a great neighborhood and have gone about changing it to suit ourselves. With DH not home a lot, DIY is definitely out of the question.

Running keeps me semi sane. DH is way into roadbiking, so I loved seeing trailrunners photo and hearing her about her biking story. I have a Specialized too, but I'm not on it as much as I should be. I enjoy cooking, reading, gardening and playing guitar. DH bought me a bass for Christmas and that will be my next obsession if I can ever get this kitchen, laundry, porch addition completed, but I may need to attend AA for GW first!

Here is my newest addition (Beuhl's doggies were my inspiration)...a Giant Schnoodle:

Forgot to say, I'm from Ohio.

I'm a 44 year old female, married 21 years, no kids, and 2 cats. I'm a business analyst who sits at a computer all day long.
I still love following along with other people's kitchens, even though we finished up our kitchen in 2008. These days, I mostly just lurk.

This is me:
{{!gwi}}From the cats

This is Daki, my online namesake who happens to match our kitchen counters:
{{!gwi}}From the cats

{{!gwi}}From the cats

And Squeak the weirdo cat
{{!gwi}}From the cats

I am Pam, age 57, retired lawyer/active artist/avid orchidist/good cook/fairly competent co-pilot living in Palm Beach County, Florida. I would post a pic but I can't find one that wouldn't fill up your screens! That's what's new in my life - I am losing computer technical expertise by the hour. I almost fell for a bank phishing email yesterday!

My DH and I are foolishly/wisely (take your pick) building our "final" home nearby. It will have more room for guests, let us keep the boat in the back yard, and be 2 blocks to the ocean. That's the "wisely" part! The "foolish" part is that means spending a year of our life obsessed with the building process.

We share our lives with our fur babies - a bischon and a dachsund. The 2 human kids are grown up, and we have 3 grandchildren. A 4th is due on November 1st! Lots of other family live close by, so kids and dogs play a big role in my design and decor decisions.

I joined GW for design and construction ideas, and have learned much from you! My biggest challenge for a "final" home is to define interiors and features that will not be obsolete or aggravatingly out of fashion too soon.

Thanks for your help. I hope to be able to add value to the discussion from time to time.

Very cool, Kate! That beats my "I sold toys to Mia Farrow" story all the hell. LOL

Hi again everyone..forgot to mention I'm from Southern California....

Just wanted to give a shout out to Daki's mom..Once I decided to go with dark brown cabinets, your kitchen was one of my inspirations. I went with a delicatus granite too. My all black cat, Olivia, accents it nicely. But Daki takes the prize for best camouflaged kitty!

KA:)

petra66 We moved to Andalucia some three and a half years ago

I lived in that region in the 70's, Rota to be exact. My father was US Navy and we were stationed there for 3 years. My mother was a Spanish teacher up until 5 years ago.

Hi Kate, I'm your neighbor too, in Monmouth County. Great pic of you with the Boss! Isn't it cool running into him in town? I see him at the gym occasionally and bumped into him coming out of the ATM the other day. Although I'm sure he has more money in his account than I do!!!

Thanks all for the birthday wishes... since everyone is posting "family" pix - I will too!

DH and Libby our Saint Bernard

Murphy (left) & Finnegan (Right) - safety in numbers after the dog showed up

DH at Thanksgiving

April 2008

I am Rita, and as of 1220 ish today, my kitchen is officially DONE! Well, except for hanging some decorative plates on the wall between the kitchen and DR, but . . . . DONE! I am %! (in my family we don't write the numbers after age 30, we use the symbols on the number keys!). I am one more nurse on the forum -- both my DH and I are Nurse Practitioners, although I teach, and he works for a Medical Device company in research.

I live in the same town as Holly -- without her I wouldn't have my cabinet maker or countertop -- and my husband's enthusiasm for redoing the kitchen. After we saw her kitchen, he was on board for the renovation. Thanks Holly --

We have a 15 y/o son and 17 y/o daughter. They are pretty fun to be around. My daughter is crazy funny and my son can whip out unexpected zingers that have me begging for mercy. They trade the cooking chores every other Sunday. The rule is no simple food. No burgers, pizza, spaghetti, etc. It is basically the Home Ec I had in HS, except my husband and I are the teachers and sous chef. They are getting into it, my daughter went thru all the magazines and cut out the recipes she's interested in and has made her own cookbook, denoting the winners. DS sweetly asked her, and she made him one as well!

We have a reptile: Orion, who is a bearded dragon.

{{!gwi}}
Isn't he beautiful? I know, a face only a mother could love. I surprised my self with that, too. I love that scaly thing. He nearly died from a bad pinky a few years ago and I nursed him back to health, force feeding him . . . . geez, that surprised me too.

And of course, the cat. Oreo.

{{!gwi}}

He is glad the kitchen is over, because he does not like unfamiliar men, and kept skedaddling when someone came to do the work. When he stuck around, I asked the man working and sure enough, they had cats at home. Go figure.

I hope to have pictures posted by this week-end. I love the way my kitchen turned out, and I owe it to y'all!

Kitchenaddict - it's a lovely kitchen you built for your kitty :)

lisa: i never "heard" your story about selling toys to mia farrow. share, please? jon bon jovi asked me for a ride home once, but i wasn't going that way -and i had two car seats installed so he would have had to ride on the roof (he had a kid with him).

marcy: nice to meet you, neighbor! i can't wait to see your progress.

azwildcats: is that dog wearing a HAT??! so funny, i was JUST looking at fur aviator hats for dh and me! soooo funny....

Kate - that's puppy fur. Our Saint Bernard was only 4 months old in that picture!

I'll play before the thread closes! I'm in my mid (ok, heading to "late") 30's. I'm married to my college sweetheart and we have two little boys. I'm not as short as I look (5'8")- I have a family of giants.

{{!gwi}}

I work not-quite-full time as a senior director in a software company. We live outside DC in Virginia. We thought this was a "5 year" house but its been 10 now and we love our neighborhood and local school (house so-so), so we are going to stay put for now and just remodel.

:-)

kate, I wish my story were better but it's not.

I was working at a Chicago 'burbs department store in the housewares and toys department during the summer of '77. In walked this woman with a bunch of kids - 4 or 5, I think, can't really remember how many. I didn't pay much attention as they shopped - it never dawned on me that it would be anyone famous. Plus she had on the obligatory sunglasses/big hat disguise.

After a bit, she and her crew came up to the register. As my co-worker waited on her, I kept thinking "gosh, she looks just like Mia Farrow." And I almost said that to her! Sooo glad I didn't. It wasn't until she walked away that my co-worker showed me her check. Pretty sure my jaw hit the floor. She was in town for the filming of "A Wedding."

In truth, I didn't sell her any toys. I did process her return when she came back a few minutes later when one of the kids had a change of heart but that doesn't make as good a one-liner celebrity encounter tale. ;-)

Jon Bon Jovi *and* the Boss? I'm speechless.

I could have hung out like a groupie last month. They were filming an episode of Leverage in the empty building next to hubby's office but he failed to tell me until the end of the day. I only gave him minor grief but oh, boy, did he get in trouble with his mom and his aunt for not telling them. They are apparently huge fans of Timothy Hutton and the show.

Huh, it just occurred to me that both Timothy Hutton and Mia Farrow starred in movies filmed in my home town (not the same one, though).

btw, I think what you think is a hat on azwildcat's dog is part of the roof from the house seen through the windows. At first glance, I thought it was a hat, too.

adh673, just how tall is your hubby? I rode on the shoulders of a 6'9" friend (many years ago). That was quite the experience!

Thanks azwildcats for starting this thread. It's been a lovely distraction. I've certainly enjoyed getting to know everyone.

I'm a political junkie and retired at 33 after selling my business. I volunteer now and it is so much more rewarding. I'm an animal lover and don't want kids. I love to work with animals and shelters and also volunteer for a homeless coalition. Married to a man I stole from Europe, but would cheat on him with Daniel Craig..or Viggo Mortensen if it were a three-way. My husband knows this =)

We are building a vacation house and it is probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Hello panic attacks. I'm trying very hard not to become intoxicated every day as my family has a history of alcoholics, but am very close! I've been married for 6 years and never fought with my husband, maybe once or twice in 5 years, but now it's every time we need to discuss construction.

Things that make me happy are my husband's big hands, my pets, the sun, edamame, seeing an abused animal adopted by a wonderful family, traveling on a whims notice, smiling at a stranger on the street, seeing my Mom happy and SHOES.

Hi Beekeeperswife, I must admit these are not my flowers.... The picture was taken at the Córdoba Patio festival held every year in May. I am certain a lot of watering, feeding and deadheading is involved ;-)
Have a lovely stay in Barcelona!

Ok, I'll be one of the last ones on this thread! Pretty sure I posted back in '08 but I'll post an updated/revised version here:

I am 48 and DH is 49 (we still canÂt believe we are "this" close to 50!). We live in southern NY State (I was raised here, DH is from PA). This is a second marriage for both of us, and we realized we were soul mates the night after weÂd met. I made blueberry pancakes for DH the first time he came over, and he never left! WeÂve been together for 18 years, and have been married for over 16 years.

We have 14 nieces and nephews between us (my sister has triplets!), and have two grand-nephews and a grand-niece or nephew on the way. No kids of our own. Our cats are our babies. Four are up in heaven, but we are blessed with our beautiful Shizu and Miku. They bring us much joy, and we love them to pieces.

I am a teacher, and work part time in a public school. I also volunteer at a nearby animal shelter. In addition to his day job as a software developer/systems analyst, DH is an acoustic guitarist and singer, and performs on occasion at a local farmerÂs market, at an occasional bar/restaurant gig, and at some of the animal shelterÂs fund raising events. He performed at a number of Pocono area resorts when he still lived in PA, and even opened for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons while performing with a trio.

WeÂve been in our house for almost 12 years. It is a bi-level or raised ranch (called a hi-ranch around here) and it was built in or around 1967. We bought it as is, but it was (and still is) in a great area, and we love living where we do. The house needed a lot of work, and we are addressing those needs little by little. Besides the obvious need to come up with the funds for all of the necessary projects, neither of us is very decisive (both GeminiÂs here!), which helps to prolong the whole process.

I feel I am very fortunate to have discovered this wonderful community. Not only do I continue to learn new things via the very knowledgeable and talented people that populate these forums, but I am constantly amazed at and appreciative of the friendships that have blossomed here as well. My home and my life have been enriched by all of you, and thatÂs what keeps me coming back again and again!

A picture of us at a GW get-together in 2008:

Lisa_a: Dh is 6'7". I never ride on his shoulders though! One of the kids are usually up there anyway. The doctor thinks my oldest will be over 6'10 fully grown so it's a tall family. I guess I should have raised the counters.

BillV,
Yes, she's a blue merle sheltie! You must know your dogs. Most people have no idea what she is. :-)

BWT, thanks so much for the tiler recommend! He seems great, and we're looking forward to working with him on the master bath (when we recover from this kitchen).

Third times a charm! I am retyping this reply for the third time today because I am not totally with it.

I also think this is third time I have done one of these "Who Are You?" posts and still no new kitchen. I will be the longest running member of GW with no new kitchen. I love winning!

I am the mom of two precious boys. The oldest is about to enter high school (brutal) and the other is three. Yase, you read that correctly. There is a bit of a smidge in between their ages.

I work in public health as the director of a governmental vector-borne disease control agency. DH is a finanical planner, a most delightful field to be in the last two years! This explains why there is no new kitchen.

DH and I first met in kindergarten. He remembers me as the girl who couldn't blow her nose. We met again in the eighth grade and have been together ever since. Well, there have been a few break-ups along the way. We are beginning our sixteenth year of marriage and are on the downhill slide of our thirties.

I am actually glad we didn't get to start our remodel when originally planned as it has evolved and changed for the better. The financial meltdown has made us rethink our needs and wants, goals, purposes, and intentions and has made us better and stronger people (I think).

As far as pets are concerned, we used to have a yellow lab, Duke, that we had gotten when our oldest was in first grade. Last fall he escaped from the back yard during a thunderstorm (think Marley and Me). He had done this before but always came back or would go visit the elementary school. This time he didn't come back and after looking everywhere for him we determined that someone must have picked him up as it was close to duck hunting season.

As of one week today, we are the proud owners of a new four legged child. A blood hound who needed a new home. She is great for our three year old as he is on the autism spectrum and she also loves to sing. It is also nice not to be the only female for a change.

As you can tell from my name, I am from Louisiana. I am a fifth generation Louisianan and have lived here my entire life. I have lived in various locations of LA and currently live in a northeastern town that is home to the family that first bottled Coca-Cola and where Delta Airlines was founded. I have always said I would move anywhere anytime for adventure but when it comes down to it, I just don't know! Louisiana life is an awesome thing.

My interests include gastronomy, religious history, reading, attending DS1's sports events, exercising, and hanging out with the family. Sochi has my dream job.

Here is the fam (a couple of years ago)

and our new Molly at her previous home

I think that is about it. Oh and Happy Birthday azwildcat!

Shannon

pickle2-- I might know just a little about shelties and collies. :-)

Meet Jumanji. :-)

Shannon, my son was born in your hometown! Very cool to know where you live!

Beautiful families, everyone! Thanks for sharing.

I don't have any photos, blurry or otherwise, of my human family, but I can share Grace and Faith.

jsweenc,

When did you live here and where if you don't mind my asking? That is fascinating! How long were y'all here?

Aww great thread! It's so nice to finally get to "meet" everyone.

I've been reading this forum for years and am finally the proud parent of a new kitchen.

DH is 45 and I'm 47. I knew the day I met him I was going to marry him. We met on Thanksgiving and were engaged by Christmas and got married 6 months later. We've been married 19 years now.

I was born in Michigan but have lived in Tennessee almost all of my life. Hubby is from NYC and is an executive chef over 3 resturants. I'm a computer geek - big suprise. I'm an HR software consultant and project manager. But man I love to cook. We also own a resturant in Nashville, but I definitely don't cook there.

We have 3 dogs (Mocha, Ginger, and Rusty). His dad lives with us now too, and he has a little dog (Gypsy).

Also waving from Monmouth County, NJ -grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I'm a retired teacher married almost 42 years. Our grown kids live nearby - DH and I have 4 grands - 3 of them are starting kindergarten in September.

Three weeks ago we started our kitchen reno - cabs were torn out, old tile floor ripped out and replaced and cabs were mostly finished being installed yesterday. Granite was templated this AM. The kitchen thrills me - it's so gorgeous now.

Electrician's coming on Monday for phase 2 - recessed lighting being installed and electrical outlet in island. Cabinet maker (custom) due back on Tuesday to do crown and other finish work. Then the plumber again to hook it all up - then the electrician again to finish the island lighting and undercounter lighting. (Got a bargain on those island fixtures today, too).

Promise to post pix when it's all done...

Helene

I love this thread, lots of fun matching faces to screennames, but I am confused. How do so many of you type with your paws? You must use spellcheckers?

:-)

Segbrown,
Real important to take it on an empty stomach so find two best times during the day when you haven't eaten like right when you get up (keep them in your bathroom and take 3 as soon as you get up and them don't eat for about 30 minutes), or another great time is if you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the BR, just pop 3 and go back to bed. If you have eaten wait at least 1 hour and a half before taking them. Its just if you take it with food they will help with digestion and won't necessarily go systemic which is why you are taking it. I also give it to my dog on an empty stomach. I have to put it in some kind of food in order to get it down so there is a little in his stomach but it seems to work great. Kody (13 years old) is so much more alive with these enzymes. He is a toy poodle and I give him 1 twice a day. You should take at least 6 a day (3 and 3). There is a great website www.systemicenzymesupport.com that you can read about all the conditions that they are using them on humans. The only contraindication is if you are on a blood thinner. You should check with your doctor on that one. Side effects are nothing but great things for your body. Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez in New York is the physician that is using enzymes on cancer with great results. You can read about him in Susanne Somers book called Knockout, I know its strange recommending an actresses book but she really did her homework in that one. This is probably much more than you wanted to know but my nursing just flows out sometimes and I can't help it. Let me know if you have any questions and maybe we could exchange emails or start a health forum :).

Sorry guys to steal the thread for a minute but I just wanted to get this message out.

Hello all!

DH and I live in central NC with our 4 kids - 8-year-old triplets and a (surprise!) 7-year-old singleton. Our two boys are autistic. Here we are a couple of years ago - the kids now have more teeth and hubby has less hair.

{{!gwi}}

I'm 43 and DH is 47. Most days I don't feel a day over 68.

I am all about a glass of red wine at 5 o'clock.

I've lurked here for at least 5 years so I feel like I know everyone even though you guys have no clue who I am. We are finally ready to pull the trigger on our kitchen remodel so you may see my name begin to pop up more often.

Last but not least, here are pictures of my beloved kitty Cecil and Chauncey (World's Largest Pug).
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Kelly

Calimama slipping in under the wire! This has been so much fun meeting the person behind the kitchen. My name is Laura, and I spent the first 40 years of my life in Southern California, but moved to Ohio a few years ago for work and fell in love with the midwestern life. I married my high school sweetheart, and have 2 BIG boys two medium dogs and one small cat. I travel a bit for work (sales) and have been to 46 states in my life. Our kitchen remodel happened last summer, and until i get those window treatments completed, I am not done (or so i have told myself)
This is my cyber namesake Cali along with Maggie (both rescue dogs, don't have a clue what they are!):

{{!gwi}}

And this is Salem my rescue kitty- his brother Magic passed away last year

Thanks for letting me play! I love following this site.

Let's see if I can get in under the wire.

I'm 48, meaning I was sorely tempted to post a picture from 15 years and 25 lbs ago, but in the spirit of honesty that prevades this thread, I'll resist.

This was taken by my daughter, who is getting into photography the old-school way - manual focus, film and darkroom. She has to yet to learn critical focus, but for a candid taken during a dinner party, this is okay. At least she didn't photograph the actual chaos of cooking, but merely the tiredness of not eating what you've cooked.

As you can see, I don't exactly dress up for my own dinner parties. But I did buy a proper smoking jacket at a vintage store recently, so when I lose enough weight to fit in it without looking like an unshaven velvet sausage, then the standards will be elevated ''chez johnliu''.

A native New Yorker, but grew up in France, British Columbia, California, and New Jersey. After getting my degree in mathematics, I gravely disappointed my family by going to law school. For the next 13 years, I was a lawyer, first in San Francisco and then in Los Angeles. Yes, the '80s were ''L.A. Law'' for me, and it was fun. Then it wasn't. There are better things to be than an old, jaded lawyer. So SWMBO and I, and the 6 month old, sold our house and took our savings, and spent the next year traveling around the world. After the best year of my life, I went back to school in the Bay Area, got another degree, and returned to work, sans savings but with now two kids and some great experiences. I've been in financial services for the past decade or so, moved up to Portland a few years ago, and now the 6 month old is starting high school and pestering me to take her to the darkroom. My, where did the time go?

I used to have a lot of hobbies, but work and kids have gradually chipped away the fishing, shooting, driving, reading, wrenching, photography and left . . . cooking. Well, there are worse hobbies. And I've left most of my old vices behind too.

And here is a picture of SWMBO. Since I'm posting w/out her permission - the family is off on vacation - I will choose a photo from yesteryear that I know she approves of.