Greetings to everyone

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Hello everyone (old OB friends especially)
Life got busy - way too busy to be on orchid board anyways. Many changes, new job, and other stuff made it impossible for me to login here and post, which I am deeply sorry for. I do keep somehow posting in different Facebook groups, just because it is much easier and faster to post there, and because it brings me more business - now to the business part,, somehow, at some point, and completely strange to me how, orchid world made me kinda celebrity without my knowledge, and "huge" specialist on miniature orchids and cold growing species, which is my true orchid love anyways (everyone must find their orchid obsession right?). In the past few years, more so this year, and even more next year, I started to be invited to do speeches for orchid societies, and started to participate at orchid shows, to the extend that I was even asked to write articles, provide my pictures etc. I am now published in orchid magazines in Italy, France, Czech Republic, Australia and who knows where else. I am booked for three orchid speeches next year already with possibility of doing even more, actively participating in orchid shows - next one in Huntington California in October - and all this somehow trying to "coordinate" with my new job as corporate trainer / manager. Don't ask me how this all happened, I have no clue, it just did, and I do enjoy it. Lot of traveling connected with this leads to minimizing my collection to bare "rare and interesting ONLY micro miniature orchids" minimum that is manageable when I am gone, and someone can take care of it. I have extended travel plans ahead of me too, California in October, Europe in December for nearly month, South America next year. I can't say I do not feel proud of myself, but I do admit it is still strange uncomfortable feeling to stand in front of dozens people and talk about miniature orchids :-) Anyways, I still do enjoy my miniatures. I am very glad to see this forum still running and helping newbies, I still remember my first time here, all super nice people giving me great advice, and introducing me to my first ever miniature orchid, Lepanthopsis astrophore. I did think about all of you many times in past months and felt very guilty, so here you go! Not sure where I should post this, so moderators, please feel free to move this post anywhere it fits. Have a great summer everyone and wishing you all great blooms! Tom