Knowing each other a little bit more

[Ysa]

I belong to another orchid forum and they started a thead that I found very nice and I would like to getting start it here too! Feel free to answer or add what you want.

Where do you live/Where are you from?

I live in Miami Beach, Fl. since I moved from my country Venezuela 10 years ago.



What do you do for a living?

I'm a Realtor/Broker and a mortgage broker. So if you are planning to move down to our beautiful sunshine state let me know
Miami Real Estate Homes for Sale - Miami Real Estate Overview of the Market


What are some of your hobbies (besides orchids)?

I love plants so I have a butterfly garden and I grow a lot of milkweed (host plant in Florida) for butterflies so I have bunch of caterpillar all the time.









I also collect hoyas plants






I love to travel, I go to two countries every year that I have never been before so I guess by the time I'm really old I would have travel the world













Do you have any pets?

I have 4 beautiful dogs
Molly the sweetest Rottweiler

Coco a lovely Pomeranian

[Ysa]

And two adorable shih tzu's Leo & Betty

[Amanda L]

Wow Ysa, you have a very interesting and busy life. This is a great idea for a thread. Maybe a mod could make it a sticky?

[Ysa]

Where do you live/Where are you from?
What do you do for a living?
What are some of your hobbies (besides orchids)?
Do you have any pets?

[Amanda L]

Originally Posted by Ysa

Where do you live/Where are you from?
What do you do for a living?
What are some of your hobbies (besides orchids)?
Do you have any pets?

I live in Nashville, TN
I am the Cash Posting Supervisor for an independent Pathology lab. Really boring work.
My other hobby is photography, but I don't get out enough to hone my skills.
I have a lot of pets. 5 cats, 2 snakes and a dog.
I don't really travel or do anything.

Your life is much more interesting than mine.

[Angurek]

Interesting thread.

Where do you live/Where are you from?

I currently reside in Tampa, FL, but I'm originally from Salt Lake City, UT. I'm half Italian and half Mexican, but my parents witheld most of their cultural practices when I was growing up, so I know nothing about either of my roots (they naturalized in the US back in '83, about five years before I was born). Sure, my mom taught me Spanish, but that's about as far as it went. And much to my chagrin, dad never taught me Italian. There are times I wish they had kept some of their original customs and traditions, just so I could get a glimpse into their worlds.

I'm hoping I'll be able to remain in Florida for as long as possible, but I'm open to moving to another state if my career demands it in the future, when I join the workforce. I'm a creature of the tropics - I need my warmth and sunshine.

What do you do for a living?

I'm a student at the University of Tampa, majoring in Marine Biology. I'm about a year away from graduation. I'm excited about it, but at the same time, I'm kinda nervous about making the transition from student to worker. I just hope I can contribute something meaningful to society.

What are some of your hobbies (besides orchids)?

I like DJ'ing, Road Tripping, Going to the beach, cooking, and eating. I'm a foodie LOL.

I'm gonna work on adding "Scuba Diving" to that list this summer. But first I have to figure out where I can get a prescription mask, since I wear glasses and I can't see much without them. I've thought about using contacts, but I've heard too many horror stories about them and saltwater.

Do you have any pets?

I don't, and truth be told, I'm not much of a pet person. I'm actually scared to death of dogs. People always tell me their dog is nice, and it ends up being the other way around.

Funny thing is, I'm not afraid of wild animals. Go figure.


Other than that, I'm a pretty boring person. There are stories of people who meet famous people or go to exotic places, but I can't say that I'm one of them. I've also been battling depression and family problems.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Angurek

What do you do for a living?

I'm a student at the University of Tampa, majoring in Marine Biology. I'm about a year away from graduation. I'm excited about it, but at the same time, I'm kinda nervous about making the transition from student to worker. I just hope I can contribute something meaningful to society.

Cool! I love marine life. They're so mysterious and beautiful.

Originally Posted by Angurek

There are stories of people who meet famous people or go to exotic places, but I can't say that I'm one of them.

You wanna bet!

[Ysa]

Originally Posted by Angurek

Other than that, I'm a pretty boring person. There are stories of people who meet famous people or go to exotic places, but I can't say that I'm one of them. I've also been battling depression and family problems.

When you have a positive, healthy attitude toward life, your mind reaps the rewards. I know we can't ignore or deny negative feelings by pretending to be happy either. Do it by becoming a good gardener, methodically and carefully removing the weeds of discontent while cultivating the beautiful flowers. Find out how to remove negativity from your life in order to see positivity blooms!!

We all have battle with depression and bad times, here a great meditation technique that help me, I hope it helps you!

Pulling Weeds Meditation
Find a comfortable and upright place to sit. Take a few deep breaths, then watch the flow of your breath as it enters and leaves.

Now bring your focus to your heart, and as you breathe in, feel as if your heart is opening and softening; as you breathe out, release any tension or resistance.

Now visualize yourself walking in a beautiful but overgrown garden. All sorts of colorful flowers surround you, but among them are numerous weeds.*

You find a place to sit amidst the plants, and with awareness you mindfully begin to remove the weeds. Each one represents a negative aspect of yourself or your life. Name it as you remove it, and watch it leave your mind as you discard it.*

The more weeds you remove, the lighter you feel, as if a weight is being removed from you. As you do this, the flowers are growing stronger and brighter.

Stay here as long as you like. You may not have time to pull up all the weeds, so before you leave, promise you will be back again to remove some more.*

When you are ready, silently repeat three times, "May I be happy, may my mind be like a beautiful garden." Take a deep breath and let it go. Then fill the rest of your day with kindness and smiles!!!

[abigaillevans]

Where do you live/Where are you from?

I was born in Oberhausen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, when my Dad was a contractor for the military. We moved back to Florida when I was two, so I don't speak a lick of German.

Now I live with husband in Lakeland, Florida, which is about halfway between Tampa and Orlando.

What do you do for a living?

I work as a legal assistant for a lawyer who specializes in Elder Law... I do fascinating things like answer the phone, make copies, swear at the fax machine, and send mail. I'm also learning how to prepare different legal documents.

I also moonlight as a freelance writer.

What are some of your hobbies (besides orchids)?

-I love camping and backpacking. I've done between 150 and 200 miles on different trails in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The three biggest sections of trail I've hiked are in Myakka River State Park, the Shining Rock Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest, and, the biggest section, on the Appalachian Trail.
-I always have my nose in a book.
-I cook and bake all the time. On today's list of things to make: whole-wheat chocolate chip cookies, crusty french bread, and shakshuka, which is made with peppers, tomatoes, onions, spices, eggs, feta, and pitas. Yum!

Do you have any pets?

Yep!
In our house there are:
-My husband's cat, Simba, who is 15 and who has hated me since I moved into "his" apartment;
-My cat, Freyja, who thinks she's a dog; and
-Blubber, a blood parrot cichlid with a tendency to play dead.

This is a cool idea, Ysa! I'm excited to see what people post!

[Amanda L]

Originally Posted by abigaillevans

-Blubber, a blood parrot cichlid with a tendency to play dead.

I was just talking about those little fishies yesterday!