FiveAcres

Updated 03/23/2023

About Me

After several years of focusing on other projects, I feel like swapping again.

I live in Southern Colorado with my husband and an elderly Boston Terrier. I've been messing around with art materials for over two decades now. This is the morning view from the house that we sold four years ago after living there for over twenty-five years:

We now live in a smaller place as a result of our decision to downsize our life a bit. However, I still have space for a craft room and consider myself very lucky.

Before retirement, I worked as a systems analyst in Maryland, Texas, and Colorado, primarily in the field of telecommunications. I still follow technical issues, and do a little scripting to keep my hand in. Perl used to be my favorite language, but I write primarily in Ruby now.

For years, my main physical activity was horseback riding, mainly hunter/jumpers training. I had a bad fall from a horse several years ago, and reluctantly decided to give up riding.

I now do agility training with our Boston Terrier Bandit and a friend's Shih-Tzu. I also enjoy yoga and try to practice several times a week.

These days I mainly focus on making junk journals and using them as collage books or glue books. I also enjoy making Artist Trading Cards and tags and carving images from soft blocks. I like bookmaking and art journaling. I occasionally do a little sewing, but retirement means that I require very little in the way of new wardrobe items. Photography is another interest, though mainly when I travel these days.

I read a lot, mainly romance, urban fantasy, and paranormals, with a hearty addition of various types of non-fiction. Michelle Sagara, Ilona Andrews, Sharon Lee / Steve Miller, and Lois McMaster Bujold are probably my favorite authors at present. I am a big fan of our local library system, which is fabulous.

Food

I love food, but am on a medically restricted diet, so must regretfully decline being sent any food.

Likes

• decorated envelopes
• handmade postcards and greeting cards
• mail art
• vintage clip art
• rubber stamping
• soft block carving
• gelli printing
• artist trading cards (ATCs)
• horse themes
• index card a day (ICAD)
• dog themes
• Art Deco
• Art Nouveau
• Jewel tones
• shabby chic
• National Parks
• southwestern scenery
• deco (books)

Dislikes

• religious themes
• violence

Bandit has been with us since January 2016. We adopted him via a Boston Terrier rescue when he was three years old. He had been surrendered to the rescue by his second family, due to a damaged eye, which they could not afford to treat. Despite his age, he is a high energy little guy but loves to cuddle.

Even with his missing eye, he is a whiz at learning agility. We started agility in May 2016.

Despite years of being a breeding bitch in a puppy mill, Sage, adopted by my friend, has a sunny personality. She was very naive about many things when she was adopted, but has been learning all about how to be a dog, including doing agility.

I rate within 24 hours of receiving an item. If I fail to receive an item, I will contact my partner via direct message before rating. I avoid joining swaps that may arrive when I am traveling. If I am forced to give a one because I do not receive a swap, I will re-rate once I receive it.

I also avoid joining too many swaps at one time because I don't want to mail late because of Real Life. (I had one quick turnaround swap that went out the door and into our mailbox right after bringing our Boston Terrier home from the Emergency Clinic where he was treated for a rattlesnake bite.)