AZmom875

I lived in Phoenix from 1988 to OCT of 2021. We moved from the 5th largest city in the USA to a small community of less than 2000 people. Sunsites is my town name, but the Post Office belongs to the town of Pearce, which is a ghost town, and not a touristy one.

We hadn't been in our, new town very long, when My husband died of covid Monday Nov 8th. I got it too, but I got off the oxygen, Dec 18th, when I was able to increase my lungs oxygen intake, as I healed. My Primary doc made the official edict to the insurance that DEC 29th. I was glad to be free of the O2 leash

I dont read my emails often, I do read the pms here, many times a day. So Pm me here, first.

I was married 33 years, as of, Jan 2021. We parented 8 Plus kids. We used to be foster parents. We took guardianship of 5 siblings in 2002. YEAH! they are all adults now. We are not birth controlled challenged or of any religion or belief that would cause me to give birth 8 times. I stopped birthing babies after 3. (It was not fun anyway) Being a foster parent is really about saving one life at a time. or in my case 5 kids from the same mom. It is like going on a missions trip but you stay home and your house is really messy and your hair is frizzy.

My nickname AZmom875 started, because I was counting down, first 8 kids then 7 and I knew in 2007 the 2 boys would graduate HS and move out and we would be down to 5 kids at home. Oh right!!!! Everyone of these kids have boomeranged back more than once. I have 1 adult, former foster, still living with me, Junior, age 32. He moved back in with me OCT of 2019, as he in need of a kidney transplant. He will need our help over the next year to two.

JUNIOR got a live kidney donated kidney May 20th, 2021 from a stranger in a paired live donation. We put a bid in on a house, in Aug, and He moved out AUG 14, since we planned to move shortly there after. He is doing very well with his kidney and his new roommate situation.

I am CastleQueen5 over on atcsforall.com. Some of you know me over on that website. When I joined there. I wanted a name that didn't reflect my identity being tied up in my role as a mother. I bet some of you can understand that. So I chose to be the Castle Queen. The name came about because, a neighbor told me that I was the Queen of my Castle and my foster kids really need to treat me better, maybe even as the queen of this castle. It stuck with me.

My husband and I are both Cancer survivors, I had breast cancer in 2015, and he was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow cancer, in 2017. (He always has to out do me). He successfully has made it past the 2 year mark, of a Stem cell transplant from a stranger. March 2020. I can not thank you enough, those of you 18-44 who have joined the Bethematch.org donor bank, with your simple cheek swab. A stranger from Germany saved his life. If you have ever donated blood, I also thank you. He was in need of red blood cells (and sometimes platelets), every month for months, before his transplant. Thank you!

I was diagnosed with stage 3-c ovarian cancer. in Late July, earlyAugust of 2020. I am pretty close to being cancer free. AUG 2021, I am now on a strong oral chemo. None of this has effected my swapping, so I never mentioned it before May of 2021. I felt kind of sad that I got another type of cancer when I was close to my 5 year mark for the breast cancer. And really didn't want to talk about it too much. If you have read this far, I am still under the care of an oncologist, and doing Oral chemo. Each night when I take the 2 pills, I pray or say. They shall eat poison and not die. It is from the Bible, and if you are praying for anything, pray that these meds do not poison me but poison the cancer tumors, and prevent them from returning. FEB 2022, The Zejula meds did not work to prevent, cancer from spreading. I am back on once a month chemo. Carbo and Doxil, and fighting everyday for these two drugs to kill the cancer. I believe it can and will. I do have days were I just do not feel well.

Non smoker, with 2 rescued dogs and 2 cats,Pet hair seems to abound in my house.

I really don't think I want anything for my pets BUT I do love cat postcards and atcs. Dogs? Meh! Ok dogs too. There are so many breeds of dogs, so it is hard to like all dog atcs.

I am Azmom875 on postcrossing.com, so I do collect postcards. Lately I have been enjoying hand made postcard. I also like just about every type of touristy postcard, Fave themes are Cats, clocktowers, windmills, old postcards where the cars are really old, and dated. Yes, those faded ones. I like the old tacky vintage postcards. They make me smile. Ones with images of a motel, or old scene. I also collect ad cards, which is another odd thing, I guess. Again they just make me smile. I really do not like those postcards you can color, mainly cause I don't like adult coloring. It is not my thing. I cant seem to stay in the lines. Go figure.

FOR ATC cards: I would HEART: Zebras, Sunflowers, cats, Coffee, Lattes; used postage stamps, butterflies, tea, tea cups, tea pots, fall leaves, trees, snails or snails delivering mail, as in Snail mail.

Other themes that are appreciated are penguins, maps or book pages as backgrounds, buttons, vintage, retro, quirky, zetti, frogs, dachshunds, alligators, mice.

I have been collecting Altered playing cards= APCs, Decks with these themes: I need to update my themes. I think shoes and penguins are current.

I dont like Pin up girls or nudes, but do collect cards with females that are positive or quirky.

I dont collect atcs with holiday themes even though I celebrate holidays. I like to collect non holiday themed cards, like a Bat or black cat card but not in a Holiday theme

I do collect the Weird or Bizarre Holiday cards. I like Christmas in July stuff.

I dont like Halloween atc cards, but I like pumpkins (not jack o lanterns), black cats, fall leaves, I LOVE FALL LEAVES CARDS, any black birds, scarecrows or sunflowers in a fall theme.

I dont collect atcs with Easter bunnies or Easter eggs or baskets, but rabbits, spring flowers, chickens, Crosses or Easter lilies are fine.

I dont collect St Patrick's Day, Valentines day or 4th of July atc cards, any thing patriotic, but I like green, and hearts, and love it when people make a mandala from ugly patriotic stamps.

I am on atcsforall.com and I join these things called art a thons, often they have a holiday connect. I will make Holiday atcs, I just dont collect them.

I like items with Zebras, cats, sunflowers, coffee tea, teapots, Geigo Gecko, Black bears as themes

I like the cancelled postage stamps and esp like those with butterflies and sunflowers, hummingbirds.

If you can make Address Labels, I would love that. My computer is a MAC, so when I make labels with Avery, I can only do like 2 different images. BORING! And it doesnt line up correctly. I would like azomom875 and castlequeen5 or the shortend version CQ5 on my address labels along with my name and address.

I do love coffee, esp flavored coffee, except Irish cream. Coffee and K cups are welcomed. I like most teas, except Jasmine and Rose. I am not fond of plain chamomile, mint or green teas, but love them in blends. I like spicy teas, herbal teas, medicinal teas.

For the stuff envelope swap, I mainly make atc cards now, so smaller items that will fit on 3.5x2.5 area. vintage, faces, clocks, animals, silk or paper flowers,paper punches.

I use a lot of chap stick, lip balm items, and lotions, and candles (of all sizes but tapers,) But it is too hot to send that stuff April to OCT. They melt in the packages and make a mess.

I am not real fond of Holidays or Patriotic themes when it comes to ATCS or Paper goods swaps, buttons or notepads or ribbons.

I celebrate and enjoy holidays, but I really dont want any holiday items for scrapbooking, atcs or other papercrafts.

I esp dont like Halloween or Easter Bunnies or Easter Eggs.

Please dont send me Holiday stuff, I will just save it to pass onto someone else cause I cant just throw things away, it goes against the pack rat hoarders oath.

I like wacky holiday and Christmas in July.

I just love time travel movies, I find them awesome: Peggy Sue got married, Premonition, Back The Future Series, Frequency, Lake House, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Somewhere in Time, and Butterfly Effect...

I like chick flicks, I avoid scary movies, because they give me nightmares; but I will watch anything John Cusack is in, even a rated R movie like Identity and 1408 both which still gives me the willies at night when I think about the movies

I am on bookmooch.com see link above, and Paperbackswap.com I have a bookcrossing.com and a goodread.com account. I am Azmom875 on all 4 sites.

I can read one book in one day or in a few hours. I can average 60 to 100 pages an hour.

I like mysteries, cozy mysteries esp if they are well done, Magical mysteries, time travel novels, I mostly like Women's fiction, quirky non fiction, or a good Memoir... I like some Christian fiction, but please have a plot, build some real characters or dont waste my time. I dont like the Christian Historical or amish books.

I like chic lit if the girls are not too insipid and slutty. I also like the 40 year old finding themselves after a crisis, kinda like HEN lit, but really just womens fiction. Tell me a good story, tell me a secret, give it a twist at the end. Show me true love not based on lust or throbbing in stupid bodily places. Dont waste my time, life is too short to read sub-par books. I also dont need blood, and gore, and unnec, graphic smut, and unnec. F bombs to find adult fiction enjoyable, but sure do love a good laugh, books that find that perfect blend between love and bedroom. I can tolerate paranormals that about time travel, people with the abilities to see ghosts, or talk to pets. Not into vampires, werewovles, demon hunters, shape shifters.

I do love craft books about quilting, scrapbooking, rubberstamps, or making atcs.

I do like to swap tea. I like red, black, white,chai and herbal teas regular or decaf I drink both.
I love spice teas, fruity teas, oolong, chocolate, I like yogi, good earth, and traditional medicinals, plus they have fun things on their tags.

I dont care for plain chamomile, mint nor green tea, but they are great in blends of other flavors. Jasmine tea is too flowerly and perfumey for me. I cant gag down the matcha or matte teas.

I really like loose teas, and my Man infuser, but have not found many loose tea lovers as we tend to be strangers here on SB.

If you send me a tea I might not like, I will just pass it on, so dont stress about it.

THEMES that bring me joy. A list in progress, I add more things often. Thank you for reading this list. and my dislikes.

A- alligators, ants, animals, apple scented things, avocados, acorns

B- butterflies, black bears, brown bears, buttons, birds, borders for paper crafting, books, bats, Big hair women (atc), Bible verses, botanical images.

C- cats, coffee, cacti, clocks, clocktowers, crowns,

D- dogs, dachshunds, deer, daisies, desert in bloom, die cuts

E- elephants, eggplants, ESFP, emerald green

F- Fish, esp on atcs, I have not idea why, Flowers, fall leaves, flying pigs

G- GEIGO GECKO, green is my favorite color. all green atcs. Green plants

H- heather plant, Hawaii, Hair themed atcs, big flowing blue or odd hair, 80s hair, Please dont sent me Hair, but send hair in art. Hands, that retro pointing hand, (probably TIm Holtz) Hearts (both kinds) Handdrawn atc (made by you.)

I- inspiration,

J -Jackalopes, journaling, junk journals, Journals

K- kangaroos,

L- lemons. lace,

M- mice,

N- Notebooks, of various sizes, cool covers inspire me.

O- oranges

P- pumpkins but not jack-o-lanterns, Pumpkins scented things, Pumpkin spice things, postcard (see likes above), Playing card (5s, jokers, and Face card esp) Plants, postage stamps (used please)

Q queens, quilts, quirky

R- reading, roosters, rain

S- snakes are fine, I am not afraid. snowflakes, snowmen, sunflowers,

T- Tim holtz, trees, Tarantulas, turtles (land and sea) Tea themes, Tea, (see tea likes), tea cups, tea pots

U- umbrellas, USED postage stamps

V- vintage, Vanilla scented things

W- wings on people and dogs

X xenophobia depicted in art.

Y- yellow with another color, green or orange

Z -zebras, zentangles

Thanks for reading this far.