Hi all! Thanks for accepting me into this group. I look forward to participating! I live in beautiful Ontario, Canada with my hubby and our beloved cat. We've had no children together by choice. Hubby already had raised three kids before I met him (He was 40. I was 31), so he was done. I never had the "maternal urge," so that was fine with me. This year we'll celebrate our 30th anniversary. I've been retired for six years and have embraced the life of leisure after having two demanding careers. I spent 21 years working for a national life insurance company in various capacities, including marketing, corporate communications and public relations, eventually earning a senior management position. When I was about 45, I started having severe anxiety due to impossible job demands and other life stressors. I decided to bid farewell (and good riddance) to the soulless corporate world and after taking a year off to decompress, I started my own cat sitting business. I've always adored cats to an almost obsessive degree (LOL), so this was my dream job for 14 years. I love the arts. I sing and play guitar, and have performed in various venues with one of my good friends. Over the years I was a member of several community choirs. I adore museums, art galleries, concerts, festivals, antiquing, flea markets, and stand-up comedy. I do crafting, and various forms of artwork, like acrylic painting and sketching. Hubby is a professional fine art photographer and "junk art" creator, so we are each other's creative muses. I also enjoy having intellectual conversations and the odd "hot topic" debate. I have strong opinions on issues about which I'm passionate, including civil rights, women's rights, and animal welfare. As an atheist (ex-Catholic), I love a lively discussion about philosophy, theology, and the psychology related to religious beliefs. So, that's me in a nutshell. Oh, and by the way....despite the first name Jaspurr, I am female!
Welcome to the forum. I grew up in the UP of Michigan, not so far from Ontario. I've been across the border several times in my teen years, but am currently living in Maine. I hope you enjoy the forum.
Thanks, Ken. I hear Maine is quite picturesque. The closest I ever got to Maine was Vermont. Hubs and I spent our honeymoon there, in Stowe. It was in October and the scenery was gorgeous!
Welcome to the forum, @Jaspurr Miller. Nice to have folks from other countries to add to our discussions.
Welcome from rather hot Australia @Jaspurr Miller Even tho we do t have any pets we’ve taken care of quite a few cats
Cats have always been central in my life. I admit it, I'm a crazy cat lady! Hope you're enjoying your Australian heat. Although it's winter here in my little corner of the world, we've had a mild winter. It was unusually warm today....16 degrees Celsius! It's usually well below 0 degrees at this time of year! Global warming, I guess.
It’s touching on 38 c or the old 100 f today at just past 2 pm but we shouldn’t complain we’ve had a rather cool summer so far @Jaspurr Miller
Welcome to the forum, Jaspurr. I've been in the state of Virginia for 60 years...47 of it outside of DC and the past 13 years on 51 acres in a very rural area. You and I share a lot of the same interests. I used to love the galleries & museums of DC, and was a Smithsonian member for many years (I've been fossil hunting with them.) Sadly, there's not a lot of that in my new location, but neither are there lots of people or lots of cars. But I get to experience stuff like this on my deck, so that makes up for the lack of cultural activities: See you around!
Hi Jaspurr! My oldest daughter lives in Vermont. I am in Wisconsin. You have to come through Saute St Marie, Michigan to come here, I guess. I have a little farm but my number of animals is dwindling. I have one barn cat who goes from loving to spinning and biting for no reason. But he is a good mouser.
Hi Jaspurr, What a great introduction! You have had such an interesting life and made so many good choices along the way. I think you will enjoy this group a lot because of the members. Your decision to leave your corporate job was a life-changing event. And your almost-obsession with cats sounds like you are a reincarnated Egyptian. In case you are not aware of it, the Egyptians believed cats were magical creatures. They dressed cats in jewels and treated them like royalty. When cats died, they mummified them. On the issue of women’s rights, I am a strong supporter because I have five daughters who constantly remind me of how wonderful they are. I support civil rights too along with animal welfare. I was a vegan at one time. Like you, I happen to be an ex-Catholic but I retained a faith in a higher power. I have found answers in philosophy, theology, and the psychology related to religious beliefs. My latest epiphany occurred because of the Jesuit scientist Teilhard de Chardin. His unique view of the world is a game changer. He has updated my model of the world and my purpose in life. Glad you are here, Jaspurr. I am looking forward to reading your posts and hearing more about your adventures. Namaste, John.