My name is Jackie and I am 37 years old. I grew up in Washington State (Seattle). I never went far from here until 97 when I moved to Michigan. I moved back in 03 and was suprised at how much I missed home.

My father died when I was 10 (bedridden as long as I knew him), my mother was an alcoholic/drug addict who also suffered from PTSD. Childhood was not very pleasant.

I have 4 amazing kids - my son who is almost 20 (good lord where did the years go - he was a baby last week) lives with his dad in Colorado. My girls who are 13, 11, and 10 live in Michigan with their adoptive family.

I have been in 3 abusive relationships which cost me everything that most people would consider important (my girls being at the top of the list). I don't plan on ever walking that path again.

I am currently dating a wonderful man. We started out as roommates and somewhere along the line fell in love. No quite sure how that happened but I feel like I have been blessed by the Goddess herself. We share our apt with one dog (Jerron aka Bear ), four ferrets (Luna, Monster, Smokey and The Bandit) and a boa constrictor (Jazz).

We are hoping to move into a rental house when our lease is up in July and then in maybe a year find some little piece of land and buy. I am not much fond of the city and dream of some little house out of town.

I love to read (books were my safe place when I was a kid) and gardening is a great joy. I love the Earth and when I put my hands in the dirt I can feel all life that came before and all that will come.

I would love to go back to school although I have no idea what it would be for. I have taken care of others for as long as I can remember and somewhere along the line lost most of my dreams. But the time will come.

I need to exorcise more and eat better...

Well that is about all I can think of right now. Maybe something else will come to me later.

P.S. Teri I am in Redmond and my boyfriend grew up in Snohomish...we are practically neighbors.