Jacqueline in KY

about me

I am what I call a house-daughter because I take care of my father. I guess I should have been a care taker, because I have helped to take care of my grandmother, my cousin's wife and my cousin and my mother and now my dad. I am a medical technologist but no longer work, due to fibromyalgia. I loved my job and Chemistry was my favorite department. Maybe that is why I like to cook, because there is so much chemistry involved. Just like chemistry you have to measure and mix things to get the proper result.

I am a Christian and the lay leader in my church. I am also a certified lay speaker and love to speak at other Methodist churches outside of my home church. I have two sisters, both older, I might add ,a cat, his name is Ice-Cream and he is 14 years old, I did have a puppy named Sugar, she disappeared on Dec. 28, 2007, I loved this puppy more than anything, she was really my first dog ever. Her picture is above, she was just a mutt but to me she was a Queen. I placed an ad on TV with a reward offered but didn't get but one phone call and the dog they had found was not mine. I still hope and pray that she comes home, but I have my doubts, we live close to a mountain and I have a feeling a wild animal got her.

I am an insulin dependent type 2 diabetic, have hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and glaucoma, which I have had six surgeries for, and in Nov. '06 I had knee surgery which was very successful, just wish the eye surgeries had done as well. I may have spoken too soon on the knee surgery although I really do think it worked, but I think I have re-injured the knee.

I love to cook, hate to clean and wash clothes, and am learning to quilt, which so far I like.

I love to help people and if I make someone upset it upsets me as much if not more. I have been under a lot of pressure since my mother passed away in April 2005, but I am trying my best to learn to deal with it. There are times in my life that the stress gets to me so much that I become angry and I do not even like myself when that happens. I hope this all passes soon, because it is not the person that I am.

I am also a collector, I collect cookbooks, but this collection has gotten out of hand and now I want one from every state and that is about it. I am a big collector of Hallmark Christmas Ornaments and Nativity Scenes. I broke down this year (2007) and purchased the small Jim Shore Heartwood Creek one and last year I got the Snow Babies Nativity. I use to collect Barbie dolls but I have found I am running out of room so I am now giving these to my cousins children, being there is only one grandchild in my family, and he's a boy. Grown now but the apple of my eye, you don't want to get me started on just how smart and good this young man is, I could talk about him for days. But isn't that what aunts are suppose to do?

I love swaps and have now participated in 20 swaps on Zaar, I can't believe it is that many. I need to slow down some.

My swap partners have been:
Sherrybeth Spring Easter Swap
Sharon the Rocket Magnet & Bookmark Swap
Angela Marie Regional Swap
Shirl (J) 831 Stocking swap 2006
HouseDragon Holiday Ornament Swap 2006
personalchef Salt and Pepper Swap 2007
Alskann Valentine's Day Swap 2006
Kizzikate BBQ Swap 2007
Midwest Maven Pamper Me, Pamper You Swap July 2007
FrannieJ was my partner for the cookbook swap
MISSIB Fall/Halloween swap, 2007
~Laury~ Cookie Swap, 2007
Earnhardt#3 The Stocking Swap, 2007
Nana Lee Ornament swap 2007, she was my assigned partner
FrannieJ ornament swap, 2007 we chose to do this ourselves
tish #2 the candy swap, I hosted this swap.
Amberngriffinco New Year Basket of HERBS and SPICES Swap
Lauralie41 Raggedy Ann and Andy swap
HokiesLady ABC Swap, letter B, hosting this swap, also.
Marz Easter/Spring Swap
Chef1MOM Casserole Swap
Borealis Beegirl C Swap
Chef1MOM DE Swap
AshK Bi-Annual Cookbook Swap
Journey 88 Coffee & Tea Swap
MichelleinHI FG Swap

I am a host in the Diabetic Forum and also in the Celebrity Chefs Forum.

I have yet to participate in a swap that I did not enjoy. Sometimes I have a hard time finding items because I live so far back in the mountains, but I still enjoy finding things for people.

On August 7, 2008, I started a new life, no I did not get married, I had weight loss surgery and had the lap band installed. This is a long process and I have now started an online journal, although it has only been 3 weeks since my surgery. If interested you can find it at http://www.mountain-breeze.com/wls/

I am so excited to embark on this journey and can't wait to lose more.

Favorite Foods:

My favorite food is anything that someone else cooks (that use to be my mother's saying, and I find it now holds true to me). I love to cook but I get so tired of trying to find something that both my father and I will eat. He doesn’t like pasta, cheese or anything new. LOL I have sure got him trying new recipes since I have joined up with Zaar. I have a website that is mainly recipes, and you can find out even more about me there.

My really favorite foods are Mexican, Chinese and seafood. Living in a rural area it is very hard to find some of the ingredients listed in the recipes here but I do my best.

My favorite restaurant is Red Lobster and Cheddars, but Ruby Tuesday is quickly becoming a favorite, also. Being I have to drive almost 3 hours to get to any of them; I rarely get to eat there. There is a small restaurant in Norton, VA that is Mexican and that is only about 45 minutes away and I guess it is my favorite one close to home.

http://www.mountain-breeze.com