Hello
My name is Shinja…. It is Japanese for Believer. I am not Japanese –100% southern American!! My mother (from southwest Virginia – family roots for 200 years) did not want to name her daughter a “normal” southern name, my dad was out of the country soooooo
I think having such and unusual name shaped my personality a bit
My Father was a merchant marine – First Class Purser on the SS United States and when he retired we were going to move to CA.. h was murdered while working in Yellow Stone National Park. It was an event that changed my family. My Mother died of breast cancer at the age of 68… my girls really don’t remember her too much which is sad.
I grew up 50% in Florida and 50% in Virginia/Tennessee. I moved back to Florida after college (East Tennessee State University) and settled in the Sarasota area. I am (was) a small town girl and did not like big cities. Met my dh got married..had a baby and then he moved me to MIAMI (small town girl in Miami
) Had baby #2… finally got employment in the School systems as a Home Economics teacher. My first teaching position was in an inter-city school. That was sure an eye opener!!
I loved my students, but it was a long drive and I was robbed at gun point going to lunch so I requested a transfer. I was there for 7 years, transferred to another High School that was very Hispanic – learned more cultural and then trans to where I am now. I have been in the DCPS for 24 years.
I have two daughters.. they now live in Chicago. I can’t believe my children don’t live near me.. and not in the south!! But they are happy. I was the typical soccer mom.. Cheerleading, piano, tumbling, softball, 12 years of Girl Scouts (I was the leader of the troop) so the girls were my life. Teen aged year were a bit rough but now they are like my best friends.
We got our first dog – a pom about 12 years ago. Then we got Sammy…a Lhasa alpso about 7 years past. I did not have dogs growing up so it has been a learning process. When I brought Sebastian home I did not ask or tell my dh.. I thought he would not notice. Hmmmm it did cause a lot of problems. Latter my dd wanted a dog because she felt sad about a boyfriend break up (she wasn’t living at home at the time) so she got a shih tuz—well they each got one. I had to keep one but she died (very sad story) and then dd couldn’t take care of Bailey so… he’s mine.
The girls moved away… my dh was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma two years ago this June. It is a very serious form of blood cancer.. Dh is one of the lucky ones who the med do control it and he is doing well. The first thing I read on my trustee laptop in the hospitable is the life expected was 18 months.. omg.. but in the last 5 years that has changed and now it could be10-15 years and by then who knows??
This has been a very emotional struggle, and financially we are struggling because it is a very expensive illness. But .. I have a solid job and he is doing well and the girls are happy… what more can you ask for???
Remy is my empty nest baby… I would have more if I had the time and could justify the cost
But three is enough.. even if they are all not Yorkies. Btw… I just brought her home, did not tell dh I was getting her, he is used to it now. I was afraid but I think it is better to ask forgiveness than permission
I love to create.. so I like to cook, sew, quilt etc.
I also love to read… it is my drug of choice. Without the escape of reading I don’t know what I would have done through Alan’s illness and the girls leaving. I have a wii system and like to play games.
I love having friends over for dinner.. only my dh loves his wine a bit much for my taste ;(
All in all… I am lucky and life goes on! Oh I am 56 years old.