Sandy's first lens, all about me!

A few hats I wear, and passions I have!

* Daughter: born in 1977 to my mom (Jill) and soon absent father (Drew). My mom remarried when I was 3 to my dad (Mike) and he adopted me when my father gave up his parental rights.

* Best Friend: I met Doris when I was 15. A more beautiful, loving and intelligent woman has never been born!

* Wife: I married Reed in 1996. I was 19 and he was 24 (he turned 25 shortly thereafter.) We have survived the ups and downs of marriage, and have a solid loving relationship in addition to being best friends.

* Small business owner: I started http://www.thewitchescupboard.com in April of 2002. It is a small family run new age mail order shop and metaphysical networking hub. Having The Witches Cupboard has allowed me to work from home so that I can be there for my daughter.

* Girl Scout Troop Leader: The 2008-2009 troop year is my 2nd year as leader. I wasn't a Girl Scout when I was a kid, so this has all been so new, and sometimes overwhelming, for me. But I love my girls so I am glad to do it!

* Youth Basketball Coach: Basketball season is starting, and I am proud to be coaching again this year! Last year was so fulfilling, although I cried throughout the final ceremony because I was so proud of my kids and going to miss them so much!

* Soccer Mom: I make every game (even though some are darn early!) shouting and cheering from the sidelines! Soccer will be over shortly, and it will be on to basketball!

* School Volunteer: I have not been able to do this nearly as much as I would like. Hopefully I will be able to do more this year.

* Blogger: I just started blogging in 2008, so I am still getting in the swing of it. I know there is a lot of things you can do with blogs, and I can't wait to learn more!
http://thewitchescupboard.blogspot.com/

* Twitterer (still may not be a word): Started twittering in 2008, and loving it so far.
Come follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/witchescupboard

* Pet Owner: I am the proud owner of a beautiful dog, a sweet cat, and an ornery cat!

* Christian: Even though I consider myself a Christian because of my love and belief in Christ, I am open to ideas in most other religions. I believe that most religions have something to offer. We all believe in the same basic idea, we just choose to call it something different.

* Poker Player: I play at the local cardroom and online, and like a little bit of everything. My favorite games are Omaha 8, Razz and Horse, but I also play Holdem and 7 Stud.

The people who have most inspired me in my life are Doris (my best friend,) Reed (my husband,) Tabitha (my daughter,) and Aunt Margie (um... my aunt? lol.)

Doris & Reed both have the patience of saints... most of the time. No matter how bad things are, I can count of both of them without a doubt. Reed is my strength, and Doris is my sounding board. Maybe it is unfair to group them together into a single paragraph, but they are so similar in that offer me unconditional love, an open heart, a ready ear, sound advice, tolerance (and acceptance) of my faults, guidance when I (often!) need it, encouragement & support (no matter how crazy my current idea,) and so much more that I can not begin to describe.

Tabitha inspires me by never giving up. She is caring, sincere, and inquisitive. So many times I have seen her giving herself pep talks, and she always shows renewed vigor following these self-talks. She is accepting of everyone, blind to race, color, gender, anything that others may consider "differences" she doesn't seem to notice much at all. She considers everyone a friend unless they are mean or unkind to people, even before she knows their name!

Aunt Margie is my angel. She is caring to a fault, and always ready to lend a hand... even if both her hands and feet are tied. She taught me that nothing in life is more important than time, and that time is best spent with family and friends. She taught me that some things are important enough to stress yourself into an early grave over. And even though she rarely practices what she preaches (usually stressing herself into an early grave,) she has instilled these lessons in me and I do my best to live by them.