hi Misty,you sound like someone whose company I;d appreciate a lot.I'ma 51 year old single mother living in Berkeley CA with my daughter,who is 13 and about to graduate from middle school and start a really great progesssive though high school. except for these Internet connections, we live pretty retro,prefer being out in nature or reading books when we an;tget away.my daughter just got back from a week or Outward Bound in the rainforest of Costa Rica and it was beautiful and she loved it! she's pretty much taught herself origami and is good enough at it to sell it at crafts fairs and teach classes from time to time.Iown a TV but don;t use it...just never developed the habit. (my dad worked in the industry, directed TV commercials for a living.he's avery ethical person,now retired,involved inliner human rights stuff such as Annesty International...and he never watched much TV either! especially the shows with commercials...heh heh...)

I;ve found that if I make my ownlife rich and interesting even when things are hard (we've never hadmuch money) my hil doesn;tfeeldeprived - she really loves her life and always has. thank god she;s not a fashion plate,there;s no way we could afford it and she;smost comfortable in jeans and t-shirts anyway,though I think I;m going tomake a simpldress,or ahve someone make one,for her to wear at graduation.

more to follow...who else wants to say hello?