Introduce Yourself

[VVV]

50, female, Texas, married 22 years, two teenage sons and a preteen daughter. I am a professional musician with degrees from two well-known music schools as well as a degree in math (my backup plan which thankfully I have never had to use). Theologically liberal Baptist (yes, we exist) and left-wing voter. Although I was raised non-fundamentalist Baptist, there are fundies in my extended family and fundy-lites among my friends. My husband is a teacher in an ebil government high school. Our children have all been government schooled since K and are satisfyingly indoctrinated with the paganist, socialist debauchery that they encounter there. :roll: (As a group, public school teachers are some of the most conservative people I meet.)

I found FJ when googling the Duggars.

Edited to add that I'm originally from the DC area and didn't set foot in Texas until my mid-twenties. Never dreamed I'd be spending my life here, let alone that I would be the mother of three native Texans.

[kittypie]

Have you considered donating any to J'Chelle? TLC has deep pockets, sista! :P

Sorry to be crass. I can't help it sometimes.

Nope, they're all dead, too. :twisted:

[fencesitter]

I am married, 30, and have a 14yo and a recently adopted 6yo, both Canine. I work outside the home, but feel guilty about abandoning the "babies" to earn a paycheck. :D College-educated, Native Texan, Conservative Christian Libertarian. I make fun of someone's choices, but don't question their right to make the choices, unless I am the one paying for the consequences.

[ZTwist]

I love spinning. I had angora rabbits for years. Curious: does dog yarn smell like a wet dog when washed?

Well I just washed it, once with dish detergent, it still smelled, then with people shampoo and a vinegar rinse, then plain water rinse. It's still drying, and maybe has a faint doggy smell; I hope it doesn't smell when it's dry. I'm sending it to my sister, it's from her dog, so she'll have to decide if she can stand it!

I have a friend who spins right off the rabbit, do you?

Are you on Ravelry? The LSG group ties with FJ for my favorite board.

[ZTwist]

50, female, Texas, married 22 years, two teenage sons and a preteen daughter. I am a professional musician with degrees from two well-known music schools .

Dear VVV. Please give me some tips! My son is a junior majoring in Music Theory and Composition; what can we do to keep him from having to use his back up plan?!?

[Fundilicious]

I'm 25, live on the west side of the US. I have a bachelors degree in elementary education, but decided to stay home this year after having my second child. Currently debating if I want to go back to work or just stay home for a few more years. I found free jinger after doing a Duggar search as they always interested me. I was a Fundy virgin until I found this place. It's been highly entertaining reading about this brand of Christianity.

[Mama Mia]

Late forties, married with a very large grown blended family. San Francisco Bay area my whole life. Work full-time as a boss in evil social service field non-profit, used to be an evil social worker. Not so secret desire to be a 50's housewife. Primarily far to the left, but with a couple un-party line beliefs. I'm also super paranoid about saying too many actual identifying details cause I don't want some co-worker or family member to do some random google search and see me spouting off. :roll:

[PrincessOfSiam]

I am 54 y/o and live near Seattle. I have a BS in Micrbiology and an MS in Immunoloy, and spent my career in vaccine research. I have 2 sons 33 and 31 and a 5 y/o grandson. Nice to meet you all.

[smittykins]

Female, 45, widowed seven years this March, no kids, two cats, and live approximately halfway between Rochester and Syracuse, NY. I work for an agency for people with disabilities(I receive teh ebil SSD and teh even ebiler Medicaid). Baptized Presbyterian as a baby, attended a fundy-lite church from mid-teens to early 20s, later became Catholic, and am now Episcopalian. I consider myself politically moderate.

The Duggars were my gateway into fundyism, and when the TWoP thread was closed by TWIT Howard, I came here.

[Petronella7]

Hi! I'm 42, female, live in Vancouver, B.C. area. I have a 16-year-old daughter and hold an MLS in Library Studies. I am a Christian, but have trouble finding a church I can feel a part of. Fundie churches are too crazy and ignorant, and mainstream Protestant churches are too wishy-washy. I heard of this site at Trolls With Wooden Spoons. At first I didn't realize it was all about fundies as I didn't know who or what "Jinger" was. I heard some third-hand accounts of Emily and Dna and had to read more! So far I like it here a lot.

[Deleted04]

I had a feeling most of us were females around my age :D Thanks everybody for responding!

[Silver Springs]

I'm 42, have 4 children, from the West Coast. I'm a Conservative/Moderate Christian. :D

[Sola]

Me too! It seems I'm also on my way to knowing the answer - but I'll never know the question. God apologizes for the inconvenience.

Well I love you both too :D

Douglas Adams FTW!

[NurseNell]

Female, 45, widowed seven years this March, no kids, two cats, and live approximately halfway between Rochester and Syracuse, NY. I work for an agency for people with disabilities(I receive teh ebil SSD and teh even ebiler Medicaid).

So how close are you to Joseph Smith's farm and Hill Cumorah (?sp)? Or Roberts Wesleyan College? I grew up in Chautauqua County. Lots of classmates went to Roberts.

[NurseNell]

Dear VVV. Please give me some tips! My son is a junior majoring in Music Theory and Composition; what can we do to keep him from having to use his back up plan?!?

My daughter was another music major, first vocal, then music therapy. After 2 years switched to land surveying, which supports her but she still uses her singing voice.

[Seven Severn]

Single, female, 48, partner and I have been together for 20+ years, and I'm about 45 minutes from the Maxwells. Yippee. Oh, and I need a job. Anyone hiring?

[marmalade]

I think I love you :lol:

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

I'm pushing the big five-oh (a year and a half and time FLIES now), professional student, Northern California (ie Oakland/Berkeley) born, bred and will be here when I'm dead. Anglophile; Monty Python and Douglas Adams are just two of the idols I worship. Married (to a man), CBC, currently two female feline furbabies (always room for more). My board namesake went to Rainbow Bridge just over a year ago and I miss my gentle giant to this day. Note his rainbow catnip toy (this pic was totally random but also sad since he died two days after Christmas last year). We're all pretty hardcore social liberals under this roof. :mrgreen:

[Shana]

Hi all, I'm female, 31, from southern Cali. Degrees in French and Psychology. I'm also a lawyer, but I'm not practicing now because I'm SAHM'ing my twin boys (1.5 yrs). Funny how I did so much school and work, but having babies and raising them truly fulfills me. But the point is that it has all been my choice. Been with DH for 7 years, lived in sin for a while, then got married a couple years ago. I have two rescue dogs, a German Shepherd (Otto) and a blue heeler mix (Zelda).

Life long atheist here. I was raised very secular, because my dad is Jewish and my mom is agnostic, and neither practice any religion. However, I've always identified with the struggles Jews face(d) because of my father and our heritage. Growing up there were lots of Mormons around, so that was my first exposure to large families and religious folks. Some even tried to convert me! But I resisted. I've always been interested in religion, faith, spirituality and so on, but I really believe it all comes down to science.

After seeing the 14 Kids special on tv a few years ago, I was intrigued and have been following the Duggars ever since. I love that I found FJ!

[fundiefan]

Female, mid-40's living in the Midwest. Divorced, no kids. I work, but not in a great career or anything. I make ends meet these days like so many others. My college degree hasn't helped my work or financial life but I wouldn't trade it or the experience for anything in the world. I am poorer than I've ever been in my life and never know if I can pay rent, but I'm also happier than I've been since before I met my ex and got sucked into his narcissistic world. I grew up completely without religion and am glad of it. I don't believe in any god and don't need to prove anything, so I'm not an Atheist who swears there is no god because I don't give a crap if there is or isn't. I won't live as if the one made up in the last 2,000 years exists because if he does, I think he's an asshole and would rather burn in hell than spend eternity with that. I watch the fundies because they make me batshit crazy. I don't really remember how I got sucked into them, but I kept going because I am beyond fascinated by worlds that are so entirely different from mine.

[smittykins]

So how close are you to Joseph Smith's farm and Hill Cumorah (?sp)? Or Roberts Wesleyan College? I grew up in Chautauqua County. Lots of classmates went to Roberts.

Probably within a half-hour of the Mormon sites, but Roberts is on the other side of Rochester so at least an hour.

[Peas n carrots]

I'm PNC, 30 yo female in Chicago. Married to a Scotsman (yes, accent and all!) and work in the business world (my industry is pretty small and specific so I'll omit). I dream of being a mother to a cat someday soon, but it will have to wait as my Landlord does not allow pets. I grew up Catholic in the loosest sense...my family rarely attended mass and sometimes years would go by before we set foot in the door. I went through all the sacraments but was never really interested that much...and today I'm an agnostic who leans very very strongly towards atheist.

I've been interested in fundies for most of my life. I grew up in Nebraska, though in one of the small liberal pockets of the state. A lot of my friends growing up we're Mennonite but even then they were liberal and you rarely saw the plain dressing ones in my area. So it was quite the surprise when I came across NLQ and learned that Vyckie was from my home state. Around the same time I saw the TLC specials with the Duggars and my favorite person to hate on, Chris Jeub. My roommate at the time and I used to love snacking on these people...we thought they were one big freak show!

Hobbies: running, trying new cuisines, traveling

[Juliakitty]

I am in my early thirties, from the Southwest USA, not-really-all-that-happily married, two beautiful preschool-aged children, I just went back to work full-time after only working part-time for a few years, I am a born and raised religious liberal, and I got interested in fundies because I was an only child with a lifelong curiosity about large families.

[elliesmash]

I'm 24 and live just outside of Washington DC, in the U.S. I'm in my second semester of medical school and I'm married to my best friend. We don't have the time or money for babies but we have two dogs, a sun conure, and my husband's 13 year old brother lives with us.

I was raised fundamentalist Pentecostal and we had a pretty dramatic break with the church when I was 12 or so, and I haven't had much to do with Christianity since. I have a Ganesha pendant hanging in my car, and that's about as far as I go with any kind of religion.

I like walking with my dogs and riding my mules (they live with my parents,) in my spare time, but there's not a whole lot of that these days.

[nonymouse]

36, SAHM of 2 (who probably should be working for sanity's sake), BA in Communications, from somewhere in NY (not the city, though I grew up there). Gateway fundies are the Duggars. I do not like pina coladas, but don't mind getting caught in the rain.

ETA: we have three fur children, and I am pretty much an agnostic after a completely areligious upbringing.

[wtfrenchtoast]

Hi all! I'm female, just turned 20 a few weeks ago. I'm originally from Texas but I'm living in Colorado right now for school. *Shout out to ladypuglover! How'd you like that snow this weekend?* I definitely want to return to Texas when I graduate next year. Can't stand the weather here. I'm in school for event management with the hopes of becoming an independent wedding planner. I just finished planning a ficticious wedding for a class and I am absolutely in love. This is what I want to do with my life.

Umm, let's see. I'm about as far left as you can go in terms of social issues, but I'm probably more moderate, maybe conservative-leaning in terms of financial issues. Still working my opinions out, and FJ has been a great help. I consider myself agnostic, although sometimes I find myself wanting to believe in something. I just can't get past that whole no evidence business. My gateway fundies were totally the Duggars, until I realized that they aren't as peachy as they seem. Again, thanks to FJ.