The Leather Lady

In 2001 my husband died unexpectedly. Our kids were little, and after they went to bed at night, I was bored and lonely. One day I walked past his computer and thought...hmmm, that looks interesting! He had been online for years, but wouldn't let me touch his computer- afraid I would break it, I suppose. I junked his computer a few months later, and with his brother's help, I built a new one and installed XP, which was pretty new and exciting at the time.

Before the babies came, we had a successful custom leather shop. I let it slide after his death, but I missed my friends. Happily, some of them were online. I started building websites for leatherworkers because most of them are more comfortable with their hammers than their keyboards. I own and admin the biggest leatherworking forum in the world, I have another 20 or so sites and do some tech work on the side. I also am busy with a couple of historical organizations and have helped to write several books. The Miami-Erie Canal, The National Road (Rte. 40) and Russian history are my biggest interests. I remarried in 2003, and between us we have 5 kids- ages 8, 10, 11, 14 & 22. There is never a dull moment in this house!

I've always enjoyed this BBS because of the great people here, and the high standards the board maintains. I expect to be more active than I have been recently, because now I have to learn the ins and outs of Vista. I feel fortunate to have made a few friends here, and I'm glad to be a part of WindowsBBS.
Johanna

 

In some respects, Johanna, our stories are similar. One area of commonality is Russian history. My father was born in Russia and my wife and I are Russian Orthodox. In 1990 I spent several weeks in Russia... sort of a pilgrimage. I admire your ability to adjust and adapt after the loss of your first husband. Congratulations on your new and exciting family. All the best. And yes... this is a most helpful forum.