Are you there, Steemians? It's me, Evelyn, introducing myself

Can I share a glimpse into my life so that you can get an idea of who I am, learn about my impressive array of post-apocalyptic life skills, and maybe I can share how I hope to make a meaningful contribution to the Steemit community?

Who am I?
We got our first PC when I was a kid in 1984. It did not have a mouse, the operating system was on a disk and it was attached to a dot-matrix printer. Later, my brother told me about this military program which connected computers and allowed them to communicate with each other in a network over phone lines. Back then, I was pretty sure he was making it up. When I first heard about cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, it made me think about those days when people would ask why we had a computer at home, and then later they would ask what the Internet was. Cryptocurrency is to me the way the Internet was back in the day. At first everybody was wondering what it was and then it became a part of everyone's life.

Before I delve into my story, I want to express my gratitude to @cryptodiva for informing me about crypto currency and Steemit. I also want to give a shout-out to @jerrybanfield for his helpful series of videos that got me started.

I have been blessed with many gifts and talents. I was also blessed with ADD (attention deficit disorder) and dyslexia, which have served to make my journey a fascinating one. I am a writer. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Oregon University. I am a knitter, an artist, a foodie and a hobby gardener. I am studying to become a licensed Science of Mind Prayer Practitioner, and then I plan to pursue becoming an art therapist so that I can combine my love of creativity to help my clients work through some of the challenges in their life through creative expression. I intend to generate my income as a Light Worker and Sacred Activist.

Where do I come from?
I am originally from Massachusetts, but I grew up in Southern Oregon. In the late 1970's there was talk of an apocalypse of sorts (no zombies yet) and my mom was determined that we would flee the city and become homesteaders in the countryside in Oregon. She moved me and my two sisters and brother from the Boston area in Massachusetts to Grants Pass, Oregon. My mom homeschooled us before homeschooling was cool, so we felt like outlaws, but we had a lot of fun. We raised sheep and learned to sheer them and spin their wool. We raised chickens, we had goats and dogs and I raised rabbits. (Ask me to tell you the funny story about how I learned the hard way about how to breed bunnies.) We also had a garden and we learned canning and dehydrating food, how to make yogurt, grow sprouts on the kitchen windowsill, make tofu and how to make our own soap. We had moved to Oregon from the city and had no idea about any of these things, but my mom swore by this huge book called, The Whole Earth Catalog, and another of her guidebooks was Back to Eden. We sewed our own clothes, we made quilts and my mom learned carpentry skills.
One Thanksgiving, my mom went out to get a turkey for dinner. She brought home a live bird which we had to kill, clean and butcher before we cooked it. It was quite a fascinating way to grow up.

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My Spiritual Journey
I grew up a Christian and I have always treasured my relationship with God. My parents instilled in my siblings and I a strong faith in God and in the power of prayer. In my mid-20's I decided to explore other religious traditions because I felt that I had inherited my faith and maybe there was something better out there. I did not find anything better and while I returned to my Christian roots, I was still searching.

Then one day I was at my aunt's house and I saw a thick, blue book on her coffee tables. The title was, A Course in Miracles. I picked it up and thumbed through it. I read the opening lines and I felt a powerful connection to the words I read:

"Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.
Herein lies the peace of God."

I did not understand what an impact that book would have in my life. A few years later I found a teacher and I began to study the Course. This led me to New Thought and the Science of Mind and the Center for Spiritual Living. The first time I walked into the spiritual center where I now attend, I knew that I had found my spiritual home. I learned that what I thought was an off-planet God who lived in the sky and was often displeased with how much I fell short, was within me and expressed itself through me as my life experience. I still love Jesus and I honor the role he played in my life and will continue to play until my days here are complete.

What am I up to now?
I live in New Jersey. I have three daughters and I live with my partner and our Yorkshire Terrier, Queenie. Yes, she is the queen of our household and we are her subjects. She is a very smart, loving little creature who is willing to take on any dog no matter the size because she doesn't realize just how tiny she is.

Today I am a professional writer. Unfortunately, I don't get the chance to use many of my post-apocalyptic life skills these days, but it makes me feel good to know that I can kill and butcher a chicken if the need arose. I am on the Leadership Council of my church, the Center for Spiritual Living North Jersey, and I also serve on the Board Development Committee of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey council.

Knitting is my favorite hobby. I probably knit even if it’s just a few rows every day. I travel with my knit squad to fiber festivals throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic areas and I am dabbling in knitwear design.

You can find me on all of the social medias:

https://www.facebook.com/evelyn.bourne
https://www.instagram.com/evelynbknits/
https://www.pinterest.com/evelynwrites/
https://twitter.com/evelynwrites

So, there you've got a glimpse into my background and what makes me who I am today. I am eager to dip my toes into the pool of crypto currency, and I hope to also meet some amazing people here on Steemit at the same time.

Peace be with you.