Artist's Heart - Photographer's Soul Working in a factory & raising kids

Raising a family of four on my own, I worked a factory job making aquariums for 20 years. A lot of people assume making aquariums is interesting work. My thoughts are sure if you like long hours on your feet, no air conditioning in the summer months, smell from silicone can be over powering, you enjoy being cut by glass or having slivers of glass rammed into your fingers from time to time. I guess there is an element of excitement, but mainly the job is mind numbing and I watched younger people than I have their bodies ate up by the punishing work.

The last five years with the company was working in the office. I worked directly with the president of the company within the problem area of customer service and was also tech support. Jerry the president of All-Glass Aquarium was an awesome man to work for. His idea of customer service was to help the customer in anyway we could.

I was the calm reassuring voice on the other end of the line to many if they had a problem with their aquarium, like if they were standing on wet carpet, had water running in between their walls or were wondering how to keep their fish alive because of a leaking or fractured aquarium.

The job I did then is the reason why I am able to do this now. Because of my time in the office, I learned how to really use a computer, my daughter taught me how to use the internet :)

These years were unproductive for the most part when it came to my creative side. There were craft classes, wreath making, wood painting, making a few items and giving them away. Food on the table and clothes on the children were more important.

I would say the one thing I tried to really give my children growing up was a love and respect of nature. We went tent camping and my boys were my navigators, reading maps on trips. As stressful as traveling can be, I enjoyed going on road trips with my children.

The pictures on blog of my children are only a few of what I have left.