Well I guess I'd better introduce myself! As you might have guessed from my username, I'm Rachel. I'm from Chesterfield in Derbyshire (the one with the crooked spire), and I'm a (very) novice succulent herder. My other "hobbies" are creative writing (I started writing a novel when I was 18 and I've still not finished it!) and I'm also a perpetual student. I started teacher training after school, but had to leave university on medical grounds, but eventually did a degree in psychology with the Open University.
Since then I've done a number of short courses with them, including a web design qualification, which I did for a while a few years back, just doing sites for friends and local charities. I've always had a fascination with how the human body works though (or not works in my case!), and 18 months ago started another degree in health sciences with the OU. No idea really what I'm going to do with it, but I'm bored of my current job.
I currently work part-time in local government in social housing, and I've been with my current employer for 22 years now!
Even before Covid came along I worked mainly from home, just going into the office one day a week, because I have a number of health problems and I'm a wheelchair user, and the travelling every day was getting too much for me, so my bedroom is also my home office.
It's also home to my small (but growing) collection of succulents. With working from home, over the years the room's got quite cluttered, but my succulent babies are spurring me on to get it cleared up...basically if I clear up it's another space to put a succulent in! My current herd members (I give them all names and have regular conversations with them) are:
- Tradescantia zebrina (Zack) (I know tradescantia's aren't really succulents, but they're an old favourite of mine)
- Crassula perfoliata (Pericles)
- Crassula Marnieriana Hottentot (Cressida) (bit of a Shakespeare theme developing )
- Haworthia Fasciata 'Big Band' (Howie)
- Pilea Peperomioides (Chris)
- Peperomia Caperata Rosso (Jane)
So that's me! I'm looking forward to getting to know you all.
Rachel