Our Avatar Stories

[BookNut]

It would be fun to find out why we chose the Avatars we use. For instance - why does mishb have Kermit for an Avatar? If you would like to share - just post here. I will start:

My avatar is of myself the last year I worked as a school librarian in a high school. I LOVED so much of my job - but especially the kids. We used to do lots of fun things with the students....decorating Christmas stockings, Easter Egg coloring and Easter Egg hunts and on and on... This was the day of Prince William and Kate's wedding. I threw an English Tea Party in the library for anyone how cared to come. We had tons of fun. Although I had to settle for paper plates in the name of practicality, I did bring my best china tea pot, my lace tablecloth and my silver sugar bowl and creamer. While planning the event - many other teachers in the school got into the spirit. The wedding fell on a day when we had a regular whole school assembly. So - we all raided the theater department costume room. To open the assembly, we had a royal procession - led by Prince William and Kate of course and followed by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, along with various and sundry Lords and Ladies of the court. It was SO much fun. As we processed down the auditorium aisle, I heard one student say to her companion - "This is why I LOVE this school!?" It is my fondest memory from a very happy career!

OK .... now it is your turn! Go!!

[Dirty Don]

I was a summer kid at these beaches, brings back memories and feelings...all good.

[mrtmeo]

Mine isn't that creative.
Mine is to help awareness of vasculitis.

[MikeG-2012]

Mine is a photo of me pre diagnosis after getting the BMW for my birthday.

I havent had had the bike out in 22 months, and I miss the two wheeled therapy. One of these days my wife and I will be on the road again.

[mishb]

Lol Jacquie, there is nothing mysterious about my avatar - I love frogs :love:

I have been collecting frogs (ornamental) since I was about 10 years old and have about 200 to 300 of them spread all over the house.
They range from pillows to tee shirts, to planters, to wall decals, teapots, jewellery and knick knacks. I also had a real tree frog (named Cane) in a tank.
He got fussy with his food so he is now in the backyard somewhere enjoying his life. We do hear frogs croaking at night time, so he must be fine.

I don't like to put pictures of myself up on facebook or on here - so a frog it is.

You have to admit - Kermit is one of the best frogs around :thumbsup:

[Pete]

Mine is reading to my grandkids while all sitting close together in my recliner. I often embellish the story with funny voices and sound effects.

[BookNut]

Thanks to those of you who have answered so far. Dirty Dan and MikeG - nice to see the reflection of happy memories and a happy hobby. I can relate. My hubby and I are kayakers..but my health has been so bad this year that I have only gone out once. We are hoping for a MUCH longer season next year!!

Pete - happy family times are what everything is all about. And now that I have a 15 year old granddaughter and a 4 month old granddaughter. I sure can relate to the happiness of grandparenthood. Everyone told me how much I would love being a grandparent and they were right.

Mrtemeo - it is always a good idea to remind everyone of a good, reliable source of information. I speak that with great feeling having been a school librarian and seen some of the bizarre source of info that teenagers accepted from google with no question!!

Mishb....I can also relate to the passion for frogs. Except mine was pigs!! The pig stories that I used to read to my kiddies (back in the day when I had elementary students) were always the funniest. I had tons of piggy ornaments everywhere. My hubby hated them, so I kept most in school with me. I had them, along with various funny wind-up toys, on my desk. It was a great way to encourage the teenagers to hang around my desk and talk. Teenagers are just large children disguised in almost- adult bodies. I think if you and I were ever to create a joint post, we should go for a Kermit and Miss Piggy Avatar!!:thumbsup:

Hope we get more replies. This is fun for me...and would be a nice thread for newbies to read to see it isn't all health problems all the time on here!!

[renidrag]

I have had a few avatars, Seasonal sports teams, Red Sox and Patriots, the Blue Angels took me back to childhood living a stones throw from Naval Air Station where they would perform. Presently my Brother and I performing at an Arts in the Park gathering in a local town. We played together for many years, until he felt compelled to move to Tennessee twelve years ago. A lot of good memories. Friendship and hair and youth. This was 1982.
Dale

[Geoff]

Hi Jacqui, mine is of a Thames Barge which used to ply their trade along the coast where I live. In fact there is a number of them moored up at a nearby town. Sometimes you can go out on day trips, along with friends to share a meal and a few drinks!! They do look a sight with all their sails up.

[Dirty Don]

Jacquie, great idea for a thread...nice to talk about something other than...LOL! You are SUCH a librarian...always finding ways to get the group moving! Thank you!

[NikkiNicole]

Currently, my avatar is in tribute to our dearly departed Phil. It used to be just me, hamming it up in front of my computer camera. It was an old photo from a few years back, pre-prednisone and thinner. *sigh*
I will be putting a newer photo up when I get back home.

[annekat]

Mine is self explanatory... I have few good pics of myself, if any, and am using a cartoon picture created on the Bitstrips site. In the past, I've used pics of my house, the scenery around here, flowers I've grown, a pic of myself as a young girl, and a goofball pic of myself that no one thought was funny. It may be time for a change, but I just haven't made any decision yet.

[Debbie C]

I have changed mine a few times also..but right now it is because I am a pretty " laid back " person and if you notice its at the beach with the palm trees. What is too small to see is a drink on my stomach and a saying in the middle " perfect bliss " also at the bottom is the saying " this is the employment my soul delights in " THAT'S ME !!!!! :)

[gilders]

Great idea for a thread!
Since joining I'd kept my avatar the same, it was my 2 dogs. I only changed it for the tribute to Phil and have now changed it again.
My current one is of myself on my wedding day sat in my friend's rental car - Shelby GT Mustang. This was taken immediately after our sunset wedding at Sand Key park, Clearwater Beach, Florida.
I also don't show my face online, so I must really respect this forum as it's the only photo of me anywhere online, albeit a very small picture.

[jvilner]

My avatar is a pic of myself on a trip to Lake Como in Italy before all my Wegener problems started. I love traveling to Italy. Plus I felt so serene and peaceful then. Guess it was the calm before the storm.

[vdub]

Just me -- taken about a year ago. But, I often change it. Sometimes its my W.G. Pit 24 jersey because the doc proclaimed me #24 with GH due to GPA. I think #25 and #26 have now cropped up. Believe one of them was in NZ, but not sure. Sometimes I'll use a pic from my flying days, but those are really old, i.e., I was really young. Went in during Vietnam. B-52's..... And, sometimes I just put up some picture I've taken because I like them. One of these days, you'll probably see my MG in the avatar after its painted and tidied up a bit....

[Donna-from-Philly]

Mine is a current picture of me taken by my daughter at my son's marching band competition. I enjoy supporting my kid's events. I am a mom first and with my youngest heading to college next year it will be hard to move to the next chapter. I'm wearing a hat and neck cuff my cousin knitted for me so that I can keep my nerve damaged face warm.

[pwc51]

I have had a few over time - I usually like to have an outdoor shot reflecting my favourite activities (sailing and walking) but these have been curtailed since the onset of WG so the opportunity for new pictures is severely reduced. A recent batman picture was in remembrance of Phil and the latest, almost looking smart, taken from a picture at my CEO's retirement function back in July!

[Pierre42]

Sure my glasses aren't blue (and neither is my facial-hair) but while my Avatar is not actually a photograph .... strangers immediately recognise me.

[BookNut]

Loving the avatar stories. Nice to get to know folks a little more based on their interests. My favorite part of the internet is how people can connect and learn from and about each other. Keep them coming!!!

[annekat]

I have had a few over time - I usually like to have an outdoor shot reflecting my favourite activities (sailing and walking) but these have been curtailed since the onset of WG so the opportunity for new pictures is severely reduced. A recent batman picture was in remembrance of Phil and the latest, almost looking smart, taken from a picture at my CEO's retirement function back in July!
pwc51, maybe it's just me, but I think you look a little like Richard Burton in this new pic!

[miracleshappen08]

Mine was taken just a few weeks ago. When my nose first collapsed and I was very heavy from pred, I didn't want my picture taken, but my husband said that I have two little girls that could lose their mommy and they need the pictures. So I now don't care... I take a lot of pictures. They are for my babies if don't make it through one day. They need to remember their mommy. 😊

[godgirl]

Currently, mine is autumn in Wisconsin. Mine will probably continue to be nature photos - most of them I take when I'm out and about. I'm not very photogenic...

[annekat]

I'm not very photogenic... Me, either... join the club. You can bet, though, if I get a good one, I'll post it!

[mishb]

Me either - Kermit looks so much better, in my opinion

[Alysia]

my avatar is me at the beach in the shadows to keep my privacy. pics of me are on my profile.
my story is now in my signature.

[gigi.palumboshatz]

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/17/cb07dd59619b1c1f90bd29e02322be67.jpg

This is my real pic-taken last night! I have bangs and blonde hair. My avatar is Snoopy because I wanted to marry him when I was little! You can also tell who I am by my prednisone face! Lol[emoji6] enjoy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[marta]

I just used this opportunity to change mine to something more current. I took this picture last week when I got a chance to go up and have a couple of runs by myself. Hana was at school, Brian had meetings, so I went out, music in my headphones, and enjoyed the fresh snow. You can see in my goggles, the magic ahead of me, as well as the magic behind. I love skiing. It's the closest I've come to flying (even after going skydiving - in my youth) and the mountain is my happy place in winter. I was lucky that I knew how to ski before this, so it doesn't require a lot of effort on my part to be out there sucking in all that healing energy.

My avatars change often. I just removed the one of my other happy place, Maui. Where I now look closer to my old self than at any point in this Wegener's journey (I'm almost off the pred now - five years later,) and the two most important people in my life (Brian and Hana) are all giving a big happy Aloha Shaka on our first day on Maui this last summer.

I love nature, I love my family, and I love playing in nature with my family.... so most of my avatars allude to that weakness (or strength) I have.

Oh and around PJ Day - you'll see pics of me in my PJ's to raise awareness for autoimmune disease.

What a fun thread. Getting to know each other just a little better. :hug1::hug1:

[BookNut]

Just to let you know....I am SO enjoying this thread. It is great to see how folks use their avatars to represent their happiest/most significant experiences. Happy Holidays to everyone!

[Thinker]

Mine is me and my kiddos taken last Christmas at our downtown Christmas tree. We had just seen a Christmas play together and it was a fun and happy night. No current Christmas pictures this year, I've been avoiding the camera until my moonface subsides. Currently at 6 mg so I'm starting to look and feel more like myself. I put the same picture on my facebook page and my sister immediately texted me on my excellent picture and how happy and healthy I looked. Had to tell her that's because it was last year's picture and that's why I look so healthy. LOL! Every day is getting better though and I do plan to take some pictures this year at Christmas, moonface and all.

[greenjeep]

Mine is of my daughters dog - May. A Brussels griffon. It's only there because I wanted to change and at the time this was the first pic I came across that I thought would work.
My first avatar was one of my bonsai trees. I used to spend a great amount if time with my trees and loved working with them. Since my WG dx, most of them have died. I just cannot devote as much time to them as I used to. When this tree died I was really depressed because I realized that most of my favorite things to do have fallen by the way side. I felt like I had killed a friend.
I have been thinking of changing again. Maybe tonight.


Sent from my iPhone while driving on the freeway, eating salt, and drinking a 78oz soda.

[greenjeep]

My new avatar is me and my daughter. No explanation needed really... She's why I fight this crappy battle.


Sent from my iPhone while driving on the freeway, eating salt, and drinking a 78oz soda.

[renidrag]

This avatar is of the snow currently pounding us. Over 60" in 17 days. I couldn't figure out how to put it in a message, something about URL. Any way this was this morning and just came back in from moving (watching others) another 8". Now I can't even get the avatar change right. Just a sec.
Dale

Nevermind, can't get to post. maybe I can put them in my pictures.

I give up. No pictures. Pictures too big. Oh well.

[annekat]

This avatar is of the snow currently pounding us. Over 60" in 17 days. I couldn't figure out how to put it in a message, something about URL. Any way this was this morning and just came back in from moving (watching others) another 8". Now I can't even get the avatar change right. Just a sec.
Dale

Nevermind, can't get to post. maybe I can put them in my pictures.

I give up. No pictures. I feel your frustration. Every time I want to change my avatar I have to learn again how to do it. Starting with Settings worked for me. And as for getting a pic into a post, that is frustrating, too, for anyone without a quick and easy way to make our pic into a URL. We used to be able to upload a pic from our desktop, e.g., into the body of a post without making it into a URL first.

[vdub]

Dale wanted these snow pictures posted.... That is a bunch of snow. Just click on the link below to see the larger picture.

Sorry, Dale, but about mid-50's and sunny here. :-)

Image 1 (http://www.wasem.com/wg/pub-dale-01.jpg)

Image 2 (http://www.wasem.com/wg/pub-dale-02.jpg)

Image 3 (http://www.wasem.com/wg/pub-dale-03.jpg)

Image 4 (http://www.wasem.com/wg/pub-dale-04.jpg)

Image 5 (http://www.wasem.com/wg/pub-dale-05.jpg)

[Dirty Don]

83 and sunny here...jus sayin...

[renidrag]

LOL, is that allowed?

[Pete]

We're cold (22•F) , but have no snow now...

What Boston has is ridiculous!

[mishb]

The funny thing is that when you change your avatar to something else and years down the track when someone digs this thread out - it's going to be so weird when the explanations don't match the pictures :flapper::tongue1::biggrin1:

[LisaMac]

What is my 'avatar?'

[renidrag]

You don't have one, takes some time to figure the site out. MishB (above) her avatar is a frog, mine is hands in snow.
Search through settings above right at home page.
Dale

[LisaMac]

Ok, how about now?

Sent from my SM-T210R

[LisaMac]

Aaaaack! It didn't work. Just use your imagination and picture a beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

Sent from my SM-T210R

[renidrag]

Will do. Pacific sunset

[annekat]

Lisa, it has to be no larger than a certain number of pixels. So you might need to figure out how to reduce the size. Every time I do it I have to re-learn how. Keep trying, you'll get it.

[MikeG-2012]

Lisa, it has to be no larger than a certain number of pixels. So you might need to figure out how to reduce the size. Every time I do it I have to re-learn how. Keep trying, you'll get it.

Free tool called irfanview. It is a free photo editing software. Works pretty slick. You can get it form filehippo.com

[LisaMac]

Unfortunately, being a single parent on minimal SSI, I can't afford a computer. I have a smartphone and a Samsung tablet. I guess you'll just have to pretend I have a clever avatar ~grin~

[annekat]

Unfortunately, being a single parent on minimal SSI, I can't afford a computer. I have a smartphone and a Samsung tablet. I guess you'll just have to pretend I have a clever avatar ~grin~ I would be surprised if you can't put an avatar on the forum with your tablet or smart phone. You don't need to install software, you should be able to upload a pic from your device. I don't have either a smartphone or a tablet because I can't afford them! I just have a very old laptop. But I think quite a few people on here use their tablets and smartphones and have uploaded pics from them to the forum. The avatar function is a little easier than a pic in the body of a post because you don't have to have a URL. One way to get a URL for a pic, though, is to post a pic to Facebook and then upload it from there to the forum using the web address assigned to it. I am no expert, I just think you should be able to do it and hope someone who DOES have a smartphone or a tablet will help you with it.

[LisaMac]

Thanks, I'll keep trying.

[LisaMac]

It worked, it worked! Thank you, Andrew. No more anonymous blob lady. Ok, so...you see my avatar too, right? It's the sun setting over my beautiful Pacific, my 'therapist', my peaceful place where Wegener's doesn't exist. Just peace and serenity.

[Debbie C]

That's beautiful ! Great therapy !! I made my resv for Fl. today..going April 30 to May 21...... 3 weeks. I can't wait to go jump in the ocean and walk the beach.

[LisaMac]

Debra, I'm so happy for you! We all need to place to go, even if it only exists in our yard, or garden, library, or just in our minds. A happy, peaceful place to dream of running, dancing, and no Wegener's.

[BookNut]

It worked, it worked! Thank you, Andrew. No more anonymous blob lady. Ok, so...you see my avatar too, right? It's the sun setting over my beautiful Pacific, my 'therapist', my peaceful place where Wegener's doesn't exist. Just peace and serenity.

So glad you were successful setting your happy place as your avatar. My happy place in my house is my kitchen. My happy vacation place is the Adirondack Park in upstate New York....especially the high peaks area. Here is a wonderful video that will take you there. http://youtu.be/3zNs7Ncx35Y

[LisaMac]

Oh my goodness! That was SO beautiful, I understand why you love it there! I had straight seven minutes of pure bliss, thank you for sharing.

[annekat]

So glad you were successful setting your happy place as your avatar. My happy place in my house is my kitchen. My happy vacation place is the Adirondack Park in upstate New York....especially the hih peaks area. Here is a wonderful video that will take you there. http://youtu.be/3zNs7Ncx35Y That's s wonderful video, Jacquie. I was just watching American Experience on PBS last night about the tuberculosis epidemic in the early 1900's and the doctor who healed people, before any medical treatments were discovered, by bringing them to his facility in the Adirondacks where they could rest and recuperate for months in the fresh air and pristine, peaceful surroundings. He had had TB himself and recovered by spending time in that area.

[annekat]

It worked, it worked! Thank you, Andrew. No more anonymous blob lady. Ok, so...you see my avatar too, right? It's the sun setting over my beautiful Pacific, my 'therapist', my peaceful place where Wegener's doesn't exist. Just peace and serenity.
Beautiful! I'm glad you have an avatar now, thanks to Andrew.

[BookNut]

Glad you enjoyed the video Anne and LisaMac. It is a beautiful place. It is interesting, Anne. Both my husband and I are asthmatics, but we have never had breathing troubles while we were there. The last good exercise day was the last time we were there in the spring. We went kayaking on a lake whose name escapes me now. I think it might have been the lake in the video where there were some bare trees on the end of a penninsula. I really think the air is good for respiratory ailments.

[mishb]

Sounds like a vacation place for all of us Jacquie.

Maybe we can have a massive weggie convention there :thumbsup:

I'll actually be in New York in May. Is this place on the tourist map?

[BookNut]

If any Weggies come to NYS....get in touch with me. We can give you some good tips about reasonable places to stay, etc. We like the high peaks area especially. It is the site of the 1980 Olympics and there are a ton of sites related to that, some of which are open year round. You can luge or ride toboggans year round for instance. It is also fun to go to the ice shows at the ice rink. And it is lots of fun to go to the ski practice area. In the summer athletes practice hot dog jumps by skiing down a slide and landing in the water. Lots of fun. Fishing, hiking and kayaking are all awesome. Hope you will visit some time. And if you have breathing issues...you might find that the air quality will improve your condition. Hope to see you someday!

[Debbie C]

That is a Very pretty place Jacquie and that song went so well with it ,like Lisa said it just took you away...Thanks for sharing

[BookNut]

MikeG...I used to have irfanview and I LOVED it. We went all macs a few years ago after having to replace 3 laptops/computers in 3years. Irfanview is the only thing I have missed from the pc world. Three years ago, there was no mac version. I will have to check again and see if that has changed.