I am me ... I run around with my long hair in a French braid. I camp and hike (often in the city). I live in Upstate NY right on the very edge of The Great Swamp.

My name is pamElise. I am fifth and third-generation Texan. My family lives in Texas ... almost ALL close and near-distant relations live in Texas ... scattered from Amarillo to Galveston. If they are not in Texas, they are probably in a neighboring state ... except for my middle child who ran away and lives in Oregon ... and .... except for myself. As of August 2006, after a one year visit with my daughter in Portland, Oregon, I am living in the nebulous region called "Upstate" New York. I would call it central ... but central seems to be on the otherside of the Hudson River ... turns out that the people who live here "upstate" are also amused to find they live "upstate."

My husband, Billy, is retired Army National Guard (8 years exploding stuff in the Army + the rest spent repairing radios). He writes computer programs, grills the best steaks, mushrooms, and corn and no one turns down his smoked meats. Well, a few turn down duck. In general he is very resourceful. We just celebrated our seventh anniversary.

I have three grown children -- two daughters and one son -- all of whom, as of this summer, are married off. I am grandmother to one Miss Emma who is in her first years of school. My son added her to our family by marriage in May 2006.

For more about me in New York, see "Not so Homesick in New York"