[meteorite-list] Are Meteorites For Boys Only?

From: Maria Haas <dragonsoup_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Aug 26 01:14:28 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-F2qwVzYDMZl3Un00047950_at_hotmail.com>

Dear Hunters and Huntresses, Collectors and Collectrexes,

I have been collecting rocks, minerals and fossils my whole life. I was also
the kid who constantly came home with pockets full of rocks - mostly
fossils. My mother (who loves science) used to throw my smaller ones in the
driveway and my dad would try to pick them up (if he recognized them).
Nature? Nurture?

My pepper spray and I are not opposed to taking field trips alone and have
gone on quite a few. This year I have also been on field trips with list
members (Atkins, Freeman, and the Park Forest anniversary group). I spent
eight hours last Sunday hiking with list member Larry Atkins looking for
stone Indian artifacts (another one of my collections). David Freeman was
also kind to leave me some incredible Wyoming artifacts when he visited in
June. No, I don't currently have any women friends who would hunt rocks with
me. They think my rock and meteorite collecting is "odd" :)

At this moment, I have a 153 lb flight-oriented diabase basalt "wrong" in my
living room - a long story but it spawned a meteorite collector some years
ago (me!).

My meteorite collection is housed in a glass shelving unit that I call "The
Shrine", the inside of my home is lined with rocks, I have buckets and
buckets of rocks in my basement, there are rocks in my Jeep, I have my own
saw, cut and prepare my own stones, and every rock that fits under my
microscope has even though I don't always know what I am looking at.

I have plenty of the faceted expensive stones and no matter how I am dressed
or where I am going I would not hesitate filling up my purse with
interesting rocks. Girly? Kinda. I even have neighborhood rock "groupies" -
kids who drop by to see what's new in my collection. Only one is a girl but
she drags girlfriends who don't care about rocks to my house sometimes. Last
Halloween I had a bowl of candy and a bowl of rocks for the kids to choose
from.

For me, learning about and holding a terrestrial or space rock and looking
up at the stars is probably the closest I will ever get to feeling what
"forever" really is and means.

On a lighter note, if anyone wants to see me and my Zagami vacation in Mars
(Pennsylvania) please visit:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dragonsoup_maria/my_photos
(Yes, that is me faking antennae.)

Maria :)
Recently divorced, knows how to cook, sew, paint, write, garden, cut and
polish rocks, finish concrete... (not listed in order of preference and this
is not an offer to perform these tasks).
Oh, I also like my beer cold (sorry, different thread).
Received on Thu 26 Aug 2004 01:14:24 AM PDT