Hello GCOA, loving orchids is part of who I am.  This love was fostered by my mom who collected orchids too.  After I moved out of the house, she gave me a few orchids.  2-3 turned into about 50 very quickly.  Now I have hundreds.  She and I would go shopping for orchids together, and each time I would visit her she would say “let’s go out and see what’s in bloom”.  What wonderful memories!  Unfortunately, in her later years she suffered from Parkinson’s and lost interest in her collection, but my connection with orchids and my mom is still a VERY strong.  I even have orchids from her collection still living in mine!  Some over 40+ years old!  Growing orchids is a wonderful hobby, and I hope serving on the GCOA board can help others gain the joy in their life I have.