I was born as Sandra Joy Biallas on August 20th, 1958, and raised in Spokane, Washington.
Married in May of 1978. Had my one and only child "Brian" on August 20th 1979, (on my 21st birthday,) He is now 6'10" tall. In 1981, we purchased a Recreational Vehicle repair business for $20,000. My husband and I worked building our business, 6 days a week for 21 years. Best year gross was $3 million in the year 2000. We traveled many places, mostly work-related.
In 1997, my husband began to gamble. They opened many casinos in our area, and the gambling took over his life, (even with counseling, I could not stop him.) Within 5 years he managed to gamble away everything we had worked so hard for. I had the hardest decision of my life to make, did I still love him? The answer was no! I filed for divorce, no contest. I did keep my married name Lizotte, it was easier to keep the name. I then ran away from home, (my past life,) on August 8th of 2002. With 2 suitcases, 2 boxes, $7000.00 in my pocket, and my sanity, I started a new life. I ended up in Los Angles for a month. My Mom asked me to name something good in my life at that time. I replied, " I only have one key." She replied, " Is it the key to your heart?." I replied, " No it is the key to my suitcase." (I am finding the less keys I have the easier life is now.) I asked everyone I could where the best climate was in Southern California, (I did not want to shovel snow again.) They told me, San Diego, but I would not like it there. Next was Santa Barbara, but it was to expensive there. Next was Oxnard, I had never even heard of it.
I then took my first Amtrax train ride to San Luis Obisbo. Everyone said it would be beautiful ride up the coastline, until the train went around a corner in Montalvo, and hit an killed a 15 year-old boy on his motorcycle. We did not arrive in San Luis Obisbo until 11:30pm. (Never did see the ocean that day.) I stayed with friends in Atascadero, CA, for three weeks. I was able to get on the Internet to find a job. I was hired at an RV Repair shop Ventura ,CA (Montalvo.) It was only four blocks away from where the boy was killed. I moved into my own small apartment in Mid-September of 2002.
Filed bankruptcy on 2.25 million in July of 2003 in Santa Barbara. After the hearing I married myself on Shoreline Beach. I have always taken care of everyone else but me. So when I don't buy myself flowers or presents for the Holidays, make the bed, or cook, I only have to yell at me.
We were not allowed to have pets in my apartment complex of 254 units. But I noticed a lot of hummingbirds outside. I put up 2 feeders in October of 2002. The hummingbird population grew year after year. I started taking photos of them, and of people bonding with these magnificent little angels, (Photos of now over 140 people.) I purchased my DVD camera in December of 2005, (Merry Christmas to me.) I now have 7 feeders out during peak times, (August to the end of October.) My hummingbirds can consume up to 75 lbs. of C&H Sugar a month. (Sometimes I think I should be a poster girl for C&H Sugar.) I started painting again in October of 2007, (watercolors of hummingbirds.) I actually sold quite a few through Green Thumb Nursery and the Red Brick Art Galley here in Ventura. By now I had taken a lot of DVD footage about the hummingbirds. So I started with my first short video called "Hummingbird Hobbyist," everyone seemed to like it. The second video filmed was "Cheryl & WeeBean." And the third and most challenging was "Tinker & Bell." These are all real hummingbird stories. I have since then put all three short stories onto one DVD movie which I named "Hummingbird Stories." I named the hummingbirds in my stories after the people where they were filmed at. For all these years the hummingbirds have tried to tell me something, maybe this is my destiny. I am known now as the "Ventura Hummingbird Lady" or "Hummingbird Lady of Ventura." And that's not a bad thing, it is just my hobby.
In September of 2009, my hummingbird children's book "Hummingbird Stories - WeeBean & William" was completed, with great help from my little brother, Mike Biallas.
Late November of 2009, I uploaded my first YouTube video. "Praying Mantis attacks Hummingbird". As of 12/2011 it has had over 500,000 views. I now have 5 videos uploades, and more to come.
Link to YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sandy+lizotte&search_type=
Donations are Welcome
After all, a girl and her birds have to feed.
"Life is Good"
Sandy Lizotte
HBLadyVTA@aol.com
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