First Blog - How Exciting!!

SO... just opened this blogspot, motivated by jealousy and intrigue after viewing a friend's blog and am hoping it will become a vehicle for sharing my passions and information with anyone who cares.

I am, much to my husband's dismay at times, a highly productive person. I always have at least 10 projects waiting in the wings. This leads to very animated discussions with him and sleepless nights for me as I lay awake planning and making lists in my mind. I think I'm normal... however not many seem to agree with me. I asked my husband a few weeks ago, what do people without hobbies do with all their time? I answered my own question by looking around and realizing they probably do laundry or clean their houses. How boring!! I would go bonkers! It's not that I live in a pigsty, but it's certainly not at the top of my priorities.

So, as a start let me tell you about my quilting. I have been quilting off and on for a long, long time. More off than on in the early years but pretty much constantly for the last 8 years. I love art quilts, but really prefer that people sleep under my quilts. I make them to be used, not hung on a wall and generally don't make anything smaller than a queen size. I do this on a Kenmore sewing machine I received as a gift 31 years ago. I have always been a fabric lover, and have been known to spend all day in a fabric store! When I was younger I made clothes, now I don't even repair my own clothes other than hems. I have been quilting in my dining room for the last 8 years, and my DH is tired of fabric all over the house, so for the last year we have been working on a major basement remodel which includes a 12 x 12 quilting studio for me. At least we are hoping there is enough room in there for all the fabric and my sewing machine. I do have a New Generation quilt frame and Pfaff quilting machine waiting to be set up, but it will not fit in my room so the garage will be an extension of my work space.

I have two sons, Stephen who is 20 has just taken 2 years off from school but is returning to college in a few weeks. Stephen lives at home and works full time at Half Price Books. He has always been an avid reader so the job is perfect for him. He has incredible artistic talent which he also applies to one of his other passions which is anime. He develops and draws original characters and storyboards and he looks forward to attending the Acen convention each year in Rosemont (a Chicago suburb) which is fortunately close to home.

Thomas is 17 and will be graduating from high school next year. He lives in Texas most of the year, with his mother and family. Thomas is an accomplished athlete and his current passion is running. He participates in both cross country and track. Last year at 16 Thomas competed for the second time in Chicago's Race to the Taste. Out of 1878 finishers he came in 12th and came in first in his age category. We are very proud of both of our sons.

My husband and I have been married for 10 years. I don't think the honeymoon is over yet, which I guess means we chose well (this time!) (Hope he agrees!) He brings light and laughter to my life and I often think of him as the calm in my storm. We actually have been married 3 times. The first was in January when I knew none of my family would want to come to Chicago in a snow storm for a wedding, so we were married by a judge in the judge's home. The judge was actually the father of one of my husband's co-workers, so it was a very personal and wonderful event for us. I cried all the way through and my husband was afraid I was unhappy ! It's funny in retrospect, but not at the time. We had a church wedding the following summer with attendants and the gown and everything and then we had a honeymoon in Cancun. It was a huge spurge, but so wonderful! I think it was 2 years later on Valentines Day Sunday, that our church offered a ceremony of renewal of vows for any couples interested, and so we did it again in front of our friends and fellow parishioners.

Whew - I am tired - this is almost like therapy - or at least what I think therapy would be like - so I am signing off now - more later and pictures to follow.