Introducing myself

Well, I guess the point of having a blog is to interact with folks and the only way to do it to read others' stuff, respond to others' stuff and write my own stuff. So today I'll write and tell anyone who wants to read it about me.

I'm almost 47. I've been happily married to B for almost 24 years. We are retired Navy; he from active duty and myself from active/reserves. He now works for Chick-fil-A. We have four terrific kidlets who I refer to as their first initials while visiting with folks online. 'A' is 22, married last December to a kind and sweet youth minister ('P'). She's studying elementary education and loves working with children. 'C' just turned twenty; is a hard working, music loving business student. 'P' is 12, loves Legos, Star Wars and comic books, hates cleaning his room. Our "baby", 'J' is nine and is a delightful, if confuddling, mix of pirate, ninja, and Cinderella. She's the tomboy who'll climb a tree in a prom dress-- as long as the dress is made from camouflage. They are all my joy and my life.

Not being big on school, my formal education was an Associate of Science in Public Broadcasting which prepared me for my Navy career as a Dental Technician. Or not. I loved dental lab work because I got to 'craft' all day and didn't have to deal with patients as much. I did continue with lab work and assisting after I got off active duty but ended up doing what my heart truly called me to--being an at-home mom and homeschooling.

I have sewn for as long as I can remember. I recall begging my parents for a sewing machine for my sixth birthday. I got one when I was ten. I sew primarily crafts but at different times in my life the focus was on other things. I costumed in college, hemmed and put patches on uniforms while I was active duty (and developed 'my' signature baby blanket when my collegues and then I started having babies), got into wedding gowns and formals for several years and then I fell into porcelain dolls. An friend needed someone to sew the bodies for her----I exchanged sewing for firing and painting lessons. Eventually I bought her stuff, kiln and all, and got a little obsessed. After J's birth I had some trouble with depression and just didn't do anything for a long time. I started visiting a discussion board online and met a sweet lady who pretty much talked me out of my funk and got me moving again. Now my biggest problem is having too many goals and want-to-do's and not finishing any of them! I set myself up an ebay store as well as an account on Etsy in the hopes that I will finally make and sell these ideas that have been rattling in my brain forever!