Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[JoannMarie 0]

These last few weeks have been so hard - the closer our visit comes, the more I miss her. The first year they were in Korea she was home 3 times - twice with the baby and her husband, and once just with the baby. Her last visit was in May, so it's been almost a year. I am very thankful to have great communication options - Vonage is wonderful! and Skype means we can see each other and watch the baby as he grows. But nothing takes the place of holding them in my arms!

I'm working on the quilt for the new baby today. I have to finish it by the end of March so it can go with us...

[livn4jesus 0]

Joann: What a nice picture of the 3 of you! You have really lost a lot of weight in the last few months. Here's hoping the wait to leave will go quickly and you'll be with your grandchildren lickety split.

[Charlene K 1]

Joanne, I would love to see some of your quilts. Do you have them posted on a website?

[Apples2 19]

JoAnne...you will be on that plane b/4 you know it. We have a son we only get to see every 6-9 months or so. It's difficult. Talk to him almost every day but not the same. There's some pretty big bear hugs for mom when we do get together.

Hope everyone had a good day. Most of mine was spent in the waiting room at the clinic. Doc was waaaay behind. Just reading and lounging this evening.........my kind of night!

[pj_txlady 0]

Thanks everyone on your suggestions on taking zoloft. Today I took 1/2 pill with a small sip of Water during lunch., plan on taking the other half with dinner.

Joann....I know how exited you must be to visit your daughter and her family. My hubby is retired Air Force, we moved to Okinawa Japan for 2 1/2 yrs. Didn't have the things we have today to stay in touch, all we had were letters : (( I will never forget the day we came home, Mom had a grandbaby that was 9 months old she had never seen. I took her only grandson at the time away from her when he was 17 months old to go over there.

[JoannMarie 0]

Oh PJ - that must have been so hard on your mother AND you to be so far away. I just got off the phone with DD (37 minutes!) - we are able to talk every day as long as we want. She has Vonage and pays $25 a month - has a number local to our area, so all our calls are local calls. It has been a real blessing! They will keep the Vonage when they return to the States, so calls will remain local for us, though we don't yet know where they will be posted. Many military families are doing that now. Skype with the webcam has been great, too. Our grandson knows who we are, shows us his trucks and cars - and everything else in the toybox. At least he will know us when we see him.

Charlene, I don't have my quilts on a website. I do have some pictures and will post them here. For about three years I had a long-arm quilting machine and quilted for other people. It was a big mistake for me. That whole three years I hardly had time to work on anything for ME. I feel like they were lost years - worked on LOTS of quilts, but they all went home with somebody else... I am back to doing my own thing, and feeling well enough to be in the studio on a fairly steady basis now. I like to do art quilts and wallhangings, but still make traditional quilts for my family. I'll find a few pics tonight... I found some, but will have to look for one of my favorites - my firefighter quilt I made for my son. I'll look. Meanwhile, here are a few...

[livn4jesus 0]

Wow Joann, you are very talented. I don't have a creative bone in my body. I admire talented people.

[Apples2 19]

Joanne...those quilts are beautiful and so are you. Nice photo of you also.

I collect quilts and have them (2-3) on all our beds and also hanging on walls....I also collect hooked rugs and hang them. I have a GF who does quilting for others and her time is not her own anymore so I know where you are coming from on that. And, EVERYONE seems to have an unreasonable time limit for it to be done. I guess I couldn't take the pressure of doing it. I grew up in front of a sewing machine and should get in front of it again. It's been a few years. Bet you cannot wait to hug that little one!

[Charlene K 1]

Oh PJ - that must have been so hard on your mother AND you to be so far away. I just got off the phone with DD (37 minutes!) - we are able to talk every day as long as we want. She has Vonage and pays $25 a month - has a number local to our area, so all our calls are local calls. It has been a real blessing! They will keep the Vonage when they return to the States, so calls will remain local for us, though we don't yet know where they will be posted. Many military families are doing that now. Skype with the webcam has been great, too. Our grandson knows who we are, shows us his trucks and cars - and everything else in the toybox. At least he will know us when we see him.

Charlene, I don't have my quilts on a website. I do have some pictures and will post them here. For about three years I had a long-arm quilting machine and quilted for other people. It was a big mistake for me. That whole three years I hardly had time to work on anything for ME. I feel like they were lost years - worked on LOTS of quilts, but they all went home with somebody else... I am back to doing my own thing, and feeling well enough to be in the studio on a fairly steady basis now. I like to do art quilts and wallhangings, but still make traditional quilts for my family. I'll find a few pics tonight... I found some, but will have to look for one of my favorites - my firefighter quilt I made for my son. I'll look. Meanwhile, here are a few...

Joann, those quilts are awesome. Which one was in the International Quilt show? Thanks for sharing.

[Socialdot 0]

Joanne, You are a true artist. What beautiful quilts. Dot

[lynnt1215 1]

Joanne-quilts are beautiful, you are so talented

[2bthinagn 3]

I weighed in yesterday and have now lost 60lbs...Gone, gone gone...YEAH!!

[Charlene K 1]

I weighed in yesterday and have now lost 60lbs...Gone, gone gone...YEAH!!

WOOHOO! GOOD FOR YOU!

[JoannMarie 0]

I thank everyone for your nice comments. Flagstone Path has been in a couple of national shows and won a blue ribbon at the MO State Fair. Rainforest also won a blue ribbon at the state fair. I found the pictures of my firefighter quilt made for my son. It was made in early 2002 and the background is based on my memories and impressions of 9/11. There is an angel quilted into the left shoulder of the firefighter. DS has been a firefighter since he was 18 and still in high school. He was made battallion chief in his dept a week after 9/11 - working with training and all the homeland security changes. He is now deputy chief in a large neighboring fire district. He will be 40 next week and looks 25. The quilt is posted in this note. "Guardians ~ Call to Duty" has been in the IQA show at Houston 2002, AQS show in Paducah 2003, and several other large shows. It won 3rd place at Quilting on the Waterfront in Duluth, MN in 2003. It hangs in DS's office at the fire department now, right where it belongs.

[orea15 0]

Joann, all I can say is, wow!