It seems like another lifetime as I review my old postings on my long neglected blog. I have since retired from my job as an activity coordinator at a long term care facility. I have sold my share and contents of the Art & Antique Gallery. I have moved to Austin, Texas to live with my daughter, Angela and her son Coen. I have downsized from my large studios to my bedroom. This has required a new mindset to continue to pursue my life goals.
I still find pleasure in quilting and I have finished quite a few pieces which I have gifted to dear friends and relations. My stash still contains more fabric than I will be able to use in the next twenty years, especially since I have been won over to Bonnie Hunter's scrap quilting ideas.
On my last trip to Tyndall, I did a show at the nursing home where my 96 year old mother resides, and I gave away six full size quilts to the friends who have helped me transition to my new life. I have also mailed four large quilts to my niece, my son, and my sister. The euphoria that came with that distribution cannot be exaggerated and I highly recommend all quilters practice that kind of generosity in their later years.
Another factor that spurs on my quilting is that my eyesight is maturing and there will come a day when I can't see to thread my machine. Already I have carpel tunnel in my right hand which prevents me from grasping a hand sewing needle, but this is not a big problem since I go to great lengths to avoid hand sewing anyway.
I have become interested in book binding and journal decorating and I have been inspired lately by an interview I saw about Freddie Moran (red is my neutral) who is a fabled quilter now 90 years young. She has adapted her quilting to specialize in raw edge fabric collage portraits to accommodate her declining vision. Her vibrancy and resilience is my current guiding light.
My family histories started by my grandmothers are nearly complete. I printed out a draft copy for my mother a year ago, but I am still polishing the rough edges. There is a copy saved as a google doc and I started a Mace family Facebook group featuring many pictures and stories for the children of my cousins who have expressed interest. They can only access the material on their phones so this seemed to be a workable solution. But I do intend to print out a couple of copies and gift it to them eventually.
I have been in pandemic lockdown isolation since March. I have only left the house and yard twice for doctor appointments in the past five months. The corona virus is raging around us in Texas, but Angela is able to work from home and make the necessary trips for groceries. Being able to order them online is great. Coen will start fourth grade soon, but we don't know when he will actually return to his classroom at Austin Discovery School.
I rely on Facebook to stay in contact with my friends and I enjoy You Tube videos for my paper collaging and journaling ideas. My naturally solitary personality doesn't mind this season of retreat. I don't know if anyone will read this, but if you do leave a comment so I will know how wide this is circulating and I will be able to adjust the appropriateness of my language to you.
