Introduction

Hello to everyone!!    My name is Judy and this is my first post as a blogger.  I have been poking around blogland and reading others posts for sometime now, and have decided to start telling my own tales!!  Oh boy--watch out.  

I was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1958.  I am the baby of my family with 2 older brothers.  I kept trying to trade them for sisters, but no one would take me up on it!!  We lived in Council Bluffs, until I was 5 and about to enter Kindergarten.  My oldest brother has Cerebral Palsy and needed to go to a special school in Omaha.  My dad worked in Omaha~~so it made sense to move there.  So I have lived most of my life in Nebraska.  

My dad was a paper salesman for Carpenter Paper Company.  This began my love of all types of paper products.  My mom was a stay at home mom until I was 10.  She went back to college to update her teaching degree from business education to vocational education.  She taught home economics at Ralston High School for 21 years.  This began my love of all things crafty and textile related.  Mom was my first sewing teacher, and my toughest teacher by far.  Perfection is her middle name.

My first remembered experiences of my life included being busy.  I had to have something to do.  I loved to see how things worked.  I loved color--lots of it.  I loved any animal I was near. I am pretty sure I drove everyone around me silly with all my questions.  I had a hard time sitting still and being quiet.  I also loved to talk--and talk--and talk.  I loved music--any kind.  

After 50 years + a few, things have not changed much!!  

I did make it all the way through high school and met my husband during my senior year.  He was a sophomore!!  Egads!! My pysch teacher was the only person who gave me good thoughts on this predicament.  He said we would both live about the same amount of years together~~since men have a shorter life expectancy.  Wow.  How profound.         

We dated through high school and college.  I went to University of Nebraska-Lincoln and he joined me during my junior year.  I majored in vocational education, like my mom.  He transferred to University of Nebraska-Omaha to help his Dad run his company.  I came back to teach for a year & then we got engaged.  We married in August of 1982.  I taught for 3 more years--the last 2 at the high school level.  That last year of high school teaching--I found out I was going to be a mom!!  My husband--John--wanted me to stay home with our new child.

That was my first retirement.  I had a son named Thomas in 1985 and a son named Jacob in 1989.  I never got the manual on how to raise a boy from the hospital!!  It wasn't easy, but we all made it to adulthood!!  Most of us kicking and screaming.  

Jacob turned 21 in December of 2011 and bought a "new-to-him" house in April of 2012.  Thomas turned 27 in May of 2012 and bought a new house in August of 2012.  They both graduated from Gretna High School and work at our company with their Dad.  

This is my second retirement.  It has been a busy year to say the least.  It has been fun to see them grow up and become young adults.  Jake is not too happy to see his room change into a quilt studio~~but after 27 years of waiting for my own space~~he will just have to adjust!!    John and I also celebrated 30 years together without killing each other!!  

Now let's let the fun begin..............