what if...

the gifts in life...

as if

perfectly

on cue...

. 

i turned the page

of the photo album

from twenty years ago today

and this picture is what

i found

 a tiny tj

just three and one half years old

in my office

as the regional director

for united way

i had multiple offices

this is the one in geauga county

i'd often have a few tasks

needing completed

on a saturday

especially if i had taken

time off during the week

to tend to sarah's medical needs

i almost always

 took tj with me

it gave him a break from being with

his medically fragile sister

and he was such a good boy

he would sit

very patiently

playing with the calculator

for hours if need be

he loved punching in numbers

and then seeing the machine

tape continue to spew

out until it reached

great lengths

then he would take

a red pen

 and circle all the numbers

i had forgotten about those days

i suppose he was

destined to be a finance major

in college

all the way back then

which makes finding these photos

so perfectly timed...

...today

 i handed over

 the financial reins

of our company

american medical computing inc

to this boy

all grown up now

i'm confident he will do

 an excellent job

take it to the next level

and beyond

and that my friends

will allow me to spend

more time creating

in the house of fabric

like those

chairs behind us

the minute the man

who had this job before me

 moved out

i took them home for a weekend

and reupholstered them

with the fabric you see

gave the office

a twinkle of sunshine

tj i love you son

you've worked hard

you've earned the title

of cfo

dad and i are so proud

and honored to have you

in our family

it's fall y'all...

it's probably

no make that

a definately...

.

...my favorite time of year

here in ohio

i love the colors

the cool chill

in the air

the food

pumpkin

anything and everything

warm tomato soup

my besty is from

panera

the changing leaves

and the dark nights

i get so much more done

in the evenings

when it's dark outside

the inside projects anyway

and that means

soon i should have a

spot to sew again

homecoming times three...

it's different

this last

go around...

.

...maybe i no longer

 sweat the small stuff

perhaps it's just

old age

or possibly

experience

i've got the pattern down

boy meets girl

girl takes charge

end of story

or perhaps i've learned

that kids really do

step up to the plate

treat them like young adults

and they will

show you just how

great they can be

such a pleasure to

watch this group grow up

this is our future

and a bright one it will be

how high can you go...

the 9.11 memories...

i continue

to read

the words...

.

matt, sarah and tj ~ september 2001

the flag belonged to a fire chief

their great grandfather hillick

...never forget

and i ask myself

how could we

that one day

changed the world

altered our thought process

forever

today as i watch

 the replays

the new photos emerging

the memorial service

i am reminded

that life is so very precious

we are so vulnerable

yet stronger than

anyone of us can imagine

life goes on

what we do with it

is up to us

and collectively

as a team

we are stronger

for the experience

today

ten years later

i am so proud

of my country

for coming together

as one nation

mourning the great loss

yet celebrating

our courage

and our freedom

an ohio star

the year was

nineteen

seventy six...

.

the 2011 jingle bell shop hop block from jellen's house of fabric

i had just secured

my drivers license

and looked for any

opportunity to take the car

for a spin

judie and bob rothermel

had just opened

schoolhouse quilt shoppe

so i signed up

 for a class

 an ohio star block

thirty five years later

how excited i am

to have been assigned

the ohio star

as the block customers

will receive when they stop

at our shop

during the northeast ohio

jingle bell shop hop

our first ever

i am thrilled to have been

invited to participate

hope you will join us

september 10-17, 2011

icing on the cake...

found this

beauty  

over at...

.

...cake wrecks today

and that means

it is

edible

all of it

posted by

a bunch of pants