Hello 2022, and Everyone still clicking on this link!!!!

I guess it is a fine day to finally get back into this blogging thing, and try much harder to stay current and engaged. Sounds like a great 2022 Resolution!!!! To start, since my last entry, so much has changed, it seems like I should be starting a new blog. 

                                                                                         

In the start of 2020, we decided that life was too short to wait for better health, the end of the (new) pandemic, retirement, etc. So, we got back into the hunt for our dream home, the "one" we would live out the rest of our days. Some beautiful properties came up, but they never quite fit the bill. And then in a quite Serendipitous moment, the house I thought was IT, fell through, and literally, another landed in our laps. I had been watching the property for some time, and never in a million years thought it would be in our price range, or to Brians liking. And suddenly, we were calling our beloved Realtor and walking the property. It was perfect in each way we needed it to be, but yet, needed work that would allow us to make it specifically ours. So, we made and had an offer accepted, sold our house, and moved 6 miles down the road to our piece of heaven on earth. Land to roam, place for the horses, future (now) chickens, a pond, and a workshop for Brian. And quickly we came to find that it also "came with" the best possible neighbors one could hope for. 

Almost immediately after moving in, Brian suffered a life altering injury to his hand, involving a table saw, and our construction and improvement plans were put on hold as he faced surgery and months of rehab. 

And hey, why not add a new family member, so we brought home an amazing puppy, named Fiona. 

                                                                                                

But in the sping of 2021, we started the plans of a bothroom overhaul, converting a shed to a mini barn, building a chicken coop and run, and then on to the main barn. All while having trees cut and processed for the winter, as the house is heated by an outdoor wood boiler. Yes, we jumped in head first, eyes wide open, knowing there would be a lot to learn, a lot to do, and a lot to live! 

We managed to get the boys home at the end of August, and sadly, lost Jack 3 weeks later. He was an amazing first horse for Becca, but after 2 years of fighting a terminal condition, his health and spirit finally gave out. But we made a promise and kept it. He came home, he was put to rest here, and he will always be with us now, with his own special place and garden. Our new Barn will be named in his honor, Jacks Shack!

Meanwhile, I took a much needed "break" from My Quilt Corner. I needed to organize my new studio, unpack and settle a new home, help Brian with rehab, AND homeschool Becca through a year + of Remote home learning, thanks to Covid.  I also called on our amazing Realtor again, to help me find a home for my mother, who moved from Florida to Vermont, to be closer to me and the kids. I know, she went backwards, but hey, what's it worth, if you don't have family close? And then shortly after, my son and his girlfriend bought their first home, not too far from us. 

After a wonderful visit from some of our closest friends, we got the main barns outer shell up, and then the weather and lack of day light called it a year. So, it was time to move onto the best part. Getting My Quilt Corner back up and running. And this was the year I was upgrading from a wonderful sitdown mid arm, to the full LongArm I always dreamed of. And here she is! My HQ Amara on a 12foot Studio 2 frame, with Prostitcher and Designer. Now I can do Free Motion, Ruler Work, Computerized and Automated work, and any combination of. It takes a king size quilt, and makes it look almost easy. No more basting on the floor, tired shoulders, or frustrations over laying out quilt paths. 

I have decided the first step is to finish the collection of quilt tops I have accrued over the years, and list those in my Etsy store (well, the ones I don't keep of course) and do some work for my mother and a few other select clients. Eventually, my hope is to offer long arm services for finishing other peoples quilts, but not yet. 

But funny enough, I haven't gotten tired of the view yet, and it makes it hard to work. I can look outside from my studio and see the boys, the birds, and any variety of wild life. It's like having free Animal Planet on 24/7!! 

So in a nutshell, that is where I have been since 2020, and now, 2022 is here, and I hope to blog more, post more projects in my Etsy store, and learn all sorts of new and amazing skills that I can bring to the quilts I make! Thank you for coming back here, for reading to this point, and for sticking with me! See you soon!