Wow what a weekend. My grandson Bill came up on Friday night and my grandson Joe, who lives here in Sacramento and is his brother, came over to visit also.We have not had a chance to really visit since our annual NEW YEAR'S EVE celebration. So we had a lot of catching up to do, talking about our jobs, they both work with autistic children, my Foster Grandparenting. We had Chinese food, another one of our traditions, watched the Olympics. Bill will start his doctorate studies in psycology tomorrow and Joe will go to American River College here in Sacramento to work on his teaching certificate in Special Ed.
Bill and I went to see The Dark Knight. He had seen it before but decided Grandma needed to see it also. It was a great movie, I loved it . Later, Joe came over to visit and they cooked beef strognoff for dinner. I finally went to bed about 11:00 and they were still up chatting. It is so nice to see the grandkids together.
Have you been watching the Olympics? What a thrill to see the young people who invest so much of the lives to become champion athletics.
Tomorrow will be the first day of our new school year. I personally am excited, a little scared and bound and determined to make this a good school year for these boys and girls. We, the teacher, the aide and I have spent the whole week getting ready for this day. We will have four returning from last year but the balance of the class will be three year olds. Our class is made up of three to five year olds. So we expect a lot of tears for a while .
Hope all are well
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Quilts and Life
I would be nothing if I did not have my quilting to express myself in. I have been making quilts for many years,my first one was a Sunbonnet Sue Quilt. It served several purposes. One, I then had a quilt of my own, two I learned to bast in small stitches, three , I also learned to sew sraight lines on a sewing machine. I had recently joined a family in my grandparents neighborhood who had a spare room, a need for someone to help with garden, canning etc. Their son had a Overall Sam quilt. I had none of my own and this was a way for me to feel part of their family also.
I made quilts for my kids, grandkids, friends of mine,friends of my grandkids. Then I sold my house and moved to my current home . I meet the young lady next door. We became good friends(she is like a granddaughter to me). she decided to take a quilting class when she had her little boy, Shane. I couldn't keep my hands off the new things she learned in quilting. There are so many things that I had never had the time or money to explore. Thus started a very joyous
time in my life. I could use my imagination, my talent(?) for colors and make things that I would never had thought to do before. Of course about this time I was diagnosed with The Big C. I wasn't going to let it get me down. My friend, Cheryl and I have spent many hours working together on quilts, we have even made wall hangings. We, I say we. because it is a two person experiment have not yet learned to quilt on my quilting machine. I have done three , two were just plain fabric which I just practiced sewing in designs, my own mainly and writing different things on with the sewing machine. The third one I had pieced for Patti, my daughter. I enjoyed making that one but I had a hard time getting just the right design. She loves it and that is all that matters.
I, now have two adopted great grandsons. Shane and Hunter. I have a great granddaughter who is fifteen, her name is Eden, Her brother is eight, his name is Ion. My Great grandson Ethan will be eight in Sept. plus Tommy, Luci and Joshua.
Eden,Ion ,Ethan and I went to Fresno on the train in June.It was a lot of fun. I enjoy the kids.Sometimes I feel as if I am too old to be with them but when I am with these children I feel young again.
I made quilts for my kids, grandkids, friends of mine,friends of my grandkids. Then I sold my house and moved to my current home . I meet the young lady next door. We became good friends(she is like a granddaughter to me). she decided to take a quilting class when she had her little boy, Shane. I couldn't keep my hands off the new things she learned in quilting. There are so many things that I had never had the time or money to explore. Thus started a very joyous
time in my life. I could use my imagination, my talent(?) for colors and make things that I would never had thought to do before. Of course about this time I was diagnosed with The Big C. I wasn't going to let it get me down. My friend, Cheryl and I have spent many hours working together on quilts, we have even made wall hangings. We, I say we. because it is a two person experiment have not yet learned to quilt on my quilting machine. I have done three , two were just plain fabric which I just practiced sewing in designs, my own mainly and writing different things on with the sewing machine. The third one I had pieced for Patti, my daughter. I enjoyed making that one but I had a hard time getting just the right design. She loves it and that is all that matters.
I, now have two adopted great grandsons. Shane and Hunter. I have a great granddaughter who is fifteen, her name is Eden, Her brother is eight, his name is Ion. My Great grandson Ethan will be eight in Sept. plus Tommy, Luci and Joshua.
Eden,Ion ,Ethan and I went to Fresno on the train in June.It was a lot of fun. I enjoy the kids.Sometimes I feel as if I am too old to be with them but when I am with these children I feel young again.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Grandkids
A short rundown on my grandkids. I have 6 grandsons and two granddaughters. Teresa is the oldest of the grandkids and she is a massage therapist who lives in Suisun City. She is 29. Has been a youth minister. She isn't married. Todd is the next grandkid, he is going to be 27 in October. He is married and has two sons, Todd Thomas who is 3 and Joshua James who is two weeks old almost. Chris just turned 25 on 08-08. He isn't married still lives at home and works with his dad. Joseph is going to be 25 in Nov. not married, going to college to be a special ed teacher. Currently works with autistic children in their homes, teaching them social graces,etc.
Mike is 23, he works as a nurse, has been to Iraq with the army and is currently living in Washington state, was in Idaho. Also not married. Bill graduated from Fresno State college in May with a masters of art in psychology. He will continue with his studies for his doctorate in the fall. Bill is a very tall young man. He is 6 ft 7 in. I just fit under his arm. He is also not married.
Nathan is going to be 22 in Dec . He was in the Marine corp and served two tours of duty in Iraq. He is not married and lives in Ca. Jessica will be 21 the last of Aug. she has a baby girl Lucinda, born July 13,2008. She is also not married.
Mike is 23, he works as a nurse, has been to Iraq with the army and is currently living in Washington state, was in Idaho. Also not married. Bill graduated from Fresno State college in May with a masters of art in psychology. He will continue with his studies for his doctorate in the fall. Bill is a very tall young man. He is 6 ft 7 in. I just fit under his arm. He is also not married.
Nathan is going to be 22 in Dec . He was in the Marine corp and served two tours of duty in Iraq. He is not married and lives in Ca. Jessica will be 21 the last of Aug. she has a baby girl Lucinda, born July 13,2008. She is also not married.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
HELLO,MY NAME IS JOANNE
Well, I decided maybe I need to introduce myself. I live in Sacramento,Ca. I have lived here since the 1980's. I was born and raised in Kearney, Ne. When I was 20 I married and moved to Ogden, Ut, we lived there for eight years and then moved to Brigham City. We lived there for about six years and then transferred to Fresno, Ca with IRS. I had five children, Three girls, Kathryn, Tamara,and Patricia. two sons Robert and James. My daughters and my son Robert all live in Fresno. My son James passed away in 1995.
Well, now that I have given you a little history about me. I will tell you about me and my life now.I retired from IRS after 23 years, I, then worked at a fabric store for a while, big mistake I love to sew and bought a lot of material . Then I went to work for a Bead Shop. That was fun because I got to make things ,used my imagination a lot. Then I went to work for the local cable company and retired about six years ago. I have been making quilts for quite awhile now and am still doing that . Love doing that because I can make things using my imagination and give them to friends, relatives and organizations who dispense them to the needy.
But my most rewarding Job is the one I have now. I am a Foster Grandparent. I work in a head start program at a local school. I started last Nov. one of the reason for starting was because I wanted to give something back , and my little adopted grandson was going to that preschool. By the end of the school year, I had several new friends and their parents who call me Grandma Jo.
This summer I worked in a different classroom, the children were either down syndrome children or autistic children. The first week I came home sure that I would not make it. I am a talker,hugger, cuddler. Most of the children did not respond. I made a vow that I would get them all to talk to me . So I appointed myself the person in charge of hand washing . While we washed
hands I sang little songs that I made up using the childrens names. Before long they talked to me
hugged me, let me touch them, hold their hands.
It was a real education for me and rewarding. I make little rice packs for kids to use on their bobo's, they are made with flannel, and I put them in the freezer so they are better than Ice packs because they are mouldable . The kids love them because they can hold them in their small hands.
Well, now that I have given you a little history about me. I will tell you about me and my life now.I retired from IRS after 23 years, I, then worked at a fabric store for a while, big mistake I love to sew and bought a lot of material . Then I went to work for a Bead Shop. That was fun because I got to make things ,used my imagination a lot. Then I went to work for the local cable company and retired about six years ago. I have been making quilts for quite awhile now and am still doing that . Love doing that because I can make things using my imagination and give them to friends, relatives and organizations who dispense them to the needy.
But my most rewarding Job is the one I have now. I am a Foster Grandparent. I work in a head start program at a local school. I started last Nov. one of the reason for starting was because I wanted to give something back , and my little adopted grandson was going to that preschool. By the end of the school year, I had several new friends and their parents who call me Grandma Jo.
This summer I worked in a different classroom, the children were either down syndrome children or autistic children. The first week I came home sure that I would not make it. I am a talker,hugger, cuddler. Most of the children did not respond. I made a vow that I would get them all to talk to me . So I appointed myself the person in charge of hand washing . While we washed
hands I sang little songs that I made up using the childrens names. Before long they talked to me
hugged me, let me touch them, hold their hands.
It was a real education for me and rewarding. I make little rice packs for kids to use on their bobo's, they are made with flannel, and I put them in the freezer so they are better than Ice packs because they are mouldable . The kids love them because they can hold them in their small hands.
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