Hard to believe that I've neglected this for the past year. Why? Who knows? I just haven't been inspired to share that much of me outside of my Facebook postings of which there have been many. In this last year I've both connected and reconnected with many family members and friends. Just a week ago, we had a most successful reunion with relatives on my mother's side, the Mynahans.  We had more than 100 on hand, ranging in age from 3 months to early 90's. Too much fun - both in planning the reunion and in the day itself.   In fact, we've already set a date to start planning the next one. My generation has taken the lead in planning. It's been easy for us as we all live within a couple of hours from each other. For the next generation, it might not be that easy. They're scattered far and wide across the country. Hopefully there'll be ways to have virtual reunions.

Two weeks ago I had a high school class reunion. Again, half the fun was in the planning. It was great to see old frineds and to get reacquainted with other classmates that weren't a part of my circle in school. I think one of my classmates put it so well - "We all shared spending a certain time in a certain place and I think it was important that we did not let this moment in our lives pass without our celebration last Saturday. It was great to see us all connect - not as who were were in high school but rather as who we are now." Thanks, Jim, for finding just the right words.

Times change....

In November 1986 I remember getting ready to check out at Busy Fingers, a craft store in Sanford. I had gone there to buy some yarn to make a baby blanket. At the register was a copy of "Leisure Arts" magazine featuring a fabulous picture of a Santa Claus in something called "cross stitch." I had seen this type of needlework before, but never really paid any attention to it. Well, this Santa so intrigued me that I just had to buy the magazine. I took it home and within the week was at the local dime store to buy fabric and the nearly 40 colors of floss needed to start this project. I followed the directions and within the next several months, I had completed and framed the project. Then it was on to the following year's Santa and a multitude of projects after that. I was totally hooked. Cross stitch had become a passion.

In 1988 a friend of mine introduced me to the local Embroiderers Guild group. From the moment I walked in I was warmly greeted and felt right at home. This only fed my passion and brought me many new very dear friends. As the years passed, I tried many more forms of embroidery. Not all of my efforts were successful but my enthusiasm never waned. I became very involved and then some in the Guild. I was chair of the local group, became president of the Maine chapter, was New England Region Director, and served on the national board. I took classes locally and at national seminars. I dreamed of owning a stitching shop or running needlework seminars on my own. I was always looking for more time or a place to put in one more stitch.

I could never get enough stitching in - either the actual act of it or reading about it. I went on a tear buying projects and books. My needlework library has well over 1,000 books and shelves of magazines. I have more projects both started and "in the box" than I would ever have time to finish - even if I stitched 24/7 for years and years.

Now, sadly enough, that passion has burned itself out. I really have no desire to stitch. I can't tell you when I last had a needle in my hand. My stitching bag gathers dust next to the couch. I agreed to be a pilot stitcher for a new EGA class earlier this year and had to bow out. I just couldn't make myself stitch. I did change careers a few years ago and am working just about full-time. That could have something to do with it, but I don't think so.

I still hope to get back to stitching at some point. Right now I fill my need to be creative with knitting. I have a gazillion knitting projects that I'm either working on or intend to do. I'm taking classes, sneaking in a few rows whenever I can, reading and buying knitting magazines and books on a regular basis. I'm definitely not as passionate about knitting as I was about embroidery, but I certainly am enjoying myself. I keep my memberships in EGA, the American Needpoint Guild, and Embroidery Canada as a life member of each group. I still keep up with what's going on with my state EGA chapter and EGA's online chapter. I think about my stitching friends and miss them. But for now, it's k1, yo, k2t, yo..............

Thoughts on reading......

So much of my life revolves around books and that's pretty much the way it's always been. A couple of the first books I remember toting around with me were "Poppy," a book about a fairy, and a Latin/English dictionary. (Don't ask me why about the last one. I didn't get to study Latin until high school. I just liked that book!) I read a lot and loved going to the library. What a treat that always was. Fortunately for me, since I'm now a librarian, going to the library is a daily treat.

Although I did read a lot, it was not always the best. I loved series - The Bobsey Twins, Honey Bunch, The Happy Hollisters, Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Donna Parker, etc. I may have missed out on reading a lot of the classics, but I enjoyed what I read.

Until I went to library school, I pretty much read in a narrow range. I may not have read series so much any more, but I did have my favorite authors - Joanna Trollope, Elizabeth Berg, etc. My classes required me to read well beyond that range. What a great gift. I took a Young Adult class that really stretched me. Three of the best books I've read came out of that class - Lois Lowry's "The Giver," "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers, and "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer. Then in another great class we read a large number of books covering a very wide range of topics/genre - romance, thriller, detective, books "that made an impact," Christian fiction, non-fiction, etc. It was a great challenge that I really enjoyed.

Now, my book groups keep me reaching outside my range. The group at the Library alternates between fiction and non-fiction. The Facebook group reads an eclectic mix. Some of the best books from these efforts include "Lying Awake" by Mark Salzman, "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros, and "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett." I probably would not have read any of these books had it not been for my book groups.

I look at the pile of books next to my bed and in my office and marvel at both how much I've read and how much I still have to read (definitely more of the latter). I can now carry a load of books with me wherever I go thanks to my Kindle. And, there are times when I cram in every little bit of reading that I can - even in line at the grocery store!

What a great gift reading is. With so many books and so little time, I don't get to enjoy it as much as I'd like, but I know that it's always there for me. So, now it's time to hit the books.

If you'd like to see what I've been reading over the last few years, take a look at my page on LibraryThing. Look for Irishwasherwoman. What good (or bad) reads do we have in common?