A Couple of Days of Thinking

Well its been a few days since my first blog writing, and I done some thinking about what I wanted to write about. I guess when you aren't used to doing this, its a real thought provoking thing.
Finding my way both around Minneapolis and around my life was not an easy challenge. The greatest thing about finding your way around town is that the streets are in Alpha order. Finding your way is not as easy. I did have the older brother to help when needed, but he couldn't help me find my way.
It took a few years to learn how to live without someone there to help when needed, and as my youngest approached teenage years I had that to battle with too. Well lets just say I learned a lot about fixing things, and being a single Mom.
Life finally settled down about six year ago and I was able to get back into a craft. My oldest son started his own business and built it into a very successful business as well. My daughter went back to school while raising two small children, she graduated with honors and glory (from me) with a degree in horticulture. Funny I always wondered why she wanted to play with dirt all the time.....She is now a General Manager for a Nursery in Oneonta N.Y. Asbury Gardens. So if you need some gardening advice just email her at asburygardens.com. She answers all the emails so no need to worry about who to address it to. Ray my youngest is still living with me, he had an accident in 1999 and has a brain injury from it. We are working on getting him into assisted living so that he can understand what independence is about.
As I said about six years ago things settled down into some sort of a nice routine, I was bored and wanted to do something. I got interested in stained glass, took all the classes I could then went crazy devoting all my free time making all sorts of things. I did really well, had a nice clientele, sold lots of pieces to my co workers too. Really loved doing it a lot, then I got interested in warm glass and began fusing and slumping. A whole new world opened up for me. There is nothing greater than putting a piece of flat glass in the kiln and have it come out in a shape! So many different things to make in the kiln as well as making all the great stained glass items, which were endless. Lamps, night lights, windows, sun catchers and the list goes on.
The knitting needles and crochet hooks and sewing machine are sitting in the closet, collecting dust...because of arthritic hands I can't knit or crochet any more, and I have no one to sew for.
Life is interesting and leads you down many many paths. I still hadn't found my true craft calling yet, but we will leave that for another time.
So until next time, and to get a hint of what I do, please check out my sites on Etsy-wilmaswhimsey; eBay-whimseypaint, Just Beads- wilmas whimseys and my website too
www.wilmas-whimseys.com
Until next time.....

Wilma
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Just Getting Started

There has bee lots of talk about blogs lately on a group that I belong to, the MN ETSY Street Team. Me not being a blog person asked tons of questions, and boy did I get answers. What wonderful people in my group. I signed up for the blog and let it sit for a couple of days, then this morning while coming too consciousness, I thought about starting today. So here goes.
I am not sure about what the proper way to do this is, but at any rate, here is my thoughts on what I think a blog is.
I have never been much of a craft person, early in life I was busy raising 3 children, and heavens knows besides reading an occasional book, who had time for crafts! My Mom did teach me how to crochet, and I did make blankets galore, then mittens and hats for the kids and the local church I belonged to for the mitten tree. When my last child was born, there were about 15 of us who were having babies around the same time and we decided to form a mothers group. Now picture this,
I said 15 moms, but our town is no bigger than maybe 2500 people (35 kids in the graduating class when my kids graduated). So any way through this Mothers group, I met a few more people I didn't know, one of them was Valerie who was really into sewing. she got the bug into me, and then I started sewing everything. I made infant clothes for my newborn, sleepers for the older kids, shirts and dresses and yes even jeans. My kids loved wearing the clothes I created for them to school. Then I started on older people clothes, and made heavy weight flannel shirts for the men and silk blouses for the ladies. I used to go shopping and run home and hide my material so my husband wouldn't see it. I ordered material from all over the US. specifically for the kids. I sewed making everything, quilts as well as clothes, slipcovers etc and pretty soon people started bring repairs to me. Great way to earn extra money. Did a lot for the NY State Corrections Department as my ex husband was a prison guard and his co workers needed their pants altered in various ways. hen when I moved to MN all crafts stoped as I was busy with my new life trying to find my way.
For more of this interesting "how I got started" please join me again as I continue my story.
Thanks for reading and be sure to please check out my website www.wilmas-whimseys; ebay- whimseypaint; just beads- whimsey and of course Etsy- wilmaswhimseys . Hopefully with the guidance of my team members I will be able to start an esty mini so you can see some of my work. so till my next writing,,,,,,,,,,

Wilma