We are only on the 13th day of May and it has already proven to be a super busy month. Birthdays and anniversaries and graduations and wedding receptions and bridal showers and hospital stays and sisters visiting and much more. I didn’t make it to all of them either, but my life has still been busy, as I’m sure yours has too.
There has been sewing sporadically but not like I’d like it to be… but soon…it’s coming!
Today I wanted to share something from my dear friend Alba. She wrote this and wanted me to share it with you all. The first part wasn’t what she wrote for me to share, but she kind of summarized my blog and I want to share that with you too…
Hello Jeanne,
I can’t believe the kind of “readers” that you have in your blog. I agree with you, I have read several blogs of all sorts and I have never seen the kind of relationship that you all have. They are not readers, they are like family, right?
Dear Jeanne’s friends,
Oh my God. I am amazed at your beautiful hearts. Thank you so much for caring about me. Thanks for your prayers and best wishes when I was in the ER and while I was preparing for the defense. Yes, all of the prayers were heard. Thank GOD!
Unfortunately, I will not be able to send you a picture of my commencement. As I just defended, my diploma will be awarded in Summer but there is only commencement in Spring and Fall. I will definitively send you a picture of Sara’s graduation this Thursday at 7:30.
I studied a PhD in Education. I will go back to my job as a professor at a Public University in Colombia. I was blessed with a leave of absence to come to study my PhD but in the meantime, I am sharing one picture for every year Sara has been here.
Thanks again and GOD BLESS YOU!!
Alba
Sara has grown up right before you…
Sara in 2014
Sara in 2015
Sara in 2016 (I hope I got the 2016 and 2017 pics right!)
Sara in 2017
Sara in 2018
…and Thursday evening we’ll add ONE more picture from her graduation!
Thanks everyone,
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m glad to hear you will soon be sewing again, Jeanne; me, too, I hope!
Thank you, Alba, for sharing the pictures of your beautiful daughter! It was fun to see her grow up before our eyes!
I think you are right, that this list is more like a “family” than just a group of readers. I am both a sewer and a doll collector, and it has been my experience that both groups tend to form bonds, particularly (in my experience, anyway), those in the sewing world. I’ve been on one sewing list for maybe 15 years or so, and although the followers have changed somewhat over the years, it still is a pretty close-knit community. I have friends from that list with whom I exchange daily or almost daily emails, even though I have never met them face to face! (Although some I have met) When my dad died, and then, two years later, my mom, I received some of the loveliest messages from many of these sewing friends. I saved every one of them.
It’s easy to think of computers as so impersonal, but, really, I’ve met more friends thru my sewing and dolly lists than I could ever have dreamed possible!! And some of us are on more than one list, which helps strengthen those bonds, I think.
Hope everyone had a lovely Mother’s Day!
Jeanne, it seems like we have finally turned a corner and things are going to settle down soon! I have no doubt that you will soon be sewing up a storm!
Dear Alba, you have given us a reason to cheer you on to receive your Ph.D.! Congratulations on your hard work! Your beautiful daughter has been a joy to see as she grows up and gets more beautiful and talented each year. It is no small thing to come to another country not knowing the language, customs or really anyone. Jeanne and her family were your angels who helped you tremendously in your journey. We wish you and your family all the wonderful things in your future, as you prepare to go back home. You will not be forgotten!
So yes, Jeanne, this is a “family” blog, and I am so happy and proud to be a part of it!
Makes me sad that Sara, Alba, and Edgar are leaving. It has been so wonderful seeing Sara grow up. I do hope that occasionally, we may see a new photo of Sara back in her native Columbia. I only have a masters degree in Early Childhood Education, Alba, so I commend you for receiving your PhD. We need as many excellent teachers produced as possible. 🙂 So wonderful that you have achieved such an accomplishment. Goodbye, stay well, and good luck in your future endeavors.
Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day with your family Jeanne. Hurray for future sewing too.
Dear Alba,
You are right. Jeanne has created a family, strangers, but yet all God’s children. We are so proud of you for you accomplishment. I got my doctorate a gazillion years ago but I still remember my defense and the first time someone called me “doctor.” It is not a small achievement and your hard work and determination have served you well. Please stay in touch through the blog so we know how you are. Blessings to you as you return home.
Dear Jeanne, thank you for sharing the photos of Sara. I feel like I am sitting on the sofa looking at a family photo album. Tears are streaming down my cheeks. What an incredible young lady she is. I know that she will always be a part of your life. You are a true auntie to her, no matter biology or logistics. Geez, here I go again. Someone pass me the tissues.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day. Your blog is the only one I follow Jeanne. I found you first on eBay, was intrigued by your name and really loved your designs. I love how your blog encompasses many subjects and your willingness to share tutorials and sewing tips. I also enjoy how your readers are so helpful and also willing to share so it does seem like a family.
My granddaughter is graduating high school this spring and I have been going through a zillion photos for her photo board, it’s fun and a little sad at the same time. Alba’s school pics of Sara are beautiful – so fun to see the “growing up” process but I too will be a little sad that you are returning home.
Congratulations again Alba, wishing you and your lovely family a bright future and thanks to Jeanne for sharing your friendship with us.
Dear Alba, thank you for sharing your family with us. Congratulations on your PhD! All the best wishes as you return to your home and continue your life there. J.
I hope everyone had a good Mother’s Day. I did! We went to the nearby state park with a bison herd. I got some great pictures. They were closer to the road than I have ever seen! One was grazing right next to the road! DH took us out to eat and later we had ice cream. Son gave me an orchid plant. Hope I can keep it alive.
My son (and his then-girlfriend) gave me an orchid plant for Mother’s Day several years ago. The directions said to give it “two ice cubes once a week”, so I did…..and it is just finishing blooming for the third year in a row!! Woohoo!! Finally a plant I can’t kill in the first three months I have it!! I did give it a little time-release plant food after I saw buds this year, but not sure if I did that before or not.
Other than this orchid, I have killed (usually by neglect–I forget about them!) virtually every plant I’ve ever had in the last 45 years! I think I even managed to kill a cactus once!! LOL But this one….for some reason I usually remember (on Sundays, hopefully) to give it its two ice cubes every week, and that’s it!
Oh dear! I think I’m joining Joy with tissues! How time flies when I look at Sara’s pictures of the years gone by. Sara is a lovely young lady. I wish Sara, Alba and Edgar much happiness and success as they return to their home in Columbia. I’m sure they will be happy to reuniting with family and friends.
I hope everyone enjoyed Mother’s Day yesterday. Whether you are a mom or not, I’m sure their is someone who is special to you in a motherly way. Bless all those who care for us in one way or another!
And Jeanne, we are always excited to hear about things going on in your life, whether you get in your sewing room or not. But we love it when you do.
How funny. I consider myself pretty much back to sewing and you consider yourself getting back to sewing and you’ve accomplished more than I have the past couple weeks. Even with all the other things you’ve been doing. I feel so inadequate. Just joking, of course. We all do what we can do and I have an excuse. I keep picking patterns with new and unusual techniques that in all my years of sewing I’ve never seen before. Even looking at the pictures I can’t always tell what they’ve done. But I am glad you’re on your way back to your sewing room because that would mean your life will have settled down some and you will have more pretty things to share. Did you have any problems getting the girls to give up there new outfits? You would definitely have been double-teamed if it were so.
As for blogs, I have participated in this one far more than any others I have been on. I sometimes remained on a blog for awhile, but didn’t share much. The reason is that most of the blogs seemed so restrictive. I love that people here share ideas and pictures and recipes (yummy!), and personal stories. You have allowed us a lot of freedom. Maybe it’s the temptation of “speak your mind”. I don’t get the feeling that only some things are allowed. It’s more like a fellowship group where people meet to discuss many things, in addition to the primary reason for the group. I got involved in a discussion one time on a doll clothes sewing and sale blog about pattern copyright. It was very informative because for anyone who wants to sell things they need to know how it works. We were told to stop because it wasn’t what the blog owner wanted us to discuss. The owner definitely had that right, but I noticed a lot of people disappeared from the blog. A blog owner that allows us to speak our minds on many topics is a pretty courageous (perhaps adventurous) person. Jeanne you can take a bow now.
I loved the pictures of Sara through the years. When I saw the picture of her in her winter apparel it made me wonder, do they have snow in Columbia? If not, boy does she have experiences to share. She is such a go-getter, but then I think of the example Alba has set for her. Pretty Amazing. Sorry we won’t be seeing pictures of Alba’s commencement but really looking forward to pictures of Sara’s graduation. Jeanne, you and your hubby are so blessed to have been a part of this families life while they were here and to see Sara grow and blossom from the time she arrived until now. She is definitely a “bloom where she’s planted” kind of girl. I see an amazing future for Sara.
I had a lovely Mother’s Day and hope everyone else did too.
Congratulations again, Alba, and to Sara as well. What a wonderful field for your PhD, Education. The university certainly had faith in your abilities to send you all this way for so long. You are a credit to your country as well as your family. Please keep us posted on your happenings as you go back home. The pictures of Sara are darling!
I haven’t seen anything over the years I’ve followed your Blog, Jeanne, to indicate that there is anything normal about your life, but we certainly enjoy finding out what’s going on every day. Hope things are relatively settled for a while now. Looking forward to seeing more of your wonderful creations. Thanks for always keeping us up to date.