POST 1000!

 Well, WOW! I just sat down to write this blog and saw that it is number 1000! Isn't that something?! I planned to write about something else but will use this 1000th post to look back.

My first post was December 31, 2011, titled Out With The Old, In With The New. I didn't have a plan for how long I would blog or all the things I would write about. I just got started.

Essentially, this blog is my journal diary, detailing the things important in my life. Mostly focused on quilting but not only about quilting. Though that is a central part of my life.

During these years, here are just SOME of the many things that have happened:

In 2014 I retired from H&R Block after 34 years and thousands of clients  TAX SEASON BY THE NUMBERS

Also in 2014 The RED AND WHITE QUILT THING happened--if you have not read this post about what that experience meant to me, you should: RED AND WHITE WRAP UP

One son got married in 2012 and our first grandchild was born in 2015. POST # 200--IT'S ALL ABOUT STELLA!

After 2014 I started traveling to teach quilt classes all over the country. What a wonderful thing to do. I am so grateful it continues today. So far I have taught at 4 huge shows and events and many guilds with many more scheduled into 2026. I will do this as long as it is FUN!

I even get to teach on QUILT CRUISES--that is a super fun way to combine work and a vacation. HARMONY OF QUILTING CRUISE PART ONE

2017 saw the creation of the "SUNDAY SEW AND SEWS", a group who met monthly at my home to work on the Block of the Month project from THE QUILT SHOW: Halo Star Medallion.  The group has changed over the years, two of our members have passed away, and we now meet quarterly but this group of special women is very dear to me:    SUNDAY SEW AND SEWS -- A TRIBUTE

2019 Christmas Party

In 2018 we got our first grandson: Samuel. Here he is on his first birthday:

I was honored to have a "ONE WOMAN SHOW" at International Quilt Festival Houston in 2021. Featuring 23 of my quilts from the humble early pieces to the four BEST OF SHOW winners, it was a dream come true for me to share my JOYFUL JOURNEY as a quiltmaker. I told my family it is the equivalent of the OSCARS Lifetime Achievement Award: HOUSTON QUILT FESTIVAL 2021

The most significant thing I have done has been my HEALTH JOURNEY. Begun about two years ago I set out to improve my health, somehow, someway. In just over a year, I lost 100 pounds. Now, a year later, I am down 11 more pounds and am the best weight for me. I weigh what I did March 29, 1979 as a 24 year old United States Marine Corps officer. I have posted in detail about this journey and provided recipes--all are easy to find in the tab above "HEALTH JOURNEY". HOW I LOST 100 POUNDS  This post has been read by thousands around the country and I am glad I wrote it.

Before and After

2021 with Sam

2021 with Stella

Finally, this year we were blessed with our last grandchild, Oliver. My 45 year old son is in love with his son and Oliver's mother. They have asked us not to post photos showing his face and that's hard, but we abide by their request. Oliver looks exactly like Joshua did as an infant. We are so thrilled for Joshua, Cait and Oliver!

Oliver on the left, Joshua on the right

A super fun thing that happened this year was the photo shoot and magazine feature on my weight loss for: WOMAN'S WORLD MAGAZINE

My husband of 48 years Charles "Will" Wilkins

Finally, this year saw one of those BIG birthdays. I wrote about it here: BIRTHDAYS

Birthday Photo

The gang was all here!

My life is good, and full and I am so fortunate to have all the blessings I do. Looking forward, I will continue to BE STRONG, BE PATIENT AND BE HAPPY.  The best is yet to come. Things change but I will charge into whatever the future holds with passion, determination and grit!

Now, let's quilt.

Barbara