I have just discovered the full blessing of blogging. I started this particular blog for one reason. That reason has changed since I started it, but it is a better reason for me now.

This was my very first blogging ‘attempt’. I found it to be a ‘freeing’ experience. A chance to pour out part of my heart and soul that I normally would not do face to face with anyone in particular. It means getting a chance to express feelings, memories, etc. To put a voice to things you want to say, but never get the chance.

But today – well, my niece has started blogging. We have connected through our blogs. By sharing our blogs, we can get to know each other. You see, I have been physically several states away from her since she was very young. When she was small, we were great friends. Unfortunately, the last meeting her mother and I had before I left my home town for the last time we had a serious disagreement. While it was not a fight, we both said things that hurt the other. Her mother did not want me to have any contact with my niece or two nephews. My brother and I had sparce contact over the phone. 13 years later – the year my niece graduated from high school, I returned to see my mother. My sister-in-law and I met for lunch. We had a heart to heart talk and bridged the gap of many years, making up so to speak. But it was not a close relationship as our lives had parted those many years before.

Back to my niece. She is a wonderful person, a marvelous mother, and I am sure as close to the perfect wife as one can be. I am very honored to be one of her family. She has faced and was victorious over many many obstacles in her life. She is wise beyond her years. I hope every one who reads this blog has someone like her in their lives.

I wonder where time goes? It has been almost a month since I have written anything here. If anyone every tells you that your time is your own after your kids are up and gone – don’t believe them.

I am extremely fortunate to have my grandchildren all within 15 miles of me. Some of my friends are half a continent away from theirs. I have one set of boys every other weekend and I help my daughter with hers all the time. Some of my well meaning friends tell me to stand up for myself – that I shouldn’t have to babysit, taxi, etc. I just know one thing. My grand-kids will only be this age once. If you want to have a lasting relationship with them, you have to form it while they are small. I never want to look back on this time and realize that I did not use the opportunity to be part of their lives.

Kids are so amusing to watch. They are absorbed in their own little world that revolves around them. Listening to them explain the facts — to hear the logic with which they explain things is amazing. My 9 year old grand-daughter has an explanation for everything – and some of them are right on. Others – well, as she matures she will learn. You can’t expect a fourth grader to know everything.

And to watch my 3 1/2 year old grand daughter mother her brother (2) and her cousin (1) is heart warming. How such a little one can show so much proper care . . I guess she learns that from her mother. She has sparkling green eyes – and a smile that consumes her whole body. The best thing is, she loves to go to Grandma’s house. It feels sooo good to have little ones think you are great.

Each child is so unique. Each child is special. I treasure this time. I hope I will get to enjoy great-grand children also. But not for a while. My oldest grandson is 12. By the time he starts having children, my youngest grandson should be 12. So there will be some years without babies and pre-schoolers who have so much magic.

Guess you could say that I am a Granny and Proud of It.

Here it is – Saturday evening. It is snowing and icing outside and the coldest we have been all winter. I am glad it snowed. Yesterday was like a spring or fall day – in the 60’s with a light cool breeze. Today the ‘breeze’ got up to 50 mph gusts. Talk about climate shock!

But it does look and feel a lot more like Christmas. And it is wonderful. I get 2 holidays this year (President Bush gave Monday, Christmas Eve, as a holiday. Big Shock – not really. See, it is election year and he has to make good marks for his party. Plus it costs more to open the facilities and heat it up for the few souls who would actually show up.) Nonetheless, I get a 4 day holiday which is rare.

I even got to do what I love to do; my daughter and I went shopping last night and this morning. I love going out and shopping. But I hate driving in the crowds. We went to ump-teen million stores trying to find a ‘baby alive’ doll for her eight year old. Of course no one had any left in stock.

And I had my little grand-daughter (3 1/2) for a few hours this afternoon. She is such a pill! I love being with her when I can just be with her. She loves the computer. I have an older one set up for the kids Cd’s – reader rabbit, Dora Dora, etc. It doesn’t hook up to the Internet, so no worries there.

In between, I managed to get not 1 but 2 Starbucks! Anyone who is a Starbucks junkie knows the value of that. And I got my first website up and running. It is on body building and muscle building – and a little for weight gain/loss since that normally goes with it. It is at http://bodybuildingmuscleshaping.com . Take a look and tell me what you think. I really would like the feedback.

Well, sometime I will get back to my cross stitch. I really have to get going on making the Christmas stockings for each of the grand-kids. Wish me luck – and if I don’t get back to write again before Christmas – Have a blessed Christmas and safe travel. JoyntHeir

I wrote a blog about shopping on line. I really do like the opportunity to buy online. I still love to shop, but after I do, I can look online for the products I like and even the size I like. And comparison shop for the best price for the quality.

In crossing stitch, I like to look on line for 2 reasons. One is that there are many more patterns to look at – more choices to find the exact perfect project. The other is that there are not very many places in our town to shop at for cross stitch or embroidery. Most of the stores like Walmart just have a token spot. Hobby stores have a larger selection, but seem to stick to a half a dozen venders. On line, the choice is much larger. I am excited about my project to open another site for cross stitch, embroidery, and more. Just think how many embroidery machines you can look at on one site. A brick and mortor store could never afford to keep stock of all the brands and models out there.

Christmas – a time of tradition – a time of joy – a time for memories – a time for memory making. I really have to get going on making Christmas stockings for each of my grandchildren. ’til next time – stay happy and safe.

I had a lovely comment on my about page regarding my ‘name’. Thanks. I had to laugh – its funny how we don’t realize how something looks to another. So, I am changing my ‘handle’ from Joyntheir to JoyntHeir. Should be a little more readable – huh? And a little less ambiguous. Have a lovely night everyone! and God Bless.

24 days until Christmas! Would you believe it? I can’t. Seems like yesterday it was New Year’s Eve 1999 and we were all waiting for the lights to go off! Ha! We knew they wouldn’t. But it was kind of fun to yak about while the computer geeks all rushed to change year fields from 2 digits to 4.

As I put up the Christmas tree, I remember family traditions. Each ornament has a special meaning. The ones my mother embroidered and made of plastic canvas are especially dear to me. And to hand the stockings! I love to hand the stockings decorated with cross stitch. I can’t wait to let my grand-daughter pick out a pattern for her first Christmas stocking. I can teach her to cross stitch, and she will have a lot of time to work on it during the cold days in January and February when she can’t go outside to play.

Traditions – and handing down what we know. Isn’t that what life is all about?

Are there any other crafters out there? Or stitchers? I love to do counted cross stitch. It is like painting a picture. When my niece graduated from high school, I sent her a set of two pretty flower designs in the hoop type frame. I put love in each stitch. I hadn’t seen or talked to her since she was 5 (her mother and I were on the outs). That summer I drove my children (just in their teens) back home to show them where I grew up. I visited with my former sister-in-law who then invited me to her home. She showed me my niece’s room – and in the midst of all black and white decor was the colorful flowers. Apparently she did not like colors and had surounded herself in black and white. When she received my gift, she put them right up on the wall. And from then on she let colors gradually come back into her life.

We never know what one little thing will make the difference in someone’s life. I say, don’t say it with flowers and cards, say it with a gift you make especially for them – with love in every stitch.

Hi there – let me introduce myself – I am . . . . . well, Mom, Mama, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Mamma, Grandma, and Granny.  I want to ‘retire’ – that is – do what I want when I want and have the money to do it.  Anyone relate?

Have you ever noticed that what you spend your time and money on are, as you ponder on it, your ‘passions’ in life?  At work I am known as a ‘passionate’ person – that means to them that I stand up for what I believe in and do it vocally without beating around the bush.  Other people have less desirable names for a person like that.  But it is politely politically correct. 

I do have several ‘passions’ in life.  My family is the first – my kids, and now my grandkids.  I find myself delighting in them as they grow. 

One passion I have is Cross Stitch (counted cross stitch).   As a child of 9, I spent 6 months confined to a bed.  My mother had to find something I could do to keep me in bed.  One of the things she did was to purchase stamped pillowcases and some embroidery thread.  She taught me how to do each type of stitch.  I loved it.  As a teen, I bought stamped quilt tops and embroidered them, then quilted them.  I would watch TV, listen to records or the radio, or be in a waiting room at the doctors or other appointment, and out came the cross-stitch. Later, I met my sister-in-law and saw her beautiful counted cross-stitch pictures.  I wanted to do it.  So I got a book of patterns, some Aida cloth, and proceeded to learn the art of cross-stitch.  It is like painting – creating something beautiful. 

As I grew more practiced at it, I started experimenting with different cloth types, different types of thread, making special pictures for my friends, birth announcements for each grandchild, and designs on clothes.  I even used it when I began to knit.  Sound crazy?  I will expound someday on how I would take a cross-stitch pattern to knit a picture into a sweater. 

When my daughter entered her teens, I taught her how to cross-stitch.  She loved it.   Now my granddaughter is almost the age I started at.  It is time to teach her.  But where are the stores I used to buy my thread, hoops, needles, cloth, and patterns from?  Even Wal-Mart has quit carrying it.  I have to go to the hobby store, and even they don’t carry the selection I used to have.  The specialized needlecraft stores are disappearing.  If I, living in a large city with a dozen suburbs, cannot find the selection, what happens to the women in the more rural communities or small cities do?

I hope this does not turn into a dying art.  There are so many more projects to do, many more things to try – like taking a picture, putting it through software, and getting a coded pattern to cross-stitch.  Well, I had better get off the soapbox for now – I can go on about another day.