Thoughts on a beautiful spring Saturday

Several people tagged me this past week for the "Thinking Blogger Award". I feel so honored and blessed that my scribblings and pictures are inspirational to other quilters. At times I really miss teaching quilting, and this is the next best thing. Thank you so much - all of you who read my blog - especially those of you who make comments - I appreciate each and every one of you more than you can imagine. And a special thank you to those of you who tagged me - I hope I can continue to be an inspiration.

To pass on this award to only 5 blogs is so very difficult. I see I now have 201 feeds listed on Bloglines - no wonder I can't keep up! There are quite a few that are craft blogs instead of quilting blogs, and I love to look at all the things they do that I know I'll never do myself. Several are always posting wonderful flea market and thrift shop finds - things that remind me of my childhood home during the 1950's. I love to see what they do with these finds. Putting together a mixture of accessories to make a perfectly decorated room has never been a strength of mine. And every time I've ever been in a thrift shop or similar place I can't see the treasures because I can't look past all the junk. I skim read those blogs and enjoy them mostly for the pictures, so it wouldn't be fair to tag any of them.

I love the quilting blogs the most - of course! And many of my favorites have already been tagged. So forgive me if there are repeats - I'll try not to repeat too many. I comment regularly on all the quilting blogs that I love, so I hope each of you already knows how much your posts mean to me. But still I must choose - so here goes:

First must be Finn at Pieces from my Scrapbag. I have her to thank for opening my eyes to all the possibilities in my scraps. They've all sat for years - both in sorted plastic bins and boxes and two huge tubs of a mishmash of stuff that had yet to be cut and sorted into usable shapes. My finished Broken Dishes quilt, the string top I just finished, my Postage Stamp quilt, and all the other scrap blocks I'm making can be directly attributed to reading her blog. Thank you, Finn, for all the inspiration you've given me. You are a remarkable woman who's taken many lemons in your life and turned them into the best pitcher of lemonade ever.

My second choice is a group of bloggers who love the same sort of quilts I do, and we all find inspiration in each other's work. I believe all of them have already been tagged, but I must mention them nevertheless - Libby, Dawn, Karen, Vera, Laura, Darlene, Judy, Lucy, Bonnie, Nancy, and my friend Kathie in New Jersey who no longer has a blog. Ladies, you mean so much to me and inspire me every day.

Jeanne also loves the same kind of quilts that I do, and I find her extra inspiring because she has taught me to put my own touch on my quilts and not always follow the pattern. I'm still a very small "child" when it comes to learning this, but I'm taking baby steps thanks to Jeanne. She also presents a daily reminder to all of us that it's the small things in life that really make each day worth living - to remember these small things and be grateful for them.

Norma and Cher are an inspiration if for no other reason than that I've met them "in the flesh". Cher and I have gotten together regularly since we first met at my guild's quilt show last year. It's been great fun getting to know her, and it's thanks to her that lots of my scraps have now been cut into usable shapes and sizes. I've met Norma only once - at the Pacific Northwest Quiltfest in Seattle last summer - but I think she and I would be friends "in the flesh" also if she lived closer. I love reading about her quilting and life in British Columbia - a place I've visited many times and always loved.

Linda and Pam and Cher are a tremendous inspiration because of all the charity quilting they do for Wrap them in Love. Mary is another quilter who makes many quilts each year and gives them to people in need. The selflessness shown by these four women is an incredibly beautiful thing. I am in awe of their generosity of spirit and the number of quilts they create each year. I hope to join them in their efforts as soon as I retire - in 443 days (but who is counting?)

Well, that's more than 5, but who cares? I know there are others I've forgotten. My life has been so enriched by all the wonderful women I've "met" via the Internet. I can't imagine what my life was like without each of you in it. Thank you all for sharing yourself.