Introductions

To start -- I have no idea why I have decided to start a blog.  But, that being said, I have had several people  (well, maybe one or two) say they would follow a blog by me ... and being swayed by any flattery coming my way ... decided it might be something I'd like to do.

So, in the beginning, I have decided to make a journal of sorts of my hobbies.  If you follow me you will probably be reading about sewing projects, my reading, and genealogy.

So the history of these hobbies to start the blog (i.e. MY history with these hobbies).

Starting with the one that has been with me the longest ... reading.  Although the sewing probably started about the same time.  I didn't become a READER until fourth grade.  I picked up a biography about Dolley Madison -- and loved it.  I have no idea why that  particular book got me started.  But I still remember the book, where I found it in the the Fullerton IV Elementary School Library). From there, I think the Little House series by Laura Ingall Wilder were next. At the time, my mother was working at the Douglas County Library and she would bring me a stack of books home for me every week. And then she would take me on Saturdays to check out more.  By the time I was in sixth grade I was reading a book a day.  And you wonder how did I do that and homework?  Well, to be honest, don't think I did much homework.  If my grades are any reflection, homework was not a high priority in my life.

Sewing lessons, at my mother's side, started about the same time.  I was also part of a 4-H group.  Mrs. Beck was our leader, and I remember her fondly -- teaching not only sewing, but other life lessons also.  One lesson I learned from her?  Only wear beige underwear under white garments.  Funny what you remember.  Then I also took Home Ec. at school.  I remember making a poncho in Junior High.  My teacher was Mrs. Bonebrake.  She showed us a microwave (it must have been around 1970)--  She cooked scrambled eggs.  By the time I was sixteen, my mom and I were fighting over who needed to use the sewing machine.  For my sixteenth birthday, my mom decided to buy me a sewing machine.

I absolutely LOVED this machine.  It traveled with me to college -- and I used it until it FELL apart during one my first quilting classes. (So around 1990) I have the quilt hanging in my entryway that I was making when this machine died.  I lasted almost 20 years.  For a piece of plastic, not too bad. I have had three machines since this one.  The first two didn't even last 5 years.

So If you are still reading -- Thank you -- I'm having a hard time imagining anyone wanting to read about all this! I really appreciate you willing to stay with it this long!  My other obsession/hobby is genealogy.  I started researching our Greenley family history in the 1980s -- before the  Internet made it so easy. I took a class at a community college (Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay) from a really interesting instructor. I spent many hours looking at microfilm in the Mormon genealogy library.  My interest came because so many answers we had about Greenleys and their origins died when my grandfather, Ansel Greenley, and my father, Robert Greenley both died.  It has been interesting voyage, traveling back in time to discover who came before me - and connecting those people to events in history. The picture is of my father.  He died Oct. 19, 1970.  I had just turned 13 years old.  We have discovered he was too often the photographer of our family pictures -- and we have way too few pictures of him. This one is a picture I cropped from a group picture with his siblings taken in 1967. I liked how is shows his slight smile - a look I remember when he was teasing.

So I have written MUCH more than I imagined I could write in one setting.  So maybe this blog might be a do-able project ...  and if you made it this far ... leave me a quick note, so I know I actually have an audience ....  THANK YOU!!