Hobbyist Profile

I am happily married, recently celebrated my 37th Wedding Anniversary!  I've always said I'm mother to one practical perfect daughter.  She constantly amazing me with her energy and commitment to accomplish wonderful things.

I enjoy knitting and crocheting and have made more items then I can possible count or remember.  I've crocheted more then knitted through the years, but have found with the onset of arthritis crocheting bothers me a bit more then knitting, and so like to go back and forth between the 2 crafts.  I think my knitting skills have improved, but am probably still more proficient and comfident with my crocheting.  Though I am working to improve my knitting skills.

I love my computer and use it constantly.  I use it to connect with people, and enjoy learning how to do new things on the computer.  I almost always prefer sitting at the computer, blogging, reading, looking for patterns, or documenting gravestones over watching the boob tube.  To me, most of what airs on the TV is a waste of time.  I do have several shows I really enjoy; but seem to have the nack of liking the shows that don't stay on.  I LOVED West Wing, The Unit and shows along that line.  My favorite show currently is NCIS.  I hate all reality TV shows and find them pretty offensive and nothing about them resembles reality in my opinion.  I'm always surprised how many people watch them, talk about them and honesty believe it's real. 

I have a HUGE yarn stash, but that doesn't keep me from buying more.  I do believe it's addictive.  lol I rarely go a day that I haven't taken at least a few minutes to knit or crochet.  I almost always take yarn with me, in the car, on a plane, to work etc.  I always knit or crochet when I do sit in front of the TV.  I sometimes knit and or crochet while sitting here on the computer.  I can knit a row or a few stitches while reading a blog, then lay it down in my lap while I type up a response.

I love good food and good wine and enjoying sharing that with friends and family. I enjoy trying lots of differnt types of wine and try to learn things about the wine.  I'm not as egger to try out strange or new foods though.  I don't see the point in eating things I don't like, though people are often trying to get me to taste things like octopus....argh.

I started knitting and crocheting for charity about 7 years ago when I decided my family really didn't need anymore afghans, hats, scarves etc.  I've primarily chosen grass root type charities to support vs large organized one's.  After supporting charities that focused on children, and military for several years and spending a bit too much in postage to mail things around the country I decided to organize my own effort.  That's when Bridge and Beyond came into being.   Through a friend of my SIL I found a connection.  This friend prepares and feeds homeless who live under a bridge, well actually several differnt areas.  I hand deliver items to her and she hand delivers hats, scarves, and mittens along with a hot meal.  The effort has grown and now includes supplying hats, mittens, and scarves for women and children who are treated at 2 free clinics in the area.  Their need in huge.  As the group continues, I hope to expand to help others, thus the word beyond.............beyond those living under the bridge.  And in fact, we have grown and been able to add to our mission of helping those in need.  Beyond The Bridge, we've supplied hats, scarves, and mittens for several schools with a large needy population.  Those schools also have a large homeless base when the kids are able to get to school.  Additionally, we supply hats, mittens, scarves, slippers and afghans for mothers and children living in temporary housing.  These mothers and children have been homeless and or abused.  Our hope is to give them hope, and as they make the transision bake into more permanent housing they are able to take the afghans with them as a house warming gift.

I'm friendly, and love meeting  folks, so please sing out, stop by any of my blogs and pay me a visit.  I enjoy that, and always return blog visits, and comments.

Sandy's Space is my personal blog where I discuss almost anything.  I do talk about knitting and crocheting, my family,  and things I find interesting.  Traveling Suitcase is a fun travel blog where I share places I've traveled, talk about things to do and see, as well as what not to waste your money on.  I often talk about history, things you might not know about resort vacation destinations.  For additional fun, I have a series I do through Flat Stanley that I hope helps parents and grandparents with ideas of how to engage kids through out the summer when they're not in school, how to make travel more interesting to kids, and how to turn almost any daily activity into a fun and an educational experience. Friday Fun with Flat Stanley, please swing by for a visit.  You do not need to be a member or a blogger to leave comments on any of my blogs, so don't be shy.I'd really love to hear from you.

Sometimes my friends get irritated with me when I knit or crochet.  They don't seem to understand that I can and do carry on a conversation with them while knitting or crocheting.  Particularly tailgating.  A group of us tailgate before and after The Ohio State University Football Games.  I'm not really a big football fan so don't get that involved in their discussions about each specific play.  I can be social, be there with them when they dissect the game for the millionth time and produce something of value with my knitting and crocheting.  I do try to keep those projects easy and smaller ones.  

 This is one of my many afghans.  I named this Life Maze.  Life is a maze with this and that, and this afghan was made with pieces of this and that.  Nothing was the same size, the stripes, squares, and rectangles came from a variety of people, some were knitted and some crocheted.  Many of these pieces came to me from a group that was disbanning.  They had been a charity group, so I turned their left overs into a ghan that went to a survivor of Katrina who was piecing their life back together.  It seemed very fitting to me.  This was quite a challenge; but I was pleased with the end result.

If you'd like to get involved with a rewarding charity and knit or crochet, please visit me at Bridge and Beyond. 

We accomplish so much when we work together.  I truly believe everyone can help, one stitch at a time.