I get to teach who? What??

John is from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. I am from Scott County, Iowa. In 1970, we met in Washington, D.C. John was just getting out of the Navy (submariner) -- and I was working for the CIA (wanna-be spy).

Nobody could make this stuff up...

When John completed his apprenticeship program, we lived in Pennsylvania for several years. But at that time, the jobs were all in Iowa -- so we moved to my home State in 1978. Ever since then -- we make one trip a year back to Pennsylvania. We stay with John's only brother, Jerry and his wife Linda.

We had two boys -- and Jerry and Linda raised four boys...IT WAS A LOT OF TESTOSTERONE when we got together.

A rare photo in front of their house.

Their youngest son, Joel -- giving his Uncle John a hard time at the wedding.

Joel's wife, Tran -- on the back porch of Jerry's house.... And GUESS WHAT WE ARE GETTING READY TO DO??

THAT'S RIGHT -- it's a sewing lesson!!

WHAT A THRILL IT WAS for me to be asked by this young Mom to help figure out her new sewing machine. Joel gave it to her for Christmas -- but life got in the way -- and Tran hadn't even pulled it out of the box yet.

To get her started -- I brought a sewing basket with a few necessities from my sewing stash... What would you put in that basket?? I decided on:

• Schmetz sewing machine needles
• Grabbit pin cushion
• Long pins with plastic heads
• Seam Ripper
• Six spools of thread
• Kai Scissors

Tran was enthusiastic about learning how to use her sewing machine...

It is always a joy for me to share my love of sewing. As I sat there, watching Tran, I thought back to the first real sewing I did...and how I couldn't have known at that time what a big part of my life it would become. Sewing has been the way I help people, or how I make a little extra money, and always, always, my creative outlet. My writing came because of my sewing. Sewing brought the very best friends into my life....I cannot imagine my life without sewing...