May 2010. I’m now a little person–5’3″ and 110 pounds. And it’s a year since I recovered, rather, since I became 100% functional. I’m still dealing with some symptoms, but I am most definitely not disabled or limited in any way.
I’ve spent the past year somewhat frantically going and doing, trying to figure out how I’m supposed to live my life now. Although that would be no problem for most people, I suppose; it is for me. I have to have a sense of purpose. I have to be doing something meaningful with my life.
In seclusion, I believed that my vocation was creating needleart, and I aspired to learn how to do that. I thought when I began this blog that that would be the main topic. But the past year has not been very productive textile-wise. At first, I couldn’t sit still to stitch at all, but gradually I’ve calmed down and I can stitch for several hours at a time. However, I’ve spent so much time experimenting with other activities, getting involved here and there, that I now have a fairly busy schedule, not doing needlework.
At present, I’m at our Care Center for three or four hours three days a week. I visit two residents there, about whom I have been strongly warned not to write. Also, I assist the aides there, helping with other residents. At the same time, I’m getting to know staff members there and learning about them and their work. I’m reading about aging issues and elder care.
Maybe this will be my new vocation. I don’t know yet.
As for my blog, I’m not writing as much or as frequently, nor am I following the dozens of other blogs (mostly those of textile creators) that I used to follow. Over the past year, I’ve written about a lot of other subjects. Well, I’ve written a lot about my activities! I don’t know what I will become, and I don’t know what this blog will become.
May 2009. Soon I will rewrite this piece about me. I have recovered from 17 years of disability and am now very well and active. More to come, including this recent photo of the new me.
This was my story then. Now I am fully recovered, living a very active life, and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. Do I still want to stitch and study, spend hours in silent solitude? I’ll have to find out.
September 2007
Fall seems like a good time for a beginning, like the start of the school year. And so I begin this blog, which will be primarily to show and tell about my needle art. Sometimes, though, I expect that I will write about events in my life.
Born in 1937, I am now 70 years old, disabled, and housebound, living with my 82-year-old husband Ernie in Charlestown Retirement Community on the edge of Baltimore, MD, 40 miles from Washington, D.C. and 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Parkview 616 is our apartment number, and the picture in the header is the view from my room, where I spend 20 of 24 hours a day, 13 hours in bed. I have ME-CFS, which stands for myalgic encephalopathy and chronic fatigue syndrome, aka CFIDS, Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome.
When I was forced into disability retirement from my management consulting practice 15 years ago, I sought another vocation. After a few years, I found it in embroidery. That’s what I intend to focus on in this blog. You can see my work space by leaving a comment. I also work in my recliner, with my drawing pencils, drawing board, and needleart books close at hand. Binders hold documentation on all my work.
I have 12 children, including spouses and ex-spouses who have remained close to me, 12 grandchildren, including one spouse, and two great-grandchildren. In addition, I have a son by choice who grew up with my sons as a brother and, with his wife and daughter, he is very much a part of our family.
Besides needlework, I enjoy watching films from Netflix. Not having been a movie fan in my previous busy life, I have a lot of catching up to do. I read literature–Shakespeare, Proust, Joyce, Doris Lessing, Anthony Trollope and all the great English novelists. Margaret Drabble is also a favorite of mine. I study the works of William Blake, to whom I was introduced in college 40-some years ago. His work changed my life. I have a daily meditation practice. And I love to prepare good food. Probably I will not be able to resist writing about food from time to time.
Although I live a limited life, mostly in solitude and silence, it is a rich life and I am contented. I have written a number of essays, about my stitching, about living with chronic disease and disability, and about my spiritual life. Links to these essays are on my Essays page.
This page has the following sub pages.
Dear JoWynn, I’ve admired many of your needlework projects which my Aunt Gloria has sent to me over the years. This is just a note to let you know that I stopped by this Labor Day Weekend.
Here is the website of my university in the Czech Republic. Mind you, the page may come up in Czech but all you have to do to change it to English is to look for the English flag, click on that and then everything on the homepage should change. You can take a virtual tour of Jihoceska univerzita/The University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice (…or better known in German and English as Budeweis…like the beer…).
While I work in the university Language Center, right now, I’m still in California with my 74-year-old husband. We’ll return to Europe later this month. Congratulations on your blog and take care! 🙂
Dear JoWynn,
I enjoyed reading your blog. Although I am very busy still with teaching and working at our church, I try to encourage my creative with sewing (quilting) and watercolor painting.
It’s interesting to discover at our age that we may have some hidden talents that are just waiting to emerge.
Thanks for including me in your list of people to send this to.
Ruth
your letter and the tape arrived thursday. your letter enclosed i consider “right on, insightful and real” thank you for taking the time to listen and read. may i place it without a name in the back of a book if i reach that point? i hope than i stop haunting you soon too 😉 love dorothy
Hi there, Jo! I’m so glad you started a blog – I’m adding it to my favorites!
It seems apparent that you’ve been thinking a lot about what you would write IF you started a blog. A great beginning!!
I wasn’t able to access photos. do I need a password?
Growing older is only for the courageous. Like you I believe in finding joy in each day … not fussing about what was or will not be.
Dear JoWyn, congratulations on creating blog. It´s lovely to read about you and see your picture. I always find it interesting to see who is behind what pieces of art. I wish you all the best. Monattka
Hi mom, I was here. Interesting that you have started this project. I am growing more resistant to technology myself. I’ve always been stubborn and don’t want to keep current in spite of the convenience available. Fortunately, I’m comfortable with becoming a grumpy old man. Love, Stephen
Hi JoWynn!
Got your email this morning and couldn’t wait till I got back from church to pop in and browse around.
I LoVe your blog! I’m looking forward to reading all your essays and catching up on all your needle-art. I’ve already added you to my list of blogs.
I hope you do decide to keep it going. You have so much to share and besides, what a great way to keep up with old friends. (grin)
Okay, I’m off to investigate your essays.
Murielle
Just returned from an overnight trip to NYC to learn about this
blog which I think is wonderul! Do continue, as your work is
exciting. You have a remarkable talent!
I’ve come to visit you from the link at SharonB’s blog. I’ll be reading you from Chicago, where I live alone, but have 4 kids and 8 grandkids scattered all over the place.
I’m mostly a quilter, but I like to dabble in all kinds of other techniques. I’m an avid reader, so I’ll be checking out your essays.
Oh, I’m no spring chicken at 67, but I have a plan to never get old. My dad is in FL at 91 years, his mom lived to be 102….I feel sometimes like my life is just beginning creatively.
Nice to meet you……..Sequana/Annie
JoWynn
Lovely to get to your blog- I am grateful to SharonB for telling us about it this morning. Now I have another I can visit each day and I get to keep an eye on your marvellous stitching. I do love your trees – the view from your window.
MargB
Thank you for starting a blog. You are an inspiration to everyone who stops by. Please do send a link to photos – I’d love to see your “studio” chair. The articles were well-written, I enjoyed them a lot.
Hello,
I found out about your Blog from Sharon Boggon’s Blog which I often read.
Thanks for starting this Blog, I shall return and read more of it.
Bye for now,
Mandy
(Writing from Cheshire, right in the heart of the UK).
Hi Jo, nice to meet you here. You often leave a comment on my Flickr, Thanks for that. I hope to see your stitching also on this page :). Nice book cover you made with the shisa stitch!
Hi JoWynn,
I just wanted to say Hi. I enjoy looking at your embroidery very much, it shows me how much I still have to learn.
Tenar
Hi , thought I’d pop in and have a look, I am a contributor of Creative for a Second. I also belong the the Not Crazy people, I haven’t had time for a look Jowynn so I’ll catch up later.
You’re welcome to email me as in the address that’s on the draft Kirrily sent today.
((())) Gini.
You never cease to amaze me, JoWynn! I’m very happy and privileged to know you since your first letter to me in Winter, 2007, and now to get to see your lovely embellished works-in-progress (and in their finished forms!) will be a wonderful treat to these old eyes. Am adding you to my List of fave Blogsites today, and can’t wait to see ALL of the ways in which you create Beauty from your studioworld. Nor can I wait to learn all of the things your creativity will teach all of us who stay in touch! Much affection and admiration be upon you, and respectful smiles & gratitude for Mr. Ernie, who makes so many things possible, I have a feeling. Wishing you a very happy, productive day. . . . .
carole samples
Good afternoon, I’ve just read your blog, and I feel so much empathy. You have me and I have ms. I have 7 grandchilden and I know how you feel. I love having them here, but I spend the next two days on my daybed, recovering. If you would like to you can contact on Yahoo messenger, or my hone e-mail is jonoleso@tiscali.co.uk.
I live in a tiny village called Catfield, in Norfolk England. I would love to hear from you, Best wishes Lesley
Thanks for sharing the Maryland crazy quilts with a person who has deep, deep roots in Maryland (grew up in Towson)
Enjoyed them. Left Md. to go to college many, many moons ago – was in Vermont for 30 yrs and recently moved to
Steamboat Springs, CO
Hooray for 100% functionality! Your interests and abilities are developing apace. I think that Watch this Space should be the motto for your readers as you develop your adventure.
Cheers!
Suella
Greetings, I was overjoyed to come across your site and read about your recovery. I am a journalist with CFS looking to start a podcast of recovery stories and would love you to be one of my virtual guests! Please see my humble beginnings of the project here: http://cfsstories.wordpress.com or read my own story here: http://www.aprilwrites.com/chutesandladders.html.
Best wishes to you,
April
you have a picture on your blog of a clock with fruit surrounding it. It is the very same clock that hung in my childhood home. It makes me happy just to see it. My mother stitched ours. She passed away when I was preg. with my only daughter. My daughter is now the keeper of the clock, however, I made 3 versions of this clock, one for each of my siblings.
Looking for my pictures.