Hi, Jeri! You've motivated me to do the same! My name is Mary. I was originally a midwesterner, but have lived on Long Island, NY, for the last 30+ years. I started sewing as a child, but never even considered quilting until I retired a little over a year ago. Now I spend most of the day standing over my cutting mat or stitching away (or pressing -- ugh!). I'm still in the early learning stages, but I now have a blog, "A Quilter's Path" (aQuiltersPath.blogspot.com) and a Facebook page, also called A Quilter's Path. I hope you and others will visit one or both.