Hi all,

my name is Nina, and I live in WA, near Seattle. We are here still for a few weeks before moving to Alaska.
I am 31, married to the most wonderful man in the world, no kids - except furry ones. I was born in Finland, traveled around the world and eventually landed in the US a few years ago.
The life has been full of changes lately - I said "I do" to my husband last year, quitting my job this spring, and being a military family, life is always exciting. However, the Alaska move was something I really wanted and hoped. I have been working in the corporate world for 10 years, so work-wise it is a big but welcomed change. Now I am going back to the school and studying Geology and Biology at the university - making my long-time dream to come true.
I have been quilting for 3 years now, did lots of knitting before that. My mom started quilting in early 1990's, and when I was looking at her piles of fabric and all the quilting tools, I swore that I will never do anything that stupid. And look at me now ....!!! I am completely hooked to the quilting and fabrics, and when I make a trip to a new town, quilting stores are the first thing to check.

Happy quilting to all!

Welcome ninag from Roscoe, Illinois! 2 of my kids live in Washington, Edmonds and Tacoma, and 1 is taking graduate studies at University of Alaska Anchorage. She loves it up there and I'm sure you will too. It sounds like you are on a new adventure!

Welcome from another gal in Washington....I'm over here in Port Angeles.. Straight across from Victoria BC.....

Mplsgril - thanks for welcoming me!
I will be at UAA too :-) hoping to get a PhD eventually, so we will see ..... What does your kid study at UAA?

Nina

Bevanger - good morning to you! I stopped by at Quilted Strait a while ago, and found some pretty fabrics there ...... I do lots of hiking and backcountry & mountain guiding, so if I am somewhere near the Olympic NP, or peninsula in general, I always come back with new stuff.

Nina

She is getting her graduate degree in archeology. She did her undergrad work at UCLA.

Welcome from Southern California. And a former "Navy Wife" DH is now retired from the Navy after 20 years active duty.

Welcome from France - you have an interesting life, and going to a wonderful place to live. Obviously well bitten by the quilting bug at an early age!

Welcome from NE CA. Glad you joined us. I've always wanted to see Alaska. Have fun in your new adventure.

Jim's Gem - Thanks for the welcomes and all the best to your family! It is always a pleasure to get in touch with military families.

Hi and Welcome from southern Indiana!! (Don't forget we love pictures :roll: :roll: )

Thank you! I am studying both biology and geology right now. And I have been planning on getting eventually a PhD in geology, trying to decide between volcanoes or glaciers. However, my biology professor who is also my academic advisor keeps talking to me to think about biology .... We will see where I end up to.

Earlier, I studied math and computer science, as well as was teaching that stuff as a part-time lecturer at the university. I loved teaching and research but the field was a completely wrong one.

Here are some pictures: http://www.karhuluoma.com

I do some photography .... the website is still under my maiden name, until I figure out a new name for the site.

Bonjour! France is not a bad place either, I loved it ..... so much that decided to learn language after my first there almost 15 years ago (oh my gosh...!! time flies by).

Welcome from St. Louis! What an adventure you have in store, a new marriage, and Alaska! and school and quilting and photography, and...
Wow, when do you have time to eat! :lol:

no, it's a great place - where were you?

I have been a bit all over the France - around the Alps; have climbed Mt Blanc a few times, Paris, Tours, Brittany, Normandy .....

Wow Nina -- your photography is fantastic!! Thanks for sharing your web site with us!

Aww, thank you.
I am glad you enjoyed the pics!

We are in the triangle between Angouleme, Limoges and Perigueux, smack in the middle of the Regional Parc of Perigord Limousin. But also very familiar with Pays Basque, Brittany, Normandy and the Val de Loire - know Tours quite well. We have been here since 1991.
We are trying to get to the Alps for a late Spring/early Summer holiday, but unfortunately don't think we will make it in 2009. But we won't be climbing anything!

You will love the Alps! The area is so very beautiful; even if not climbing the mountains!! :-)
How did you end up to move to France?

welcome Nina, from central part of Indiana. Wow what an interesting life you are having! Thank you for sharing your web site and look forward to more pictures from you

Your photographs are beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing them with us. Sounds like you live an adventurous life!!! Keep taking pictures where ever you go!!! And of course you must take pictures of your quilts and show them to us as well!!!

I will have to start to take pics of my quiltings too .... so far it has been only pics that I am selling to newspapers, magazines etc - or just other photographic things.

Nina-welcome to the quilting board. It is nice to have you with us.

You have certainly been a lot of places and done a lot of things in your young life.

You are a very gifted photographer. I would love to see some of your quilts, too.

Welcome from another Washingtonian. Love your photographs. You remind me so much of my youngest D with similar interests, travels, schooling, etc. She is currently teaching earth science in Kathmandu, Nepal at the American School. She loves to climb, hike, ski, kayak, deep sea diving, and lots of others. All I do is quilt.

Ninag - Hubby was lucky & got early retirement in his 50s and we were already committed francophiles, so upped & made the move. For the first 10 years we cultivated & sold specialist fuchsias, and some other plants and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was at the point where we needed to get help in if we were to continue & thought that's not what we want to do, so just stopped selling.
Anyway I wouldn't have time now, what with the quilting & all, would I?

Welcome from Ohio......good thing you like to quilt now if your moving to Alaska you may need a warm blanket.....:-).......Our son is in the service ...Corpsman for the Navy serving with the Marines in Massachusetts at this time.....He was at Whidbay Island for over a year......said it rained a lot while he was there....When will you go to Alaska???.....hope you enjoy this site.....it's a fun bunch of people here......:-)

Hi and welcome from Mass.

Welcome from Pittsburgh, PA!

Sounds very familiar! I have been backpacking all by myself all over the world, and do all those outdoors things from mountains to the deep seas....

What a coincidence - I went to Whidbey island a little while ago. We have some friends in the military up there. Your son is right - Whidbey is a rainy place but also so very beautiful!

We are leaving for Alaska hopefully in a few weeks. I should know the exact packing/moving day in a couple of days after I have sorted out some paperwork with the Army.

Hi and another Bienvenue from France!

K x

Hello from OHIO from one newbie to another.

Drema2 :lol:

Thanks for the warm welcomes, everyone!

I had a blast today - was on a quilting class, and was making my first Buggy Barn quilt. I will post a couple of pictures of the blocks under another discussion thread.

Nina

NinaG: Welcome! I just spent some time looking at your photographs. Wow! You are very, very good. I love to take pictures but I'm not gifted. I liked many of your photos but my favorite was of the giraffe towering over the city.

Welcome from SW Iowa. You sound like your life has been interesting. We are glad to have you here.

Thank you for the warm welcomes!

Feathers - thank you; I am glad you liked the pictures.

Nina: I just re-read my previous entry where I said "I liked MANY of your pictures..." I actually loved ALL of your pictures. The foot of the bear or maybe it's a gorilla was great. You really have a photographer's eye. Good job!

Hello from Oregon. Glad you joined us.
Where in Alaska are you headed?