Originally Posted by olebat

You have inspired me dublb. For an (adult) 4-H activity, I had to produce a crest which explained me. The original seems to have gone missing, but I located a draft, and the meaning. I think I'll play with the concept to make my wall hanging.

• The personal crest representing who I am is topped by a Bald Eagle, signifying that I am an American, who served proudly in the U.S. Army.

•The individual cubes represent the passion of quilting and the patches of my life.

• The colors represent my Hispanic & English heritage, and are arranged in alternating patterns, representing the different backgrounds of my parents.

• I have been married for 38 years.

• Because of our careers in the Army, we decided to have no children, and had pets instead.

• When I retired I had my 1st child, an exchange student from Germany. We have since hosted a total 15 students. In addition to hosting, I have served as local or regional coordinator for several exchange organizations.

• For the past 20 years, through my involvement with 4-H, I have been trying to reach the lives of over 3,000 children in my county per year.

• Although most of my professional career was in nursing, and my husband is a nurse practitioner, I also have backgrounds in career counseling, photojournalism, pet store management, printing & graphics, and even some professional sewing, making square dance petticoats.

• I am environmentally concerned, trying to bring information gained through the many environmental organizations to which I belong, to the children of my life, in hopes that they will help preserve and protect the earth for future generations.

• I am a caver, discovering the mysteries of the underground on my hands & knees. I’ve also served in leadership rolls for local and national speleological organizations.

• One of the mysteries I rediscovered through caving was bats. I assist the county Ag agent with issues involving bats. Through extension and Bat Conservation International, I present programs to hundreds of people per year providing information on the benefits of bats, and dispelling the myths of this beautiful creature.

• As a world traveler, I have visited over 20 countries, and most states of the United States.

• Personal interests include:

• Tent and car camping,

• Cooking, for family, catering for 4-H activities, and preparing all meals for five days, every year, while camping, for a group of 30 caveing friends;

• Arts & Crafts, teaching children and youth how to entertain themselves without the use of electronic screens.

• Water sports, such as canoeing, kayaking and white water rafting.

• Although I enjoy the Fine Arts, of music, theater, and dance, I have become an observer, rather than a doer. I square danced for over 20 years, until health issues curtailed that activity.

• Computers, their benefits and aggravations, consume vast amounts of my time, are sucking the life out of me.

• There is one blank square indicating a myriad of interests of my past and present and future.

• The crest is guarded by snakes, known to be pets in my household, in addition to other reptiles.

Originally Posted by dublb

:thumbup: I love your crest! It'll make a wonderful block or if you wanted a whole quilt!! It incorporates several aspects of your life. Great!

Originally Posted by MacThayer

I'm going to have to give this one some serious thought. I've been "MacThayer" ever since I married. I get the "Mac" from my husband, who is Scottish, and "Thayer" is my maiden name, which I've kept. It's very English. On the other hand, I'm very American, as the Thayer family were among the first 100 families to settle in America, in 1632. So do I blend Scottish and English motifs? Or do I go whole hog American? What do you think?

Originally Posted by dublb

What about an American flag with Scottish & English motifs overlayed on top! :)

Originally Posted by MaryAnnMc

OK, here she is: I really ought to change my board name to Chicken McLittle. that's me!

Should I applique the shamrock or not? I want it to look like she's holding it in her beak.