Note from the Creator:
This blog page is old and needs a facelift. Since John’s death… well, everything in life has changed. How could it not? It has been difficult to wrap my head around how best to update this page. I started this blog back when blogs were the new thing. I’ve been a part of the WordPress community since 1.2! So. Many. Memories. The death of a spouse is more than just their sudden vacancy from life; it’s also the vacuum of many possible futures. Not to mention the death of every daily moment. In every possible way. I’ve made some attempts at changing this page, but… what can I say when the tears flow? I hope you’ll bear with me and know–I’m still the same creator I’ve always been. I still write, design, and make, though it’s difficult sometimes. I still want to travel and explore more crochet around the world, even though I’m missing the person I wanted to travel with. And I am finding life again. I’m looking for those positive experiences to true up my bank account of positive vs. trauma in life. I’m just still too bruised right now to touch these “about” pages very much, with all these dreams and memories pocketed here. My fingers tracing the words of more youthful times. We had no idea what was coming…. I don’t want to lose these words. I just don’t yet. Though I know life is different, and change is inevitable. Hell, it’s already here. Even the goals for creating a foundation have shifted–if I am ever able to gather myself together and create a non-profit, it will be to serve widows and glioblastoma families. On the other side, I cannot unsee what I have witnessed. I cannot unknow the reality. Terror exists there, and the gap yawns wide. The need in the terminal brain cancer community is so. very. great. How can I not? I will update this page in the future as it makes sense. For now, writing bears me through. And my shadow pieces won’t be published here. My thanks ever to those who have supported me and followed my writing all these years. Widowhood can be very silent. Your nudges and voices have meant everything. Please join me for a cuppa sometime.
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About the Author….
The past:
Daughter and granddaughter of entrepreneurs and recipient of scholarships and awards in leadership, music, public speaking, academia, and writing, Julia graduated with honors from high school and began her college career at the age of 15. Unable to accept limitations, her majors included music, theology, psychology, and English literature, with an interest in research, public speaking, and communications. During her college careers, she also worked 3 years with local schools as a volunteer with disabled and disadvantaged children and at children’s camps. Self-taught in voice and piano, and taught crochet by her grandmothers, a sense of artistry has always been present in her life.
The present:
Co-founder and Director of Operations for the perennial charity Round Rock Kids’ Day, a published crochet designer, specialist in crochet hook making and design, blogger, and small business owner in the cottage industries, Julia is passionately involved as a mother of gifted teens. She works regularly with volunteers, and non-profit organizations focused on educational and spiritual services as well as health and fundraising. During her husband’s service in the National Guard, she was also actively involved with her local FRGs.
Julia has written for Interweave Crochet magazine, been an active juried member of Art of Texas, two-time Maker for Maker Faire Austin, Maker for Mini-Maker Faire Round Rock, Texas Peep of the notorious Crochet Liberation Front, and a past member of Austin Craft Riot (formerly known as The EtsyAustin Street Team) and the Etsy Hookers Team! She annually shows at local juried venues in the Central Texas area. With over 37 years of crochet experience, and a family far too familiar with cancer, Julia’s crochet work is often designed for chemo patients, including children.
Seeking an outlet for her hat designs to lift the spirits of cancer patients, Julia became an enthusiastic member of Spirit Jump, in winter 2008. She is often joined by her children, who also have artistic and charitable interests. You can find her current galleries on Flickr here.
The future:
Life is not about finally arriving, but always continuing the journey. Julia’s future aspirations include costume design, training for and joining the local Piano Technician’s Guild, adding an income from freelance short stories and articles, traveling as an inspirational speaker, creating a non-profit focused on providing life-enrichment skills, possibly starting a local steampunk club for kids and of course there’s her passionate desire for a family garage band – just for fun.
And there’s one more thing. Julia is passionate about the art of crochet and its tools. She actively studies crochet makers’ hands and the tools they use and then writes about it. One day she hopes to travel the world to meet other women through crochet, to learn about their stories, both cultural and personal. And she wants to learn how they use their hands differently and study their tools from around the world. There’s a story in here somewhere, an unfolding and hopefully a documentary. Maybe you can help Julia make this undertaking a reality. Stay tuned…
Crochet Liberation Front:
Aberrant Crochet (TM) 