What Do I Do With It Now That I've Got It?

Wow. My own blog. It seems everyone and her sister has one, so of course, I had to have one, too. Now what do I do with this thing? Do I really have anything worth saying that any of you really want to hear?

Why don't I introduce myself to you for starters, and we'll take it from there! My name is Donna, and I live in SC. I've lived in this state all my life--all 39 years of it--and love it. I grew up near Charleston, and the coastal Lowcountry area will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm one of those people who likes the smell of the marsh. I married my college sweetheart back in December 1987 and we're coming up on anniversary number 17. I feel like that is some sort of "world record" these days. We are parents to a wonderful 11 year old daughter who is a sixth grader this year. She's so smart and beautiful! I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom either! Our daughter is playing volleyball this year on the middle school team. She is having so much fun with it! Neither my husband nor I are athletic, but our daughter is. We're really proud of what she's accomplished this year.

We're a family of fiber-a-holics. Husband and daughter spin. I tried to learn, but it really isn't my thing. I may give it a whirl another time. Both of them took a weaving class at the local art institute, and we have a loom (several looms of different types) here at home. We all knit. Knitting is my passion. I love it. My favorite thing to knit is socks. I particularly like turning the heels. It is so much fun to watch the heel cup take shape.

I have to work to help support our fiber habit, and I'm lucky enough to be able to work out of our home. I haven't always done this, so I tell people I've paid my dues! My degree is in biology, and I've worked in some type of science/medical field since college graduation. For the past almost 14 years, I've worked in clinical research. I started out as a study coordinator at a local hospital, moved on to monitoring research studies all over the southeast, and now manage a team of monitors who all are regionally based and work from their homes. There was a lot of travel involved in the monitoring, so when I had the chance at management, I jumped at it! I was on the road (well, in the air!) for the better part of 4 years before becoming a manager. It's a hard job, not at all glamorous. People hear "travel" and think you are seeing the world. What you are seeing is the inside of airports, a different hotel room each night, and the inside of hospital or clinic medical record departments. It's not glamorous and you're not seeing the sites.

I love my job now. Management can be a gigantic pain in the butt, but it also has it's rewarding moments. There is so much opportunity to help others learn and grow in their careers. I like that. My employees are like a second family to me. I really appreciate all that they do. I did it one time, too, so I know what challenges they face every day.

Work can be stressful and so can being the mother of a pre-teen!! I de-stress at night by knitting. I also de-stress by yarn shopping! LOL!! Some women complain that their husbands don't understand the yarn addiction and the need to build stash. I may have the opposite problem. My fiber addicted husband is an enabler! He encourages me to buy yarn. If I want two balls of a particular yarn, he'll say "Maybe you should get three just in case!" LOL!!

OK. How's that for a first post? Maybe I have something to say after all. I'm going to try to post pictures of some of the things I'm working on....just as soon as I figure out where I left the digital camera! Stay with me here. This should be interesting!!