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My humble beginnings

I am the youngest of 3 (one boy, two girls).  There's 8 years separating the oldest (boy) and me.  So, once my brother went off to college, I became the unofficial boy of the family.  My dad has always been one to tinker and make things - he would fiberglass coat the boat he had; he built his orchid hot house himself; he built dog houses...the list is endless.  I became his helper.  I got to play with power tools.  Shop class in 8th grade was fun - because I took my wood project home and worked on it at home, instead of class.

My parents would watch PBS a lot (weird now that I think about it), and things ranging from painting (William Alexander drying off his 2-3" brush is most memorable), to cooking (The Frugal Gourmet is one that comes to mind), to carpentry (This Old House with Norm Abram).  I grew up with Childcraft books (copyright 1984!! Man, that is a while ago!), and my favorite book was #11 - Make and Do - sock puppets, tambourines, I wanted to do them all.

As I entered college, I had to draw upon my strengths - Math. Computers.  I ended up getting a Bachelor's degree in computer science, because it was something I could do.  I don't think I wanted to program and wasn't anxious to create software - it was more like this was a skill I could do, and I liked figuring out solutions to problems.  I *think* I learned perseverance...I truly had to.  By the time I realized that I didn't want to code any more, it was too late to change majors, so I had to finish the degree.  Good thing I found another program that I was interested in to go to grad school for (educational technology).  That degree allowed me to blend tech - which I knew I loved - and education (maybe not teaching, but helping those who teach).  I learned so much from the program and from my classmates.

I became interested in jewelry making in high school (I made tons of seed bead daisy bracelets), and as I got older, I got into the pricier beads and different skills and techniques.  After a while, I realized that some of the pieces I admired at craft fairs or saw online - I could make them myself.  Once I figured out a design, I quickly lost interest in remaking the design over and over and over.  It became hard to stay interested.  Plus, having kids made it a bit more difficult to make jewelry - especially after my son.  My daughter - the oldest - was easy:  I could put her own beads out, and she'd string it right alongside me.  My son - he'd eat them.  If I make jewelry, he has to be completely occupied with something else.  And that isn't very often.

So where does that leave me now?  I now know that I have to renew my interest in Making (with a capital "M".  It's gonna be my "thing".) in general.  Working in a school exposes me to a variety of ideas (programming an app, figuring out wearables, building stuff with wood, making my own 3D connect four, the list keep growing...DAILY).  This will be my new avenue.  To accomplish these ideas.  And documenting the making of them.

Documenting it will hopefully remind me of what I have done.  And what I should have learned...and might need a reminder about - so I hopefully don't make the mistake again.

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