I'm Not Famous

I've never been one to seek fame....my personal 15 minutes, an hour or a lifetime. I am quite content to be who I am....a pretty-much unknown gal who loves her husband, has wonderful children, was raised by fabulous parents surrounded by the best friends anyone could ask for.....all in a normal world lacking fame and certainly fortune.

BUT....BUT.....BUT....I do admit to living vicariously through friends and family who have been in the limelight or at least have some quite glamorous accomplishments. My thoughts on this have been brought to forefront today by my cousin Janis posting this picture today on FaceBook:

Here are the Andersons: My Uncle Walt, Aunt Hazel and cousins Jill, Janis & Glen. Can you tell it's 1976? Love Jan's Farrah hair do & Glen's "I just want to look like a surfer" do. They were on Family Feud. If I remember correctly they didn't win the big money, but they did win some wonderful prizes some of which they refused as the taxes would be more than the prize was worth to them. Jan received some fan mail after the airing and later went on to be a contestant on Joker's Wild (At least I think that was the name of the game show). In 1976 I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter, making my own bread, tending a huge garden & raising a pig or two for consumption. Nothing remarkable about that.

Several of my friends have become very, very successful authors. My friends Mike Phillips & Judy DeMiere (Judy uses her maiden name when she writes) were just beginning their careers in 1985 when they teamed up and wrote, The Heather Hills of Stonewycke.I still cannot believe they dedicated this book to me! I can remember being in a town about 900 miles away from home and we saw the book on a book rack. Liz was then 9 years old and she told some lady passing by, "This book is dedicated to my mom!" The lady looked at us as if we were crazy and kept on walking. No fame for me, just a sweet expression of friendship from two people I admired. Both Mike & Judy went on to write many, many more books....all of which I can highly recommend.
My friend Nick Harrison has written a couple of novels, but he mostly writes non-fiction. His book, Promises to Keep is a men's devotional for Promise Keepers. My husband reads this through every year. Nick is currently working on a biography of a famous (as yet unnamed) woman. Nick is an editor for Harvest House Publishers.....and introduced me to the works of some of my favorite authors.

Some of my quilts have been pictured in various Quilting Magazines. I've even written a couple of articles. But no one would remember my name.

I know many of those famous in the Quilting World...most are just famous people I've met: Mary Englebreit, Lynette Jensen, Alex Anderson, etc. But some I consider friends: Pat Sloan, Beth Ferrier, Jo Morton, Karen Montgomery, Karen Snyder, Sandy Brawner, Dixie McBride, Deb Lutrell, Debbie Welch and so very many more. I've met Jay McCarol of Project Runway Fame, Marie Osmond, Marianne Fons & Liz Porter.

When I was a teenager I met Mickie Dolenez of Monkey's fame (and several years earlier I met Davy Jones at a musical he was in at the Music Center in LA). I also shook hands with Morey Amsterdam when I was 15.

Brushes with Fame....that's all. I'm happy with that.

Our store, Scottie Dog Quilts is famous, though. We've been featured several times in the local newspaper and each of the two Quilting Trade magazines have featured our store in them. Liz has produced several patterns under the Scottie Dog Quilts logo they are sold far and wide in Quilt Shops across the country. People know the Scottie Dog name. When we go to Quilt Market and someone reads our name tags they comment on positive things they know about our shop. I like that.

So that's it....I think a good reputation is far more valuable than fame. I don't want to be a celebrity, I just want to be a good wife, mom & grandma. A faithful friend. A woman of good report.