Jeanette and Maggie.

   
  I am Jeanette Grantner presently from Shamong, NJ. We are in the process of relocating to Canon City, Colorado in a few months.  Len and I will be celebrating our 38^th wedding anniversary in June.  We have three adult children Mike, Annie and Paul all in their twenties!  We are empty nesters except for Maggie, our three years old Airedale. I never really cared for animals as a child or until I was in my 40s.  My dad had hunting dogs and they were always outside. These dogs were not mine so I didn’t like cleaning up after them and they had GERMS!  All the nurses I know who have animals don’t care about that.  The unconditional love and the antics of animals won me over.  For one birthday in my forties I asked for an Airedale. Princess Daisy, an Airedale from a pet farm, was my gift. I didn’t know she was a mill puppy as we registered her with the AKA.  She was the light of our lives. Our photo album is full of our smiling children with Daisy!  Daisy died at 10 years of age. I didn’t know how we ever lived without an Airedale! I cried for two years until we found Maggie from two wonderful breeders, Mary and Corally.  Maggie is stronger and more active than Daisy.  The truth is that I’m that much older with physical problems!  The children are not here to play soldier or hide and seek to wear her out!  A great treat is when our youngest son Paul pops over to play with her. She loves to play ball.  We do so daily despite the weather. Maggie has been our “therapy dog” both mentally and physically since the day we got her in Virginia.  Maggie is so enthusiastic about other people and animals.

  My block is of Maggie and Rio the Doberman greeting each other at the fence. Rio is our neighbor.  He is six months older than Maggie but twice the size!  They played together early on but Maggie ended up with scabs on her neck and ears.  We found that she was rough with us after playing with Rio so now they just run up and down the fence!  This is the first ADT quilt I’ve participated in. I love quilted objects.  I took quilting lessons 25 years ago and made some beautiful pillows.  Since then the pillows have worn out and I have a collection of ideas, books and material.  My friends and I enjoy talking about quilting and admire quilts in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and yearly at Kirby’s Mills. Our church makes a quilt to be raffled at our annual Pines Barren Festival. I always hope I win but so far, no luck!  I joined the group at one time when I became disabled.  I embarrassed myself by putting the needle thru my nail.  My participation was short lived. One friend was surprised recently when I told her I’d never made a quilt.   How time flies!  My mother taught me to sew when I was 10 so I’ve done a lot over the years. I’ve always enjoyed the creative aspect of sewing. This block is the first hand appliqué I’ve done.  I am used to sewing from patterns.  I’m not artistic.  Now I remember why I don’t hand sew!  I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to make a pattern from Linda Hobbet’s awesome drawing. 

  I have many interests which include gardening, crafts, woodworking, painting, reading, music, camping, nursing, teaching Fibromyalgia and Arthritis self help courses, volunteering and especially getting together with other Airedale owners and their pets.