Thanks for the warm welcome back messages. Of course I am still quilting... what kind of question is that?
We even bought a house 4 years ago mainly because it had a studio in the backyard for that very purpose! :o). We are slowly working on infinite projects, not that the house needed anything done, but you know, making it more like we like it. The main thing was refinishing the main bath, which was rose and flowery and now is blue and beige and sleek.
Things are going well, both personally and professionally - looks like academia is pretty much recession proof - I think we are actually better off than before in the community because there is more money allocated to research, which had been frozen for well, you know, 8 years.. :o)
But I manage to still quilt every chance I get - I even finished my MQ a couple of years ago and entered it into my guild's show! But mostly I have been working on small projects to test new techniques and explore my 'style' - I am now subscribed to Quilting Arts and I am taking a Design Principles 7 month class with Lorraine Torrence. It's been a long time since I've followed a pattern.. unless it is for a quick baby quilt or a gift. I have some pics in Webshots and some in Facebook - yes, I joined the RCTQ group (maybe whoever set it up can teach me how to do it, I went half way through the process trying to make one for my guild but got stuck).
Sofi is the cutest girl ever, or so I think, of course, and she is also very sweet and also crafty, what else could I ask for? She is also pretty sharp, she started reading and writing long before starting kindergarten, and of course she is bilingual... her preK teachers say we should have her tested for the highly capable program, but for now she is just enjoying the social aspects of school. She has lots of time to turn into a geek like her parents! But her most relevant accomplishment (to this group at least) is that she made and entered a quilt into my guild's show last year - she pieced it all by herself, although I did quilt it and bind it for her. I have a pic somewhere I could upload... and she is working on the second one, but wants to move on to the third and this time wants to design it first on graph paper! She seems to think the FW is hers and keeps referring to it as 'my SM' and it is a hoot when she catches herself doing it :o).... She is also learning how to 'crochet' with one of those crochet dolls that make a long yarn sausage, so I think another one has bitten the quilting dust!
Anyway, I'll try to stay in touch...