<p>Colleen Blackwood</p>

What do your friends call you?

A variety of slang terms not fit for publication, in addition to Liz and Loud one is a nickname and the other a descriptive adjective.

 

How old are you?

I jumped over the line into my 60s last year.

 

Where do you live?

Out of doors or behind a sewing machine near Mission.

 

Where did you go to school?

Grant Union High in John Day

 

What do you do?

I play hard. If it is supposed to be work, I make it into play whether I am designing a new quilt or riding one of my horses its all good! I am fortunate to be able to do what I want for the time being I have a varied resume due in large part to the different places we lived while moving around with my husbands career. I have clipped fins off of fish for pay and picked orchids for pay trained horses, cleaned barns, worked retail and maintained a swimming pool in exchange for swimming privileges for our family

 

Whats the best thing about your work?

I share my joy with great people and horses who share their enthusiasm for life with me; so there is a constant sense of support when I am working through something that I dont understand.

 

Who is the historical figure you most admire?

Those people who stood for the rights of others there are so many it is hard to say just one, but especially those who were the first to stand up and take a public approach to make life better for those around them.

 

The living person you most admire?

I have to say that would be my husband, Jeff. He is a man of quiet strength and constant support who brings me a cup of coffee each morning before I am out of bed.

 

What is your proudest accomplishment?

With the help of Jeff, we raised two of the very finest individuals I know our son and daughter are fantastic people. On my own, I have designed a few quilts and raised some pretty good Arabian horses. I have sold a couple horses that went on to compete at the national level.

 

What is the most difficult challenge in your life these days?

Finding enough time to do all the things I would like to get done.

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love my horses and riding is my favorite activity, but walking our dogs is right up there, along with bird watching and gardening.

 

What type of electronic equipment do you carry around with you?

I own a cellphone, but I dont know where it is half the time.

 

If you had to live in another country for a year, where would you go?

I could spend a year seeing Australia and New Zealand.

 

If you could change one thing in your community, what would that be?

I would like to see more people participate in the community. There are some wonderful activities that exist beyond the five days in September. The Pendleton Center for the Arts is a hub for many different interests and age groups I feel as though I see who the community is when I attend activities there.

 

What is at the top of your bucket list?

To stay active and riding until I am in my 90s Beryl Grilley taught me well and to master some level of tai chi. I have been taking lessons from Tom Bailor for a year and it has been a pleasant surprise to learn what a great form of exercise it is.

 

What is your favorite beverage?

Water in quantity, coffee in the morning and dark smooth beer in the evening.

 

Tell us about the best book youve read lately.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder it is the story of Dr. Paul Farmer who started the Partners in Health organization after supplying medical treatment in Haiti to the impoverished people, long before the disaster that got the worlds attention. He is an amazing human we can all learn from.

 

Your most prized possession?

Some personal gifts of handmade art from members of my family.

 

Whats the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

I cant pick just one, or one that is suitable for publication, for fear of reprisal.

 

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and good beer love Prodigal Son!

 

Whats the one question we didnt ask that youd like to answer?

How do I participate in our community? As an ambassador for the quilting habit, I have organized the Krazy Horse Quilters and for the past 11 years we have put on a very good quilt show the first weekend in May. We display over 200 quilts and offer a raffle quilt that provides us with funds we can donate to local charities. This year we are donating the proceeds to Blue Mountain Wildlife and the Altrusa backpack program at the junior high. The quilt show attracts over 600 attendees and each year we hope to see more people come to the show and enjoy the beauty of the quilts made in this area.