The family act two began over 10 years ago as the family act. My sister moved to Arkansas and our children were young and neither of us had the finances to come and see each other. My sister is nine years younger than I am. One day my sister asked me to teach her how to crochet. Now, I've been a knitter since 9 years of age and our grandmother bless her soul tried and tried to teach this knitter how to crochet. But, I sat down with my sister and together we figured it out. Different styles and different tensions sure, and she is the faster one as I still hold the hook like a needle. Well our family was over loaded with the towels. They loved them though as they reminded them of simpler times. My sister got an idea about making as many as we can and taking them to a craft show. I looked at my two junior high kids and she had her elementary kids, and we did. It grew and our rack has four sides, 6 bars and loaded three deep of different printed towels crocheted tops. People come to us to say they look everywhere for us, or great prices and variety. We get calls if we miss a show. Our customers are great and at the shows I've taught a few more young upcoming crotchetier’s to make crochet top towels. They love it leaving with one they made themselves.

Well as you know children get board and the husbands get restless at these shows until...my sister’s husband began to work with shadow boxes and centerpieces, and our dad began to make bird houses, our mom began to hand embroider pillowcases, My daughter began to cross stitch pictures, and make jewelry, My son decided to carve cars, My sister and I crocheted tops, made crafts, ornaments, magnets and well THE FAMILY ACT became really the family act. We would make enough for all of us to meet at a show-which always has fun like the watermelon festival-if you can get my sister away from the watermelon wagon. The daffodil festival, and we have traveled to Rogers City war eagle festival, the list is long and the memories many. But we would make enough for our family reunion and have fun visiting too!

Like with all families they grow up and start their own families. My sister still has "The Family Act" and I have "The Family Act Two" but at the shows we are "The Family Act" to this day. Dad still makes birdhouses and squirrel feeders, and my sister and I still crochet tops to towels but we have added embroidery to them now, and we have added the embroidered bath sets. We still do pretty well. Memory is bitter sweet as my sisters’ son died in a car accident. That is how I moved from Indiana to Arkansas. I was in her town but after 3-5 interviews a day the only one that hired was 45 min. away so I moved closer to the job.

I was in Indiana having to be protected from my now ex husband who due to his mental condition continued to worsen in rages. I had to leave everything I knew for 44 years. Michigan, my family there, generations of family, friends, community, and I thought that would be the end of the world. My sister and I started the internet business, she started I believe in 2001 selling for both of us, and between her and our mom telling me to crochet! Crochet! Crochet! And a job I really loved I made it through. I had stayed 25 years with that man.

I met another man Wayne who spoils me rotten. He has put my hopes back in place and fills the lonely days. The job in Indiana was managed by the feds and they decided they wanted someone with a master’s degree and did not give an option to get the masters degree to keep the job. Wayne came just in time as I would have totally collapsed as this was soon after the death of my nephew.

Well moving and Wayne found a job and we got a home. Wayne a retired Marine still has to work, and me well Social Workers with a BA I guess never get that longevity needed to retire. I developed cancer two years after I started the job. I received promotions, went to conferences, got merit raises etc. But after telling my supervisor in March I began to receive fact findings where every single one of my cases was combed with a fine tooth comb. It is very belittling for a professional of my years (30 years in the field) to be treated in such a way and then having treatments and all by October I couldn't take it anymore and turned in my FMLA, four days later they let me go and told unemployment it was because they no longer needed my services. In the meantime they have hired for my position people with no training, knowledge, background or education to do the job. (Child maltreatment investigator)

So long story short lol. Wayne lost his job, I can't walk far now as my foot has degenerative arthritis and I could no longer go for treatments (water therapy-wish for a pool so I could do it at home), I have Lupus, and cancer and no insurance. I have three teeth that have broken at the gums, and glasses put together with jewelry wire, and Wayne stays by me night and day. We just found each other; we're soul mates how unfair. Well the eBay business had been started and I had dabbled with the crochet tops doing pretty good at it. Still slow but customers like the quality. Wayne likes the embroidery machine he had bought me but he likes it so much he used it until he got a bigger one. The Family Act Two has to gear up and pump up or we will loose what we have left one car one house. Wayne is meticulous with his embroidery, I am with the crochet, and we both enjoy hunting for best buys with minimum seed money we have to. That is great for customers as we pass on the savings. My sister continues to say crochet! Crochet! crochet! and I do and we pray.

We have met a lot of great people through the years, we hope to meet you, and for those who have come on in, well come on in again, we are growing and changing all the time. We take customers suggestions, help with finding that hard to find item, and well we treat our customers like family. Well you are!