Many are facing unprecidented challenges to survive during this recession. Dianne Rose has an answer for you. Use what you have, never give up, be enthusiastic, and use good PR!

Dianne Rose, no "Bllind Luck" for

her! She is making her future!

Dianne Rose is not only doing well, but achieving things with gusto! She has an energy, and bubbly enthusiasm that will not be quenched. Vision-impaired with glaucoma all her life, Rose became blind as a result of an accident in 1984, a mere four days before she was to undergo a cornea transplant. But that condition not slowed her down, Rose has used it to serve as a means to motivate others to achieve their true potential. Plus she has been smart in a business way. She has used good PR to get the word out.

She has used her lack of sight as a springboard to give motivational talks both within and beyond the context of her ministry, Rose of Sharon Ministries. "The way I look at it, if I can do what I have done, without sight, how much can you do?" she said. While it is normal to be a little suspect of people who mix religion with business, to achieve their goals, it is also important to get to the basics. What is she doing? The book says: "By their fruits you shall know them." She is using what she has, to help others! She is encouraging and motivating those who normally might just give up and live on hand outs! This woman is working, speaking, creating, moving, and is an example for every business executive. So, perhaps her "religious/business" mixture is a good one. The fruits? Her approach helps her make a living, and she gets the satisfaction of helping others.

Her achievements are considerable. Even without sight, Rose was involved in the Nashville music scene as a journalist covering the various aspects of, and personalities in, country music.

And it's not as if she has been dabbling at quilting, either. "I have been doing it since 1998," she said, "and I have made more than 475 of them." She also had a goal to make 500 quilts by Aug 14th 2008 which was her 10th anniversary of making quilts.

In fact, Rose's music connections have resulted in quilts being sold to such personalities as country music legend Loretta Lynn. "The quilt I made her used to hang in her gift shop," Rose said.

Quilt of Presidents

And that's not all. "President Bush has one of my quilts hanging up in the office of his ranch in Crawford, Texas," Rose said proudly.

So, how does a blind person make a quilt at all, let alone make quilts that famous people would want?

"By feel," she said. "The first quilt I did, I did with polyester instead of cotton."

What's the difference? "I can feel the texture of the polyester," she said, "but the cotton was too smooth to be able to feel."

And for what does she feel? "I do a lot of applique," Rose said, "and you can feel where the stitch is because it's smooth against the main part of the quilt, while the part that's not yet stitched is not smooth."

Rose acknowledged the parts that she appliques to the quilt do have to be cut for her. But she also noted the most common type of quilt, that she called the "split rail pattern," she assembles herself.

"What I do is to lay out four pieces of fabric," Rose said, "12 inches by three inches, side by side, and stitch them together...