What's On My Mind .....

Sorry it has been so long, but life goes on and sometimes blogging just isn't on the top ten list of things that need doing ... am I right???  But I wanted to take a few minutes to talk to you about what's been going on and the things that have been uppermost in my mind lately. 

For the first time in many years, crafting hasn't been my main priority or focus lately.  I am still crafting some, but I find that it has taken it's rightful place as something to do when you have a chance, and not what you do to the exclusion of everything else!  Here is a collage of a project I did recently for a tutorial on The Kraft Journal ....

It is an accordion mini album that fits into a small $1 heart shaped candy box.    You can find the full tutorial HERE.

The project on my work table right now is a mini album using the Gatefold Album from Basically Bare and the new (and absolutely gorgeous) Maggie Holmes collection from Crate Paper.

Another thing that has been on my mind a lot lately is my Daddy.  We lost my sweet Daddy almost 3 1/2 years ago after a long, hard fought fight with heart disease, diabetes, and failing kidneys ... among other things!  And even though it's been several years, I always miss him, just some times more than others, as has been the case lately.  I don't know why, I have felt him stronger of late, but I just have, and I like to think it's because he is here to see me happy!

One of my very favorite pictures of my Daddy ... ball cap, flannel shirt and suspenders ... with a mouth full of  that nasty chewing tobacco!

One of the songs we played at Daddy's funeral service was one of my favorite songs by country singer Brad Paisley called 'When I Get Where I'm Going'.  One line says "when I get where I'm going there will only be happy tears" ... and I know that is true, and I also believe (probably not theologically correct, but it comforts me to think this) that our loved ones who have gone before us get to see us when we are happy.  And they are shedding happy tears for us!  As I said, it makes me feel better thinking that Daddy gets to see me in my best of times.  Here is a video of the song by Brad Paisley ...

Another thing that is on my mind these days ... and clearly in the forefront ... is my husband's impending retirement!  We are plotting and planning and dreaming and trying to decide what we want that next chapter to 'look like', and enjoying the heck out of the process!  Of course none of it is happening immediately as hubby's target retirement date is 12/31/2014, but we need to get our ducks in a row and do some things that will help us get ready!

Yesterday we went riding to a small town about 1 1/2 hours from here that we think might make a great new home town and home base for our 'golden years', and we found a house and a neighborhood that we loved.  Now we can't afford to buy anything now, but now we kind of know where we want to go, and the neighborhood will still be there in a couple of years.  We do know that our next big thing is to get our house spiffed up and ready to put on the market in about a year or so.  We agreed that we want to (if possible) have the house sold BEFORE hubby retires, which might mean putting most of our stuff in storage and living in a small apartment for a while in order to reach our goals.

I love my sweet hubby so much, and am so grateful that we make such a great team ... of course that is no accident!  It is very important to us that we work together and talk openly and honestly about these things.  I am also so excited for him ... just having made the decision of when he will retire has changed his outlook and lifted a burden off his shoulders.  He is my love and my life and my very best friend in the world ... which is just as it should be!


So that is what's been going on with me/us ... tell me what's going on in your corner of the world!  Blessings,