Gratitude, Thank yous and Could it be........

Good Morning Everyone!

It truly is a great morning. Yes it is -27C (holy crap cold for those not familiar with Celsius). Yes, my beloved Daddy Tom made his way to his Lord just two short days ago. Yes there are bills to pay family issues to deal with. Health issues that need resolution and a house that needs to be sold. But..........

Gratitude

The sun is shining and the wind is quiet so walking to work today is going to be pleasant. I know that my Daddy Tom is no longer suffering. He is with those he loves that went before him. I know that while my friends ache at the loss of their father, the burden of daily care and worry is winding down. I know that health issues are being monitored and looked after and when I look at what some of my new and old friends are going through....my ailments are minor and insignificant. Yes, losing my job last summer played havoc financially and I just never seem to be able to get ahead...but I have a job, something many people find themselves without in this economy. I also have the ability to improve my situation with hard work, drive, and determination. I am able to look to the future and see that I can make a difference and I have a few methods of getting there...I just have to choose.

There are relationship dynamics to repair.... but at least I have family and friends and the chance to repair them...with time and love.

This weekend was the first full weekend off in months for me. Wouldn't you know it Bob had to work..... but he did something he has not done in over 18 months. He asked me to go with him for the day. My gut reaction was "are you kidding? Sit in a semi all day when I could be scrapping or blog hopping?" Lucky for me my brain was working faster than my mouth and realized he was making an effort to spend time with me. So I loaded up my camera and some pens and paper dawned 3 layers of clothes and did my best to look the part, LOL. 12 hours of hauling bales.... here I come!

Could it be.......spring is coming?


Well it was a wonderful day, and I even got to see my sign (to me) that spring is here and that soon the cold of winter will soon be a forgotten memory. Look at these little fellas that were just a day old..... how could seeing these awesome little faces all curled up not touch your heart.

There were some slightly older lambs that made me laugh and my heart light. Don't tell anyone but it did wonders to uplift my spirits, more so than anyone human could have. So I apologize for all the sheep and lamb pictures but not really.


Thank you to Peeps!

This past weekend I participated in the Soul Blog Hop and it was truly fabulous to get the chance to chance to see how the same course has enlightened so many people. I am excited to share with you the winning entries for my RAKS but that will have to wait until later as i want to finish them up and photograph them.

Have a fabulous day everyone!

Just when you thought I had vanished........

Soul Restoration
Blog Hop March 5-6,2011

Well in someways I had. I found that my soul was buried under a pile of rubble and debris and that some where along the line...... I had become angry, resentful and so not the person that I want to be and know that I am.I couldn't design, I couldn't create, I had to argue with myself to join my scrappy friends.... and when scrapbooking took such a beating and I hadn't taken a single photo and not a single card was sent during the holidays........

I knew my soul needed some restoration and my heart had to be healed.

I didn't really know what I was going to do to fix it because while I knew I didn't feel right I was still not certain what was wrong. I knew that somewhere something had to change and I had to put all the horrible events of 2009 and 2010 behind me, to let the pain, resentment, and anger go. I needed to find my self confidence, my sense of self-worth, acceptance of what is and what will be. I had to find the truth and how to hear it when it was spoken.


I was silently lurking on Facebook reading the posts of my friends, respected artists and Christy Riopel posted something about brave girls.........I have to be honest it sort of washed by me. Then Allison Orthner posted something that referred back to this Brave Girl group. Still it didn't sink in - then Leica mentioned something and Trisha posted something. Alright if these gals are all talking about it...... I guess I better pop over and take a look. I watched the videos and thought Melody was crazy..... who does this kind of stuff...this was not for me. Then I saw more ladies I respect talking about it. This lead me to click on this link and that and some of the graduates were sharing their thoughts and feelings. Samples were shown and finally.......something triggered in my heart. I knew that I needed to find the money to register somehow someway.

Well fate must have felt that I needed this chance to get myself back on the straight and narrow. As the money was found and the I signed up at the last moment. I was a Brave Girl . I needed to rediscover and appreciate the good in my life.

Melody and her girls are gonna take you on a fabulous journey so pack your kleenex, and craft supplies and create to your hearts content. Check in with each of the ladies below and see what this course has meant to each of them.

For those of you that visit and leave a comment I will be making a draw for some RAKS that I will create this weekend. I want to pay forward the incredible gift that Melody has given me.

And here are some others who enjoyed Soul Restoration as much as I did! September, Joann, Kathy, Leanne, and Stephanie - be sure and visit their blogs this weekend too!

Judy	wwwf.bepresentbereal.blogspot.com
2. Pippa	http://pjbear-determinedscrapper.blogspot.com
4. Sandi [tigger]	http://sandi-mybravesoul.blogspot.com
5. Leslie	http://wordsofmeproject.blogspot.com
6. Juel	http://colorfulmoments.blogspot.com/
7. Kai	http://www.enjoytheridetoday.blogspot.com
8. Angie	http://thefeathersinmynest-mommiextwo.blogspot.com/
9. Lacey	www.winterwidow.blogspot.com
10. Kathy Mc	http://shockingpinkthread.blogspot.com
11. Lynn	www.rubyrabbitstudios.com
12. Sandra	www.skippingwithobie.blogspot.com
13. Stephanie	http://mycreativewish.blogspot.com
14. ZuZu	http://www.zuzu.typepad.com/about.html
15. Sami Jo	www.herhousehold.blogspot.com
16. Rebecca	www.flyoverpilgrim.blogspot.com
17. Dawn	http://www.seekingsense.typepad.com/
18. Donna	http://orangalicious1.blogspot.com
19. Rana	http://definitivedesignsbyrwilson.blogspot.com/
20. Judy	http://mycraftingroom.blogspot.com/
21. Trisha	http://adgb.blogspot.com/
22. Kas	http://www.whispersandwishes.blogspot.com
23. Shelley	renaissancewyoming.blogspot.com
25. Deb	www.aswewalkalongtheway.blogspot.com
26. Karen	www.writtenbyangels.com
27. Jennifer	www.studiojenn.blogspot.com
28. Dawn	http://dawnhueser.blogspot.com

It has been awhile....

There was Mom and Dads 50th anniversary, the passing of my dearly loved uncle Bill, the completion of the 5K CIBC race for a cure. There has been the sorting and packing of belongings sharing of excess goodies with those that would appreciate them. Of course there is work and entering into the management training program that I want to advance rapidly with so lots of time learning.

Next week Diane receives an award for approaching the Holy Cross School and insisting that those in the modified and alternate education programs deserve to be acknowledged on the Principles List just as much as those in mainstream or advanced programs who attain academic excellence. I am so very proud of her and her achievements..........if those same doctors that told me she would never attain a mental age greater than 4 years could see her now.......well lets just say I am glad I followed my mothers instinct and did not pull life support when given the option.

I have signed up for the CIBC Race for the Cure 2011 and have decided that I will create cards and sell them "Cards for a Cure" yes I know that the run primairly supports breast cancer. I believe though that some of the successes that are achieved in curing breast cancer can be extrapolated to other cancers reducing the number of family friends that will have to deal with cancer in their lifetimes. So keep me in the back of your mind if you need to restock your card stash for 2011.