Life has many unanticipated turns. My Mom enjoyed the holidays with her family including several grand and great grandchildren. Although she had several health issues she enjoyed that time to its fullest. So it was unexpected that just a few days later she developed new life threatening issues and died a few days prior to the New Year. She would have been 86 on her birthday January 5 but her body wore out before then. She shared many beautiful skills with my 2 sisters and me including her love of gardening, cooking, volunteering and crafting.

So I have been in Ohio these last couple weeks and out of touch. I too am very glad that I was not put on the “whatever happened to” list. I feel unable to put my thoughts together to close out the Christmas holiday. I received several beautiful shackie Christmas cards and enjoyed hanging them on my old kitchen cupboards and feel bad I never got the opportunity to send individual thanks for them. I came home to my remodelers my new upper kitchen cabinets hung and a few mechanical issues to complete before installing the base cabinets. In the midst of the holidays I made a handful of cards but it became impossible to complete more due to remodel. I am sorry for not getting cards to all my shackie friends.

I look forward to getting my house in a new order and am ready to start stamping again. One should never be without their ability to craft for months when that is their stress reliever!