I'm Still Here!

HELLO to my blogging buddies!  Yes, I'm still here!  Occasionally I'll receive an email from someone out there asking if I'm okay and asking why I'm not blogging anymore.  My life has been VERY different over the past six months from my Stampin' Up! days, and I'm still adjusting to my new lifestyle, but things are fine.  In fact, things aren't just fine, they're GRAND!  I'm very happy, immensely enjoying my retirement, and loving the fact that my time is my own.  I feel healthier than I've ever felt in all aspects of my life - mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually!  So, see?  All is GOOD!  I fully intend to get back to blogging because for me, it's how I scrapbook.  I love being able to go back and see pictures of old vacations, special trips, great friends and family members, and the papercrafts I've made.  I've been incredibly busy with my new lifestyle!  I love to spend time with my mother and her friends, and I've also been making 200 Christmas cards!  I still get together with lovely people in my life to share stamping and to share life in general.  And now, with Christmas approaching, I've been busy shopping, wrapping gifts, baking, addressing envelopes to send cards, and having coffee and lunches with my mom and her friends.  My kids are now home from college for the holidays and we are looking forward to a very nice Christmas!  For the first time in about 25 years, I have some family members coming to spend Christmas with us, so it's going to be a very special Christmas!

I have LOTS to catch you up on, but I do want to make sure I post a picture of our 2014 First Annual Crafting Getaway Weekend, which occurred back in October.  I had always planned an annual retreat for the demonstrators in my downline and after retiring, I felt blue, knowing that I was going to miss out on that special event each year.  It then occurred to me that I could plan the same type of event every year for my stamping friends.  We had our first retreat a couple of months ago at Jordan Ranch in Schulenburg.  It was a lovely weekend filled with beautiful people I love and great crafts of all types, so it's now going to be a part of my life each year.  YAY!  Here is a picture that we took before we left.  A couple of people had already left, so we missed having them in the photograph, but all the rest of us made it into the picture.  I'll be posting some Christmas cards on my blog soon, but I wanted to say thank you to those of you who have been wondering if I'm okay and contacted me with your concern.  You are very nice people!