Hi friends. I hope this finds you doing well. I'm trying to find a new normal and making a lot of arrangements for my daddy's services. He had friends all over the US! I've decided to have a service locally for his California friends, but his final resting place will be in Pittsburg, Kansas, where he was born. He will be with his parents and brother. My aunt and uncle also have their plots next to daddy's.
I miss hearing his voice and will sometimes call his cell phone just to hear it. Daddy went to see the Lord exactly 2 weeks ago today. I must tell you that I really appreciate your prayers as I feel them and have peace. Of course I have my moments of tears, but I'm not the basket case I expected that I would be. I love going to his condo and spending time there. I feel his spirit in the house and it's very comforting. Daddy even built me my own craft space there this time last year. I have some stuff up there to keep me busy when we're both just doing our thing. One of these days, since it's been a year, I will figure out how to get an old photo from iPhoto and will actually get the option to move it to a place where I can find it and upload it for you so you can see the beautiful studio my father built me. I will have to add just a bit of storage and an island, but for now, it's just perfect for the time I spend at dad's house.
I've already sorted through his belongings and thank God he was a minimalist or else it would have been even harder. Scott and Pete helped me as sometimes, I just couldn't do some things so let them handle it. I'm going to be going back up later this week. I have a few things I have to take care of first. This is such a process! Please keep praying for me. I know he's safe with the Lord.
I've been able to make a few cards for therapy and have to do a video today for one of my design teams. I was also on the OR table this morning for about an hour and was pretty bummed I didn't get knocked out all the way but the good thing is, is that I can flex my ankles so I can walk. Yay! Usually after radiofrequency ablation or even an epidural, I can't walk for 8 hours or so. Dr. Anand threw in S1 as a favor and I'm really grateful for that; however, I feel every single needle in my back, all 24 of them, so I might take a nap later today.
My first card is something winter and fun. I used My Favorite Things Stamps of Pure Innocence, Heart Warmer Boy. I loved coloring this image with my Copic markers. My card stock is Stampin' Up! Brushed Silver with their new Winter Frost Designer Series Paper Stack. I die-cut a Spiral Notebook Page from Papertrey Ink and Die-namics Sentiment Strips by My Favorite Things. I used Versamark Dazzle Frost Watermark and silver embossing powder for the sentiment that was attached to the card with a Tim Holtz Tiny Stapler. The silver tinsel twine is also by Tim Holtz. The flowers cascading down the right side of the card are Martha Stewart Stickers.
For my next card, it's very cute and there's a childhood memory and even as an adult memory for me in the sentiment of this card as my daddy always called me "Pal." When I was organizing the other day, which is a neverending task here, I ran across this stamp set and immediately knew I had to do something as it made me think of my daddy. I used Paper Smooches Woofer stamp set with the coordinating die, colored the image in with Copic markers of nothing fancy and used My Mind's Eye Quilting Bee patterned paper. The sentiment panel is from one of Papertrey Ink's Framed Out series.
I hope that you enjoyed my cards today. I would also like to thank all of you for the cards, phone calls and emails. I am very blessed.
Isaiah 41:10. My son sent this to me a few days ago.
