Swaps I'm hostessing !

I have my hands full....and I love it !

1. New Year ATC swap....FULL....Due Dec. 17th

2. Signs of Spring ATC swap....due March 8th...(right NOW, one spot left!)

3. 50 States ATC swap.....due May 1st (could change if needed !)

4. Fisk-a-Friendzy Regional tag swap !


I'm submitting some cards to a magazine...I'm still working on a class for Captured Moments and I have some other classes I'd like to propose ! So ...I am a very busy crafter and I love it !

Thankful

It's Sunday, November 23rd, 2008. Bill is home. I am home. Riley and Max are fed and all taken care of. Tyler and Debbie are in their room relaxing. It's cold outside and we are warm inside. We have gas in our cars and food in the house. Our bills are paid and we have some money left in our pockets. Bill and I have the next week away from work. We have jobs, cars, food, warmth, shelter, money, and love. Bill is going to watch a movie...I am going to take a nice hot shower and design some cards and alter my year planner. I saw Kyle this morning and he is well. I went crafting this afternoon with a room full of friends and enjoyed the company and crafting. Yesterday, I went to Captured Moments for 12 hours of crafting, 3 hot meals, laughter and creativity and time with friends. Thankful ?....Yes , I am. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Justification....and heartache

Where does one begin to justify the death of a 16 year old ? My nephew, Ryan, was killed in a one car accident as a backseat passenger. No alcohol nor drugs were involved...just too fast on a country road and in a flash....he's gone. As if that weren't hard enough to handle...it was his father's (my brother Mike's) birthday. Where do you begin to justify that? Do you...can you blame God? Do you blame the driver...a 19 year old kid himself...yes KID....the front seat passenger is in critical condition. She has lots of broken bones...and bone fragments in her lungs...Do you blame her ? Was she distracting the driver? Were they just 3 kids laughing and having fun and all of the above is to blame? or Is there even a need for blame? Do I accept the fact that no matter who is to blame or even what the hell happened...Ryan is gone and nothing is going to bring him back. He would have turned 17 next month...looking forward to playing basketball and just beginning to enjoy his teen years and a new year in school. ONE MOMENT....ONE LOUSY MOMENT of either not paying attention...ONE MOMENT to realize how fast you are going and to back off...ONE MOMENT to have decided that one day, his Dad's birthday to just stay home and not have gotten into the car ????
I pray...that when they told our family, Ryan did not suffer, and died instantly...that he did indeed. He is not laying in a hospital bed...in a coma...broken beyond all hope and recognition but legally alive. My only saving grace is that he is at peace with our family members who went before him. That his parents and siblings find peace to accept this tragedy and remember all the wonderful time they spent with Ry-Guy.
He was an easy going, well liked, kid.....one you could easily smile with. Loveable lil guy while growing up and I never ...not once...heard him be disrespectful or hear an angry word from him...always that grin and Hello Aunt Laura...with a hug. Teenagers get a bad rap sometimes....Ryan was one of the good ones.

I need some guidance with this !!

It's been almost a month since I started this blog...and I guess I'm going to have to ask for help it tweeking it ! I want it to "look" like MY place when I sign on ... not just a parchment background with some letters on it....so...until I have the time to add my bells and whistles...this will have to do.

Looking forward to this Friday when Ursula Merkt and I drive over to Hartford, CT for CKC ! It will be her first time...and my 4th...(my 3rd one this year...so far I have been to Manchester, NH in May and Valley Forge, PA in July) and even the weather is co-operating ! I'm more looking forward to the classes and she just wants to experience it all ! I enjoy the shopping...but in all honesty, my scrap room is FULL !! I really should just use what I already have.

September 13th - 20th, Bill and I really enjoyed our vacation on Cape Cod in Dennisport. We rented a sweet cottage and cooked there! Lots of relaxation, beach time, hunting for shells , reading and exploring. On Wed., Sept. 17th, we spent the day on Martha's Vineyard, our first time there. Even though we had a lovely day, we both enjoyed Nantucket a little more...so, the next time we are at the cape...it's Nantucket for us for a day trip!

About 30 hours to go...

In about 30 hours, we leave for Cape Cod !! It's been a whole years since my last real vacation and I'm so looking forward to a week away...ocean air, the sand, the sound of the waves....and Hurricane Ike ! Yep...figures, doesn't it ! We wait a year to take a vacation and we have a hurricane to deal with ! It's will hit somewhere around Galveston, TX Friday, and ride up to the NE eventually ! Hopefully, by the time it hits the cape, its just a lil rain and not a wash out ! Looking forward to 70 degree sunny days on the beach...to read...to clear my mind...to relax. Bill has been looking forward to this too...just a week away and he DIDN'T have a vacation last September. He and Tyler did go for a few days down to Dover, DE for a NASCAR race (it rained then some too !!!). So, this Saturday morning, around 9am....planning on hitting the road and head east...to Yankee Candle for a quick stop and to Magic Wings (butterfly gardens) before hitting the cottage in Dennis Port !!

Starting my blog...

I have been wanting to start a blog for sometime now. What was stopping me was a title for my blog. Not that a title for a blog should be an earth shattering thought process but I wanted it to reflect ME. THAT was the problem....me ! What title would reflect "me"?
I knew I was a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker, crafter, etc....but "WMDSFCC" just didn't seem to fit ...so back to the drawing board ! I was sending off an email to a very very dear friend...and in closing...Huggs & Heartstrings just flew off my fingers and ....BINGO ! I had a phrase that fit !
Here's hoping my new blog will prove to be a fun adventure ! Thanks !!

Huggs & Heartstrings,

Laura