RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS...

Well, it's not Monday, but it is rainy! As the rain sheets down outside here in parts of southern Missouri (snow in other areas), I am here in front of my warm fireplace and MacBookPro, sitting on the knitted throw that my Mom made me for Christmas and reflecting upon another cozy afternoon spent with my artsy friends in Ozark. Although it was cold and wet outside, inside we all sat around the tables and visited and shared our latest artful projects. Shirley was working on a beautiful crazy quilt mini-ablum, Pat on a snow layout and Joyce let me peak at the mini book she just finished for her nephew, who bears a striking resemblance to my nephew! In another corner Misty is showing Lois how to use her Design Studio with her JukeBox on her Cricut. We all sang happy birthday to my husband, who graciously spent his day helping me move product in and out, setting up tables and ringing up the goodies the girls wanted to use on their projects. Rebecca and I shared a smile as we're both the same age; she just had her birthday and mine is coming up in a few weeks. Let's just say we're older than we wish we were! It's always amazing how our lives intertwine with consistent themes of family and friends, fellowship and laughter, and sometimes a tear or two as we think of relationships that have changed or moved on due to circumstances beyond our control or the natural cycle of life.

I am truly thankful for the family and dear friends that I have. They are a constant blessing to me. They inspire me to do better tomorrow than I did today, they spark my creative curiosity as we all exchange our thoughts about the day's events and how we want to capture those feelings and emotions, as well as the details in what we're working on during the day.

As the rain turns to drizzle and ice (and heavens, probably some snow!) I'm going to sit here and plan a few new classes and projects. There is something about the change in weather during this time of year, even when we seem to be going backwards and not "springing" forward, that always makes me yearn for something new and different. New product arrives daily and it almost seems like sensory overload trying to narrow all the ideas down to a few well-planned projects that will excite others to work with them as much as it excites me to plan them! As I grow older this month I am still excited about getting to play with my new toys! Stay tuned, you may be finding yourself drawn into the excitement of a new project too!

Keep the faith!
Vicki