may 13, 2013! my sister nani is celebrating birthday 60-something. how about that, i don't remember which birthday number she hits this year. the years don't matter, it's what we do with them that matters. i have 4 sisters total, but nani and i are the closest, both geographically and everything else. our dad lives with nani, they built onto the house that my mom and dad had built back in the early 70's. wish i could be there! i am retiring at the end of this school year, june 12th to be exact. oh yes, i am very excited! i can go visit my pops and sister and nieces anytime i want, providing the weather allows. but it is going to be summer sooner or later here in central oregon, and that means i won't be freezing and miserable for about 45 days. summer doesn't last long, but it is so beautiful. i love each day, like it was my last-----because before i know it, winter has returned.

i have been making cards for most of the winter, but several weeks ago we had a 3-day crop. i armed myseld with tons of photos printed from costco. chose an outrageous amount of patterned papers and plain card stock, die cutting machine, bling, adhesives, paints, sewing machine, embellies, and the list goes on and on. i always haul way too much to a crop, but i go there with a clean slate, i never pre-plan my scrapbooking. i begin with the photo(s) or which group of papers i want to use. no 2 pages are ever alike, and that's how i like it. making my own embellishments, alphas, using paints, stamps, ink, and an endless amount of other tools, i sit and create each page. i am most relaxed at home when i am creating but going to crops puts me in touch with my friends i have made over the years who share the same passion about paper crafting. i've never submitted any of my creations to magazines or other blogs, i have never had the desire to do such. perhaps i'm afraid of something or another, but i doubt it. i don't have the desire to spend time on the computer. i love my macbook air, but its just a tool, not a way of life. i get sucked into it many times, but not so much as to concern me. i like things just the way they are.

my two grand-daughters that were born in winter 2011 and 2012 have grown up way too fast. little gretchen leilani will be 18 months at the end of may, and miss ruby lynn kuulei will have just turned 16 months. little grand daughters are so much fun. now my grand sons' are growing waaaaay too fast. sam will be 9 on the 29th of this month, pete will be 6 in september, and andy will be 3 in july! whooooo, that was too fast. i'm falling asleep just looking at my computer, so i'm just going to end this conversation right here.

may Our Dear Lord bless you each and every day of your life. if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please do. it will reserve your home in eternity with God. the alternative is burning in hell with satan.  God Bless you all!

aloha, jo ann