last week, i was fortunate enough to spend 6 days in michigan with gwen marston.  it was a much needed break for me, and i sewed my little heart out the whole time (without feeling a bit guilty!).   my diligence paid off and i was able to finish a whole quilt top during my stay (which i have yet to photograph).  if you ever get a chance to attend one of gwen’s retreat, don’t hesitate,  it’s well worth it.

the time off of school and work also gave me time to reflect on  things.  my life has changed so much in the past 5 years.  i only have 5 months and 8 days until i graduate nursing school (that’s 85 more class days, in case you were wondering).  i’m also now retired as a homeschooler.  my youngest daughter is attending a private christian school and she absolutely loves it and is doing extremely well.  being a homeschooling mom for 15 years, i have to add that it works, but you have to be willing to put in the time.  we made the right choice 15 years ago to start homeschooling when there were no private christian schools available to us, and homeschooling was, quite frankly, not the “thing” to do.  now that we do have a fabulous christian school available, it was the right choice  to move ahead at this time. 

after much thought and consideration for several months, i’ve also decided that i’m stepping back from the public blogging forum for various reasons.  when i started blogging back in august of 2005, my life was in a different place than it is today.  i have been keeping a private journal for quite some time, but for now, it will remain private.  with it, i don’t feel pressure to update it regularly like i do this one.  i will continue to post pictures on my flickr account,  and if you desire to follow me there, email me or leave a comment here, and i’ll forward you my info for that venue.

i thank you all for the encouragement, the laughs, and the inspiration during the past 5 years.  i hope that during that time my blog was a place where you could leave with a smile on your face. 

i wish you all the very best!