My Dandelion Wishes

A new name and a new post.  It has been a bery long time since I have written in my blog.  I question does anyone read blogs anymore?? Life as I knew it has changed in so many ways.  I retired from my career in the medical field in 2015. To say not what I expected is an understatement, but I am doing well, and forging ahead in a different new and exciting direction. I taught at a local scrapbook store for over 3 years and loved meeting new people and developing new friendships.  Alas the store is closing and I am once again seeking new paths.  I am lucky that through friendships I have found several possibilities of places to teach.  My future is bright with the new opportunities.  It may be a different type of format but I will still be able to teach my mini albums. I will keep you posted.  Meanwhile I have created a page on Facebook named Dandelion Wishes.  I will link my classes and my creative endeavors on that page also Stay tuned as...

I t is amazing how quickly time has passed since I last wrote on more poor blog.  I guess it has taken this long for me to come to terms with the loss of Mom and Dad.  I still miss them so so much and think of them daily.  I still expect a text or email in the mornings and when I glance at the clock on Sunday afternoons I think back to our 4 pm chats. My sister and I often say how long before that changes.  Life does go on but not quite the same. So what have I been up to in the last 2 years.  CRAFTING!!  I have been taking lots of classes of all different types.  My latest passion is Shawn Petit and her mixed media classes at Craftfusion.  I am letting go and getting bolder about branching out and not following exactly the instructor.  Can't wait till August 16th as my Daughter and Gran Daughter are joining me in Shawn's next class.  And I have been teaching a little at Craftfusion.  I am so enjoying that bold new step for me...

For someone who meant so much and loved by all he knew who left behind a trail of tears and precious memories too We loved the sunshine in his smile and kindness in his heart but heaven saw that he was tired  which meant we had to part And now that it's his special day dear angels, hear our prayer please guard him with your gentle wings and tend him with great care For he was some wonderful and words just can't convey how much we wish that he was here once more, with us today Miss you more and more with each passing day.  Miss my daily text or emails, miss the Sunday at 4pm phone calls and miss having you there to share all my tragedies and triumphs.  You are missed and loved so very much.

It has been a really long time since I have felt like blogging.  These past few months have left me empty, not wanting to be out and about not wanting to create not wanting to clean   just blah.  Finally I am getting back to a more normal frame of mind.  I can actually get up and look forward to what the day may  bring. I am getting excited again about taking some classes and mingling with the world again. So Colleen came in on Monday late afternoon.  Her trip to Germany had a change of plans and here she is in hot Arizona I might add.  She will be here at least 2 weeks so I set about signing us up for classes and making a few plans as my work schedule allows.  Friday I took the day off from work and we played all day.  Shopped till we dropped was a very true phrase.  Between the heat and all the shopping by the time we met Karen and Teah for dinner I was done just done!!!  Good thing Cornish Pasty has ice cold beer!!!!  We sa...

TJ Happy Birthday.  Hoping your day is celebrated exactly as you wish, a day off from work. I am so very proud of you.  You are a caring son, a supportive brother and the most wonderful Uncle.  We all love you so very much.  Your twinkle of mischievous in your eye comes from your Grandfather and has already been passed to your Nephew Anthony.   You make every occasion so special full of laughter and joy. Have a wonderful day Love you Mom

If Roses grow in Heaven,   Lord please pick a bunch for me,     Place them in my Mother's arms   and tell her they're from me.     Tell her I love her and miss her,   and when she turns to smile,     place a kiss upon her cheek   and hold her for awhile.     Because remembering her is easy,   I do it every day,     but there's an ache within my heart   that will never go away.  Love and miss you Mom

Happy Birthday Dad.  We love and miss you so much.  Hard to believe you are not here. I know Mom is now with you and you both will celebrating with all those family and friends surrounding you.

It has been a gut wrenching sad and emotional two months for the Struchen's. We have said our final goodbyes with many tears, laughter, sadness and breaking hearts. Dad passed on Feb 25th and now Mom has joined him on March 10th.  We knew Mom was very ill but none of us expected that she would go so very quickly. And now as my sister says we are orphans.  We are still family but right now without Dad and Mom to bring us and keep us all together as they had worked so hard to do all these years. As I had written on Caring Bridge Dad was our hero, our mentor our DAD.  It is so hard to realize there are no more early am text messages or emails  no more 4pm Sunday phone calls.  There is a giant void in my heart Mom seemed to think she always took a back seat to Dad.  But she was always there to help us, give us strength hold us to a higher standard.  "We Struchen women are tough" she used to tell me when I was needing a listening ear.  "You c...

I am seeing..Dusk settling in for the evening I am hearing..The nightly news I am smelling...chicken baking in the oven I tasted...Fresh pears I am feeling... Discouraged with all that is going on in the family Ya the daily documentation didn't quite make it so will attempt a weekly listing

I am seeing...Bright blue sunny skies I am hearing...My neighbor mowing his lawn I am smelling...the fresh cut grass I tasted...Trader Joes balsamic vinaigrette on my salad I am feeling... Tired after my bike ride I decided to restart the Simple Woman's Day Book. It was a great exercise to list what was going around me on a daily or weekly basis. She has a new site Diary of 5 in conjunction with her original site. I think this will be so much easier to keep on top of and will help to make me aware of my surroundings and feelings. Day 2 of new diet plan is going fairly well. I am craving Reece Peanut Butter Cups ha Good thing I had eaten them all yes every last christmas tree, bell and mini cups before I started this new me makeover!!! So I ate breakfast yuck hate breakfast unless it is at a restaurant and they have eggs, hash browns bacon pancakes waffles, well you get the idea. Water consumption is down today compared to yesterday and again yes I hate water, milk, Crysta...

Happy 2012 to my Family and Friends Well it is time to say good bye to 2011 and welcome in 2012. Seems such a short time ago it was welcoming in 2011. As I look back to all that has happened this past year I still see so many positive uplifting things that sustained and carried me through the more recent stressful heart breaking times. Our family remains strong, faithful and blessed that even though there are some tough medical issues happening we are still all in the present. I was so blessed to spend Christmas with TJ and Jen and her family. We welcomed a new guest this year Tal, John's twin brother joined us. A great time was had by all of us with many jokes played on poor Sadera and lots and lots of rivalry playing games. I don't make yearly resolutions as I don't keep them, enough said. But I am starting this New Year with a positive attitude and a determination to lose this weight that is slowly creeping up on me. Probably the Reeces Peanut Butter Christmas Tre...

Wishing all my Family and Friends a very Merry Christmas.

That title is certainly misleading! Ready I am not, getting closer but still a ways to go . Most of the gifts are purchased just a few difficult ones to look for, menu is planned and most of the decorating is completed. My Christmas album for 2011 is finished as of this morning and I can't wait to take the photos and put in it. I was at Craftfusion most of the day yesterday working on this beautiful album taught by Suzette Ricks . We had cookies , doughnuts, pizza and home made fudge from Barb to keep our energy levels going. It was a fun class and I was able to complete most of the album there. This am I finished up embellishing the pages. I think this is one of my favorite albums ever well except the one she taught last Christmas.

I hosted a small group for a Christmas Stocking Swap. I kept the group small due to my time and work constraints and deadlines I was facing. My idea for the swap came from a wonderful online class I took with Nancy Maxwell James of Sugar Lump Studios . I really enjoyed her class and all her helpful tips and so the idea was born. I assigned secret partners, to each of the members as well as a Dec 10th deadline. Christine suggested we all wait and open our boxes on the same day. So today is the reveal. The stocking are gorgeous and it has been fun as the photos came in to see how each of us interpreted the theme. We designed and filled our stockings with goodies and then mailed to our partner. Below are the photos of our stockings and a little thank you I sent to each of the gals. The stockings are in no particular order just how they came up on the computer. I am already thinking of next year :) and what we could do and to being more organized time wise so I can invite more ga...

So Hard to believe that my Grandson Anthony is 11 already. Time has a way of just slipping by so quickly. I am very proud of the young man he is becoming, funny, goofy, polite, caring, and an all around great kid HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY. Big wishes for a great year ahead

So many things big and small to be grateful and thankful for this year. Wishing all my family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving

This fall is rushing by so quickly. Seems I remain a month behind. I have been looking for an online class to keep me occupied throughout the long winter months and bless Maija she pointed me in the right direction. I am signed up for Jeanne Oliver's online class Creatively Made . Looking forward to some new creative adventures. Meanwhile I have taken a class or 2, have issued a challenge to my daughter and Grandkids and am trying very hard to get over a big disappointment involving an event I so wanted to attend but can't. I issued a challenge to my Grandkids and my daughter to take 1 photo per day every day in November and who ever completed all 30 days would receive a prize> Well they took it and ran with it and forgot to remind Grandma Nov 1st. They think they are all so cute that the are ahead four days. Hmmm we will see on Nov 30th. I am looking forward to their pics to see what they see behind their cameras. Last nite we were invited to celebrate my daughter...