Easter Preparations...

Getting ready for Easter here at the Holbrook Homestead. The kiddos arrived yesterday morning on the train. That was a first for all of us and we may use it again since it may cost less to do that than what it costs us in gasoline to drive to pick them up. I have to admit though that I was a bit nervous about it, but all was well in the end. We picked them up in the morning and stopped for breakfast together. I love those first couple of hours with them when we are getting caught up on all the things that are going on in their lives.

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I am not sure if we are going to color eggs this year or not. We usually use my cake decorating air brush to do them, so if Trav wants to we will but if not I will just make pickled eggs. Last year my eggs looked like they were camo colored after he was done with them. LOL!

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I will be making Country Pineapple Casserole to take to my Mom's for dinner tomorrow. It is so yummy, like sweet dressing for ham. You can find the recipe for it here. It is one of those delicious Taste of Home recipes! (Speaking of Taste of Home, my sister and I are going to the ToH Cooking School on April 3rd... More info here.)

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The card pictured above is one I made quite some time ago. The cardstock is all Bazzill. Easter eggs are done with Dreamweaver white embossing paste and a Dreamweaver brass stencil. After the paste dried I sponge stenciled with pigment inks, just blending them as I worked across the image.

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Hope the bunny lets a sweet treat in your basket!

Take care!

Been to the Dollar Tree again!

When I was there I found these very pretty packs of tri-fold card bases. They come four in the package, perforated, scored and they have very pretty patterns printed on them. Envelopes are also included, all for a BUCK! There were several different patterns to choose from some pastels and some neutrals. The package also says that you can run them through the printer.

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It seems that everyone has realized that Sunday is Easter and they have descended upon Wal-mart to buy their ham and candy. We have been crazy busy the past two days.

Take care.

HEYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! It has been a little while since I last blogged... we were having some issues with the computer, but that is all taken care of now, so hopefully I will be more on top of the blogging around here!

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Just because I have been away from the keyboard doesn't mean I haven't been crafting though! How about this cute little bright ray of sunshine! The stamps are Studio G from Michael's (surprise! LOL!) I used a sweet little button over the sun and some teensy tiny googly eyes on top of the button... it is a bit on the lumpy side, but sooooo stinkin' cute! The verse and the sunshine are water colored.

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It was a busy month for such a short month. It took me and my Mom working hours and hours and days and days and weeks and weeks to close out my Grandmothers apartment. I have no idea how she got alllllllll of the stuff that we hauled out of there into that little apartment. It was down to the wire on it, finished the day before we had to turn in the keys.

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I have also been busy with preparations for the crop which is just around the corner!

April 12 at Camp Harmony

9 AM to 9PM

$35

Drop me a comment or email if you need more info!

We have about 21 confirmed registrations and I know that at least that many more people have said they are coming but haven't sent their registrations in yet.

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So hey, hopefully you are all still out there and thanks for hanging around waiting for me to come back. Drop me a comment and tell me what you have been up to so I know you all are still there!

Take care!

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you all are doing well. All is crazy here as usual. I have had a bit of a cold the past few days, so I have been trying to take care of that. This weather has made for an enjoyable week as well!
I have also been trying to help my Mom get my Gram's apartment packed up and taken care of by the end of the month.

Just a quick post to let you all know my Grandma has passed away. Today would have been her 75th birthday. She went quietly in her sleep after a very difficult 5 months trying to recover from a hip replacement that became infected.

Take care.

Murphy's Law...

Yes we have been having one of those kind of weeks. I am blogging to you from my parents computer while simultaneously honing my wringer washer machine skills and babysitting my four year old nephew and Morgan the puppy. Well, I am not quite doing it ALL at the same time, but you get the idea. Clothes are washing, babysitting and blogging are occuring. We are having vehicular issues at the moment.. always a JOY. We are also having computer issues So if you don't hear from me regularly, just know that I am busy working on projects to post and will post like a mad woman once we get everything back to normal!

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Some things to look forward to...

• Last night I made 40 nugget wrappers for a 15th Anniversary Dinner for all of us crazy Wal-mart people that I work with! Hard to believe I have worked there that long. Pictures will be posted. Thanks BS2 for the pattern/sample!
• I am participating in a Trash to Treasure challenge hosted by my BS1. I have three items to alter/re purpose/bling-out. I have a few ideas swirling in my head. I would work on them at St. Andrews School Crop, but that would ruin the surprise!
• I made a cute little spinner card for our Crafternoon Crew gathering make and take. Valentine themed with super cute little stamps!
• I have make and take pages to work on for SASC for my CMC Barb Shaffer. I will be doing pages with the new snowflake/swirl punch.

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Until we meet again, take care!

An Old One, but a Favorite!

Just checking in to see if everyone is still warm and cozy, inspite of the weather. I have spent the past couple of days pretty much chained to the house, keeping after the coal furnace to keep my house toasty. Looks like some snow is coming this evening, I guess that is okay, since it had to warm up some for it to snow.

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This is one of my most favorite cards I have ever made, but man did it take some time to make it! It is stamped 3 times, watercolored, cut apart and layered with foam tape. The scan just doesn't do it justice. It is the only card like this that I have made.

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I am getting anxious for the St. Andrew School Crop coming up in about two weeks! I am planning some projects and hoping to minimize the amount of CRAP that I have to tote along with me. Can't wait to visit with gals from CPS, too! St. Andrew School crop is also well known for their fantastic meals! All of that uninterrupted cropping time is wonderful and when you add the good food, it doesn't get any better!

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Someone needs to kick my rear in gear too! I got my Cricut for Christmas and would you believe I have not used it yet???
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Take care!

What a CHILLY DAY!

Just a couple more cards made using my page-a-day calendar from last year.
This one with the three hearts is probably my most favorite. It is just so simple!

Wondering who all out there is planning to go to the St. Andrews School crop on Feb 1 & 2? Hope to see you there.

Insomnia....

2:05 AM....

Can't sleep....

Up surfing the SCS galleries....

The card in this post is mine from this weeks Sketch Challenge.... Search the gallery using SC159 to see hundreds of cards based on the design!

Some more of those addicting little stamps!!!!

These little cuties came from AC Moore. I have actually already used the Valentine ones, so I don't feel so guilty about buying them! I am kinda excited to use the St. Pat's ones as well, I have some fun papers to go with them! Since Easter is right on the heels of St. Pat's I will have to be on top of things. It is strange, it was New Years 2 weeks ago, Valentine's is in a month, and then right into St. Pat's and then BAM it is Easter. Seriously, St. Pat's is Monday and the following Sunday is Easter. I really am not trying to RUSH the year, but geez... could we get some time between the holidays!

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There was a question about the Carding Bee... I kinda named it that, like a quilting bee, but for Card crafters. I am planning a day at camp just for card makers. I hope to have some stamping companies to vendor and some neat make and takes to do. Alot of scrappers make cards, but not all cardmakers are into scrapbooking, so I wanted to host a day just for card makers. Originally I had this Christmas Cards in July thing planning in my head, but July was just too full on the Camp schedule. Hopefully next year I can get a July date!

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So what has everyone been doing with this hibernating weather we are having? I have been loading card pics up to Splitcoast. I am Lizzyscrapsnstamps over there. Hopefully this afternoon I will get my Sketch challenge card posted. I have never tried one before and I am loving it. It seems a bit easier to work with a sketch and just pick the papers to go with it!

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Keep warm and take care!

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my Cuttlebug?

These two were made using the "YOU" embossing folder for the Cuttlebug. So FAST, so EASY!!

Just zip the white sheet through, zip the red scrap through, ink it up, pop dot the red one on top and to quote my 4 year old nephew Tyler "VIOLA!" Love it!

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Been rearranging some furniture here at home. I have alot of mis-match, came with the house pieces that I am working with to make them more functional. I moved the antique sewing machine table behind the sofa and it works perfectly back there! It is just the right height and size. We also moved a quilt chest, quite rustic in style to the kitchen door area. It will be for seating and storage in our coat hanging area. This house is full of furniture and it has been very challenging trying to make it all fit and work together and be functional all at the same time. It is coming together a little bit at a time. I have quite a sentimental connection to the things in this house since they belonged to my grandparents. Bless my DH for putting up with my need to hang onto it all, since we have a rather small two bed, one bath house.

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Stopped in at Camp Harmony today as well. I wanted to firm up some calendar dates for some upcoming events. Mark your calendar ladies, we are planning a "Carding Bee" for June 14 and the Fall Camp Crop is on the calendar for November 8. I had really hoped to do "Christmas (Cards) in July", but July is just tooooo full of family reunions and other events, so we went to June for the Card event.

Take care!

I Can't Resist these Stamps!

Really, I can't go into a Michaels or AC Moore or Joann's without buying a couple of them! It was six on this particular day at Michaels. They are so cute and only a dollar!!

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I have been busy working on a make and take for my card club for this Friday and also on my recipe tags for the swap. We are doing a Red/white/blue BBQ theme tag book this time around. I will post pics when I have some to share!

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I have to confess that I didn't even get out of my PJ's today (Monday) I just showered before bed and put on clean jammies... I am such a BUM!

Take Care!

SWAK!

Valentine's Day is going to be here before you know it! That means you need to get on the ball with those crafty cards and things. I got the opportunity to work on some yesterday while manning my table at the Speaking of Women's Health event at Wal-mart. I also was able to give out a bunch of flyers for the Spring Crop! Registrations are trickling in, keep them coming!

So these cards and many of the others that I got to make yesterday were made using papers from last years scrapbook page-a-day calendar. I loved that calendar, it was nice to look at all the papers in it throughout the year and now this year I am going through it and using the papers for cards and crafts.
Take care!

Keeping It Simple

A simple sympathy card is sometimes best. Even better is using things you already have on hand and using up your scraps. I also wanted a more manly card, so that was achieved with my color choices.

Specs on the card

• Base is brown cardstock, Pat Catans 12 cents/sheet.
• Basket weave pattern paper, most likely from a Slab or stack, not sure.
• Ribbon from the $1 Spot at Target.
• Two green cardstock scraps from my stash.
• Stamped images were from a friend! We were swapping stampies!

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Just to catch up a bit on life in general... over the weekend we thought that my Grandmother was on her deathbed, but that woman has more lives than a cat! Thursday she was admitted to the hospital, unresponsive, with pneumonia and kidney failure, pupils fixed. Mom called the far flung family to come to the hospital. They were considering hospice and by Saturday she had rallied and was conscious and yelling at everyone, go figure! They are not sure if they will attempt her next hip replacement tomorrow or not.

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We are cropping on Friday evening at Berkey Church of the Brethren, 6 PM to 11 PM. The goodie is a really nice one and the food is always YUM! Hope to see you all there! I will have a make and take using the goodie!

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Saturday is the Speaking of Women's Health event at your local Wal-mart. I will be at mine doing Papercrafting demos from 10-2.

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We have started to get registrations for the Spring Camp Crop! If you need info contact me and I will send you the flyer!

Take care!

Happy New Year!

(a few days late)

Hope everyone is having a great 2008 so far! All is well here, just darn cold! As usual with the beginning of a new year, many of us vow to turn over a new leaf... so let me tell you that some of the things I would like to accomplish this year include the following.

• Organize and declutter, especially the kitchen, bath and bedrooms. My DH will be thrilled if I accomplish this one!
• Be better off financially at the end of the year. I certainly don't want to work until I am 80, so we need to make some decisions to make that happen!
• Use up my scrap stash. It is totally out of hand, I could scrap and stamp for the rest of my life and someone else's and still not use this all up!
• Scrap more, stamp more, blog more and keep up with my daily devotional readings.

I will be posting some organizational tips and pics of my scrap area when I get it cleaned up from all the Christmas gift creating. It looks like a bomb went off in that corner of the room.

Take care!

More Christmas

Our tree, artificial (less stress for me!) Pre-lit, 400 clear lights, slim line, LOVE IT! (Got it on clearance for like $11 a few years ago!) Lovingly decorated by the kiddos on Christmas Eve. Most of the ornaments on it belong to them. We have them choose an ornament each year that they will take with them when they are old enough... now old enough might be like 30 or 40... I get to decide that! LOL! Seriously, old enough that they are settled and will care for them and realize what they represent, the history and memories of their childhood. I have an idea for an ornament album swirling in my brain. I have taken pictures of the ornaments most years, just have to fill in the gaps.

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When I was single and crazy I always had a HUGE live tree and it was mostly decorated with glass balls in shades of PURPLE, imagine that... a purple Christmas tree.

My kitchen table centerpiece. All Home Interiors products except for the quilted piece underneath. It is actually a wall hanging that we received as a wedding gift but it looks so good on the table that is were I use it. The candle hurricane has my *LAST* Cranberry Compote candle burning in it. I guess I will have to breakdown and try a new scent.

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The Kiddos went home today. The house is quiet and a little more of a wreck than usual, but I am okay with that. It was wonderful to have them here. It is the first time they have ever been here for Christmas Eve and that was fun. I was never a big fan of traveling on Christmas Day and really what kid wants to open their gifts and then drive over two hours and leave all their new stuff, so we always just had "our" Christmas when we wanted to between the 25th and New Years.
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Spending New Year's Eve with my cousin Amy and her girls. That means Chicken Cheese Ball! YUM!! It is a NYE tradition for us, just as much as pork and kraut! So in the morning I will "red up" the house and make my CCB and maybe some BBQ meatballs too.

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Take Care! See you in 2008!

Happy New Year!

How was your Christmas?

Ours was fun and busy!! Can you believe that on Christmas Eve morning I had only made one sweet thing? I remedied that right away and seven batches of cookies later I was able to make a cookie tray to take to my cousin Red's house that evening.

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Melanie and I made clockwise from the top.... Chocolate macaroons that the kids say look like cow patties. Red said if cow patties tasted that good he would be out picking them from the pasture. LOL! Next a double batch of Hershey Kiss Peanut Blossoms. It had to be a double batch because they were eating them as they were coming out of the oven.

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Soft ginger cookies... all I can say is YUM, so good with coffee! Thankfully no crime had to be committed to get the recipe for the cookie that was on my mind for days and days! (Hiya sis, if you are reading! WiNK!)

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Red's Ultimate M & M cookies, my nephew Mark's favorite cookie apparently. These were the first to be all gone and I got the last one! I like them because they are choc chip like, but more colorful! Next were Dark Chocolate drops with toffee bits, drizzled with white chocolate, a creation of my own.

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Aunt Janet's Raisin Puffs, delicious and soft and soooo good! We also made Rolo Pretzels with regular M & M's on top. They are super simple to make and they taste great. Sweet, salty, caramely and they should have a nut ontop, but I don't like nuts, so none on mine! The bowl in the middle has People chow in it.

Not too bad for a rush job!

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I had gifts to finish as well.... Hannah's Snowday Survival Hit... CASED the idea from MishMash. It is her cupcake kit PLUS a box of cocoa packets. I thought it was a cute idea for a snowday activity! I hope she liked it!

Next on the Christmas eve agenda at Santa's Sweatshop... Cookbooks... I had three to finish for that evening... Done... LOL! I think I even managed to match the covers to the recipients kitchen decor! Whew.... Melanie did the wrapping, I got a shower and off to Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Service. Then to Red's house for presents and lots of food.

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Oh, yes, and in the middle of all this we put the tree up too... that was fun, since the kids aren't always here to do that!

More next time, take care!

Greetings in my Mailbox!

Some beautiful homemade Christmas cards from my friends! I just love going to the mailbox this time of year... it is nice to get something in the mailbox besides bills and "pre-approved" junk!

Connie, Barb, Deanna & Sharon made these!

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Santa's workshop has been busy in my house. I have eight cookbooks copied, cut, punched and ring bound. Now they need covers....Queen of the last minute here.

Tree is NOT up yet and the only sweet treat I have made is a batch of "People Chow" that I had to hide from DH or it would be gone by now. Thank heavens that tomorrow the kiddos arrive and Melanie will be a super big help with the baking, wrapping and decorating.

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I did do the AWFUL job of cleaning the ceiling fan today and I pulled the sofa out and ran the sweeper behind there. I also made a super delicious pot of beef stew. I was really hungry for it and it made the house smell soooooo gooooooood! Also nice that once it was in the pot it didn't need a lot of attention, just the occasional stir as it simmered all afternoon.

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My friend Connie has a Holiday Luncheon every year and I am ALWAYS working, but this year I got to attend! I was so much fun! The food was delish and the company was wonderful! Topping it all off was the cute little snowman earrings she made for each of us as favors. I have worn mine everyday and they make me smile and think of Connie every time they tickle my neck with their little green ribbon scarf. I wish I had a pic of them, but they are so tiny I can't get a good one! They are super cute!

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Take care, hope nobody has to go to Wal-mart that place is a ZOO I bet!

They are done! Finally!

Thought I would share with you my Christmas card design for this year. I must say that back in November on the Saturday after Thanksgiving I got started on them like a shot! I worked at them faithfully on my lunch hour at Wallywork, and then....

Other stuff came up...like Angel breakfast favors, Nugget boxes for the dinner, the Monk marathon weekend on USA network....and then I hit the biggest brick wall of them all... I couldn't find the PERFECT sentiment for the inside of the card. Crazy I tell ya! So all of this hard work rushing to get them done has inspired a few ideas in my head.

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First... the verse for the inside... an Irish Blessing... I love Irish Blessings... hope you like this one too, because I decided I like it so much that it is going to be a new Tradition for me and I am using it every year in my Christmas cards. It goes like this...

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!

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Second, I am going with a MUCH simpler design next year! Already have something in mind, made a little sketch of it, so hopefully next year I will remember this and actually be able to remember that I made a sketch and hopefully will be able to locate it.

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Third, I also got to thinking that it would be GREAT to do "Christmas (CARDS) in July", so in the works is a cardmaking day in July... think Christmas cookies and punch, Christmas music for inspiration, some great make and takes and some stamping vendors on site, maybe a great tags & gift wrap class and of course the goal is to get started on those holiday projects. All this so that I am not nuts the week before Christmas trying to get my cards done. (And if you really know me, you know that I am the queen of last minute and will still be doing cards the week before like I always am! But, hey the summer card thing still sounds like a BLAST!)

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Now some details on the card... All cardstock is inexpensive value pack Cardstock. I like to make my Christmas cards with non-traditional colors and this year I looked at my stack of CS and saw that I had an ABUNDANCE of pastels. I have been on a use it up kick as well, so that helped. I also had 5 1/2 inch square ivory card bases cut and folded from a previous project that I used! Ink pads are CTMH (clover meadow, sunny yellow & smokey plum) and Rubber Stampede (fuchsia & royal blue.) Stamps are all Studio G ($1, WOOHOO) top two are clear stamps from Joann's and bottom two are woodblock from Michaels. Star punchie is a CM shapemaker large.

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These bad boys are going POSTAL tomorrow! WOOHOO!

(Somebody pour me a drink, and I ain't talking about hot chocolate!)

Take Care!

I am one of "Mrs. R's Kids"

Probably one of hundreds, if not thousands she touched in her lifetime. Helen Russian, known as Mrs. R to her kids (band and guard kids, drum and bugle kids, kids who toured the court house or were interested in the history of the community where they grew up, kids who were interested in government and politics.) Mrs. R was a champion of her kids. Dedicated to them with her time and life experiences. Anyone who knew her, knew this... "Good, Better, Best, Never let it rest, Til your good is better and your Better is the Best"

I pray that if you have children they get to have someone in their life like Mrs. R. She was part Drill Sargent, part Cheerleader, tough as nails and gentle as a kitten. Never stopping until the job was done and done right. Honest, sincere and always full of energy, practically tireless. That woman never sat, and I think she marched everywhere she went with her head up and her shoulders back! She could out-do and outlast all of her kids. The person that you wanted on your side, cause if she went to bat for you, she was gonna hit it out of the park! Ready to work the hardest and ready celebrate the success. Remembering your name, and making you feel important. Building your confidence and challenging you to do what you thought was impossible. Spending time with the youth of the community is probably what kept her so young for so long.

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Mrs. R has left a little of herself in all of her kids. Hopefully a legacy of doing your best, trying your hardest and being proud of your accomplishments that will be passed on to the next generation. Central City is a little sadder with her passing, but if we honor her memory by practicing what we learned from her imagine what can be done!

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I typed this through tears in my eyes. I really thought today about the people who were defining forces in my life. Of the people who were not relatives, Mrs. R ranks in the top three. I know there is a special place in Heaven for one the of God's Best, I just hope HE can keep up with her!