The Worst Summer of My Life

As the title says, it has been the worst summer of my life! I wish I could start over again, but have it end with different results. My husband and I had been looking forward to a really nice vacation starting with a scenic train ride from Chicago to San Francisco, then spending four days in San Francisco in the beginning of summer. Unfortunately, he became ill, so we flew home. He passed away within 18 hours of getting home. He passed from pneumonia. It all happened so fast! One day he was fine and working in the yard, traveling and enjoying the scenery. In just a couple of days later, he was gone. 

So, my life is in a complete mess right now. It's the absolute worst thing I've ever been through in my life. Fortunately, I have an amazing support system with family and friends. My kids have talked me into moving closer to them, which I agree is a good idea since I do spend so much time with them and I now feel so alone out here by myself. It's really not that far (about 30 minutes) but now I've found a house a mile away from my son. In the summer it's not so bad, but we are known to have some brutal winters with a lot of that Lake Michigan snow. And driving can be disastrous. And it will be so nice to be right there with them. My granddaughter and my son timed their bike ride from their house to mine, five minutes and 15 seconds. My subdivision is across the street from theirs. She is really excited. I've even given her the task of decorating the guest bedroom since she will be the one to use it the most.

This is why the blog has been neglected. Between keeping the business afloat, grieving, moving, and trying to get my life back in some kind of order, I'm overwhelmed. So, hang in there with me and I'll be bringing some more informative articles, tutorials, and other fun things you are used to seeing here. I might just be moving a little slower at it than usual.

Photo above: One of the photos I took from our scenic train ride which was the last time and place I saw my husband's beautiful smile.

Are You Ready for the Three Dune Challenge?

The photo on this blog post is one I took while hiking the dunes. Long before the park became a National park (was just a state park) they didn't have the "3 Dune Challenge." They had the three big and steep dunes, but they didn't call it a challenge. We locals just thought of it as "Trail 8." And it's a tough one! When I first started hiking that trail, I thought I was going to die. I had this vision of DNR arriving to my aid on their 4-wheel vehicles. By the end of that sumer after going about two or three days a week, I had them mastered. I can even say that I never had to stop and rest, just breezed on through! 

The hubster and I were talking about getting our season pass and making it a regular activity once again. It has been about 15 years since I've climbed those dunes and I just know that I'll be back to near death again the first time. Between age and added weight, it will be rough but I'm bound and determined to make it happen. That is my goal for 2023.

If you want to see what I'm talking about, I've dropped a few links below so you can check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZK2mWxljI

https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7013463/trail-8-3-dunes-challenge

https://www.indianadunes.com/explore-the-dunes/indiana-dunes-state-park/3-dune-challenge/

What will you challenge yourself to do?

A Look at My July Challenges

In early July I posted challenges for myself and things got a wee bit messed up because it was a stressful month in my personal and work life. I didn't do so well on the crafting and graphics designing but I did MUCH better on the new healthy me.

Another reason I didn't do so well on the crafting and designing is because the weather has been so perfect for enjoying the summer. There will be plenty of time to do "inside" projects soon enough.

As for the new healthy me goal. I didn't lose the 7 pounds I was hoping for because I got a late start (more like the middle of the month) but what's important is that I'm on the right track! I decided to start slowly so I don't overwhelm myself. I am using my elliptical and have cut way back on the junk food and am making healthier choices in general. I'm not one that likes to be restricted as far as eating so that works best for me. I'll keep you all posted!

Now I think I'll begin my fall challenge & project list.

Brenda Photo Challenge - Playing

Oh no! I'm so late on this but thanks Donna for reminding me about the BRENDA PHOTO CHALLENGE. Geez! I even marked my calendar so I wouldn't forget to post this.

Well, better late than never. I really don't have a lot of playing pictures since my kids are grown and out of the house but I did dig through my files to find this one of my kids when they were younger. This has always been one of my favorites. I love the way big sis sneaks in behind little brother for her shot. This picture was taken with one of the first digital cameras I ever owned, a 1 mega pixel. So there isn't a whole lot I can do with it in my scrap booking. It's too small. But I love it!