I GOT A JOB these are the words my husband has been wanting to hear since last November when I left my job. I have had a great time at home I had time to plan and execute my sons graduation and Eagle Scout ceremony. I spent time with my dog who had a great summer but is now failing in health again. I helped a friend get ready for the flea market and helped her work it. I have had a blast at home to bad I could not get paid for it. LOL I start a new job on the 22nd and it is very different to any thing I have ever done, but I am up for the challenge and I hope to do well. After I pay my VISA off(not enough room on this blog to talk about how bad that is) I can save for my son's college tuition and maybe even a few things for my self. Hope everyone has a great fall, I will try to do updates from time to time.DMK

I thought I would put pictures of Carmi and her buddy Duke that I mentioned in yesterdays blog.

Today is a rainy cool day which in my opinion has been a long time coming. Rainy day's really make you think. I was honored to have been asked to do the flowers for a beautiful young women that I have known since she was a baby. The weather was great on Sat. and if I do say so myself the flowers turned out quite well. I forgot how much goes into doing weddings , back in the day I did 30 or so a year and had the routine down pat. These days I am a little rusty and not as fast as I used to be but I must say it was fun. The best part was when Jess said she was happy with everything and loved her wedding bouquet.  That was always my favorite part when I did weddings for a living.In a blink of an eye things change and we got some bad news today; our neighbor dog Duke ran away and got hit by a car and passed away. We are deeply sadden by this and it reminds me that just 6 months ago Carmi was so sick we thought she would not be with us much longer. Because of this I took pictures of Carmi kissing Duke through the fence which  was their custom almost daily. Who would have thought that the picture I took to preserve Carmi's memory now preserves Duke's. RIP Duke you were a sweet dog who will be deeply missed. We have 15 days until Sam goes away to school. He will only be 3 hours away but I fear it will seem much further. The part of WS he is going to is close to the area my family vacationed for 30 plus years and will be a great place for him to live. I know mentally that I raised him to go off on his own and accomplish great things but I have to say my heart just doesn't get it yet. I am going to try very hard to not cry until Mike and I are driving away so I don't embarrass  my only son but we will have to wait and see.
Count your blessings everyday, joys and concerns are part of life and remind us how precious life is. DMK

Wow the summer is really flying by. I just thought "I have not blogged for a few weeks I should" then I saw the date of my last post and realized it had been over a month. I have been very serious about finding a job this week. I applied for 7 jobs and hope to hear from someone. I really want to change what I am doing so I have been applying for jobs outside my field. We will see what happens, at my age it is hard to even get an interview. It is sad that employers look at the 23 years I had my own business as a bad thing and not a good thing. They act like I was unemployed for those years. Everyone keep their fingers crossed that I get at least an interview.  Well I have to go I am getting ready for the Hinckley Farmers Market tomorrow. Have a great day. DMK

Today Sam is going to his second prom. H-BR's was last week and DeKalb's is this week. He looked so handsome and grown up.The last week has me reflecting and weepy! In one week my one and only child will graduate from High School. I think to myself (and most day's talk out loud to myself) where has the time gone. It seems like yesterday that he was a baby in his stroller behind the counter of my shop. Customers loved to see him and he grew very fond of many of my customers. Some who stopped in many times a week to say Hi to him and usually bring him something.When I closed the store my customers all said they would miss my store, but mostly they would miss seeing Sam everyday. 18 years, have I aged 18 years since his birth (again I talk to myself) it just doesn't seem possible. I don't feel that much older. Sam has turned into a caring, funny, opinionated , smart young man. In some ways he reminds me of Mike at that age but mostly he reminds me of my Dad. He has a quiet way about him like he is thinking all the time, planning just like Hank. He is graduating at the top of his class 3rd to be exact. He will work at Monsanto again this summer and then in Sept. he will go 3 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. To the UofW Platteville. I am happy that he found a school he really likes , but my heart is breaking and he hasn't even pulled out of the driveway yet. Talk to everyone later. DMK

Spent a great week in DC on Sam's spring break. Walked more than I have in about a year, but it was worth it,seeing the memorial up close was really a moving experience. When we came home we found out that a classmates of Sam's mom had passed away and a dear friend from church passed away. (Wilbur you will be missed.)Carmi has slowed down a great deal but she is still hanging in there and we are happy with every extra day we have with her. I hope everyone has a glorious blessed Easter. Until next time. DMK

Monday, the day of the week I hated the most when I worked outside my home! Now it is just another day ; in fact the days all seem to go into each other now that I am home. It has been a real learning experience for me I never had the opportunity to stay home and now that I am at home I really find that I NEED A JOB!
The novelty of what it would  be like to stay home has passed and as soon as Sam graduates I am hitting the pavement hard and getting a part time job!Yesterday would have been my Dad's 85th Birthday, not a day goes by that I don't miss him My sweet little Dog Carmi has been so sick the last month and we thought she was getting better but her blood work is really bad now and I fear it is only a matter of time before we have to make some sort of decision I did not think we would have to make for 5 or so more years. This of course means that next year when Sam is gone it will truly be just Mike and I. We never really did just Mike and I that well back 20 years ago so I don't know how we will do it better now. We will see. Well I hope everyone has a good week , I hope not everyone's week starts off as melancholy as mine has. All for now. DMK