Everything Changes in a Heartbeat...

This is a page from LOAD213 with Lain Ehmann.  It was a quickie and I am not sure I loved it at the time - but the prompt was to make a "Quilt" of right now...so this what I did.

I love the quote...and the colors...and the photos are some recent favorites...but the page was far from my usual style.

Then it happened. A week ago Friday... everything changed.  My phone rang and on the other end was the news that my Dad was gone.

Dad had worked a full morning on the farm...tinkering with a new planter...moving tractors...surveying our land and chatting with my brother about the spring work that is nearly upon us.  He even burned some road ditches - a favorite task- so that they would grow back new and green for the spring.

Dad had recently been at a farm sale with a good friend.  They were well into their seventies...but they loved that they still had work to do.  They determined that they wanted "to die with their boots on, but they would like to wear out a couple more pairs."  He nearly died with his boots on...but Mom made him take them off for the afternoon naps in their bedroom off the kitchen.  He went to sleep and woke up in glory.  We are all so shocked.  Our gratitude is that he had no suffering and had a smile on his face when Mom found him.

He was a character...a storyteller...a pain at times(he taught me to be honest)...a tender heart and a passionate believer - so he only has great days ahead.  We will have some rough ones. Suddenly...I love this layout.

Savor the sweetness of each new day.  I am so glad we had chatted just a few days before and ending our conversation in "I Love You's".

Valerie