Happy Birthday

Hi bloggers!  While today's card is pretty self explanatory, the frame, sentiment and tulip were paper pieced out of a pixie powder background,  I don't usually put much more up on the blog other than the card directions. Today, however, would have been my Dad's 99th birthday.  I lost him at 91, which was still an amazing amount of time to have a parent.   I have always felt so blessed to have had both my amazing parents into their 90's!  I just feel the need to write a little about my Dad today, I hope you will indulge me.   An interesting fact about my family tree is that my Dad was born in 1920, he was the last of fourteen children (twelve were half siblings)   While his mother was much younger, his father was 67 years of age when he was born.  His father (my Grandfather) was born in 1853, which was even before the American Civil War began!   Talk about an old family tree, huh!

When my Dad retired, he learnt to use a computer and enjoyed sending me things that he found, from jokes to funny pictures and everything in between.  My favourite thing he ever sent was the " "Lessons in Life" that was written by Regina Brett when she was in her 90's!   It is sort of a tradition now that I reprint it on the blog every year on his birthday.  I hope you don't mind, but it brings me peace on what would have been his 99th birthday.  I hope you can take something valuable from it with you as I have. Each year I find that something else strikes a chord with me from it. What number from the list do you identify with most?

Here goes:

: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone. 8. It's OK to get angry   9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. 12. It's OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks. 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. 18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?' 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. 35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come.. 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."  Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves  I think that we all need to take a few moments every day and be grateful and appreciative of what we have.

I love you Dad!

All for now, Sue x

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