Sad day yesterday!

Went to an all day crop at The Paper Moon in Washington,about a half hour from home,where I spend most of my time scrapping. My favorite store ever! Used to go to the store when they were in their other tiny room and we cropped in the horribly lit tea room next door. Helped them move to their present location down the street, going down one set of stairs and back up the other to the new location. Most of the girlfriends I have in life I have met there.....Karin, Joan, Wendy, Cynthia, Chris, Lisa and it just goes on. I sat with the owner, Cynthia, yesterday and found out that she is closing the store! I'm just devastated, though not surprised. I knew things had been slowing down for her and she had even taken a part-time job elsewhere to make up the difference. But now it's come to the point where it needs to be done. She has tried to sell the store, but no takers.

Now the store is being closed and I'm so sad. It's like a home away from home for me. David always says that I helped build the store because I have spent so much there and a lot of time. She is going to sell off all her stock and all the stuff in the classroom......which is absolutely loaded with stuff. I just can't get beyond the fact that some of these people I will never see again. They all live in one town, but I live further away and don't know how that will work out. I just need to get past this and realize that things change and life will go on. I cried all the way home last night remembering all the good times we all have had together on the long weekend crops....even trips to stay places together and cropped. Hopefully we will all be able to still keep in touch and enjoy this craft that we love so much!

Playing goofy games!


Dinner at the Brick Oven downstairs from The Paper Moon.


I'm in blue....at Brick Oven.


One of the funniest girls I have ever cropped with....


The flag in the background is individual layouts. At a crop a few years ago, we were each given a page with either stars or stripes already on them and told to find a picture that we had with us that would work with a patriotic, Americana or military theme. Something to tie into the pages. It turned out great and mine is the top left corner of the flag. I had a picture of the Smokey Mountains and wrote about America the Beautiful.