Christmases past

I was napping today and semi-asleep and remembering the past 30-40 years or so...I started college ( as many of you know) when our children were about 9,12 and 15 and worked as a school secretary in the day and attended school at night (it took 6 years), getting a BS in Art Education, then I taught school for 14 years, getting an MS in Art Education also. Then when Johny died, I quit teaching and started working with our daughter in her fledgling sewing/decorating business (just the two of us) and this has grown into a shop and four workrooms, of which I am one workroom. As our grandchildren came along, we would take a "grandchildren trip" each summer, meeting to pick up the three from Texas (at that time) and then along with the ones here would go to the mountains, camping, or Florida for a week or so every summer. What fun we had, being with our grandchildren for a while, just us and them!Along the way, John and I operated a Bed and Breakfast for 11 years in our home, and two of my student/friends from Goodpasture and I, along with another friend had an heirloom sewing business for about 10 years. During these years I decorated the house and our cabin in the back so beautifully in an old fashioned way, lots of greenery and red bows. After Codes took our B&B away from us, we sold our dream home and moved to where we are now.I still have a workroom for our daughter's business and hope I can continue to work in that way for a long time. We never know where we will be a few years from now. I look back and cannot believe all the ventures John and I have been involved in.
I know sometimes I write in a despondent way, but all in all, I stay pretty cheerful and appreciate each day to be able to go and do somewhat. We were able to have dinner with friends tonight and what a blessing old friends are. So tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the emphasis should be on our redeemer...Isaiah 48:17, "This is what the Lord says-your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go..."