One of the best things about being military was moving to new bases and meeting all kinds of people. In 1998 I was so excited because we had spent the last 3 yrs stationed in the CA Mojave Desert and were about to transfer to Groton CT. I grew up an hour and a half away from Groton, in Springfield MA, so going to CT was like going home for me. We did have some reservations though because as a surface Navy family we were headed to a submarine base and that was something we hadn't yet experienced, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Little did I know I was about to meet some of the best people that I'd ever meet throughout our various moves. Sadly, last week one of those outstanding people passed away. Julie was such a wonderful person and we shared a love for the Boston Bruins. She has 3 beautiful grandsons and I lived vicariously through her as she posted pictures of them growing up on her FB page. Julie was only 53 yrs old and her passing was such a shock. She leaves behind her husband, 2 sons, their wives and the 3 grandsons, plus sisters, other relatives and so many friends.One of their grandson's has Down Syndrome so in lieu of flowers they're asking folks to donate to the Down Syndrome Association, which I will be doing this week. I used the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches to create a card to send to Julie's husband and boys. I realized after I finished the card that I forgot to put a shape in the corner of the card but hopefully that's ok. I tried to keep the card a bit on the feminine side but also a bit subdued. Hug your loved ones, life is just too short and can change so quickly.