Busy, busy, but keep some time open for OWH!

Crazy busy, but wanted to get an early post out!

Remember that the folks of Operation Write Home will be repeating their Memorial Day Blog Hop this year.

If you are a card maker, why not join the hop?

If you are not a card maker, why not visit some of the participating blogs and learn more about this terrific organization?

I'll be blogging about OWH on May 29th and hope you will come back then and visit!

More digi-pages and some thoughts on the programs

Here's the rest of the digital pages from my trip to Notre Dame last September.

I did these, as I do most of the pages I intend to print for a scrapbook, with Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus. When I very first got it, I had already had Polaroid's My Memories Suite for about 2 weeks.

They are both very good programs. At the beginning I found it harder to manipulate the CM program, but that may just be because I already had used the MMS and was used to it's ways. Now, after a couple months of using them both, I definitely tend to go to the CM program most of the time.

There is, however, one big difference where I turn to the MMS. MMS has a lot more features besides making scrapbooks either by printing pages or ordering photobooks. MMS has significant multi-media options that CM does not.

I can turn any set of photos into a slideshow, with music and/or narration, then burn that to a CD and send it to family or friends. I am currently, very slowly (lol), making a heritage book of all the old OLD pictures I have from my family. When I finish making the individual pages, I will be first burning them to CDs in their basic format, so that everyone in the family can print out the books, or have them printed at Shutterfly or a like site. I will also be making a slideshow of the pages and burning CDs for all my aunts and cousins. This ability to use the scrapbook pages in more ways is a definite plus for the MMS program.

I truly do like the CM better just for pages- I have found it better for my style and my abilities than the MMS. But, I am very glad that I have both. Each has a particular use that I want and need, and I now know I would not be as happy with only one of them.

If you are considering getting into digital scrapbooking, take the time to really investigate and consider what YOUR primary desires from a program are.

Some Digital pages- and why I LOVE digi-scrapping

Here are the first 4 pages of the 8 page group I did from pictures of my visit to Notre Dame last summer.

These were all done with Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus. There is a link on my sidebar to the software, and several links to great sites for learning more about it. I love this software!

I spent the weekend last month at the scrapbook retreat weekend doing nothing but digi-scrapping. While everyone else was carrying in tons of stuff- like I usually do- this time all I brought was my laptop. It was SOOO easy packing up after the weekend!!

I'm not giving up my paper scrapbooking....yet! I have a room full of supplies that are for albums I've planned but not gotten to yet. Those will all be done in paper. But all my newest pictures, and the ones I take from now on, will definitely be scrapped digitally. I love the ease, the lack of mess, and mostly the space saving of digital scrapping. This will fit in so well with our downsizing efforts- which are sooooo necessary for when we move to a much smaller house.

The important thing is that I really ENJOY the digi-scrapping. I would not give up something I love just to save space and mess- but when I LOVE doing it AND it has so many advantages- how could I resist???

If you are a scrapper who like his/her computer, you should definitely check out one of the digital scrapbooking programs.

Jambo bwana - Kenya

One of the biggest items on my "Bucket List" is a trip to Africa- especially Kenya. I cannot explain why, but I have always wanted to see Kenya. Here's a little vision of why.

The complicated airline reservations are made (more on that later), the condo is reserved and everything is set.......

We're going to Disney World!!!!!!!!

New Digi Quick Page to show off

Today is the 16th birthday for the little girl- yeah, I know, but that's how I think of her!- who is so seriously hurt.

Yesterday a group of her friends had a get-together in the park. They'd made I don't know HOW many little purple cardstock balloons and everyone who came could write a Happy Birthday or Get Well message on a balloon.

Also, everything (including this post, lol) was in purple- clearly her favorite color.

It was SOOOO neat to see multiple generations giving up a beautiful afternoon to do something special for a young girl and her family. I could not resist asking to take some pictures, and this is the page I made as soon as I got home.

Get well soon, sweetie!

It's Masters Sunday!

Masters Sunday is a very special day at our house. We will all watch the coverage all afternoon, while following a very specific menu. It's a little OCD I know, but it is what we do.

Yes, and I know that Jack doesn't play in the Masters anymore, but this picture is from the famous 1986 Masters, when he roared to victory with an incredible final 9, at the age of 46. Most of our Masters' traditions (what we eat, who sits where) come from that day. He will always remain our favorite golfer of all time.

So I haven't posted in weeks. It's been a crazy, depressing, difficult, disappointing and exhausting couple of weeks. So, here's a few of the scattered good things that have happened since I last posted:

I spent a weekend at a scrapbooking retreat with some of my favorite friends. We had a terrific time and I really got going with my digi-scrapping. We ate, we laughed, we hiked a little, and I still got 29 pages completed- and the only "supplies" I had to take for the weekend was my laptop. It was terrific!

We spent a few days during Easter break in Florida with Auntie. While I had to spend most of my time doing grades, it was still lovely to be there with her. It was a most pleasant change to read term papers and mark exams on the lanai; it also offered the option to take a break with a dip in the pool.

The Junior Prom was wonderful. The kids looked terrific and beautiful and they really had a good time- and since they were having so much fun, so did I.

There was a big fund-raiser for a foundation established in memory of one of our students who died about 18 months ago. The turn-out was tremendous and I really had a great time seeing so many former students.

Finally, I am continually heartened by a Facebook event. A former student was critically injured in an accident recently and her friends set up a Facebook page to pray for her. There are now over 5400 people who have joined the page. While the accident has been one of the most depressing parts of the last few weeks, the response has been overwhelming. It cheers me every day to check the page and see the prayers and good wishes that continue to stream in constantly. No matter how bad things get, and they have been pretty bad recently, seeing the love and support for her and her family reminds me that there are so many good people in the world.

If you want to join in the incredible prayer chain, here's the LINK.

Hoping/praying for happier times soon.

Why I LOVE my Kindle

I got a Kindle for my birthday from my wonderful Auntie. So, I've had it for almost a month and I HAVE to say, I LOVE IT!!!

Right now it has 78 books in it- almost none of which cost anything. Lots of my favorite authors are from long ago and anything out of copyright can be found for free. So I have a complete collection of Jane Austen, plus lots of other stuff that I will really enjoy having available at any time, like Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), GK Chesterton (Fr. Brown), and PG Wodehouse (Jeeves and Wooster). These are the kinds of things I can pick up and read ANYTIME and always enjoy them.

I've also been trying out some things I never had the opportunity to read before, that are also long out-of-date. So far I have particularly enjoyed reading "The Prisoner of Zenda" after seeing the movie so many times. It was great fun to read "The Red House Mystery", often listed as one of the 100 Best Detective stories of the 20th century- and written by AA Milne, whom most of us know only as the author of Winnie the Pooh! "The Mysteries of Udolpho" is not only cited in Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey", but also in countless Regency Romances as something young ladies "should not be allowed to read", so naturally finding it on the Kindle Classics list was terrific news. So far, I cannot see what all the fuss is about, but I haven't gotten to the "classic Gothic" part yet.

I have had the frequent conversation "I love the feel of a book" with most people I tell about my Kindle. Having gotten a cover for it, for protection reasons, as soon as I received it, I can now say that a Kindle in a cover feels a lot like a book. In fact, the other night I tried to physically turn the page while I was immersed in "The Red House Mystery", so I guess I was not aware of that much difference, lol!

I'm going on a scrapbooking retreat next weekend, and to Florida over Easter break. Being able to carry untold numbers of books in one little package is SUCH a big improvement over loading down my luggage, that I am really excited about it. Seems silly, but for a voracious reader like me, being able to have so much reading material available wherever I go is FABULOUS!

I also have to praise the fact that my 58 year old eyes were considered when they designed the Kindle. I can change the font size and that makes reading WAY more comfortable than dealing with whatever the publisher chose for a book. I can still see small print pretty well, but when I read for hours, having the bigger type really makes a difference. (Why do you think I use this font and size for my blog, lol?!?)

I haven't gotten up the nerve yet to start tossing books that I can also have (or already do have!) on my Kindle, but the day when I give away (no, I could NEVER actually TOSS a book!!!) most of my library is coming. It has to come- we are getting ever closer to giving up this large house for something much smaller and more manageable. Right now there is somewhere in excess of 2000 books (probably closer to 2500+) in the room where I am sitting. They are in floor-to-ceiling bookcases that cover every wall space except the small area for the computer desk; the books are two deep on every shelf and there are more books laying on top of the two deep. In fact, I'm willing to share pictures of this disaster just to show how desperate the situation is!

Imagine 24 shelves like this! And, there are other bookcases around the house- in the living room, on the sunporch and in the basement. Yeah, we have a LOT of books!

So, for LOTS of reasons, I LOVE my Kindle. If you are thinking about one and any of *my* reasons for loving it apply to you, definitely I would recommend it.

Back to work for now, but later, my Kindle and I will be delving further into "The Mysteries of Udolpho"!

Plants and other things

Well, it was another long, killer week. Two 12+ hour days- teacher conferences on Tuesday and Ring Mass on Thursday. That I am too old, or at least that my age plus the fibromyalgia don't do well with that schedule, was proven when I was too sick to go to school on Friday. So, I slept from 11PM Thursday until 3:30 PM Friday and today I am STILL tired! Oh, well- such is life when almost everything is bad news and everyone is having troubles.

One piece of good news is that the two Amaryllis bulbs I bought at the Flower Show are sprouting well, as you can see in the picture above. I am happy about this because I love amaryllis. The three plumeria cuttings I got the same day seem to be OK so far- it's hard to tell until they either sprout or get soft.

The bad news is that the local critters got to my Stargazer Lily and Gladiola bulbs! :( Of the 4 lilies and 3 glads that I potted on the front patio, only 1 Stargazer still survives- the rest were dug up and I presume eaten! Although I have supplied bulbs, unintentionally of course, to the locals before, this is definitely the most greedy they have ever been. I hope my one, remaining, lonely lily gets to grow up!

Today is a Blog Hop for Operation Write Home. This is the first one I have not participated in- just wasn't time to dig everything out to make a card. However, I hope you will check it out! This is SUCH a great organization- come summer and some free time and I will be sending them some more cards- I hope you will also!

Otherwise, it's been pretty depressing. DH's school had major layoffs for next year announced yesterday- so sad to see young people who WANT to be teachers lose their jobs. More bad news for North Catholic, the school my family has been connected with for it's entire 84 year history. Ring Mass for us was really nice, but only about 1/3 of the kids even got rings- who wants a class ring from a closed school? Nothing else positive at my school this week either- just more of the same discouraging, sad and frustrating situation. No wonder I'm tired.

The only ray of sunshine was in fact, just that- MANY rays of sunshine. We've had a glorious few days of spectacular weather that make everyone feel better, even if only for the short times one can be outdoors.

Tonight DH and I are attending a Beef-N-Beer to honor an old friend who died suddenly back in January. That he was younger than us, and in better shape than us, was frightening. Tonight we will be seeing people we haven't seen in years and celebrating a wonderful man's life, so it should be a joyous occasion. I am looking forward to it- I NEED some happy time!

And, don't forget to change the clocks!

It's Been a L-O-N-G Time!

So, this picture from the week before last week shows school, the Flower Show, and the hospital! And, the hospital is the reason there are no pictures from last week. :(

Mom was sick, in the hospital for several days, and needed lots of attention when she got out. So, I've been busy- too busy to post or even read.

She's feeling a little better and hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

Pride and Prejudice meets Dr. Who!!!!

Combining two of my favorites from Britain = wacky and wonderful!

90 years YOUNG!

This map is even worse!

NO SCHOOL because.......

This is starting to get just a LITTLE bit ridiculous!!!

Here we go again!

What a GREAT birthday present!

Latest Scrapbook Page

Quick post! Here's my latest page for the Family Heritage album, done with My Memories Suite. The picture is my Mom and her friend; years later I played with her daughter. I loved having generations that knew one another at the shore- it was a wonderful thing.

I got several pages worked on this weekend- will post more in the next few days. Until then- hope everyone has a good week!

Flowers!!

So I posted that I was doing well with the 365 Project- and then promptly had a week where I only took one picture. Jinxed myself, I guess.

This is my scrapbook page, done with Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus, for the one lonely picture from this week. I used a Click N Fill layout and the papers are from the Romance collection- seemed appropriate since the flowers are an early birthday gift from DH.

Otherwise, it was a terrible week. 'nough said.

What else would this week's scrapbook page be about?

I've been pretty good about keeping up with my 365 Project. Not every day, but enough pictures each week for a scrapbook page.

This project has also stimulated me reading a little about photography, and I've found some interesting pages/groups to join on Facebook.

My goal today and tomorrow is to see if I can find out how to make the falling snow show up in photos. The good/bad news is that I will actually get another shot at such pictures- can you believe they are calling for 6 inches+ here tomorrow night and Tuesday????