I think I need some help...

If anyone is reading, listening, or just in the general area and feeling philanthropic, I need help. For the most part, I am quiet self-sufficient. If I want to learn how to do something, I learned a long time ago, the instructional information is out there somewhere and if I look long enough and hard enough, put the time in actually reading the material, I can figure most things out. So why, please tell me why, am I not able to scan in my scrap projects? If you think I'm sounding a bit desparate...you would be right. I am also totally, completely and utterly frustrated! And, yes, I am whining. I understand scanning the right and left side of my page, dragging and dropping into layers in Photoshop, altering opacity of one layer in order to line up the two side, restoring 100% opacity and flattening the image. Sound like I know what I'm doing? Yes, but no. I've completed all the steps, but for the life of me, NOTHING will line up.

So I resorted to taking pictures of my pages. No luck there either. I'm at work during the daylight hours thus no good light for my photos! Add to the mix that I have a virus that causes episodes of vertigo and a photographer's nightmare is born. Either I was taking crooked photos or I was seeing crooked. Beats me. Just couldn't get a straight shot to save my life. Wait a minute...could it be that my pages WERE lining up when scanned only I saw them sideways? Nonetheless, I want to post some pages, but they are gonna have to wait until someone comes to my rescue or my world stops spinning! Both would be nice.

Sidenote: I was prescribed Meclizine for the dizziness.
Directions state: "Take 1 tablet 4 times a day as needed for dizziness."
Warning states: "May cause dizziness".......huh????

Sometimes it SUCKS to be so sentimental!

Tonight I ran the gamut of emotions. It all started when I lost the ring my kiddos gave me for Christmas. The ring didn't quiet fit so I had been wearing it around my neck on a chain since receiving it. It had not been removed at any time. For whatever reason, I felt more connected to my children as long as I was wearing it...this would be my sentimental side taking over. In my own mind I reasoned that while they had moved out and moved on, I could still feel close to them through this little gold band dangling near my heart. Keri had been so excited to give me the ring. It had cost way more than she and Taylor could afford to spend, but thanks to the demise of our economy, the jewelry store was going out of business and the ring was deeply discounted. Given this was the first piece of jewelry I had received from them they had totally paid for on their own, it meant even more.

Today, feeling a bit adventurous, I decided to wear it on my little finger. It was a bit big, but not so much that I thought it would be a problem. Boy, was I wrong! While filling plastic bags with ice for a cooler, I noticed the ring had become especially loose. Ten minutes later...no ring! I began to frantically retrace my steps and look for it. Nothing. I emptied grocery bags, trash cans, ice trays, stuck my hand down sink drains, dumped the contents of my purse and all my luggage. Still, nothing. After spending almost an hour searching and re-searching I had to give up and head back to Asheville. And that's when the tears came. Big crocodile tears. My heart was broken. I felt guilt and sorrow like I haven't felt in...well, a very, very long time. During the three hour drive from Atlanta to Asheville, I convinced myself that I would discover the ring when I unpacked. Again, nothing. I had to reclassify the misplaced ring as officially and permanently lost.

But the greatest gifts can come from the strangest places. Mine came tonight in a bag of bread. I had decided to shop for my weekly groceries before I left Atlanta as I always get home so late. It seemed easier to carry it home with me than try to start the week without bread and milk. Keri had come to Keith's for a quick visit so I took her shopping with me to help her restock her dorm room pantry. We wanted to share a loaf of multi-grain bread so I separated the loaf putting my half in a plastic bag. I had certainly checked that bag time and time again for the ring. As luck would have it, I thought to have Keri check her loaf a few minutes ago. Success! Squeals of delight filled the air between here and Athens. Where before I cried with sorrow, I now cried with joy.

I love that I am a sentimental person...that I find the little things to be the biggest...that the heart poured into the gift of that ring meant more to me than I ever knew. As has always been said, you sometimes have to lose something to realize how much it means to you. While I must admit it truly SUCKED to feel the heartache of thinking I had lost that little gold ring, I wouldn't trade the sentimental value of it for the world!

Takin' This Blog One STEP At A Time

Well, I did it! I finally slowed down long enough to create a blog. But the big question is "Now what do I do with it?" I know what others do. They write interestingly witty anecdotes that leave me laughing, crying or introspective of all things that truly matter. But that would be them...those other people who have awe-inspiring lives. That certainly would not be me. So I guess the real question is "Why did I want to blog in the first place?" After much thought, this is what I've come up with:

1. An attempt to document some of my world at this moment in time.

2. Fulfillment of a dream to be a writer. Well, it was the dream of a 12 year old girl who quickly realized a writer she would never be.

3. A need to post, protect, and "publish" random thoughts, crafty things and overall nothingness.

4. It seems like the thing to do. Doesn't everyone have a blog???