An Early 2012 Update...

The sudden and unexpected flurry of activity my blog has gotten got my attention - so i figured i'd go ahead and update something other than some of my newer layouts...

Our 23rd (I think) Anniversary is coming up shortly, and it would seem i have a talent for getting into projects that take lots of time and effort - and money it would seem!  This time it's a project scanning years of photos, slides, and negatives of various sizes for archival purposes - well - semi archival - all of which have been eagerly provided by my parents!
I've actually finished with the 12 boxes of slides - and am working my way through a raft of 'no negatives' black and whites right now...
I've done some of the 35mm negatives, and just last night received my newest toy - an Epson V600 - which will take the nearly 2X2" B/W Safety film negatives - with a homemade jig - and the handful of even larger negatives!!   None of the other 2 scanners (one of which i bought 3 months ago) I've used will take anything that big!
So nearly every day I'm scanning I pick one of the more 'fun' pictures and ship it off to my parents to see what kind of reaction it will bring...
and in between I'm building layouts - ways to highlight those pictures that speak to me. 
They will show up here, one or two at a time - and in books going to everyone for Christmas....

My negatives have vanished.  I've scanned what I could find - and am heartbroken over what is missing!!  I keep hoping one day i'll open a drawer or box and find them all - but i'm not holding my breath!

And every day i thank God that despite all the hardships and economic issues around us, Dan and I have maintained gainful employment, while tolerating radically cut benefits and no payraises.  We've started shifting more attention into putting money aside for our retirement - watching what we had had as it decreased in value, and now fearing that we're going to loose even more if the current administration has it's way! I have a new car, purchased in 2012 - a Toyota Rav 4- and although it cost more than I'd planned on spending, I love it.  We can travel for weekend getaways every so often, and eat out when we choose...but the new car payments may affect that a bit, still waiting to see how that all shakes out.

The girls are not here - one in northern Florida - the other in Alabama.  Both forging their own paths, regardless of my thoughts on the topic.  I guess that's the downside of teaching your kids to think for themselves and make decisions for themselves - they do!  Dan and I are thoroughly convinced that 'empty next syndrome' is a myth perpetuated by the kids that aren't being missed!!!  We're enjoying our privacy!!  Sure, there are times when we miss the girls...but on a daily basis - not so much!  

So there it is -
We're busy - very. 
We're tired - usually. 
We're Happy - incessantly!    

New Kit

i know it's been a long, long time since i've been here...but life has definitely been taking it's toll. i have no other excuse.

i have 2 children living at home now ... or is that again ... i'm not sure. My youngest, who was so blissfully away at school is back home and thankfully working full time, unless she's on vacation visiting her boyfriend in Georgia. My eldest, whom we took in as a refugee, is still here, even though the granddaughter is not. My granddaughter is living back in Tampa with her father, but i'm told will be visiting for Easter.

• I started a diet right before Christmas - as Dan quit smoking. we decided the greater threat to health was my gaining more weight to quit - so diet i try. it's going slow - but that may be a good thing...i've lost only 15 lbs since christmas - not as much as i would have liked - but some. and i've more than i want to own up to to go before i consider quitting smoking...
• i've suffered through having my back cut open several times to remove cysts - and have one more of them to go ...
• i'm getting a permanent fixture put in one ear to counteract the effects of untreated ear infections that have left me hearing impaired in that ear ...
• i'm back into 'hot flash' mode after almost 8 months of nothing - and am ready to call it quits to this whole thing - it's been going on for 18 months now ...
• and after several thousand dollars of co-payments, i am now sporting a bridge and 4 new crowns in my mouth. and now i'm short both back molars on the right side - instead of just the bottom one - with no plan to replace either of them - we just cannot afford the implants ...
• my office decided to send me to Atlanta for 2 weeks for training last month, and i earned my MCAS and MCP certifications. i even aced 2 of the tests!!! That and $4.25 will get me a cup of Coffee at Starbucks!! But it's something I learned and earned on my own, and lets me put a cupla sets of letters after my last name on my signature block - and they cannot be taken away from me!

 and lastly - i finally slowed my life down enough to finish the kit i'd started last year ...

Here it is:

I'm calling this kit "For Eric" for the character of Eric Northman, in the HBO Series TrueBlood, adapted from Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire (also known as Sookie Stackhouse) Series books. Season 2's DVDs should be coming out soon, and Season 3 starts in June I believe.
I have to admit that I didn't read the books until after i'd see the blip at the end of one of the episodes in Season 1 that it was based on.....
and i was hooked!!
i've read most everything Mrs Harris has written, or have it in the audio-que on my IPod- my latest passion.
for anyone who likes a touch of supernatural with their romance - the Southern Vamps will do it for you!

Here are the download links:

http://www.4shared.com/file/251436404/edba8699/FlowerElements.html

http://www.4shared.com/file/251435771/c262f566/OtherElements.html

http://www.4shared.com/file/251430851/ccd620eb/papers.html

NOTE:  Download links to, and the source files for all other downloads at 4shared have been deleted.  It was time to do some housecleaning. 
THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my previous kits!! and i'm looking forward to providing more goodies in 2010!

Still Here...

I know it's been a while since I've been here...
Things at work have gotten pretty intense, and my exhaustion (aided by that midlife hormonal thing) has left me mostly unable to spend any amount of time behind my computer at home. Consequently, I've turned back to literature for mental diversion...finding I'm spending a lot of time with audio books...crawling into worlds so remarkably similar but so bueatifully different from ours.
Not only am I a Twilight fan, but I also became engrossed in the Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series, and consequently TrueBlood on HBO. That being said, there's a new kit coming forth shortly inspired by that series.
My life-long fascination with all things vampire has led to my pursuing several other series (as available on audio), most currently The Black Dagger Brotherhood, which if time and energy permits, will most likely inspire another kit.
I've desperately missed the time I was spending with my scrapbooking - but until I can get through the hot flashes, cravings, irregular sleeping patterns, and thereby the exhaustion, and the host of projects at work that are rolling one on top of the next to get through recent changes in tax/security laws, I'm not sure there's going to be too many chances.
Check back every so often, if any of you are still with me...
the new kit should be coming up shortly!