Prairie Woman Design

Two new collections....

2011-10-16T08:58:00.000-05:00

I have two new collections up in my stores....one is a Halloween collection called "Boo Crew". It is seriously huge....4 paper packs, 7 element packs and an alpha done in two different colorways. Buy the whole collection and save $7.00:

The second collection is called Great Plains...and is done in the colors of my beloved great plains...greens, blues, and pinks. Another huge collection, this one consists of 3 paper packs, 3 element packs and a full alpha. Save $5.00 when you buy the whole collection:

New kits in my stores

2011-04-21T17:16:00.001-05:00

I have two new kits in my shops and a little free something for you, too. These kits are both done on the same palette, but are (I hope) very different in feel.

A while back, my good friend and co-instructor, Priss, asked me to do a kit for our Photoshop FUNdamentals students. She sketched out what she would like and the things she though would be nice to have, and I put it together for her and the FUNdamentals students and graduates.

For those of you who might wonder about FUNdamentals, it is a Photoshop basics class that Priss wrote and we have taught together, along with another dear friend, Karen in Australia. It is three months long, all online, and will take you from the very basics of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to a good working familiarity of what these powerful programs can do. We don't have a class scheduled right now, but if you are interested, contact me through this blog.

Anyway, I created Fly High for the latest class and our graduates. You can find it at either Digital Design Den or Nuts4Digi. And it is on sale till the end of the month. It is a fun little kit full of things with wings and whimsy. It contains photo masks, a full alpha, 12 papers and 45 elements.

Victoriana is a kit for your heritage pages or for any page that you would want old fashioned images for. It is done in hues of heliotrope, blue and tangerine. You may find it at both the Den and N4D. This one is also on sale through the end of the month...and it is chock full of antique elements and papers. It contains 18 papers, 35 elements and a full alpha. And...since I had such fun making this one, I have posted a little freebie here that coordinates with the kit.

This freebie is a set of file folders done with papers and elements from Victoriana. You may download it here. And here is a little preview of the freebie:

http://dc145.4shared.com/download/hQPRDE1E/PWDVictFiles.zip

I hope you have some fun with these...they are index card sized and high resolution for printing; PNG files for use on a digital page.

Fire Season

2011-04-18T18:24:00.000-05:00

Fire season is upon us. Thus far, our Oklahoma spring has been up and down; cold, then hot. But always DRY. I can't remember a spring this dry for several years. Now, if you live in the city, dry means your lawn may be a little brown; or your geraniums are going to need to be watered from the kitchen faucet. Here on the Great Plains, dry means range fires.

We've been down this road before. In March of 2006, we had to leave the house just a skip ahead of the fires. It was a long wait to see if our valiant firefighters (most of whom are volunteers) would win against "the Beast" and if we would have a place to return to. They did and we did....and never was a sight so sweet as that first glimpse of our little house on the prairie, still standing, unscorched.

Fast forward to this year. It has been hot, dry and windy for the last week. When I say wind, I mean 40-45 MPH sustained winds. Any fire that starts is guaranteed to get out of hand in a hurry. And we've had fires all round...you likely have read or heard about it on the news. The latest was just yesterday, and less than 1/4 mile from us. Thanks to our valiant, vigilant fire fighters, the fire was quickly brought under control and put out. But we (my neighbor and I) were ready to evacuate again if need be. Dogs, leashes, people, and my laptop....all ready to pop into the truck.

Did I tell you I love our firefighters?

Back to Creative Endeavors...

2011-04-02T20:09:00.002-05:00

After all the kerfuffle over the water in my house, it is great to get back to things creative again. I have several little bits and pieces for you today....

The Digital Design Den (http://www.digitaldesignden.com) is looking for a designer! The call went out this week - and this is a great opportunity for an aspiring designer or an established one to slip into a fabulous store and forum. The group at the Den is like family. They are caring, fun, and great to be with. The store is busy and product sells well there. Take a peek at the site from the link that I've provided and let Sandy and Robyn know that you want to come and play. Tell 'em I sent you.

Dana at Digital Scrap Designs (http://www.digitalscrapdesigns.com) has just released the April CU collaborative kit...and it's a honey! I think there are no fewer than 23 kits in this month's collab. They are all CU or CU4CU products. The kit is fully revealed before you buy and the best part? The price! $7.00 for the whole megilla! That figures to less than 50 cents per kit. Where else are you going to find that kind of deal?

http://www.digitalscrapdesigns.com

Nuts4Digi is going to begin putting out their new newsletter soon. They have a brand new newsletter editor who has been through a rough patch, but who is still in there swinging. Let's make sure that Sarah knows how much we appreciate her efforts! Get well soon, Sarah!

And best of all, I have a couple of new kits waiting in the wings....to be uploaded as soon as I finish reloading my computer. I just formatted the drive and have enough loaded to be able to do this blog entry and check my email. Photoshop is next, as is my word processor....it is always something, isn't it?

It's DONE!!

2011-03-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

My kitchen is DONE! And my living room is DONE! And I am one happy girl...the wood floor went down Thursday; carpet and padding went down yesterday. I am in the process of putting the laundry room, kitchen and dining room back together again. My poor rubbish man will probably have a coronary on Monday morning. Have I ever got a surprise for him!

My new mantra is "shed attachments to stuff". And I'm shedding it left and right....As long as I had to clear out three rooms of the house anyway, why put it all back again? What an opportunity to clear out! You know all those margerine containers that you save to keep leftovers in? The Cool Whip salad bowls (a la Jeff Foxworthy)? The Tupperware that has been around since they first made Tupperware and it doesn't have a lid anyway? And it melted three years ago in the dishwasher and so why did I save it? How about those aluminum pie plates that might come in handy but haven't yet? And, best of all, those bits and pieces of things that I saved that I don't even recognise any longer. Oh....and spare nails, screws, nuts, bolts, and other metal things that men can't part with but I can now that my sweet husband is no longer here to tell me not to throw then out....All this has filled two and a half trash bags so far. I also found 1 1/2 electric knives. Wonder where the other half knife is? Part of a blender. Yep. Broken heat gun. Outa here! WHY did I save 3 half pairs of garden gloves?? I always wear out the right glove. What makes me think I'll need the left ones? My sweet husband used to send me flowers for every occasion...but I don't think I need to save all those vases any longer. I have enough to start my own florist shop.

On the positive side, I found the sandpaper and tack cloth I've been looking for for over a year. Also the refills for my staple gun.

Anyway...here it is, in all it's shiny new glory. But the deal is, you have to ignore the cleaning supplies, stepladder and stuff. Pretend that I've already put it all away and just look at the floor and carpet, 'K?

Slowly....slowly

2011-03-14T21:53:00.001-05:00

And the kitchen fixage continues...on and on. At least it is operative again. The cabinet is installed, as is the sink and faucet. And I'm happy again...or at least happier than I was. I can cook again and there's water where it belongs.

I decided that since things were torn up anyway, that this was a great time to make a few changes that I had been wanting to make for a while. So I went ahead and popped for a new sink and faucet. Wahoo! Delta makes a beautiful Victorian high-arch faucet that has a pull-out spray....and now it lives in my kitchen.

This is NOT my kitchen...only my faucet!

I also bought a quartz sink from our local plumbing supply house in espresso color...deep, single basin, and gloriously huge. I feel like Mrs. Ritz! This all replaced a very small 2 basin stainless steel sink that was so shallow that I couldn't even fill my favorite spaghetti pot in it.

Now all that is left is the floor. And that is all that has been left to do for two weeks. And I'm still waiting. The man came. The man came again. The man came a third time. He brought samples one time. He brought paper work one time. He measured all three times. Still no floor! When (and IF) it goes in, it will be Brazilian Cherry...a nice, warm wood with red overtones. Now I'm getting more ideas...picture a nice backsplash with glass tiles...some fresh paint....did I tell you I watch HGTV?

The continuing saga of water...

2011-02-24T22:00:00.002-06:00

The story, as they say, goes on. I am still without a kitchen...and without water in said kitchen! We are still eating either take out food or nuking frozen dinners in the displaced microwave oven. Don't get me wrong...I'm very grateful for microwaves, for frozen and take out dinners, for paper plates and plastic utensils, and that I still have water in the bathrooms. But I'm getting just a tad bit tired of NO kitchen!

The insurance people have been very nice about paying for all the demolition and repair. So that is not the problem. The ServiceMaster people were right here on the spot to do the demolition of the ruined floors and cabinets. They were fast, efficient and neat. And they hauled out all the trash. Thanks to Kevin and Dakota who made life just a bit more pleasant over the several days you were here!

My drywall guy came to give me an estimate...right on time. Then I didn't see him for three days. Seems as if he was sick. But no phone call, no nuttin'. Today he came and now I have a wall with insulation and the cabinets are set into place. Wahoo! It is now beginning to look more like a kitchen.

I got a smokin' deal on the cabinets to replace the ruined ones at Allison's...just up the road. Del is great. If you are in my neck of the woods, make sure you stop by for flooring or cabinets. He'll do right for you. We were able to match the color and style of the existing cabinets almost exactly. Luck beats skill any day. Yes, the insurance company will pay to replace these cabinets, but I figure that a penny saved....

And as long as everything is apart anyway, why not get that new farmhouse sink I've been wanting for so long? So tomorrow I'll go pick up my brand new Silestone sink in espresso color and a new "pot filler" faucet in brushed nickel. I'm paying for those, of course...and I can't wait to see them in place! I'm so hoping that by this time tomorrow, I'll have water and a sink and dishwasher back again and we can stop eating frozen nuke food....and can say goodby to fast food drive up windows. (Note: we live in a tiny town and there really aren't any "real" restaurants here....only fast food. So it is really no luxury to be going out to eat!)

Here is a photo of what I've been dealing with for the last month:

Kitchen??

We have water!

2011-02-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

After all my angst and tears, after all the agony....I have water! And I didn't have to hunt the plumber down after all!

Friday afternoon, I got a call back....from Mike's 24-hour Plumbing. Seems as if he thought he could be at my house on Saturday morning. YES! (Don't get too excited...three others have made you promises....) But come to the house he did...(picture haloes around his head and rose petals showering around his shoulders). Within an hour, I had water! I also had a hole in the wall under the sink, but what the heck? I don't care if I have a hole in the side of the house! I have water!! AND he didn't charge a young fortune, either...not even time and a half....just regular time. I could kiss him. So, while I didn't do that...I will recommend him. If you are in my neck of the woods...remember his name: Mike's 24-Hour Plumbing. He's in the book.

My kingdom for a plumber!

2011-02-05T08:04:00.000-06:00

Anyone out there know where I can get a plumber? Today? Now?

We have been without water since Tuesday when the pipes froze in our unseasonably cold Oklahoma winter temperatures. The mercury plunged (as the weathermen are so fond of saying) to the subzero mark on Tuesday night and into the early morning hours of Wednesday morning. Our pipes have never frozen before.... in 15 years of living here. Till now. And it was only (only!!) in the kitchen. So I could haul water from the tub to the kitchen to cook and wash with. Then, day before yesterday, we thawed and the pipe in the kitchen burst. Water, water, everywhere....in my living room, kitchen, cabinets, spurting out the back of the house.....everywhere! So I called my neighbor for help....God doesn't make any finer people than my best friends. They came over with brooms and tools and stayed to help with the clean up. Fortunately, Ben was able to pry the shut-off valve loose and we got the main shut off. So now I have NO water. And Linda and I got MOST of the water out of the kitchen and living room. But my wood floor in the kitchen is ruined. The returns aren't yet in on the living room carpet. It is still too wet to tell.

Now begins the saga of the plumber hunt. Yes, we are rural. But our phone book lists no fewer than 21 plumbers in the immediate area; several of these say they provide 24-hour service. Yeah, right. I have spoken to all 21 of these. Repeatedly. I have begged, pleaded, cried, bribed, and everything else I could think of. All to avail. I am into my 5th day without water, I have a string of "I'll call you's" with no follow-ups, and my frustration level has hit the ceiling. If I don't see a plumber today, I believe I'm going hunting! Anyone who even remotely resembles a plumber on the streets today had better be darn careful....because I'm out for bear! If you look or sound like a plumber, I'm gonna grab you by the hair and haul you back to my house and MAKE you fix my pipe so I can have water again!

Another Month...another hop!

2010-11-30T23:50:00.000-06:00

Christmas Around the World

Happy December, everyone! Here we are...24 shopping days left till Christmas. And, among other things, that means it is time for the Christmas Around the World blog hop...woohoo! This is year number three for me...and I am so happy to be here again! Thanks to Antoinette (Dutch Sparky) for doing this. Please check here (http://dschristmasaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/) for the list of blogs to get your goodies from. (I have put the blog address in here this way because Blogger has gotten wonky about displaying links. If you can't click on the link, then please copy/paste it into your browser. Thanks!

PWD Christmas Around the World

I hope you like what I have for you this year...I had fun doing it. And if you will scroll down just a little, you can grab the last blog hop I did for Jessica Sprague in honor of graduating from her Art of Digital Design class. I left it up just for you. Please note that the other links from that one will NOT be good any longer.

This link to CATW will be here the entire month of December, so be sure to let your friends know. And have a very Merry Christmas. And good Hanukkah. Blessings on you for whichevery holiday you celebrate. May you have family and friends near and peace.

Let's try this again!

2010-11-11T22:46:00.003-06:00

Well, there seems to be a problem with Blogger....the links have gone wonky and for that, I offer my apologies! I am going to try to reload the links for the download and for the preceding and following blogs and see if I get anywhere. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope it works this time! I may be looking for a new blog tomorrow!

Here is the link for the kit download:

http://dc239.4shared.com/download/5i-_tCZ-/PWDChristmasTreasures.zip

http://dc239.4shared.com/download/5i-_tCZ-PWDChristmasTreasures.zip
If you need to, copy and paste this into your browser and it should download without any problems.

You should have arrived here from Simply Kelly and the next stop is Get Digi With It. The addresses for these blogs are www.simplykellydesigns.com for Kelly's blog and www.getdigiwithitdesigns.blogspot.com for Carol's blog. Again, copy and paste if you need to....I'm blessed if I can figure out what the heck is going on tonight!

I will add that the links seem to work just fine in Internet Explorer, but Firefox isn't playing well with them. Sigh.....

Note: Here is a secondary link to my kit....maybe if the first doesn't work, this one will. We can hope so, at any rate!

It's time! It's time!

2010-11-10T22:39:00.005-06:00

The blog hop is here! Have you been to the others yet? If you have, you are already getting some great Christmas goodies...and you aren't finished yet! You should have arrived here from Simply Kelly Designs...and will go on to Get Digi With It Designs. But for now....here you are and the link to my part of this mega kit may be found under the preview:

http://dc239.4shared.com/download/5i-_tCZ-/PWDChristmasTreasures.zip

When you have finished downloading, continue on to the next stop, which is listed below:

I have had several emails from people who said they have had trouble downloading from the links here. I have tested and just don't know what the trouble is. If you type the link that appears under the preview picture into your browser, it will download without any problem. The next stop on your road is:

http://www.getdigiwithitdesigns.blogspot.com/

Again, if this link won't work for you, type it, or copy and paste it into your browser and it will work just fine. Thank you for your patience!

Tomorrow is the day!

2010-11-10T10:47:00.000-06:00

The Jessica Sprague graduating class of the Art of Digital Design is proud to present Christmas Treasures blog hop! It begins tomorrow, November 11th on http://sweetsunshinephotography.blogspot.com/ and will go around the world. At last count, I think there were 48 designers participating. That is going to be a mega kit to get you in the holiday mood! The links will be up through the 14th of November, so you'll have the chance to get through all the sites. Please do take this opportunity to check out these newly graduated designers! I have seen what they have to offer, and you are in for a real treat!

Blog Hop!

2010-11-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

We're having a blog hop! A huge group of the graduates of Jessica Sprague's Art of Digital Design class decided to have a blog hop to celebrate our certification....so watch this blog in ten days for an ablsolutely HUGE blog hop. At last count, there were around 40 designers signed up to create for this mega kit. The name of the hop is Christmas Treasures, and I promise you won't be disappointed! So save the dates, and check back. We're going to have some fun and get a great start on the holiday season!

I'm Certified!

2010-10-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

That's exciting! I took a course in the Art of Digital Design from Jessica Sprague.com in August. It was a great course...and very comprehensive. Since I've been designing for several years, you might ask why I would take that particular course. Couple of reasons....first - because I never miss a chance to learn something new. Second, because I admire Jessica and know that her courses are always high quality. This one was no disappointment. I learned so much! And it was no give-away. We finished up the course and were required to complete an original kit and take a written test covering the material in the course. The kit was evaluated by Carina Gardner, a well-respected designer who also taught a part of the course. The test was proctored by an outside firm, so it was all very professionally handled.

The course ran for four full weeks and covered everything a new or even experienced designer needs to know...from what to design to how to apply to a store. I think that taking this course improved my workflow, gave me some new ideas, and helped me to improve my design business. Thanks, Jessica and Carina!

What it was....was football

2010-10-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

I'm a very proud grandma. Why, you ask? Glad you asked that! I'm proud because my favorite (and, coincidentally...only) grandson got his photo in The Denver Post last week.....on the sports page. His dad, my son, emailed me the link to the article and photos. So...like any good grandma, I immediately shelled out way too much money to order reprints of the two photos in question to have for my very own. Of course, I can't show those photos here, because of copyright issues, something those of us in this digital world are pretty sensitive to. But what I can do is to show another photo of this extremely handsome lineman that I call grandson. This photo was taken by the lineman's dad, my son, at their most recent game. All I can say is......GO PONDO!

A Grand Opening!

2010-09-26T19:15:00.000-05:00

There's a grand opening coming! The Digital Design Den is having a Grand (Re)Opening the week of October 1st through the 8th. You have to come....there is going to be so much going on...and there will be prizes and give aways and games and chats and scraps and.....well....you get the idea.

Take a look at the ad I posted here. It only covers a very small preview of what is in store. The designers have been busy for weeks, making goodies to give out to all the visitors and players in the challenges and games that we have planned. I call it a (re)opening because the Den has been around for some time, in one form or another. It was a storefront only for quite some time. But we're back now...bigger and better! We have a full forum, a gallery, tutorials, games, chat room...(imagine me saying this in my best Poltergeist voice) WE'RE BAAAAAACK!

It's Here!

2010-09-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

The very first issue of Papers and Pixels! Our inaugural issue is out! Laura Boetto, Chris Callebs and I have published the first issue of our e-zine. This has long been a dream of ours, and today it has come to fruition.

We have long thought that there was room for a publication that takes in everyone...digital crafters, hybrid and REAL crafters! Of course, that's a lot of territory to cover. But Laura and I have never given up our love of glue and glitter in favor of pixels and layers. We actively speak both languages. And therein hangs this tale.

After a lot of brainstorming and a truly hectic few weeks, our issue has hit the streets. You may sign up to subscribe here. Inside, you'll find interviews with product inventors, designers, tutorials, inspiration, and a lot more. Come and give it a look....you won't be disappointed.

Looking for a few talented scrappers....

2010-09-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

I have a call out for a creative team...are you interested? I need a couple of people who want to scrap my kits and post them to five different sites. I'm asking you to make two LO's for each kit I do. Post them at the sites specified and also on my Facebook designer page. In return, you will receive the kits....as well as anything else I might be noodling with at the time. I would also ask that you participate in three challenges at either the Den or at Nuts4Digi each month using parts from my kits. Since most of the challenges carry participation bonuses, you'd be benefitting from this as well. Contact information is included in the graphic posted here, or you may contact me through this blog. I look forward to hearing from you! Applications will close on the 15th.

New month....new challenges!

2010-09-05T20:42:00.000-05:00

So...have you been over to Nuts4Digi yet this month? We have some fun challenges running there, along with some super posting prizes to go with them! You need to go sign in and take a peek to see what they have for you this month. I promise there is something there for everyone! Now, go on....go look!

MixNMatchSept10

2010-08-30T22:30:00.002-05:00

Get ready for another Mix N Match challenge at the Den! A new month is beginning soon, and with it, new challenges in the forum. This Mix N Match challenge is so much fun! Add the numbers from your birth month, date, year, and age to come up with the digits you will need to tell you what to scrap from this list. Sign in at the Den to get all the details. And most of all....have fun!

Major Rebuild

2010-08-22T10:03:00.000-05:00

Time once again for a major system rebuild on my main computer. It has been just a year since I did my last one....and the drive has become choked with dreck, glurge, and stuff. (Sorry for all the technical terms!) Despite the automated defragmentation, automated, dejunking and conscientious policing of unnecessary apps, it still gets clogged with the extraneous and unneeded. Besides that, this computer has a dual core processor, capable of supporting a 64 bit operating system, though I was only running a 32 bit system. Time to fix that, too!

So, two days later, I have a fully functional Windows7 64 bit system! De-gunked, lean, mean and ready for prime time machine. Why did it take two days? Because it took that long to reload software! The OS took about 15 minutes to load. But then there was Office, Photoshop and Illustrator, browsers, utilities that I can't live without....gadgets, well, if you're reading this, you know what I mean. I have all of it organized and in my recovery file....but it just plain takes time to load!

But now the thing is done...and I'm good to go for at least another year! And life is once again good.

Designer Call

2010-08-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

The Den is having a designer call! I'm excited about this because having more designers means more fun for all of us! This is a golden opportunity for anyone who has ever wanted to try their hand at designing to jump in....or for you established designers to come on and join the rest of us.

The Den is a great place to design. It has a long established presence on the web. The owners are excellent businesswomen who are open and honest in their dealings with each designer. They communicate well and each of your comments and concerns are dealt with in a very timely fashion. I can't recommend the Den highly enough.

The forums are fun and informative...the Gallery is ever-changing. There are challenges to keep your mojo fresh. How could you ask for more? So get your best goodies together and pop them over to Sandy and Robyn for a look. They will get back to you. Maybe we'll be working together soon!

The Den is open!

2010-07-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

The Digital Design Den is now a real, live, full site! This is great news for a lot of us.... because they have gone from being a storefront to a full site... with a forum, a gallery, and a store. What you might call the whole megilla.

The Den has history...well, as far as this crazy thing called digiscrapping goes, anyway. I was there, and I remember. Started back in around 2006 (?), it gathered members from all over the world with a common interest....digital scrapping. The industry has grown phenomonally over the ensuing years; like the economy, it has also seen a slowdown. Some sites have grown, some have downsized, some are just a memory. The Den is one that has maintained a presence all along. They began as a full site: forums, gallery, and store. The economy slowed, and they took a (very) short hiatus. Then they returned as a storefront only....but they managed to maintain a presence on the web just about all that time. Well, as of day before yesterday, they are back, strong and sassy as ever!

There has been a worldwide reunion going on over the last three days....and what fun it has been to catch up with friends, both old and new! And the great thing is....it's like we've never been gone!

Sandy and Robyn are the driving force behind the return of the Den...and I have to say here and now....Thanks, ladies! But for you, the social aspect of the Den would have remained a sweet memory. I well know the hard work, frustration and tears that go into getting something of this nature up and running....the quirks, glitches, and bugs that are encountered along the way. There have been late, late nights, skipped meals, missed events and more because of your dedication to getting it all "just right". You've got it...you've got it right. And I'm grateful. So are a lot of others...all of whom have dropped by and are still coming. We are having a ball.

Commercial Use!

2010-06-23T19:08:00.000-05:00

I'm selling at another store! Dana at Digital Scrap Designs has kindly asked me to sell my things at her store, and of course, I jumped at the chance. Hers is a commercial use and scrap for others (S4O) store; I am relishing the chance to dust off some of the actions and commercial use things that I have done to put up there! Dana has been wonderfully patient with me as I get used to yet another set of store software....I think I'm a real glutton for punishment! This is the third time in nearly as many months that I'm learning new software for uploading and making a store. It is so worth it! But each kind of software has its own peculiarities, and I need to get my mind wrapped around them. The one lesson I keep learning over and over again is.....DON'T try to do this late at night! You'd think I'd know that by now.....

Dana has a great group of designers selling there; you really need to go check Digital Scrap Designs out. I promise it will be worth your time. Lots and lots of commercial use items, great prices, collaborations....hey - don't take my word for it....go check it out!

Recipe Book Project

2010-06-08T11:21:00.001-05:00

For the last month, I have been working with the charming images furnished by Cora Harkins of Digital Two for Tuesdays, a blog that furnishes the most charming vintage images. She asked for five artists to use images from an old (turn of the century cookbook) to make either a cookbook or a recipe box and section dividers. I was fortunate enough to be chosen to take part in the challenge. Following are the pages I made from just a few of the many images she provided. They were scanned and sent to us in black and white. The only thing she asked us to do was to provide a cover and eight dividers or classifications. The rest was left entirely up to us. What a dream of an assignment! Cora, thank you for the chance to play....I would love to play again....and soon!

I did all of these digitally, of course...since that is what I do....using Cora's images and a kit that I created a while back called "Heritage Recipes". It all just seemed to come together. If you are interested, these pages may be downloaded from here. They are done in 8x10" size for a binder, and also may be reduced by half for use in a recipe box.

The images from Cora are in the public domain and she assures me that there are no copyright issues attendant thereon. My kit may be found at Digital Design Den for sale. The cookbook pages are for personal use only, please. If you want to download these pages for your own use, use this link.

I've gone Nuts!

2010-05-31T12:15:00.000-05:00

Nuts4Digi, that is! This is a totally fun Australian site with forum, gallery, games, challenges and lots and lots of friendly faces. I have several dear friends who have gone there; one of them, Lesley (who goes by tailz) persuaded me to come over, too. And I'm glad I did. Debbie McKenzie, who is the site owner and general all-round wonderful person, asked me to design for them, so here I am! I have a couple of kits up for sale so far, with more to follow. Please stop in and take a peek around. I promise you will end up staying. There are so many fun things to do....challenges and games...tutorials, chatter, a newsletter....I could go on and on. And it is all done with an Aussie accent. I have been so warmly welcomed....drop in and tell 'em I sent ya!

Lest We Forget

2010-05-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

Today is Memorial Day for us in the United States. Please remember....freedom isn't free. There are so many who gave their lives so that we here at home may continue to live, work and play as we choose. Words cannot convey how I feel about the men and women in our armed forces, nor about the families left behind to wait. "Thank you" seems so inadequate...but it is all I can say. So...to all those on the front lines, as well as those who stand and wait:
Thank you!

New Kit

2010-05-22T17:33:00.001-05:00

I have a new kit up in my shop at the Digital Design Den called Chipboard Basics. I'm pretty proud of it, if I do say so...for the first time, I feel like I've got a handle on the shadows and light sources. There is a lot more to it than shows in the preview, though....it includes 8 backgrounds, a punched cover, 3 third cut dividers, 3 frames, 12 tags and a string to use with them, plus a full upper and lower case alpha which also includes numbers and symbols. The alpha is about an inch high. What I think you'll like about this kit is that it is so very versatile...just as real chipboard is in "real" scrapping. It can be clipped to your favorite papers, embossed, glittered, colored...whatever makes your heart happy. It also can serve as a foil for those bright colors from other kits that you want to pop....or for those fabulous photos that you want to call attention to...here is the preview of the kit:

And here is a layout done by my dear friend Priss Steelman using this kit and one of her photos:

The flowers and other elements were NOT from my kit, but rather from other kits, which, unfortunately, she was unable to recall when she sent the page to me. But I wanted to thank Priss for sharing this with me and, in turn, my readers.

There are a lot of new goodies at the Den right now...and bunches on sale. Be sure to check out the specials! You won't be sorry you did.

A New Project and More Weather

2010-05-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

I have a new place for you to check out. Digital Two for Tuesday....a great site for vintage images from a wonderfully dedicated woman named Cora. Every Tuesday, she posts vintage images from old books, magazines, catalogues, ads or just about anything else you can think of. She scours all kinds of places for these old images, scans them and puts them up on her blog for free download to use in crafting projects. They are nicely done and her only request is that they not be sold or reposted as a group. Cora regularly asks for designers to share their creations using these images on her blog. Right now, several designers (myself included) are working on something together that involves vintage images. That is all I will say....except that I'm having so much fun! Do please stop by and take a look at what she does...it will be well worth your time.

We had another "interesting" weather day yesterday. The weather people have been warning us for two days that fronts and pressure areas were setting up for a "severe weather outbreak". What that translates to for us in Oklahoma is....keep an eye out and don't get too far from home if you can help it. Here is what the radar looked like at around 6pm last evening. I apologise for the fuzzy appearance...I didn't think to grab a shot of it at the time, so this is after the fact:

The purple arrow and circle show about where we are in relation to the fun. Fortunately, no one was injured as far as I know. The tornadoes that were spawned from these storms all hit in open country (we have a lot of that here...). But it was sobering while watching the weather coverage on TV. All Oklahomans remember the May 3 outbreak when Bridge Creek and Moore were flattened by an F5 twister. 47 people lost their lives and many more lost everything they possessed that day. Oh, did I mention that we don't depend on FEMA here? Okies are neighbors and we help each other....

Mom, Mum, Mama, Mommy.....

2010-05-10T11:59:00.000-05:00

Moms are special people...we all have them, but so seldom appreciate them when they are with us. I miss my own dear mother. She passed away two years ago and I miss her each and every day. Sadly, it wasn't until she was gone that I really began to realize what a talented and special woman she was. She was an artist; I knew that, because she was always sketching and painting. She was a crafter and seamstress, too. But what I never realized was that she was a woman ahead of her time. She was a pilot. At a time when women didn't DO that...she DID it. She forged on and learned to fly because it was something she wanted to do; she didn't listen to the nay-sayers...she never did. Then she went on to become a stewardess (that's what they were called back in the 1940's). It was a brand new career choice for women; she dived in with both feet. It was exciting....it was travel....it was another of "those things" that were a bit avant garde for the time.

When she married my dad, she settled into the 1950's ideal of marriage....home and kids. But she was active in her community. And that never ended. She worked with learning challenged children through one of her organizations; she volunteered at the local police department and worked with rape victims....long before that was the thing to do. She campaigned to have the courts quit blaming the victims for their own rape. It was a mission in which she passionately believed to the end of her life. I never really SAW all this in her. It was just what she DID....we were used to it in her. Now that I am older, I realize from whence comes my own artistic leanings, my own passion for causes, my own desire to make things right. If I could have 10 seconds with my mother again, I would say one thing to her.....Thanks, Mother. You rocked!

Creativity

2010-04-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

The nature of creativity never ceases to amaze me. I have been rather "off my game" the last two days. I don't know if it is the flu or what, but suffice it to say that everything I have hurts. So I did what the commercials always recommend....take two of (whatever the going pain reliever of choice) and went back to bed. While reclining in my bed of pain, the ideas for new kits started coming thick and fast. Now, I ask you....why then? Weird. But I'll take it...it has been a while since I've had any ideas worth talking about.

Anyhow...since I seem to have stumbled over some new ideas, I feel like celebrating! So here is a wee mini that I found when I was going through files the other day. It is some of my early work...but maybe you can use it anyway. Enjoy.

A New Look

2010-04-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

I'm playing around with a new look for an old blog. It is a new season and so I decided to have a new header and look. This is still under construction, but it is a start. The Prairie Woman Design is the name under which I design and sell....and have done for the last couple of years. The logo is new. Bluebonnets have always been a part of my logo, since I am inordinately fond of them and they grow all over our region. But I wanted a bit more of a prairie/western flavor....hence, the well-worn boots. I have a pair just like them, only they began life as gray snakeskin. Now, they actually look a lot like the pair on the header. I won't tell you why they are brown now.... anyone who lives in this part of the country knows....

I got out the other day and got some pretty decent photos of some of the thousands of Bluebonnets that are springing up everywhere. They are perfection right now after all the rain. The sad thing is that they only last for a couple of weeks each year. The good thing is that they are soon replaced by Black-Eyed Susans, Queen Anne's Lace, Prairie Primrose, and all kinds of other wildflowers. The priaire colors go from Bluebonnet blue and Indian Paintbrush corals to Black-Eyed Susan yellow, white and pinks....an ever-changing panoply of beauty. I love Oklahoma.

Bluebonnets

A New Season...

2010-04-16T12:58:00.001-05:00

Spring has arrived on the Great Plains, for which I am grateful. Everything is green, and the Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush are blooming in all the fields and pastures. It is a glorious sight. It also reminds me of the eternal rebirth of all good things. The bad stuff comes and goes, but the good things are with us always.

One great thing that has happened is that I have been asked to come back to the Digital Design Den, which is where I sort of started. Thank you, Sandy! Sandy Collins is a truly wonderful woman and as sweet as they come. She called me one day a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I would be interested in selling my kits in the store there. (Would I???) Done and done! I have one kit there so far, and more to follow. It really is a homecoming, because there are still so many familiar faces there, as well as new friends waiting to be made.

In honor of the move, here is a little something that I would like you to have....a set of date brushes and PNG's that you may use for whatever strikes your fancy....they are quite large, so they will downsize well. They will also make nice masks. Hope you will enjoy them. You may use them for either personal or commercial use. If you use them, please drop me a note and let me see what you did with them!

Friends

2010-03-30T20:46:00.000-05:00

Friends are the staff of life. Forgive me for making what should be a glaringly obvious statement...but I must. In the last five weeks, I have lived through the darkest days of my life only because I have friends who care and have stayed by my side....whether I wanted them to or not! I need to clarify that last statement: I had many days when I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and pull it in after me; to sit in the dark and mourn. But I have friends, you see. Many more than I knew. And they have called, emailed, and come by to take me out of that hole and MAKE me get out of my dark mourning....even for just a little while. They did so with patience and love...sometimes a little tough love, but love nonetheless.

I think that there must be people somewhere who never shall plumb the depths or explore the heights of this kind of friendship. They are, perhaps, blessed in that they will never encounter the rough spots in life that requires allowing people into the inner circle of their need. But I am doubly blessed. When the need arose, I had many who answered the call. They stepped in, shouldered some of my burdens and took me to their hearts. I am better for it...yes, and happier, too. No one will ever replace my dear husband. But, too, no one will ever replace my friends.

Thank you, each and every one of you! Thank you for your time and love; without that, I would not be healing now. You are each worth rubies and gold to me. And one day, perhaps I will be able to show you in some small way how grateful I am to you for the letters, phone calls, emails, funny cards, poems, visits, rides to and from stores and movies, for RAK's all round. Y'all are amazing! Angels unawares.

And then....alone

2010-02-24T21:02:00.000-06:00

Such a short few days since I posted that last entry. But my life has changed completely and forever. In the wee hours of Feb. 22, my sweet husband, my life partner, lost his battle with cancer and lay down his burden at last. His last words to me were of love. Mine to him were also of love. And how blessed we were to have had that!

I reflect on how many people watch a loved one walk out the door and never see them again....Tom and I had time together to say things that we wanted to say, to spend some precious moments remembering our life over the years, to reflect on our unique "us-ness". It wasn't long enough. If we had had 300 years, it wouldn't have been long enough. But it will have to have been, won't it?

So I will be grateful for the time God granted us, the memories we made together, the life we built...and what I have because of him. The last couple of days have shown me how many lives he touched...some, I was aware of, some not. All were the better for having known him. I am not saying he was perfect....none of us are. What I am saying is that I am blessed to see my husband through others' eyes; to experience him through others' hearts. For that, I am grateful. I am glad he lived, though he just didn't have long enough.

Tommie, we hardly knew ye.....

I'm in love....

2010-02-06T19:17:00.001-06:00

Now, how many women can say that after being married for as long as I have? But the truth is....I can. My dear husband is very ill, and has been for a long time. We have been through a lot together - both good times and bad. Right now, the not-so-good times seem to be what we are having. But today, while I was caring for his "personal" needs, he looked at me and told me that he admired my strength! Do you have any idea how much that meant to me? It meant so much more than a compliment to beauty or talent or whatever else one might think would be a good thing.

When caring for a loved one, there are times when the frustrations mount; the inability to "make it all better" gets out of hand. The feeling of helplessness is the enemy. I have found that this is what leads me to sadness and depression faster than the actual fact of my sweet husband's illness and inability to do for himself. This is made all the worse because I am a nurse by profession. We are supposed to be healers....to "make it better".

But then, I remember that God is always there. He is my strength and will never leave me alone. I just have to remember to give my burdens to Him. When I do that, they don't go away, but they DO seem lighter. And He speaks through so many different places...like a suffering man who thinks I'm strong.

The Pioneers Live....Here!

2010-02-04T18:05:00.000-06:00

That ice storm that everyone predicted came to pass... in spades! We got about 1/2" of ice on the trees and wires, as well as on the road surfaces. Things were pretty good till around 0145 Saturday morning. Then the power went out. Ever stop to realize how quiet it is without all the background noise of daily living? No furnace, no furnace fan, no TV, no computer hum (yikes!), no radio, and on and on. Very quiet. And chilly! The outside air temp was around 20 degrees F....and it didn't take long for it to begin to fall inside. We got down to 48 degrees inside....

Fortunately, we installed a fireplace a few years ago and I had laid in a pretty good pile of firewood, so that was all set to go. I had a goodly supply of candles as well. So heat and light were covered. Sorta. Batteries? Check. Enough to power the radio and iPod till the cows came home. Information and entertainment covered. Flashlights all working. We built a "heat wall" in the family room in front of the fireplace with the couch and love seat. I put up blankets over the windows and glass door after the sun went down and also put a blanket over the hallway entry to contain the heat. My dear husband is chronically ill, so I made a bed for him in front of the fire with a mattress from another bedroom. We piled on quilts and blankets and brought pillows from the bedrooms. All in all, fairly cozy.

My dear grandmother had left me her old fashioned cook pots that were perfect for cooking with in the fireplace....and I had soups, stews, and hot coffee and tea fixed up for us. Toasted bread with cheese rounded the meal out for supper that night....all with a faintly smoky flavor.

Our power was off a total of 40 hours. A mere drop in the bucket compared with the local towns, some of whom are still without power....a week later. I bless the Public Service crews, who are still working round the clock to restore power to those areas. Those people are the true unsung heroes of our modern world....you never see them, nor think of them till the lights go out.

I have spoken with several of my close friends and we all agree on one thing....this pioneering thing is fine...if you are camping out for a few hours and have planned it. Otherwise....not so fine! I had severe withdrawal from my computer. And heat. I really missed heat. Lights....not so much; but heat? You betcha! You know who came through this the best? My 88 year old dad, who still remembers his days on the farm in north Texas, when this was the way they lived....

Yet another weather post

2010-01-28T10:14:00.001-06:00

Hmmm...another weather post! This could get monotonous! Well, this is Oklahoma...and we do have interesting weather from time to time...and today is no exception. We have been hearing about the winter storm coming at us for the last three or four days now... banners and scrawls running across the TV screens, pop ups from the National Weather Service on the computer, newscasters opining on it, weathermen wringing their hands and predicting doom. It is all there. What they are saying is that we have an ice storm heading our way. But after hearing about it for the last several days, I don't know whether to worry about it or ignore it all and continue on as usual. I have done the prudent thing.... watched the weather maps (I'm a pilot, so have some training in weather), listened to the casts, and used my good sense. I went to the store and laid in supplies in case we find ourselves housebound or without power for a few days. Gathered firewood. Made sure the guys have their medications stocked..... Filled up the gas tank on the truck. So we're as ready as might be. I also made sure that the elderly lady across the road had what she needed in the way of food and wood. We in the country stick together. Now it is raining....hard. I'm watching the thermometer as it inches toward the freezing mark...that is when things will get interesting. The magic number that means the rain will begin to freeze on "exposed surfaces" like power lines and tree branches. Power is the key word here....no power...no computer! Yikes!

On another subject, I have actually gotten time to get some layouts done! One I am particularly proud of was done for a challenge at the Cottage run by Jacie for New Year resolutions. I don't make resolutions any more...but I DO try to make improvements. That is what this layout dealt with. I used a kit I got from Mikki Ferkul called Hands of Time. Mikki is one of my favorite non-Cottage designers; her use of color and "bling" answers something in my artistic soul.

This is one of those layouts without photos that just seemed to fall into place. Plus, I love to journal...

On reading this over, I didn't tell the actual truth....I DO make resolutions. I resolved to create one new thing each day in the new year. So far, I am doing pretty will with that. I have created layouts, digital elements, and hybrid projects. I am hoping I can keep this up throughout the year. This will serve to stoke my artistic mojo...and maybe expand my horizons, too.

December!

2009-12-29T10:54:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. I know we had a quiet one. This was the first time we had celebrated Christmas with just my husband, my dad and me.....my kids couldn't get here from Colorado this year; so we all made some new traditions. They had their very first Christmas without "the parents". We also had what the National Weather Service called the Blizzard of the Decade. I don't know about that, but what I DO know is that we got about six inches of snow, which is a LOT for folks in southern Oklahoma! I no longer own a snow shovel....having gotten rid of mine when I left Colorado 15 years ago. And I have to say that I've not needed it till now. The kicker was that we also had 65 MPH winds to go with the snow, so for most of Christmas Eve, we couldn't see as far as the front gate (which is about 200 feet from the door). Snow has drifted deep in places and scoured down to the ground in others. Of course, the "down to the ground" part isn't where it would be convenient! So now, we have ice where I need to go to get to the truck. Sigh....

My dad is feeling very housebound now. But I just cannot let him walk on the slick stuff. He is 88 years old and bright as a penny....but the walking part isn't what it used to be. I live in fear that he will fall and break himself. And I just don't want to take that chance for him. So he wanders around and grouses about the weather...unusual for a man who lived in Colorado for the bulk of his adult life. But then, he was also mobile for that portion of his life. What is it that "they" say? Gettin' old ain't for the faint of heart....and neither is watching it.

Looks like we'll get another storm this afternoon, so I'm about to brave the sloppy roads to go get supplies for the weekend and New Year's, too. And I suppose I'm going to have to go to Wally World....eeeeuuu! NOT my favorite place! But in this wee small town, it IS the place to go. So I will go and make the best of it. Besides, I will see neighbors and friends there that I haven't seen since Christmas.

Have a happy and blessed New Year celebration. Be safe, be careful, and remember to tell someone you love them....and mean it.

Christmas Around the World

2009-11-30T17:51:00.004-06:00

Christmas Around the World

It's here! Christmas around the World blog train! WooHoo! For this stop on the train, I have three downloads for you. Click on the link below the logo to go to the main site for all the links in the train. Please make sure you grab all three links:

Papers

Elements 1

Elements 2

November!

2009-11-30T12:03:00.000-06:00

There went November!! I swear....the time goes by like eggs through a goose these days. I truly meant to make a post or three, but there ya are.

Thank you to everyone who came and played on the Halloween blog train. We had a wonderful time putting it together for you. Stay tuned, because Christmas is just around the corner, and this blog is going to host not one, but two blog trains! One of them will be from the Cottage, and the other is the huge Worldwide Christmas Blog Train. I am so excited to be taking part in this one this year. It has long been one of my ambitions to do this....and as of December 1, I am going to be a part of it!

I hope everyone in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving and was able to spend it with loved ones, whether family or friends, or both. My son and his family surprised us by coming in for the holiday...without telling us they were going to be able to get away. Talk about over the moon! They were here for a week and I was so thankful for their presence and support. As well, my grandson is now driving....and I didn't have to hide under the front seat and scream in terror even once. He is going to be a good driver.....he already is! Way to go, grandson!

Sooo...watch this site tomorrow for the new link on the worldwide Christmas Blog Train....and on the 18th for the Cottage Christmas blog train. Lots of goodies coming up! See you here!

The blog train is here!

2009-10-24T20:14:00.002-05:00

Download elements here

Download papers here

The Halloween blog train is here! This is your next stop along your way...you should have arrived here from Jacie's Stuff. After you have downloaded my goodies, you will go along to Rebel Without A Pause. That is my cuz, Lisa....be sure to leave her some love from both of us!

Here is the entire list for you in case you get lost:

Digital Craft Cottage Blog

Jacie's Stuff

The Cottage Photo Lady (that's me...right here)

Rebel Without a Pause Designs

Chez Blue Cat

Digital Inspirations

PhotoCraftSchoolhouse

Nutkin Tailz Designs

Legacy4Life

aMusing deSigns

A favor for a friend....

2009-10-22T15:23:00.002-05:00

I just got a note from someone I consider a friend, though we've never met. Her name is Cindy Wyckoff, the editor of Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine. For those of you who may not be familiar with this publication, it is SO worth your time to check out! I am a charter subscriber to it. Cyndy started it in 2007...the first issue was entirely online, which (at the time) was a pretty new concept. I saw it, liked it, and subscribed immediately. It was the first magazine I had seen that addressed digital scrapbooking, as well as hybrid scrapping. It was love at first sight, especially because I was a brand new digiscrapper. The following issues were both online and paper...and I have each and every one I received in the mail. I also have each one saved on a disk. Even though there have been software changes over time, what Cindy published then holds up well now.

Scrapbook Dimensions is back to the online only format again, with some more changes coming...all for the good. I hope you will do yourselves a favor and check out this fine publication. You will find it worth your time to do so. Cindy has some outstanding people contributing to each issue; there are well illustrated tutorials, contests, project ideas, photography suggestions and lessons, and numerous links to quality products. All this and freebies, too.

Cindy, this is for you....and readers, this is also for you. Give yourselves a treat this weekend and go check out Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine. You'll be glad you did.

An Award!

2009-10-21T22:27:00.002-05:00

Ivory Keys (Susan) sent me a blog award today! It is so nice to be thought of by a friend. Thank you, Susan! The fun thing about these blog awards is that it is a great reason to get out and look around the blogosphere a bit and see what others are up to. Our little scrap world is really beginning to gear up for the holiday season, it looks like. Just take a look around....and the seven nominees for the blog award is a great place to start. The rules for this award are:

1. Post the award on your blog.

2. Link to the person who gave you the award.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Leave a message on the blogs you have chosen so they know they have an award.

Here are my nominees:

Cen's Loft

Pssequimages Photopossibilities

Rebel Without a Pause Designs

Stop by each of these and give them a look...I promise you won't be sorry you did!

I dood it!

2009-10-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

I am one of the few lucky ones who have been chosen to host a "party" to celebrate the official release of Windows 7 on the world....or TO the world. This is going to happen the week of October 22-29 worldwide. Microsoft has partnered with Houseparty.com to celebrate this auspicious event by giving away ten thousand copies of Windows 7 Ultimate to the hosts so they may share it with their friends that week in a party atmosphere. Don't ask me how I happen to be chosen...but I'm glad I was! I beta tested the early release of the beast....and the second release as well. I gotta tell you....both those releases were far less buggy and crash prone than the final version of Vista has been. Sorry, but it is true.

I received my final RTM (release to manufacture) copy in the mail on Monday. After jumping up and down and running around in small circles for a minute or three, I hurried in and had to make the decision which computer to install it on. Microsoft sent me copies of both the 32 and 64 bit editions. But only one will activate. Fair enough. But I have more than one computer and more than one flavor of processor. So which one to test out? Well...the 64 bit computer with the touch screen won out. Seemed to make sense that the one with the most features would provide the most rigorous test, right? And I have to admit to a small amount of angst over testing out on my main machine. My desktop is stuffed with all my working files; and even though they are backed up to triple redundancy, I STILL tend to be very, very protective of it. So off to the laptop to test.

I did a clean install, which means I formatted the drive to get rid of Vista and all vestiges of it. Then put on Win7. It went onto a machine with a 64 bit processor, 350 GB HDD, and 4GB RAM. It took around an hour to install with next to no user input. Went smooth as silk. One caution...you will need an internet connection to properly install. Fortunately, I am fully networked here, so that was not a problem. It bundles with IE8, which seems to be fully featured and chock full of eye-candy as well as some nicely featured things that I am still exploring. More of that as I get to it.

Win7's interface is starting to look more like (dare I say it?) a Mac. But I find it nicely functional, intuitive, and attractive. It is noticeably faster than Vista, both on start up and shut down. Of course, the Softies have changed locations and terminology again....but some of it actually makes sense. Homegroups and Libraries come to mind. Libraries are the new term for files....at least, I think that's it. I still have some exploring to do. Networking is way easier than at anytime in the past.

It does NOT ship with an email client....but it is a free download from the Microsoft site. I found that interesting, to say the least. Same email as with Vista....which is likely the ONLY thing I liked about Vista except for the eye candy.

Overall, I think Microsoft has hit another winner with 7. Vista will go down in history as the ME of the millennium....a failed upgrade that will only be good to poke fun at. But 7 will be around for a while....a workhorse OS that will keep us happy in the long term.

2009-10-11T10:14:00.002-05:00

Happy High-Tech Halloween

One of my favorite tech writers, Deb Shinder, penned this gem several years ago and ran it again a few days ago....and I'm glad I caught it! God help me, I knew what she was talking about...and it even made me laugh! What does that say about me?? What does that say about my longevity around tech stuff? 'S OK....I don't mind, as long as my son doesn't kid me too much. What scares me is that my grandson is coming to me to fix his box! I honestly don't know any of my other friends whose kids or grandkids even listen to their opinions, let alone leave them in a room with their tech stuff and are OK with it. Makes me feel pretty good, to tell the truth....till my son drags out a copy of Tron that he keeps hidden somewhere and asks if things were really like that "back in the old days". Twirp.

2009-10-05T23:11:00.002-05:00

I finally got around to changing my blog's clothes! Woot! It's a little thing...but I've not done it and I have to admit...it's been buggin' me for some time. Thanks so Shabby Miss Jenn for the elements for this one. She has some too cute blogwear for sale in her store. Please go check her out. I've had this, called Grandma's Scrapbook, for some time. As I said...been meaning to do this for a long time. I have to note, too, that Blogger has made things easier to change the headers and backgrounds. I didn't have to horse around with HTML code this time. Their gadgets made all that unnecessary. Another big woot!

The Cottage has a dynamic duo that has kept us busy. Harmony and Sassy Serenity are a team....and what a team they are! Hailing from Oz, they are the queens of the challenges. Sassy Serenity has come up with a whole string of wonderfully original challenges that she will run monthly at the Cottage. You've gotta stop by and see! Each one is different and really makes you think! They are designed so that you can show off your skills and your photos. But you don't need to be a Photoshop pro (or a PSP pro!) to be able to do them. The only requirement is imagination and some time. Harmony enters into the equation with really fabulous posting bonuses. Don't pass go...don't collect your $200....just get to the Cottage and check them out. You'll be glad you did!

Fall has fallen here in Oklahoma. I love this time of year! The weather has cooled down...no more 90's and 100's....the leaves haven't begun to fall...yet. But it won't be long. That intense blue is back in the sky and that snap is in the morning air. Gosh, how I love it! If it makes any difference, the barn cats are really getting furry....does that mean we're in for a chilly winter? The old timers say we are. Time will tell.

I have my goodies all set for the Halloween blog train that is scheduled to leave the station on the 25th of October. Are you ready to pick up the goodies? There will be (at last count) about a dozen stops this time. And to follow.....a Christmas train! WooHoo! Anyone who is interested on participating in the Christmas train should contact me at the Cottage. I'm there every day.....

October Blog Train is coming!

2009-09-15T16:09:00.003-05:00

We're putting together a blog train for October...watch this space for details. It is going to be even bigger and better than the back to school train was, I think....WooHoo!

An Award from Lesley

2009-08-28T14:31:00.003-05:00

Lesley over at Nutkin Tailz has sent me an award! Thanks so much, Lesley. She is one of the designers at the Cottage....and a truly wonderful designer she is, too! You need to run right over there and take a look at her kits! Her Imbolc Inspriation is one of my favorites and I have used it for layouts as well as a number of cards lately. She has also done Herbal Grimore and Sunburnt Country, which is a tribute to her native Australia. Her newest release is Remembrance of Times Past...a huge kit of heritage themed items. I can see myself using this a great deal.

Beginning on September 1st, we will be running a challenge in honor of the release of her Remembrance kit. Stop by and get the particulars....there's always a great posting bonus for taking part in our challenges. While you are there, sign up for the newsletter and then you can keep track of kits, challenges and general chatter. It is a nice place to hang out and play.

But back to the award....I am supposed to name seven blogs to pass this along to. So here are my seven:

Coppercurls
Ivory Keys' Digital Dreams
Jacie's Stuff
2009 Photo Challenge
Scrappanic

And two more to be named later on. I ordinarily don't do this kind of thing, but it is a good chance to touch base with my favorite bloggers that I haven't looked at in a few days....

Working....

2009-08-08T11:41:00.002-05:00

On several new kits....and I confess here and now....I don't know how some of you designers out there do it all! What I mean is...work on kits, post to blogs, Facebook, do kits, keep track of CT's, shops, forums, web sites, and all that. I think I'm losing what is left of my mind. I also have a load of wash in the washer and a pot full of what is going to be pulled pork cookin' on the stove....HELP!

Blog Train Follow-up

2009-08-06T21:00:00.003-05:00

Our blog train was a huge success, thanks to everyone who stopped by and downloaded....and especially those who left comments. Thank you all for leaving some love. We are planning another one for around Halloween time, so I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, I'm working on ghosties, goblins and things that go bump in the night. Who'd a thunk that I'd be doing Halloween in the middle of August? I would imagine that I'll feel the same way when I start on Christmas things next month. I'm beginning to understand my local Wal Mart a bit better though....egads! What a thought! What I mean is putting up Christmas stuff in October....it's all about marketing, I guess.

Another surprise (to me) was that having a link to a blog train has paid off in some unexpected ways for my little blog. DigiFree has discovered my blog, as has Creative Busy Hands...both search and post blogs with scrap book freebies. It was kinda fun to see my blog on another web site!

I'm so stoked about all this that I decided to put up another kit....this one is one of my personal favs. I call it Summer Skies. Personal use only, please. Click on the image to download it.

All Aboard!

2009-07-31T18:53:00.003-05:00

It's here! The Back to School blog train has pulled into the station! This is your next stop for my part of the kit. I know you've gotten some great things so far...and please be patient if some of the links aren't live as yet. Just wait a bit and come back to the sites again. We are all over the world and in different time zones, so sometimes things get a little miscombobulated. But we'll all get there! Meanwhile, here's my contribution to the kit....personal use only, please! Click on the preview to download the kit.Your next stop is Rebel Without a Pause...my cyber cuz, Lisa. She's my hero and the first designer I ever bought a kit from. She'll kill me for saying so, so don't tell her, 'K?

Only one more day....

2009-07-31T13:24:00.002-05:00

Only one more day till the blog train stops here! I'm getting so excited...can you tell? Our first blog train...and I think it won't be the last. I'm thinking Halloween, Christmas....well you get the idea. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my portion of the Back to School blog train!

Wildlife

2009-07-29T12:02:00.005-05:00

Living in the country as we do, I have largely stopped being surprised by the variety of wildlife that shows up around the house. Not so the dogs. Every day is a new and glorious adventure. Last evening, our resident armadillo made what was supposed to be a leisurely amble across the back of the house. For those that are armadillo deficient, no one, and I mean NO ONE can amble like an armadillo. They take a couple of steps, root in the dirt...take a couple more steps, root a little more....and so it goes. Enter two friendly cocker spaniels whose one aim in life is to play cocker soccer with a rolled up armadillo. (This is the defensive posture of the "normal" armadillo....rolled up tight.) Through the dog door barking loudly they launched! But did this particular armadillo cooperate and roll up, providing a cocker soccer ball? Not on your life! He launched, all afterburners going. You'd never figure an armadillo to be so speedy. They can really move...out pacing the dogs by a good bit. Well, they had a grand chase to the closest out building, where the armadillo went to ground under the building....cockers in the dust, wondering what the heck happened. No cocker soccer game, no armadillo, no kidding!

(Note...the photo above was taken two days ago...before the grand chase. This guy is a juvenile...so hasn't learned the rules yet.)

All Aboard! Blog Train's a-comin'!

2009-07-28T12:03:00.003-05:00

August 1st is getting closer...and that means the blog train is on it's way! I am getting so excited! The Cottage is hosting its first blog train, and I'm one of the stops along the way. We have been getting ready for this for a couple of months now...I never realized how much planning and organizing goes into an event like this. Without Jacie, we still wouldn't be doing this! Jacie, girlfriend, you are golden! The theme of this train is "Back to School" and if you follow all the stops on the train, you will end up with a huge kit of themed papers and elements for your back to school scrapping pleasure. Did I say it is free? No one on this train is a new designer, by the way. We are all experienced designers, so hopefully, you will be getting quality things, too. Stop back by and see! I will have more details for you as we draw closer to the date.

New SpringWidget

2009-07-25T22:33:00.001-05:00

Get this widget!

HOT!

2009-07-15T17:41:00.002-05:00

Image by ShutterSparks via Flickr

Whew! Today is another HOT one! I guess that's what you've gotta expect if you live in southern OK....but this is gettin' ridiculous! We are into week two of over 100 degrees. Right now it is 102....and you DON'T want to know what the humidity is. I'm sure glad that God invented air conditioning....because I remember when I was a little girl and we'd go and see my grandparents in north Texas. They didn't have air conditioning yet...and the nights were.....well, even as a child I remember being hot and sticky. But I also remember chasing fireflies. And going for snow cones up the street....and sitting on the front porch exchanging pleasantries with the neighbors. Come to think of it....maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

2009-07-14T17:51:00.002-05:00

I've been doing a challenge over the last three weeks...to make an album all about me. As scrappers, we'll scrap anything that moves - except us. So I began this album three weeks ago and I have to admit that I've had fun with it. I have even made some LO's without photos...like the one above. You oughta try that sometime...make a layout without photos...journaling only. See what you come up with. The prompts for this one were "what is your style?"

The kit I used came from Natural Designs in Scrapbooking. It is called Travel the World: T. Hernandez paper02, Sabdesbois paper07, Dinia Designs Tag02, and Michelle Pieters ribbon. The brand names were downloaded from the web and I used Wickenburg and Sandals fonts from DaFont.com.

Happy Birthday USA!

2009-07-08T11:53:00.004-05:00

Well, our beloved country managed to make another birthday...intact, though somewhat battered. God bless her!

I didn't post on July4th, because I was busy doing family things, as I hope you all were, too. My kids and grandson were here, along with a buddy of my grandson's. Imagine not one, but TWO 15 year old young men trawling the kitchen at all hours of the day and night! We managed to get through reasonably intact, though with our food stores somewhat depleted.

I can't begin to tell you how much fun it is to have two kids like that here for a week. And not because one of them is my grandson. They are (I think) typical middle American boys...they live and breathe football and girls (not in that order), are into video games, iPods, cars (both are getting their permits soon), texting, and a whole unique teen speak. But they are, underneath, decent, clean, moral and generally wonderful kids. It gives me hope for our world. And they would die if they were to read this!

My son, the father of one of these great kids, spent the week doing chores around here...the ones that my husband has been unable to do. So we are once again in good shape. Reflecting back, this man was once one of those teenagers that I described above, though, at the time, I wondered if he'd ever become civilized. He did. I am such a blessed woman all round!

So Much Talent!

2009-06-29T13:59:00.004-05:00

I've just been blog crawling...I spend part of each morning checking out the blogs that I follow, many of which belong to my friends, and it hit me. I am blown away at how much talent there is out there! Look over there --------------> See? To the right? Where it says "blogs I follow"? Those are the ones I'm talking about. Choose any one that catches your eye and dive in. No matter which one you pick, you're in for a treat. Without exception, every one of them is chock full of good things to see and read and think about. There isn't a clinker amongst them. And how lucky I am to count these talented people as my friends! And they aren't only talented, they are generous. They give freely of their time and talent by giving things away to others. They give to charity. They share their skills through teaching. AND they are fun to talk to and work with....I know, because I talk to them and work with them on an almost daily basis. How much better could it be?

Newsletter Blues

2009-06-28T11:19:00.002-05:00

I've just finished putting together newsletter for the Cottage. It is a twice monthly publication that keeps members up on the usual thing: doings around the Cottage, new kits, games and challenges....all the good stuff. Now, you might think that twice a month doesn't sound like much. I confess, I thought so, too....at first. Especially when someone else was doing the editorial duties. (Hi, Chris!) And I SHOULD know better, having done newsletters in the past. But time heals all wounds and wounds all heels and I had forgotten the pain. It isn't the actual writing that is the hard part for me. It is the news gathering that is the hard part....trawling the boards and pulling up items of interest, finding new bits in the Shoppe, searching layouts from the galleries (and there are so many!), and on and on and on. The one saving grace I have is that Karen from Oz is my trusted right hand and star ace reporter. She is also my publication assistant, proof reader, back up editor, and general all round good guy. Everyone should have ONE friend as wonderful as Karen is. If we did, the world would be a better place. Thank you, Karen! These are for you:

Blog Train

2009-06-25T11:10:00.002-05:00

We at the Cottage are getting ready to do our very first blog train on the first of August! I can't wait...it is going to be so much fun. So far, we have around a dozen participants, and the list is growing...Jacie is coordinating things, for which I am eternally grateful! Thank you so much, Jacie! The theme will be Back to School...and this will be one of the stops along the way....so watch for the train!

The Best of the Best

2009-06-16T14:44:00.004-05:00

This weekend saw the best of the best of small town life. We had a giant fund raiser for our volunteer fire department. (Giant is relative....let's say it was huge for our little town.) AND...it was our chief's 40th anniversary as chief. He joined up and took on the duties of chief one week after his return from Viet Nam....back in '69. He has spent the last 40 years giving to the community. Couple that with his service to his country in Viet Nam, he has pretty well spent his entire life in service....to country, community, family and God. How much better can one person be?

It had to be the best kept secret in the history of our town. I think everyone knew what was going on....except the Chief. Somehow, no one tipped him off...by slip of the tongue or on purpose. That is monumental when you figure that at least 1200 people knew what was going on. Our Masonic Lodge sponsored the benefit, with contributions from everyone I could imagine throughout the community. We had 800 lbs. of brisket from the one man here who can DO brisket...another lady made home made buns....for the same number! Neighbors provided desserts....tons of 'em. Bowls of beans....potato salad and coleslaw....YUM! And that doesn't begin to count the items donated for auction...to include a 15 minute flight in our med evac helicopter! There was a lot of money raised for the fire department, which will go to equipment to continue to keep our community safe under the able direction of the Chief....

But the heart of the event was the presentation of a plaque and a large outpouring of affection and appreciation for this man. Surrounding fire and rescue groups came en masse; neighbors by the hundreds....local newspaper was there....all to say thank you to a man who is always there whenever someone calls.

Thanks, Chief!

New look!

2009-06-16T14:37:00.002-05:00

Like my new look? I just finished customizing the blog with Becky Alexander's blog wear kit titled "Hope". You can find it here....Becky is one of the incredibly talented designers at the Digital Craft Cottage....where I hang my hat. When I saw this, I knew I just had to have it! There are two backgrounds, three headers and lots of buttons...and it is customizable. She includes full directions and HTML code for putting it up on your blog site. Go give it a look....you know you want to!

Where did last month go??

2009-06-15T12:58:00.002-05:00

Well! Where the heck did last month go?? For that matter, where did this month get to so far? Somehow, the press of the everyday has gotten in the way of my virtual life. But, like the oft-quoted line in Poltergeist....I'm Baaaack!

And so is my dear husband! He has been undergoing chemo and radiation for head and neck cancer. Those who have undergone cancer treatment have no need of an explanation. Those who have never gone through it can never have it explained to them; words are insufficient to convey the process and the feeling. Even I, who watched the whole thing, cannot imagine what he went through. But he came through it (relatively) well....much, much thinner than when he went in....but alive and ready to come back to LIFE again.

I think no one can appreciate what a process CANCER is. It is not so much a diagnosis as it is a lifestyle. I hate that it is, but there isn't a thing I could do about it. It rules every breath, every action, every decision from the moment of waking to the last conscious thought at night. I am an RN by profession, and even that couldn't prepare me for the overwhelming changes. And it certainly couldn't help me help my soul mate, my dear husband.

When I attended nursing school, the first thing they taught us was to look first at the human behind the diagnosis. It was drilled into our heads and hearts. Apparently, the cancer people, (who are all very competent and learned) don't get this course. They focus on treatments, and time schedules and side effects and diet and weight loss and lab values and dates and scans and rads and milligrams and, and, and, and somewhere in there, the humanity of the person and the family are completely overlooked. Worse, there is no autonomy.....no independence of thought or action for the person receiving the cancer treatment. Envision, if you will, going to a job, for instance, and being told each and every thing to do....where to stand, sit, what to do, when to do it, how to do it, what to eat, when to eat, what day to eat it..... I am not being silly...this is cancer treatment. I am not angry....it is for a purpose and to a good end (in our case). But there is nothing that can prepare one for the awful changes that will occur for a time.

Now, we will concentrate on getting our lives back to whatever passes for normal...... he went back to work Monday, which was the best mind healing thing that could have happened. It proved to both of us that things really may be getting back to ........... normal? And the people at his work have been beyond wonderful...to include the human resources group. They all bent over backwards to make sure that he even had a job to come back to .......what a blessing in this day and age of uncertainty in the workplace. It all goes to show that good things DO happen.....

Nuke that Hard Drive!

2009-04-20T21:03:00.003-05:00

Sunday was a "quiet" day....for me. So I decided to fix my sadly slow, malfunctioning Vista machine. I have had this machine for just a year now. I depend on it for most of my graphic apps...because it has the most RAM and the fastest chip. It also has dual hard drives, so I can keep the data on one drive and the OS and program files on the other.

Now, I do the usual upkeep and maintenance. I run antivirus and antispam as well as both a software and hardware firewall. This puppy is locked down....as much as I can lock it. That said, nothing can keep things from interacting unpredictably deep within the guts of all those circuits and bits and bytes. And the bigger the drives, the more room there is for actions and reactions. Over time, it gets to be VERY unhappy. I am of the school that, rather than try to patch up, nuke it and begin again.

So, Sunday afternoon, I shut it down, inserted the OS disk, started it up and began the tedious process. Only this time, it was a piece of cake. OS and apps went in reasonably quickly...and all my data was already there on the other drive. Only things I had to back up were my email and internet favorites and settings. Flash drive to the rescue. Up and running by supper time. I don't think I'll EVER have another machine without at least two internal HDD's again....or else an external HDD upon which to keep my data. Wonder how many years it took me to learn this?

And by the way...my machine runs better now than it did out of the box....because I reinstalled the OS ONLY....no crapware from the OEM install. Life is good again.

And speaking of fires.....

2009-04-13T00:07:00.005-05:00

Note: this kit is no longer available. Thanks to all who purchased it. We were able to make a generous contribution to the Australian Red Cross.
Our fires here seem like small potatoes when compared to the awful fires last month in Australia. I have a couple of very close friends down under...fortunately, they were no where near these monsters. But imagine the whole state of Rhode Island, for instance, being burned up...homes, businesses, everything...Well, that is the impact of the fires they had in Victoria. With that in mind, Karen Watkins at the Digital Craft Cottage has been instrumental in organizing and assembling a group of our talented members to put together a kit called " Members Love Kit (MLK) New Beginnings". It will be sold and the proceeds given to the Australian Red Cross for the victims of this dreadful fire. Here is what Karen had to say about both the fires and the kit:

The beautiful (over 141 pieces, plus full alpha, New Beginning, is now in the Shoppe and selling for a low $15.00. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the Red Cross Victorian (Australia) Bushfire Appeal to help those who were affected by the horrendous fires in country Victoria in January/February/March 2009.
The first of the fires started as early as January 28th (2009) but Black Saturday (February 7th) was the start of the most horrific period as uncontrollable fires raced across the Victorian landscape engulfing and destroying everything it their path. It was not until mid March that all fires were completely under control and life started to return to normal.
A total of 173 people were confirmed to have been killed by the fires; one single firestorm was responsible for 120 of the 173 deaths! Over 500 people were treated for fire related injuries with at least another 100 being admitted for hospital treatment. Over 7,500 people were made homeless. Many people not only lost all their worldly possessions but also loved ones – husbands, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.
In excess of 1.1 million acres (450,000 hectares) was burnt, affecting 78 individual townships. Over 3,500 structures were destroyed; including homes, schools and Churches with many thousands more damaged.
I have been in touch with the Red Cross and although the appeal officially closes on 17th April, they will be accepting donations up to the end of June. I have registered the Cottage as a donor and said we will have our donation in by 15th June (Australian time). Our sale of the MLK (New Beginning) will last until and including the 12th June (USA time) and then will be removed from the Shoppe.
Don’t put off purchasing this beautiful kit because the 12th June will be here in no time at all and it would be a shame if you missed out.

This is a gorgeous kit, full of colors of the Australian landscape. And $15 is not too much to help our down under family with a hand up.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T23:43:00.003-05:00

Today is Easter Sunday...and we have much to celebrate here in Oklahoma. Not only do we celebrate our Risen Lord, for I do know that He is risen....but I also celebrate still having a home to be in!

Range fires....grass fires....whatever you wish to call them....we've had them! The closest one came within about 1/3 mile of us as the crow flies. Friday was very, very windy, hot and dry. The Red Flag fire alerts were out and Burn Bans were posted. At around 2:00 in the afternoon, we had no fewer than 6 fires burning within a five mile radius. The winds were variable and gusting to 55 MPH....steady at around 35 MPH. Not the kind of weather you'd choose to fight fires in. Fires, once begun, spread like....well....wildfire. Velma, a community not all that far from us, was evacuated and 37 homes lost. We were packed and ready to go at a moment's notice.

Ever wonder what you would save if you only had minutes to get out? It's pretty easy when boiled down to essentials: life. My dad, my husband, the dogs, the cats and that is it! Oh...and my laptop, which holds ALL my files...financial and artistic, as well as family photos. And I could live without the laptop, because I have EVERYTHING backed up off site. I had everyone pack a "survival" bag...medications, change of clothes...and anything they just HAD to have. Loaded into the truck. I loaded dog kennels, leashes and food, bottled water. Period. Important papers? Fireproof safe. Guaranteed fireproof for 45 minutes at some Gawdawful high temperature. I'll trust that we never have to find out if it will or not.

Did I tell you that we have the best firefighters in the world? They spent hours and hours on the firelines....short handed and exhausted....and, ultimately....successful. God bless them all. They are members of my community; my friends and neighbors. I know most of them. None of them are faceless names. But it wouldn't matter to them. They go out and fight the beast for people they don't know and never will. God Hold each of them in His hands.

Then the rains began. Prayers are answered! The rain began on Saturday and kept up most of the night....we can sit back and relax for a few minutes now. Our firefighters can return home and rest up a bit. Thanks, guys and gals! You are the best!

March is marching on...

2009-03-26T10:34:00.003-05:00

Well, March is marching right along...as is life. I just reread the last post, and I apologize for making any readers of this blog wade through the anger. Things have looked up and are much more positive now. The docs that we have seen (and there have been MANY) are all optimistic that this is treatable...so I am optimistic, too. As is my dear husband. That is all I need to know. For now.

Here's a little freebie for those who were nice enough to wade through the last couple of posts...an acrylic frame for your scrappin' needs. I made it in Photoshop, and you may use it for your personal use... all you need do is right click and "save as..." it is in PNG format, so you should be good to go.

See? Sometimes, it pays to suffer through my mental wanderings....thanks for your attention!

Advanced Directives

2009-03-02T17:14:00.002-06:00

When my sweet husband was in hospital over the holidays, the very first thing we were asked (right after our insurance number) was whether we had an advance directive. For those unfamiliar with things medical, an advance directive is a legal paper that directs those caring for the sick what the final wishes are for that person. Do they want to be kept alive by extreme measures or not? (That is it in a nutshell...more precisely, do you want them to withhold extreme measures or not.)

Now, he was extremely ill upon admission. Certainly he was sick enough to consider whether those "extreme measures" might become necessary. We had just been made aware that he had cancer, but were unaware of where it was, how pervasive, what kind...only that it was there. But we were asked by no fewer than two physicians and six nurses whether we had considered what kind of advance directive he had.....and if we wanted to make him a No Code.

A No Code, for those blessed enough never to have encountered it, is a term for no extraordinary means. Should the worst occur, the medical team allows God or nature (as your belief system dictates) to take its course.

Picture this....Tom is, for all intents and purposes, out of the decision loop; he is unresponsive and busy being resuscitated. I am the one making the decisions. There is no doubt - repeat no doubt - that I want everyone concerned to do all possible to save my husband's life. Period. No question. But I still have eight different people pushing me to make a decision I am neither wanting nor ready to make. I had one sweet-faced young nurse actually say to me, "He has cancer. Do you want him to suffer?" Well, of course not, honey! But we have known about his cancer for ONE WEEK! Let's get a grip on reality here at take a look at the larger picture. Here is a woman under a great deal of emotional stress, whose husband may well be dying; they have just received a brand new diagnosis of cancer....and now no fewer than eight people are telling her that she oughta pull the plug....NOW.

I used to be an employee of this hospital. One of the things that is expected within a certain time of admission is to obtain an advance directive and/or a code status on the chart. This is the law. I understand that and the reason for that. But let us use some (not so) common sense, people! I said from the git go that, yes, Tom had an advance directive, it was with our attorney and I would obtain it next day. And yes I wanted all possible measures take to continue his life. Having said that once, I should NOT have been forced not only to repeat myself but to justify it again and again.

To give the staff credit, when I aired my "concerns" (somewhat vocally), the attitudes changed dramatically and I received much supportive help and care from all concerned. Each one had not realized that all the others had also been pushing for the same thing. Communications.....

A New Identity

2009-03-02T15:43:00.002-06:00

My sweet husband has been diagnosed with the dreaded cancer. We received the diagnosis before Christmas, but had the holidays, thankfully, to ourselves before beginning the round of tests, scans, probes and appointments that are now becoming our lot.

As many of you may be aware, I am an RN by profession, so I have seen that side of cancer and its treatment modalities. But I must here and now ask forgiveness of my patients and their families. I had absolutely NO concept of what they were going through. I had no feel for the depersonalization of the man or woman who had received that dread diagnosis, nor for those closest to them. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Though we are only at the very beginning of our journey, I have begun to see what the next weeks and months will hold for us. Not in terms of what the physical stresses are going to be....oh, no! But in terms of what the emotional, human trauma is going to be....and, I think, this is just a glimmer of a peep of the very start.

From the very moment the dreaded word was uttered and the awful diagnosis became attached to my dear husband, everything changed in the way he/we were perceived. He was no longer "Tom" nor was he the professional he has been his whole working life. I was no longer "Traci" nor his wife, nor even a separate entity from him. We were lumped together as a "cancer patient". We have now become in many ways faceless victims of an all encompassing word. Now, we have become the diagnosis. We are now a set of scans, lab results, reports and trips to various offices.

An example: Right now, dear Tom has very little energy. One trip to the kitchen tires him deeply, let alone a trip to town. This morning, we had to go to the Imaging Center for a series of CT scans for which he had to fast after midnight, take a laxative and drink a poisonous tasting concoction of barium. He was pretty perky upon departure from the house. The appointment was for 11:00. It didn't happen until noon. By that time, he had been without food or water for twelve hours, taken a laxative, which took care of anything he had left; swallowed nearly a quart of barium, which nauseated him, then sat in a very cold waiting room for over an hour. Needless to say, he's exhausted. And we have another round tomorrow. And tomorrow. There is a test or scan on the calendar every single day this week and next. When I told the powers that be that a healthy person would have trouble keeping up that kind of round, they replied that time was of the essence and we must do it. Yes, but what if it kills the patient in the meantime? Should there not be a balance between "time of the essence" and killing off the patient?

I also care for my elderly dad here....a not onerous task in the grand scheme. But I DO need to be here for him....from time to time. And I do have other obligations sometimes. When making all these appointments, they asked when was good or not good. I replied...any day but Tuesday. So three of the 11 appointments are on....you guessed it.....Tuesday. When I protested, I was told that......time is of the essence.

It struck me that people put on special glasses when they look at cancer vis a vis the people affected. They no longer see the people behind the diagnosis...not them or their families. They see a word; they see an illness; a diagnosis; a set of treatments. They see a whole new entity without the humanity. Tom and I are no longer that fun-loving couple up the road. He is no longer the pilot, the instructor...the father or husband. I am no longer the wife, mother, graphic artist. We are now squamous cell carcinoma and time is of the essence.

What I cannot seem to convince anyone of is this: We are still us and nothing has changed that. And the other thing......It has not beaten us, and it will NOT. Not so long as I draw breath. Together, Tom and I will beat this thing....

Board Games

2009-02-05T10:10:00.006-06:00

I just found an intriguing post at over at Photojojo and thought I'd share it. I love board games and have ever since I was a child. I still have most of those games, but the problem is that they all have missing pieces. Well, guess what? Now I know what to do with them!

Photojojo is a way cool site that deals with fun stuff to do with photos...stuff you'd never think of.....unless you're slightly bent. In a wonderful way, of course. And that's how the Photojojo folks are bent...wonderfully.

Enter those game boards I was speaking of a moment ago...ever thought of making a photo frame out of one (or more) of them? Yeah, me, neither. But here are three shots of the neat look of a game board photo frame from some of our formerly favorite games...Scrabble, Parcheesi and Clue. All instructions, well illustrated, of course, are found at the Photojojo site. Take some time to explore the place....you'd be surprised at what you might find there....and be sure to sign up for the newsletter. That way, you won't miss out on the next fun, slightly off-kilter thing....

Now I can put these old games to use, along with some of the (still present) game pieces, and keep the fun memories. Whatta deal!

The Honest Scrap Award....

2009-02-04T22:06:00.011-06:00

Janice has awarded me the Honest Scrap award...The rules to accepting this award are as follows: 1) first list 10 honest things about yourself and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! (2) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Oh, gosh, Janice! How can you do this to me? I don't have any problems listing 10 honest things about myself....but interesting?? Isn't that stretching things a bit? Well, OK...here goes:

1. I'm absolutely compulsive about the arrangement of my computer drive. Anal. Don't touch it! My son and husband found this out the hard way. But they recovered nicely.

2. I am completely owned, body and soul, by my dogs. They are my fur-covered kids. And, no, they are NOT spoiled!

3. I love to collect recipes....and have a collection that takes up shelves and shelves. And a goodly portion of one EHD.

4. I am a complete geek. And proud of it. And no, I will NOT fix your computer, thanks for asking.

5. I love old movies (made before 1945) and Mel Brooks comedies. I could watch Young Frankenstein every day. Yes, I have most of the dialogue memorized. Ditto Spaceballs....

6. I am the child of a non-dysfunctional family. We were frighteningly normal. And happy. And I am grateful for my happy childhood.

7. I hold a commercial pilot's license and have done since 1974. Everyone in my family holds a pilot's license of one kind or another. My dad and husband are the only "working" pilots, though.

8. I am a happy person....despite some hard times, in spite of some reverses in life, I can say that.

9. My time in nursing was the best. I loved my patients and my co-workers and still miss them....I even dream about them from time to time.

10. I believe in God, because if I didn't, what is the point?

OK....that's ten and it's all honest. Interesting? You decide. If it isn't, please don't tell me, OK? See #8....we wouldn't want to mess that up, now would we?

I will tag....Priss, Lisa, Becky, Ellen, Carol, Deb, and Fred.

Tough Times

2009-01-31T11:54:00.004-06:00

The news tells us the economy is in a bucket. Prices are up, the market is down. Gloom and doom abounds. But somehow, it doesn't hit home until it hits home. Job loss, loss of a home, something that makes it personal. Well it has gotten personal for me. Not, thank Goodness something like the loss of a job or a home, but saddening and shocking nonetheless.

We got word yesterday that part of our digiscrapping community is closing its doors as of March. The Digital Design Den is slipping into history due to the sad turn of events in our economy. I have been a member there since it's inception. It is a wonderful, close-knit community. Many people have gone there to learn and play, and stayed because they became friends. Sandy Collins, the site owner, has poured her heart and soul into keeping this a high-quality and fun place to be. My heart goes with her in having to make what was a truly difficult decision to close down.

All the designers (who represent not only the US, but Great Britain, Australia, Japan and Canada) are very talented women who will, I hope, continue to share their talents with others. There are also many, many talented members there that must not be overlooked. They are losing a "home away from home". I hope that you will find somewhere to play and share again, knowing that your friends from the Den are always there for you, no matter what.

Another Cool Idea...

2009-01-19T17:30:00.005-06:00

I was at a craft fair last month and happened by a photographer's stall. So what, you might say. Well, this particular photographer had the coolest idea for plaques. They had photographed all sorts of objects that could be letters of the alphabet. Then they took those photos and enlarged them to either 4x6" or 5x7", either black and white or sepia, matted them and made family names or sentiments from them. I thought it was quite unique and eye catching. The objects were things like gates, spigots, doors, wrought iron bits...wherever your imagination might lead. So, I started looking around our place (we are in a rural setting) to see how many letters of the alphabet I could find. Surprisingly, there were many without even using my imagination.

Then, another friend at the Digital Craft Cottage came across a web site called Frame the Alphabet that offered the same thing. So this friend, Susan by name, got the Cottagers together to pool their talents and cameras to capture the whole alphabet in black and white. We are having great fun doing this...and, along with some good-natured ribbing, are getting the whole alphabet under way. Come by the Cottage and take a look-see. No real rules here, except that it has to look like the letter it represents....

A Photo a Day

2009-01-08T11:43:00.004-06:00

I follow a number of scrapping blogs. On one of them, sponsored by Creating Keepsakes Magazine, was a project called "365". The premise was to take a photo a day throughout the year and scrap them a week at a time. At the end of the year, you'd have a pretty good "time capsule" of your life at this moment.

For some reason, this really captured my imagination. These photos don't have to be perfect, momentous, notable, or even good. Just a photo. I browsed through the photos that were posted by a number of the people that have been doing this over 2008. I saw kids, dogs and cats, dishes, toys, books, bushes, flowers, husbands, wives, unmade beds, sky, sand, paper, glue, pens, computers.....pretty much anything you can imagine. What I'm getting at here is that people took photos of anything that happened to capture their attention at that moment.

I loved this for two reasons. First, it is a wonderful exercise in creativity. I think the only rule here would be that you have to shoot different things each day. Yes, you may shoot your kids or pets daily if you want to, but they change every day, don't they? The other reason I love this is that it is an exercise in spontaneity. There is no room for the "perfect" shot here. The anal retentive need not apply. This is one place where you can let yourself go and just have fun with it. Crooked shot? No problem. Under/over exposed? Go for it. Blurry? Make it work.

Make that three reasons I love this....you will get your camera out every day. And, as Martha Stewart says....it's a good thing.

So....with that in mind, I think I'm going to start a challenge over at the Digital Craft Cottage to do just this....a photo a day for a month. Not a year....just a month. Then we'll scrap them in one week blocks and see what we come up with.

Anyone who is interested, join me as we see what there is in our individual worlds to see.....

A New Year...

2009-01-02T22:34:00.002-06:00

Happy 2009, everyone....as the Tennessee Ernie song goes, "another year older and deeper in debt"...or so it would appear from the gloomy predictions of the media. The sky is falling and so is the market. No one seems to know whose fault it is, but the fingers point every which way. What the reality here is that this is a whole new year: bright, shiny and new right out of the box. It is a chance to start anew. So let's do that. And I don't mean with resolutions that are un-keepable and soon broken. What I mean is this: let's make this year the year of Personal Responsibility.

Remember when our parents (or grandparents) told us that we were the ones responsible for the decisions we made? Remember being held to our word? Remember not being let off just because we were out of money or out of time or out of health or out of patience or out of whatever might have been the latest thing? Well, let's get back to that philosophy....now. This year. No pity parties...no "I can't because I .....and choose an excuse. Let's all just pull up our big girl panties or our whitie tighties and git it dun.

I know that there are folks out there who genuinely are in a hard place through no fault of their own, and I feel for them. The ones I am speaking to here are the ones who want to sit on their laurels and whine and whimper about how hard they have it while having another latte or buying another gadget they don't need and criticizing everyone else....maybe while figuring out how to mess with everyone else.

I guess what I'm saying here is that this year should be our chance to start new and Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You. No excuses. No qualifications. Just that simple rule. It's all we need, isn't it?

Happy New Year, everyone.

Lots of excitement last night...

2008-12-13T10:23:00.003-06:00

We had some big excitement around here last night...it all started with an explosion about 7:00. Now, that isn't something that you expect to hear in a quiet rural community. My neighbor and I both ran outside and started looking; it had quite literally rattled the windows. At first, we could see nothing...then the smoke plume appeared to the west. For those of you who do not live in the country, smoke plumes are not a good thing to see....especially if they happen to be close by. Well, since I am a card-carrying member of the nosy neighbor club, I got the truck out and off we went up the road to see what we could see. We didn't have far to go. Less than 1/3 mile up the road was a home fully involved in flames. (It had been about 5 minutes since the initial explosion.) As we were pulling into a friend's drive, another explosion, then another. At this point, I was beginning to re-evaluate the wisdom of curiosity....but curiosity won the day and I pulled my trusty pocket camera out and started to shoot....

I hasten to add that, as far as any one of us knew, this house had been vacant for months, so I am NOT as ghoulish as it might first appear.....It was a tumbledown old place, in poor repair. There were the usual rumors of "squatters" and meth labs. We found out later that new renters were there and keeping the place warm with a propane heater. They apparently got the extra propane tanks too close to the heater... both of them got out alive, but all else was lost in the rapid fire that followed. I wish both of them speedy recoveries and I know that the community will jump in and help with whatever resources they need.....

Butterflies

2008-11-24T17:59:00.005-06:00

I was reading My Crafty Life, a great little blog that I just found a couple of days ago...published by Dan....and he's a real paper scrapper! WooHoo! (I still love real paper scrapping and real glue.) Anyway, he had posted photos of the latest butterflies he had made for the Butterfly Project for the Holocaust Museum Houston. This touched my heart. This is a project that is scheduled for Spring of 2012. They plan to have 1.5 million butterflies of all kinds to represent the life of each child that lost theirs in the Holocaust. The information about this project is here. They are looking for butterflies from all over the world for this project....2D rather than 3D. Please....NO glitter or food products. The dimensions are given in the information and Dan has kindly provided templates on his site. Or, of course, you may make your own. As of this summer, the museum has 400,000 butterflies. Let's get together and make a butterfly or two to commemorate those special young souls that never saw another butterfly.....

New Look...

2008-11-19T18:11:00.006-06:00

I've decided to play with a new look for the blog....and have found out that, while I know my way around Photoshop, I haven't a clue how to Bling my blog! So I think I will undertake that as one of my next tasks.....right along with all the other things I have on that ever-growing list.

I saw a set of wooden letters decoupaged with pretty papers on the Adorn It web site and fell in love with them. So often, we crafters make things for others and don't make anything for ourselves. Well, this time, I made these for ME! Here is a photo of the way they look...the tallest letter is just under 12" tall, so they may be covered using scrap book papers. The black letters are foam, which adds a dimensional feel, along with the ribbons. These are pretty much done just as the ones on the web site....because I thought they were perfect as they were. The wooden letters are a very nice weight and finished nicely right out of the box. Minimal preparation is needed. Total time (not allowing for dry time) was about 3 hours. Not bad, huh?
Here is another little freebie for y'all....a pretty flourish that I was playing with for a tutorial I wrote for the Digital Craft Cottage, where I teach. I do Tuesday Tutorial Chats every Tuesday....As well,there is a dynamite FUNdamentals class taught by Priscilla Steelman. She takes the learner from the basic-ist basics of both Photoshop and Elements through some pretty advanced stuff. She offers it in three course levels over a period of 12 weeks. Come to the Cottage and check us out!

Lost a month somewhere....

2008-11-15T17:02:00.005-06:00

Well! October went missing somewhere, didn't it? I managed to miss the whole month. Sigh...that's what happens when you spend the whole month caring for life events that come at you fast and furious. Without going into detail, things around here have been.....interesting. The part of the wedding vows that deal with "sickness and health" are here. My husband had back surgery in August and hasn't healed as well as I had hoped. Or as he had hoped! He is mobile....sort of. But still in pain. His surgeon and the staff at said surgeon's office has been.......NOT responsive to his needs. This is quite frustrating, not only to my husband, but to me as a registered nurse. I know what to expect (and what to demand). But how does one deal with a non-responsive staff that serves as a buffer between said surgeon and his public?

I'm being charitable here....it could be that the surgeon is just as obstructive and non-responsive. Often, the staff mirrors the attitude of the physician. I have begged, pleaded demanded, threatened.....to no avail. One small example is this: Husband has disability insurance. Thank goodness! BUT.....they need a physician's statement in order to set the wheels in motion. Fair enough. Surgery August 13....no physician's statement forthcoming......until day before yesterday! We have been living on savings since surgery, plus small sick leave payments from Husband's job. We were caught in the proverbial crack. Insurance people said...need statement. Dr.'s people said....yup, filled it out and faxed it. Human resources people at Husband's job said.... follow it up and let us know. We are in OK. HR people are in Florida. Dr. is in TX. Insurance people are in......Minnesota? Who cares? We are living off of savings and someone is NOT doing their job! We finally tracked it down to the surgeon's office. And you know how it happened? The person who is responsible for the paperwork went on vacation and his replacement did the paperwork! Now, THAT's the way to run a business! So apparently, all the squares have now been filled and the check is in the mail. Maybe. We'll see.....of course, this is only the part where we can continue to live in a house and eat and stuff....meantime, Husband hurts and isn't getting any better......

Well! That's enough gritching for now....and in return for listening to my grousing, I'll send along a freebie.....just a few little things I made for a kit that I just couldn't get finished, so you get to have them.

Autumn

2008-09-15T13:19:00.005-05:00

Ah autumn! I love this time of year! The change of seasons...this change to fall is my favorite time of the year. I get a sense of the slowing of the clock. The days seem to moderate and gentle. Everything takes on a bit of a patina that isn't there any other time of year. Have you ever noticed how the blue of the skies intensifies in the fall? It is bluer now than at any other time of year....Photoshop blue, if you will. Poloroid blue. Photographers will know exactly what I mean when I say that...that deep, intense, clear blue that almost looks unnatural. It glows. It pulses. It swallows one into the depths. It is cloudless and crisp and pristine. It is the perfect canvas against which to paint the progressive color of the leaves as they give their last glorious display before they crisp to brown and leave the trees to crunch underfoot.

The air is intoxicating. It carries the taste of apples and woodsmoke on it, with a hint of coming frost that lurks somewhere....quiescent and unhurried. It begs to be taken into the lungs, breathed deep and smelled, tasted, savored, appreciated, and remembered. You can wrap yourself in that air like a gossamer shawl....light and unassuming, but oh, so wonderful!

Autumn is a pause in the year...nature's way of giving man a minute to stop and unwind; a hiatus, a time to drop off the burdens of the other seasons. A precious moment in time to slow down and look nature in the eyes for just a few minutes; to appreciate those glories that are all around us before they wither away into the snows and winds of winter.

Driving....

2008-08-12T21:23:00.004-05:00

I'm originally a city girl, having been raised in Denver. I learned to drive there...and learned about aggressive drivers and road rage there. Then, I married the sweet man I call husband and we moved to (very) small town America. I love this place! Our little home town has about 1600 souls.....when the kids are home from college. The closest "big" town boasts about 20,000, give or take. We live several miles from there. Close enough to grocery shop, see the doctor, dentist, vet,or take in the occasional movie or rodeo....but far enough away that we don't have to mess with "city" things like traffic and crowds and crime and the mess that comes with people in herds. The downside of this is that I have lost my "city reflexes". This includes my driving "aggression". We don't have traffic here to speak of. Rush "hour" in town lasts about 6 minutes.

My dear husband commutes from our small town to Dallas. Now, this is definitely a "big town". And there are people there....by the bunches, herds, crowds, gaggles, groups, and any other term you care to use. And they all have cars. And they are all going where I am.....at the exact time I am going there. Well, today, I found myself driving from north of Dallas to the south side of Dallas. It wasn't supposed to be rush hour. I was told so by my dear husband....who should know. What I want to know is.... how can you tell?? Now, keep in mind...I haven't lived in a "city" of any size for 12 years. I don't DO freeways. AND I don't (emphasis on DON'T) know my way around Dallas at all! So it's just me and maps from one of the internet map services....'cause I don't have a GPS.....but I will if I have to keep doing this!

To make a long adventure shorter, I missed my turn from I-35W to loop 820South and OMG! now what do I do?? (Because I slowed to let someone in ahead of me...remind me to rethink manners on the freeway next time...) I finally found my way around to where I needed to be, but it was a bad moment or three....and no one to call, as DH was not where I could call him at that particular time.....and I don't know anyone else to call in Dallas. Good thing there are parking lots to pull into so I could check maps...good thing my daddy taught me to read one....good thing I didn't panic till after I got to my destination...good thing I had a custom map....

But most of all....it's a good thing that I have a sense of humor and could maintain it through all this.....

This is progress?

2008-08-05T15:41:00.004-05:00

Well....here is it..."progress" report number one. I have made two divisions in my file system: family and travel. And I've actually started to move photos around. But what started out as an exercise in organization has turned into a major expedition down memory lane. And it didn't stop with my personal history. I have scanned photos going back as far as the turn of the century.....(before you ask, YES, that was before I was born!). I start to move a group of photos and find myself lost in memories of whomever those photos happen to deal with, or the occasion, or the place....a lovely journey, but not very productive.

Then, too, I find pages knocking at my creative spirit, wanting to get out. So...on the upside, I have managed to create a fair number of heritage pages along the way. Also a good thing, but NOT where I wanted to head. Perhaps this is one of the reasons my "file system" is in the state it's in.

I'm drowning!

2008-07-20T09:31:00.004-05:00

Photos....lots and lots of photos! My hard drive is full of them. I have two digital cameras, one high-end professional type and one mid-range consumer level digital. I also have several film cameras that are stored in a dust-proof box. But those will, in all likelihood, never see the light of day again.

The digital cameras are my problem. The ease with which I may grab and go, shoot my self silly and then upload all those to my computer is why I have outgrown what used to pass as a "filing system". True, the date of the shot is in the EXIF information attached to the photo, but that is about as helpful as the name of the file itself: CRW000122376 or img098743.jpg. And, admittedly, laziness is another character trait that we will not mention here. In an ideal world, I would carefully and meticulously upload, label, sort, and categorize each photo so that I would be able to find them from the get-go.

But this is the real world. I take photos in my travels, upload to my laptop, or to an external drive, or even a flash drive, or leave them on a card tossed into the camera bag, then move them onto the main computer when I return home. Or those family occasions, when I take way too many photos of the same thing and throw all of them into the same folder. Before you ask.....yes, I religiously back up to both DVD's and an off site source. I value the photos that I take, even the duplicates and culls. But organization remains my nemesis.

But this is going to change. I know....I've said this before....but this time, I really mean it! Honest! I will start small. I am going to divide the family stuff from the travel stuff. That will be major all by itself. Stay tuned....there will be "progress" reports.....maybe....

Have they already won?

2008-07-18T13:11:00.005-05:00

I'm in the Denver airport, waiting to board a flight for home. I'm here in Colorado for yet another funeral....far too many already this year. But that's a subject for another time.

I flew in a chartered plane to Denver....to a smallish general aviation airport. Personal service, smiling faces, people who were genuinely happy to have us land there and to help us with our luggage and travel needs.

Today is a stark contrast. I am flying on a small regional carrier. You would know the name, should I care to mention it, but the service is the same, whether on this carrier or on one of the majors. I suppose I should preface this all by saying that I grew up in a flying family. My father is a retired pilot for a major airline, my husband trains pilots, I hold a commercial pilots license....I have been around aviation all my life so far. So I remember what flying used to be like ..... before deregulation, before 9/11, before the terrorists changed the world as we know it, before the latest oil crisis.....back when the skies were friendly. It was fun. It was an adventure of the mind and soul. It was for the starry eyed wanderer.

Today, it is torture and an exercise in indignity. My flight leaves in the late afternoon. But I arrived early enough to "clear security". Talk to any air traveler these days and you will find that this is bane number one for all of them. Don't get me wrong. There is good and reasonable need for making sure our skies are safe. I am the last one to argue with a need to keep us secure. I do wonder, however, at the ridiculous, knee-jerk regulations that are enacted each time some raving lunatic decides he is going to try to go to Allah to claim his 72 virgins.

First, we had to empty our pockets and have our purses and carry-ons x-rayed. No problem. I agree with this one. Step through the magnetometer. Agreed....necessary. But then, we had to take off our shoes and have them separately x-rayed to check for explosives. OK....I can do that. Then, place our laptops in another bin for the same X-ray. OK...done. THEN, we can only take three one ounce bottles of liquid aboard and they have to be in a quart ziplock bag AND be placed in a separate bin and run through security separately as well.....So now, I'm in line at DIA with around 1000 of my closest friends, taking off my shoes, emptying my computer bag, taking out my cosmetics, opening up my purse, emptying my pockets of change and cell phone, piling all this into separate bowls and bins to run through the X-ray....only to find when I get to the other end of the queue that the screener speaks barely any English and wants me to be wanded while the Middle Eastern looking young male walks through unscathed and largely ignored.....after all, it's not PC to profile. And I still have to get dressed and loaded again so I may continue to my assigned gate for my short flight home again. It makes me wonder if the terrorists haven't already won at some level....

Talent

2008-07-14T10:43:00.005-05:00

Talent is a funny thing........illusive, sought-after, desired, ephemeral. Do you have it or not? And who says so? Is it in the eye of the holder or the beholder? Can it be bought, sold, promoted, invented, prevented, instigated, or provoked?

All of these questions have been running through my mind in the last several days as I have struggled to overcome creator's block. I have been a dry hole, as we say in oil country, for some days now. Colors, ideas, shapes and themes run around in my mind, but won't come to fruition. It is frustrating at best and depressing at worst. I have the urge and desire to create, but that urge comes to naught. There are brick walls all around me. I can now understand and sympathize with those who speak of "writers block". I'm there. As I sit in front of the "drawing board" and stare at it, nothing works. Nothing comes. It's not only blank....it's intimidating. It's also never happened before.

So....where's the solution? Do I take a walk, take a break, take a pill....sigh....I think I'll just keep trying. It'll come.....

I've won an award!

2008-07-03T18:53:00.005-05:00

My friend, Janice Pattie from the UK who's blog, the Serial Crafter is in my blogroll, nominated me for this award

which touched me greatly. There are a few rules that go with this award:

1.the winner can put the logo on their website/blog

2. put in a link to the person who gave you the award.

3.send the award to at least 7 other blogs that inspire you with their layout-creations-themes

4.put a link to these sites on your blog

5. notify the people you nominate for the award.

Thank you so much, Janice...you're a good friend!

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-03T18:09:00.005-05:00

Our country is looking at another birthday tomorrow...number 232. I wonder what the Founding Fathers would have thought of their progeny today? I stand back and watch the partisan games that are being played out in the media and wonder what each party really wants. No, actually, the sad thing is, I DON'T wonder at all. I think I know what they want, and it has little to do with the good of this beautiful and beloved country. What they want is the good of the individual and the good of the party they happen to align with. I don't care if you call yourself a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent.....everyone has an ax to grind....and all to often it has nothing to do with what is really good for this country and those of us trying to raise our families here and do what is right.

What is right is this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Period. Somewhere, the people at the helm have lost track of this. The folks in the media certainly have lost the way. They deny this precept exists. To read a paper or listen to the news, it goes something like: Do unto others BEFORE they do it unto you. Sad.

Gratitude

2008-07-02T09:51:00.003-05:00

Gratitude is wonderful! Today, I'm grateful for friends and for good news. We recently had a scare, my husband and I. Suffice it to say that it was one of those things that shake one to the very roots of one's being. But friends from all over gathered and offered support and prayers and presence to us. It was comfort immeasurable. The scare was a false alarm, thank goodness, but the care and concern was so very real. And so is our gratitude to our many friends.....some of whom we have not met face to face. Thank you all. We hold you in our hearts.

Scrap Habit

2008-07-02T09:50:00.001-05:00

View my page on TheScrapHabit Network

Time Flies

2008-06-25T18:42:00.004-05:00

Time does have a way of slipping away...it's been a month and more since I had anything to say here. I got so embroiled in making kits and such for the Cottage that I just sort of let everything else slip on by. This will never do! So here I am...back in Blogland again...

I find myself in a house full of men these days. My husband is not working for the immediate future. His back has taken a turn for the worse and he will have surgery on it next week. While I am truly sorry he is in pain and truly sorry that he is facing surgery, SOMEONE help me! Let's just say he is at less than his best just now. All the men vs women jokes aside, he's NOT the ideal patient. I am a firm believer in pain pills. God created them for pain relief. So why would anyone WAIT to take them until it's so bad that they are nearly on the floor??? Ditto medication for nausea. Why not take it BEFORE the nausea moves from nausea to active (and repeated) throwing up? I have pointed out that there are no awards for suffering. No medals. No stars in the proverbial crowns. No crowns, either, for that matter. So why, in the name of all that's Holy and Sacred, does he not want to take something that's going to make him feel (at least marginally) better??? To give him credit, he doesn't complain of the pain and so forth...he suffers (almost) silently. But why suffer if the means to decreasing that suffering are at hand? I'm missing something here, I guess.

If anyone out there can enlighten me, please do.....

Mother's Day

2008-05-10T10:53:00.005-05:00

Moms are amazing people. We all have 'em....whether we live with them throughout our lives or not. They influence us deeply, often in ways of which we are unaware. My own mother is no longer here. She left us on New Year's Day after a very short illness. Many would say that she lived a long life. Perhaps, but it wasn't long enough. But her influence lives on. I reflect on what she gave me. The short answer is.... me. What I am, what I pass on to my own descendants, what I give to those around me, is because of who she was and what she gave to me. No card, no gift, no bouquet can begin to thank her for that. I hope that I was able in some small way to show her how much I loved her by caring for her in her declining years as she cared for me in my formative ones.

The emptiness in my heart that she left when she passed away still aches for her presence. I miss her deeply. Even though I wouldn't have her back as she was, in frail health and failing body, I miss her spirit, humor and unique point of view.

Take a moment today or tomorrow and give Mom a call....let her know that you're thinking about her......

The Nuclear Option

2008-05-09T17:14:00.003-05:00

Well....I finally did it. I nuked my HD and started over again. 500 GB of starting over again. I have been using Carbonite as an offsite backup system, and I have discovered some....interesting...glitches, shall we call them? It seems to have a mind of its own when reinstalling on a clean machine. After two or three exchange with tech support, I now have Carbonite reinstalled on my pristine drive. But now I am having issues with the restore. I have approximately 89 GB of data backed up in Carbonite's secure facility. How nice. It's safe from fire, flood, hackers and war. Great. Now, how the deuce do I get it back where it belongs....on MY HD?? We're still working on that. What I think I know is that my data is safe out there....somewhere. What I DO know is that it is also safe here....on piles and piles of DVD's. Organized? Surely you jest. But at least I know where it is....generally. But another fairy tale may join Santa and the Easter Bunny if I can't get my back ups to load.....how about it, Carbonite? Ya gonna pay off on that $1M guarantee against data loss? Is it lost if I know where it is but can't get to it?

Fred Langa: What comes next?: "It's a piece of crap"

2008-05-06T10:50:00.002-05:00

Man, am I ever happy to see that Fred Langa hasn't completely hung up his computer hat! He published this in his blog this morning...and it's worth the read, especially if, like I am, you are concerned about computer security.

Fred Langa: What comes next?: "It's a piece of crap"

Back to the drawing board...

2008-05-04T17:09:00.003-05:00

Well, all the activities are over for National Scrapbook Day....for this year, that is. My brain is broke, my butt is tired, my fingers are fatigued. I think I set a new personal record for consistent online activity.....17+ hours. Doesn't seem like such a big deal unless you realize that I'm not a 20-something (or a teen-something) messaging/gaming/myspacer. I'm just a run-of-the-mill grandma. No I'm not! I'm a busy, photoshop-teaching using fanatic.

But now I have time to go back to writing tutorials, playing in Photoshop and doing local tech calls for PC's. I think I need the breather...as do all of us on the team. When you work together to make a world-wide event happen in real time, things get crazy. It was worth it, though. We've had great feedback from all over...all over the US, as well as the UK and Australia. In Disney's words....it's a small world after all.....

The computing world's loss

2008-05-02T21:40:00.004-05:00

There are few names in the computing world that matter to me...but one is Fred Langa. Fred's been around for 30 years and writing the Langalist, Information Week, Windows Secrets, WinMag, and others. He has tackled all subjects - soup to nuts...everything computers. I, along with others, probably learned more from Fred than from any other single source out there. Well, Fred announced the other day that he has come to the end of this phase of his career. He's pulling the plug and moving on to a different enterprise, though what that may be at this point is not clear. After 30 years of being on top of a rapidly changing chimera-like industry, Fred is about to move from being the expert, go-to guy to being one of us....a consumer, a reader, albeit a far better-informed one than the run of the mill user-on-the-street.

Fred, my friend, you will be sorely missed. Though you are and have been one of the "Names" in the industry, you were never so big that you couldn't personally reply to what must have been hundreds of emails a day. You answered questions that were probably elementary to the point of being ridiculous and repetitive with humor and grace; the really meaty stuff was dealt with succinctly and in a manner that was easily understood by everyone in your readership....not just the geeks. I respect your opinion on matters of security, software, and general computing. Your final thoughts about 30 years in the industry are gems that should be posted in every IT office. Heck....they oughta be posted. Period. Good life rules. Thanks for a great run, Fred... and if you decide to go back to technical writing, let me know....I'm here waiting.

Things are really getting crazy....

2008-05-01T13:51:00.003-05:00

I have been slaving over a hot computer keyboard for what seems like days. (Come to think of it....it HAS been days!) What with National Scrapbook Day only days away (May 3) things have gone into high gear behind the scenes at the Cottage. We have more stuff planned than you can shake a stick at. At last count, there were two challenges running, two all-day prize give aways on Saturday, and a Power Scrap to be held at 8pm EDT on Saturday evening. There will also be three Fast and Fun chats through the day on Saturday....at 9am, 3pm, and 6pm EDT. They will be held in the chat room, of course....prizes given away during all the chats and a major prize giveaway during the Power Scrap. Come to the Power Scrap ready to make a layout. Bring your photos....you can get the rest at the Cottage....either bought kits or freebies. Boy, are we gonna have fun!

National Scrapbook Day II

2008-04-28T16:39:00.005-05:00

Well, have we ever been busy at the Cottage this week! We have so many activities going for National Scrapbook Day that I think my head is spinning. There are currently two challenges running: a card challenge, complete with a free template to create a card for the special day. You can find that here. Then, there's the Why I Scrap challenge, hosted by yours truly. Both of these challenges only require that you are signed up for the forum. They both will have a posting bonus as a prize. Then, on the big day itself (May 3), there are tons of activities planned....There is a Power Scrap planned (time to be announced). We will chat and make a layout to be posted in the gallery. You may use any kit or freebie from the Cottage and your own photos. There will be prizes and giveaways throughout the Scrap. It requires that you sign into our chat room, but there are no fees involved. No pay to play anywhere on this site! Then, from 8am-8pm EDT (same as New York City for those of you in other places than the US), we will have prizes given every hour for anyone and everyone who is on the forums...that's the only requirement....just be on the forums. AND....there will be prizes awarded every hour for layouts posted in the galleries. Every hour. How can you go wrong?

So c'mon, everyone! Come by the Digital Craft Cottage and take a look around. There is so much to do and see there; gift a day, chat room, lots of tutorials, freebies, many, many friendships to be formed....what are you waiting for?? Stop in and say hi to Traci while you're there....