Overhaul

I haven't blogged much lately. Since the scrap-bug has bitten, the writing bug is starving. The two rarely seem to be healthy at the same time. Actually, I had to put a hold on the scrapbooking to do a bit of reorganizing, because my stash was choking out my office like kudzu on an oak tree.

Truthfully, I like to reorganize stuff. I'm not an organized person - at least not for long at a time - but I do enjoy the process. A couple of weeks ago I weeded out a huge bag of supplies that I hadn't been using. Yesterday I weeded out a ton of scrap cardstock, mostly icky colors that are horribly dated and match absolutely nothing and pieces too small or bent to be usable. Now the big accordian file is much happier.

The coolest thing so far is my new chipboard storage. Some time ago, Mom gave me a ton of clear acrylic Chinese takeout boxes. I had no idea what to do with them, so they wound up on top a 6-ft bookcase, and since they were not at eye level, I completely forgot they were there. I happened on them yesterday, and realized they would be perfect for chipboard. I stuck address labels on each box heralding its contents. Fun! Now I have to find a clean shelf to stack them on...

We've decided that our tax return must be spent on a new computer setup, since I know the poor emachine I work from 10-12 hours a day is on its last leg. I figure I might as well do it right, so money permitting, I'm also buying a photo printer, external hard drive, and Wacom tablet. Since all that will entail a good bit of shuffling and moving (because I plan on running both computers for a while until I work the bugs out of Vista - ugh), I've decided I might as well gut the room, paint it, and clean the carpets - hence the reorganization efforts.

Bored yet? Maybe this will excite you - I'm actually considering painting my room orange. No, not pumpkin orange, but more of a harvest-y color. I haven't quite decided. Why orange, you ask? Because lately the color seems to be inspiring me like no other. Because it's proven that orange is a stimulating color, which is perfect for an office room (especially when I'm half-asleep at 6am). Because no one else uses this room who would complain at the color. :) It's quite odd, actually. I would never wear the color, but I've noticed that it's winding up on almost all of my pages. We'll see. I think it's time to browse the decorating magazines.

Enough rambling. Bless you for reading this far. :)

Mojo

Haven't done much lately but scrapbook. I've been on a roll, and I learned a long time ago that when I'm in the mood, I'd better scrap. It won't last forever - a dry spell will eventually come.

I guess life is that way, isn't it? Ups and downs - "on" times and off times. Maybe that's what keeps things interesting.

Coming Soon to a Magazine Near You...

. . . none other than a layout by yours truly! All these years of scrapbooking, and when I start doing digital layouts, the very first page I submit gets called. Go figure! But who am I to complain?

There's one resolution I can mark as accomplished - to get published at some point this year! I'm not sure which issue it will be, but Digital Scrapbooking Magazine will soon feature a lovely layout starring a certain exceptionally cute 4-year-old wearing a serious scowl. I can't let you see it yet, but I'll let you know when it's printed so you can take a detour by the magazine rack and see it.

Please forgive me - I felt obligated to toot my own horn just a little bit!

Date Night & My Honey

Our Christmas present from Grannie & Peepop was a date night, which we took Monday night. We went to Coolidge Park, where Jeff graciously allowed me to take pictures for an hour or two, then went to eat at the Boathouse - which, despite its name, is not strictly a seafood restaurant. It was quite yummy, and we sat and talked for more than an hour, just enjoyed the food and each other's company.

It was so good to spend the time. We were completely relaxed, and though we didn't do anything adventurous or even out-of-the-ordinary, it was still one of the best dates we've had in years.

Jeff has really been a sweetheart lately. The last few years have been tough for us, but in the last two months he's reminded me so much of the guy I fell in love with eleven years ago.

Today he goes for his (re)orientation to nursing school. He's so excited about it, and I'm excited for him. He's enrolled in the night program, which means only two trips a week to Chattanooga (instead of the 3 required for day classes), more time to study, and more time to work. Plus he's not really a morning person, so getting up at 4am was rather tough on him. It will take one semester longer, but I really believe the trade-off will be well worth the extra time spent.

I'm feeling rather content today, in case you couldn't tell. :)

Grannies Are the Best!

Perhaps this really belongs on my photo blog, but it's not exactly a top-notch quality picture. I love it for the subject, so it's going here instead.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Grannie is letting Braeden lick the chocolate syrup right off the cap. Oh, yeah. This is how things are when he's at their house. He does everything he wants to do, even if it means sprawling out on the countertop while she makes him chocolate (or strawberry or blueberry or orange or banana) milk.

I love Grannie & Peepop, if for no other reason than the way they love my boy!

Four Blogs?

Uh-oh. I'm going blog crazy. I'm actually considering a fourth blog, devoted just to scrapbooking. I must be insane. I have discovered how easy it is to create sketch templates in Photoshop Elements, and if I can find a good file host, I'm going to put the templates on a blog for free. Sounds like fun, no?

Do I Dare?

I am notorious for being a pessimist, but I can't help it. I'm always so afraid to get hopeful and excited about something, for fear it will slip through my fingers and I'll have terrible disappointment.

Because of my instinctual pessimism, I'm confuzzled about this weird sense of hope I have. Actually, I'm just plain scared of it. You see, my heart seems to think that maybe my life is finally beginning to turn around - that maybe, just maybe, my relationships and finances and dreams will start to fall into place. Maybe somewhere there is a chance for my life to be what I've always wanted it to be.

It scares me! What if I get hopeful that this photography thing is going to take off and it bombs? What if the drastic improvements in my marriage are only temporary? What if I'm headed for complete financial ruin? My pessimistic side is kicking into high gear, conjuring every worst-case scenario imaginable.

I don't know why I do this. So I'm confessing it here - I know the Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but my control-freak hands are having trouble letting go. I sense a turning point, and I don't want to ruin it.

So I'm asking you to say a prayer for me. Petition the Lord to help me let go, to help me trust in His providence, and to hope instead of worry. And maybe while you're at it, would you ask Him to let a dream or two be realized for me?

Another Year... Just Another Day

Bless his heart, my sweet hubby got me the bestest Christmas present. Of course, he couldn't possibly have known how much I'd be needing it when we returned from our holiday travels.

With the heater broken, it is so cold in this house. Our bedroom last night was barely 50 degrees, so it's at least that cold in my computer room. I am currently bundled in 2 pair of pants, two pair of socks, shoes, 1 shirt, 1 sweatshirt, 1 fleece pullover, 1 fleece blanket, gloves with the fingertips cut out, and - dum de da dum - a lovely electric throw. It feels so nice!

Moving on...

We certainly had a wild trip. Christmas with Jeff's family was crowded, as usual. Everyone oohed and aahed over the new baby, and marveled at how fast the kids were growing, and made the usual promises of seeing each other more often during the year. We all ate too much and stayed up too late. It was a typical McCain family Christmas.

The Gates side was another story. We arrived in Morristown just in time for the Christmas Eve service. (It's lovely - Mom's church sings Christmas carols in a candlelit room and takes communion, reflecting on Christ's birth into this world and what it meant for us. It's one of the most meaningful worship times for me all year.) On Christmas Day, Branden came over to open a handful of presents with his cousins, then returned to his dad's. We ate our usual steak dinner - Dad can grill a wicked good steak - and then opened the rest of the gifts.

In the midst of all that, we received a call that Grandma had fallen and her heart rate was way up and oxygen was way down. All that day my parents were trying to decide what to do, as the nursing home had moved Grandma into a "bereavement room." Since it was Christmas, the doctor wouldn't see her until the day after. The next day they heard the doctor's report and decided to go on to Oklahoma, leaving me with all three kids.

Now, I have watched them before, but not under circumstances quite like this.The kids weren't expecting the sudden departure, which made them all a little insecure, plus they were already sick of each other's company by then. It made for a wild weekend.

I came home yesterday to a very cold house, so we hauled Bebo up the mountain to spend the evening with Grannie & Peepop. He loaded up on goodies there, and Grannie fixed a fabulous pork roast. Jeff & I came home and bundled up under what felt like a ton of cover (plus the lovely electric blanket).

And today it's back to normal. 2008 has officially begun, with no great fanfare on my part.

The First Post of 2008

Just a quick note... we're home. Finally. It was an exhausting break - not exactly the quiet vacation I had hoped for. More on that later.

I came home to a broken heater. Amazing. The hottest week of the summer the air conditioner broke. What will likely be the coldest week of winter, the heater broke.

Go figure.

So there you go - first post of the year. I'll write more tomorrow when I've rested enough to give a coherent, fair and balanced report of the Christmas activites. Right now it's so cold and I'm so tired I'm having difficulty remembering how to spell.

One more thing...

In the all the madness of trying to get everything together for a 2-week Christmas trip, I don't want to forget something very important. It will most likely be after the first of the year before I can post again, so I want to tell you now:

Have a very merry and blessed Christmas. Be safe in your travels, enjoy your families, don't eat too much, and most importantly - remember to thank God for sending His glorious gift to us.

I love you all!

-Amanda

2008 Resolutions

As promised, here's the link to my funky scrapbook page: Resolved. It's easier to see there than it would be if I posted it here.

**EDIT TO ADD: What the heck... here it is anyway. You can still link to it to see it better, if you're that interested. :) **

In case the small print gives you fits - here's the complete & unabridged list (plus one item that I added after I posted to 2ps).

I categorized my resolutions a bit differently this year - adding one major category and merging two others. But enough of the blather. Here ya go:

Spiritual
To read through the entire Bible in the course of a year.
To memorize 100 passages of scripture.
To read six books to help me in my walk with Him.
To devote time to prayer daily - not just when things are really good or really bad.
To create a blessings journal and write at least one thing every day.
To use my talents and abilities to glorify Him.

Physical
To lose at least 75 pounds.
To exercise 4 times a week.
To take care of myself - not to let my appearance go because I'm too tired or don't have time.
To re-learn what it means to eat healthy food.
To break my addiction to fast food.

Creative
To start my photography business.
To save enough money to buy a professional camera.
To refine my technique, especially in portraiture.
To scrapbook in digital & paper formats weekly.
To write the memories from my childhood.
To blog at least 1/3 of the days of the year.
To submit as many layouts as possible for publication.
To learn four new piano pieces.

Financial
To pay off at least half our debts.
To pay for Jeff's school without taking out loans. (might be a stretch)
To save $1000 for an emergency fund.
To curb unnecessary spending.
To make a weekly budget and stick to it.
To communicate with Jeff about all expenses.

Ta-da!

Not-so-Resolved

Since the time is fast approaching when I'll be heading out of town (and consistent internet access) I am going to post my 2007 resolutions update. Tomorrow you'll get the list for 2008 - and a link to the wicked Andy Warhol-inspired scrapbook page I did about them.

So here's the post-celebration list (in case you've forgotten).

Now for the review.

Photography & Scrapbooking

"I'm hoping later this I year I can buy that Nikon I've been eyeballing for the last several months. Until that happens, I still want to take at least a roll of film every two weeks. "

Hee hee. I got that Nikon in early spring. Now the concept of 24 pictures every two weeks is mind-boggling. I have put well over six thousand pictures through the D40. I didn't get the higher-end D80 that I really wanted, but no matter. What I have been able to learn over the course of the last few months is unbelievable. My photography has improved so much that I'm gearing up to start my own business next year! How crazy is that? I love my camera, and yet I'm already drooling over the high-end professional D300. The way I figure it, I have saved roughly $2500 in film developing costs by switching to digital in the last nine months. That would easily pay for the D300. (Hey, anything to justify a new toy!)

As for the scrapbooking - well, it's been a good year for that, too. Mom & I went to CKC & CKU (Creating Keepsakes scrapbooking conventions). Not counting the layouts I made there, I created 39 for Braeden's book, 22 for the album about myself, 11 for the Christmas album and 4 for the family album. I also made a gift album for Grandma (21 pages) and a 20-page album about our CKU trip. Then there was the 20-page "me right now" album from CKU. I'm probably missing a few, but that makes at least 117 layouts. Even though it wasn't quite 2 a week, it averages out to meeting my resolution for the year.

Also part of the scrapbooking - I am learning how to digi-scrap, and I love it! It's instant gratification. No more waiting for pics to develop. I just load them into the computer and have at it. It's interesting, because my digi style is very different from my paper style. I think I might be better at digi, but the jury's still out on that one.

So overall - this category was a great success. A++ Moving on...

Weight & Health

"After nine months of concentrated effort and another three on-again, off-again, I lost 80 pounds. In less than six months, I gained 70 back. Ouch."

Yeah.... by the summer, 70 had turned to 90. Somewhere around July I realized I'd better quit now, so I began my half-hearted effort to lose it. Again. In August I began yet another blog (because two weren't enough) to chronicle my attempts, hoping that it would spur me on to great things.

Not so much. In spite of myself, I did manage to lose 25 or so pounds, though I've been toying with the same 5 for weeks. With Christmas looming and the promise of more food than I know what to do with, my motivation is quickly fading. And exercise? That last about two months. I haven't done a thing since the end of October.

I'd have to give myself a C- in this category. I'm only not failing because I am still hanging in there, by however thin a thread.

Reading

"1) read at least two books a month, 2) read at least six Christian living books, 3) read at least six of the classics, and 4) in general, try to break away from my usual light-headed Christian romance novel."

As you can see by my previous post, this was a big year for books. I met #1 easily, clocking in with 27 books (34 if you count reading through the HP series twice). I got halfway to #2, didn't get #3 at all, and definitely hit #4 - I only read on Christian romance all year.

Grade? B

Writing

"...my first writing goal for this year is to at least begin the elusive novel."

Um....

Yeah. That didn't happen. Neither did the autobiography - but - I have somewhat allowed blogging to be my right-here right-now story. This will make entry #115 for the year. It's more than I've done in the past, to be sure.

Gotta give myself a D+ on this one.

Spirituality

Wow. I alternated between devoted follower and borderline agnostic this year. Okay, maybe not quite to that extreme, but I've definitely had my spiritual struggles. I got to the end of February before I quit my nightly Bible readings. (Honestly, I'm a little surprised I made it that far.) My prayer life has been on-again, off-again, but I can say I've done more praising this year.

I took on the teenage girls class this summer, and have loved every minute of it. It's felt so good to be involved with the kids again, and I really do enjoy teaching. It's been good for me.

After the tornado, I learned to take nothing for granted, and every time I drive past the Baptist church, I offer a quick prayer of thanks for his protection.

So... C. Could've been worse, but since I can say I have tried, however inconsistently, I'll give myself a passing grade. (Only in my application of the resolution - not my actual spiritual life.)


There you have it. Resolutions in review.

Coming soon - 2008's big list.

On Computers and Heaters

Incidentally, neither of which work very well...

Last winter, I worked from the laptop so I could sit in the living room. It's much warmer in there. I can bundle up in layers of blankets if needed and huddle on the couch. Sadly, the laptop has died. We bought it used, complete with the Isis virus. . . eventually it could no longer recognize that it even had a wi-fi card. Without internet access, the thing is completely useless. It's too slow to do anything else.

This means I'm freezing half to death in the office. I am wearing two sweatshirts and a long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and a thick fleece blanket, and my butt still feels like a frozen butterball turkey. My fingers are so cold they're numb, and my nose won't quit running. You see, the heater just doesn't quite reach to this room, and it wouldn't matter if it did - there's no insulation in this part of the house, anyway.

To further complicate matters, my desktop PC is about to kick the bucket. It's been beeping and squealing at me for two days, and I know this is not a good sign. I am pretty sure what I will purchase next, but I can't afford it right now - we are barely going to have enough money to get Jeff back into school. So I just have to pray that the darned thing holds on for a couple more months. It wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't need it for my job. I can't really complain, anyway - I use it 12+ hours a day, and for it to be four years old, it has done remarkably well - far better than the Gateway that was its predecessor.

So say a prayer for my computer, and perhaps another that I can stay warm...

Oh, and for the checkbook. Sooner than later we're going to have to replace both of those computers.

Christmas Nut

I am such a dork. I accidentally stumbled across instructions on the web to make gift bows, so guess how I spent my afternoon?

Oh, yeah. I'm crazy. Just wait till I start stamping my wrapping paper and making my chipboard tags that convert into ornaments! mwuaaahaaahaahaaa!!!

All done!

Yay! I've officially finished all my Christmas shopping!

My Own Personal 2007 Reading List

Like my title?

I didn't think so.

So... here's what I've plowed through this year. As often happens, my reading came in spurts. With two major series coming to an end this year, I found my nose stuck in a book a little more often than usual, and there's no telling how much caffeine I consumed in my attempts to compensate for late nights spent reading.

J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2 times)

Terry Goodkind
Wizard's First Rule
Stone of Tears
Blood of the Fold
Temple of the Winds
Soul of the Fire
Faith of the Fallen
The Pillars of Creation
Naked Empire
Chainfire
Phantom
Confessor

Karin Evans
The Lost Daughters of China

Katrina Kittle
The Kindness of Strangers

Lori Wick
White Chocolate Moments

C. S. Lewis
The Great Divorce

Shaunti Feldhahn
For Young Women Only
For Women Only

Chip Ingram
God As He Longs for You to See Him

Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time

Janet Evanovich
Lean Mean Thirteen

It's quite possible I've left something out - but I figure the list represents several thousand pages of reading. Not too shabby! For 2008, the goal is variety - I'm out of new series material, so I'll have to get into something else. Dunno what just yet...

PSA: Shutterfly

I have a new favorite thing. Shutterfly.com is the coolest, awesomest, bestest photo store on the web. I got back several items of miscellany today, including regular prints, enlargements, and digi scrapbook pages.

Fabulous, my dear. Simply fabulous. Besides the excellent quality, I received my order 3 days after I'd loaded it to the web. I am amazed that it moved so quickly. The rest of my order will follow.

Check it out. www.shutterfly.com. You will be impressed, I promise!

Broke

It must be destiny.

I think I will forever be broke. No matter what I do, there is always something . . . whenever I get close to saving a little cash, something inevitably goes wrong.

All the curse words in the world could not express my extreme frustration at the moment. The problem always gets worse around Christmas - why wouldn't it? It's perfectly logical that the one time of the year when I get excited about seeing family and giving gifts to the people I love that I will be forced to endless nights of stressing over the lack of money to do what I want to do.

Grrr.... why do I even bother? Heck, I'm 30, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

Doesn't exactly seem like a bright future, does it?

Okay. Whine over.

Hmmm...

So what would you think if I told you I was considering joining Sweet Adelines?

Uh-Oh

It would seem I have acquired a new hobby, albeit unintentionally. After designing a small gift album for Grandma for Christmas, I have progressed from dabbling in digital scrapbooking to a full-blown obsession. Though I have no intention of giving up paper scrapping, there is something highly entertaining about using the computer to create effects that you just can't duplicate with a paper, pen, and stickers.

Naturally, this is dangerous territory. I didn't exactly need another hobby to spend $ on - the photography and paper scrapping are bad enough. However, having always been a quick study on the computer, I am learning how to create my own elements using the things I already have.

Unfortunately, I sense a dead computer looming on the horizon. Our laptop gave up its fight earlier this week, and my PC is developing a case of virtual Alzheimer's - or maybe its brain is just farting. Either way, I know that four years is about the most you can expect from a computer - especially when you are on it 10-12 hours a day like I am. I'm just dreading the expense and headache of transferring this huge mess of files, and I'm definitely not looking forward to the bug-laden Windows Vista. If all my stuff wasn't already in Microsoft formats, I think I'd buy a Mac.

Guess I know how our income tax return is being spent.