Closeup of Stitched Page Protector

I love making unusual size pages, but did not have a sheet protector to match this 12 X 6 inch page. I took a 12 X 8 1/2 inch page protector and pierced it at 6 inches deep. I then hand stitched through the pierced marks prior to cutting the protector to fit the page. I was pleased with the result.

62 Years a Team

My Mom is 83 years old and emails me everyday. I saved one of her emails from October, 2006 and paired it with this photo taken August, 2008. Here are some excerpts: "These are your parents, Jim and June. We are doing fairly well for our age. We as a team can do well. I do well that I can still drive. Dad keeps the dishes done. I keep the washing done and fold the clothes. Some of the blessing with his eyes is I get to drive and he can't see the dirt." Mom and Dad were married 62 years in September.

"54"

This year
you turn
54.
In 1954 you
were born.
Off the top
of my head,
here are
54 reasons
I love you
(lift flap):

"54" (Inside flap)

Excerpts from "54 Reasons I Love You":

1. You love what you do.
10. You take care of us.
13. You are a great speaker.
14. You have a sense of humor.
23. You find the beauty in everyday things.
24. You like to photograph working people.
24. You are a great teacher.
38. You enjoy my scrapbooks.
43. You are my partner in parenting, housekeeping, finances . . . everything.
54. We both fell head over heals in love when we first met and that feeling hasn't changed!

There are many more . . .

Another 32 Years

Labor Day Weekend was early this year but still the best weekend for our anniversary trip. My Mother's birthday was Sunday August 31, so we stopped at her house to deliver a beautiful cake, then drove Rt. 50 to Winchester, Va. We stopped at the Virginia Farmer's Market then drove north on Rt. 522 to Berkeley Springs, WV, where we ate lunch at Tari's. We checked into our hotel just in time to watch WVU football. By half time, we were relaxing in the jacuzzi tub. After WVU was way ahead, we went to the canal in Hancock, Md., to a part we'd never been before. How pretty the reflections were--a nice ending to a full day of being with each other. Think I'd like to do this another 32 years! (text modeled after a page by Elisha Snow in Simple Scrapbooks Magazine)

Polar Plunge

We dropped off the teenagers (Chris & 2 girls) at Kennywood Park and went to a place more our style--the zoo! The 2 sites are actually only 9 miles apart and the plan went well. The animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo seemed happy and playful and to our delight, showed off for we human onlookers. Our favorite animals were the Polar Bears. They have a whole new habitat with a deep pool where we could actually see under water. Bob & I were both able to get spots near the glass (I knelt down by lots of kids) and got pictures from different angles.

"They take the plunge one at a time,
Majestic bears like verse in rhyme,
They leap and bound and soar up high,
Spread their paws and close their eyes.
Like kids they play and enjoy the chill,
And we at the zoo remember the thrill."

Georgia On My Mind

We didn't stay at the more expensive host hotel, but we really enjoyed ours. This one reminded us of a New York City hotel we'd stayed in many years ago. The room was by itself, around the corner at the end of the hall. The ceilings were high. The white ceiling fan along with the thermostat set at 65 provided a retreat from the 100 degree temperatures outside. The double mirrors in the elevators reflected our images to infinity.