Always Pretty Here

Nearly 40 years have gone by, and my Mom & Dad's "back yard"--the "field"--has changed only a little. No ponies, no pool, only one outlining fence. But most things haven't changed: Dad always keeps the acre and a half cut (with a little help from my brother & nephew). They still grill on the car port. They walk the tracks every Sunday. There 's a garden behind the stable. They feed the birds in the winter. And on a warm afternoon, they sit on the swing and reminisce. In the eyes of their children. . . it's always pretty here!

"If nothing ever changed"

I'd already made a 12 X 12 inch page of the "Painted Lady" butterfly, but still had some good photos of other butterflies and embellishments to make another page. I'd seen 12 X 6 inch pages in magazines, and thought that would be a fun size to try. I used a Photoshop filter--the colored pencil--on a closeup of the same photo to make the corner design. The quote "If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies" is printed on a Cosmo Cricket line of fall papers.

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)