Holding on. . .

It was near freezing
on this November trip
to Mom's--cloudy,windy
and cold. Yet there
were still colorful
leaves holding on to
the trees at Deep Creek.
My mood could drop
easily in this
gloomy season, but
searching for pretty
things--some "color"--
keeps me holding on too.

Tokens

You gather shells from the river bank at Harpers Ferry to keep as a remembrance of a special place and time. My favorite keepsake of this trip is this picture of you, content and loving everything in the moment.

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):