Where do we go from here?

(Note:  I will be back with plenty of cardmaking and scrapbooking posts.  I just had these things on my mind today.)

I live in the south.  This is the country of God and guns.  And you could say that about a huge physical portion of the US. 

Students from Parkland High School have said they are going to be the last to be shot at.  I sincerely hope that is true.  Yet, I remember Columbine.  When we got over our shock, we were outraged. I remember Virginia Tech and Charles Gibons who normally ended his broadcast with something about hoping you had a good day ending that day with "And this has Not been a good day."  It still brings tears to my eyes.  I remember Newtown.  If dozens of parents holding up photos of their 6 year olds to Congress with a Democrat in the White House could not bring about a single change in gun laws or improve care of the mentally ill, what will?  How will these high school students make a difference if those highly motivated parents could not?  Almost everyone agrees that bump stocks should be banned. Yet months after over 50 people died in Las Vegas, they are still being sold.  I understand there was even a discount coupon available to buy one over President's Day weekend. 

The shooter from the church in Texas should have never had a gun because of his history of domestic violence. Yet a bill to reduce the chances of that failure happening again has gone nowhere.

I was thinking about writing this post when I got up this morning.  As I scanned several on-line news outlets I already noticed that other news is taking the place of Parkland.  US Figure skaters fell last night at the Olympics (no thank you to that spoiler from someone who has the skating taped because we don't want to stay up until midnight to watch!).  There was more about Russia, plenty of opinion about the President and his marriage.  There were still articles about Parkland yet they are getting crowded out.  It won't be long before this is not the lead story anymore.

It hasn't left my mind yet, obviously.  I've thought about 4 family members who work in 4 different public schools in two different states.  Any of them could become a target.  And of course there are many young family members who are students.  My mother and I went through a drive through on the way home from a child's birthday party on Sunday and I was a bit envious of the young woman waiting on us.  She was high school age and chatting with one of her colleagues as she waited on Mother's order to come up.  Ah, to be that young, to head off to high school on Monday morning.  And then it hit me that when she walks into the same school I went to over 30 years ago, she may wonder if today is the day someone is going to come in with a weapon and start picking people off. That never crossed my mind in the early 1980's.  Never. Suddenly being young again isn't very appealing.

So what do we do?  How do we stop school children and their teachers from getting shot?  How do we end the mass carnage of those gathered in public places? 

I think the problem is that there is no one fix.  We will never ban all guns in this country. Never.  Yet, I personally have no problems with enacting laws that restrict access for those who should not have weapons and make everyone safer.  Bump stocks should be banned immediately.  I personally see no reason anyone needs an assault rifle.  I looked up some statistics the other day.  Of the 23 mass shootings in the US that go back to the 1980's in which 10 or more people died, only 1 occurred during the 10 year period of the assault rifle ban.  That was Columbine.  It isn't just that these guns are so available.  It is that popular culture has made them attractive.  Video games, movies, TV have glorified their use, have glorified killing in general.  We must vote with our entertainment choices.  If we choose programs that minimize gun violence and avoid those that promote it, we are clear with Hollywood what we as a culture want. Hollywood, for all their talk, are like everyone else.  They go where the money is and will stop creating shows and movies that don't make money.

In the case of Parkland, it is clear that the FBI failed.  They received solid information and did not act.  Now I'm sure they get more tips in any one day than they can possibly act on yet they have admitted the content of this tip and that should have prompted an inquiry.  Someone or perhaps multiple someones should be fired.  Acknowledging their mistake quickly was a good first step.  Now fix it.  Let go the people at all levels who screwed up.  When I was in corporate America, a shakeup at the executive level had us buzzing for a couple of days but we soon settled down and went back to doing our jobs the same way we always had been.  Firing only the head of the FBI, which has been called for, isn't likely to make much difference.  After 911, only George Tenent, then director of the CIA, was the only one fired as far as I know.  Yet many mistakes occurred to make that event possible. 

When the FBI received their last tip, they had another tip from last September that should have matched up somewhere in some database and escalated this as a serious, probable concern.  Did it?  If not, fix the systems to make that happen.  In the last paragraph I'm advocating holding people responsible for doing their jobs because I'm convinced that there were human failures here.  Yet I know that wasn't all of it.  Systems need to be improved.

And if the FBI had investigated, could they have stopped this shooting?  A few states have a law that allows family members or police to petition a judge to remove gun rights to people who may become violent.  Florida is not one of those states. 

There were so many warning signs that Nicholas Cruz was going to become violent.  There were warning signs in Newtown, too. What have we done to change the way our agencies handle these signs?  I suspect they are underfunded and overworked.  That can be fixed or at least improved. 

We have not prioritized mental health care in this country for decades.  It's time that changed.  Those who oppose gun restrictions say this is a problem with the mentally ill and we should do more to treat them. True enough (though not the whole picture in my opinion) but what are we doing. Just blaming another problem doesn't get you off the hook.  We need our lawmakers in Washington and in our state governments to take this problem seriously and allocate funding accordingly.  There are plenty of things you can cut to make this happen because for all your calls for increased military spending, more Americans are dying at home.  The perpetrators of those crimes are US citizens or those who have been in this country most of their lives. 

This is an election year.  I hope that we will all not just vote for one party or another but to really listen to our candidates and really press them on the issues that matter to us.  "We get the government we deserve."  We have to do the work to make sure we get the government that serves us best.

Some Spring Photos

If you are like we are, you are ready for winter to be over, so over!  These photos reminded me that spring will be here.  Last year I did the glad planting.  Unfortunately with the bitter cold winter, we have probably lost a lot of those bulbs.  Normally we can leave them in the ground here and they come back year after year.  I think we will be planting more this spring to be sure we didn't lose everything to about 2 weeks of below freezing temperatures in January. 

Here's the process video for the page:



Thanks for visiting today!

2018 Objective - One Month In

A few weeks ago, I shared a page and a little about my objective for this year to be healthier by increasing my consumption of some foods, hopefully replacing some poorer choices and by increasing my activity level. 

So how am I doing?  In a couple of areas, fairly well.  I've been eating more chicken and fish and thus less red meat and pork.  Some weeks I have achieved my goal of red meat only once a week.  I would do more fish except my husband doesn't like really any white fish. I love flounder and tilapia but he cringes at the mere mention of them.  So I usually eat these when he is going to be traveling or out for the day.  With the bitterly cold January we have had, he has not been going out as much.  Plus it is just not the time of the year for many activities that would take him or me away for the day.  On the other hand, he could eat chicken every day. I'm the one who gets tired of it.  So I think this 'more chicken and fish' will continue to progress.

Another area that has gone well is, surprisingly, very surprisingly --- cleaning.  There is one problem when you go looking for dirt. You find it! Or at least I did.  Who knew there were so many dust bunnies in this house?  And who gave them a cute name like dust bunnies?  I like bunnies. Maybe that is why I've been so comfortable letting them live with me for so long. Well no more.  I've been vacuuming under and over things, walls and ceilings. I've had to get creative to reach some of them on pitched ceilings.  I'm sure there are tools for this but 1) I doubt I'll be this ambitious forever - it will get warm eventually and I can move onto the outside work and 2) I like the creativity of duct tapping the broom handle to the vacuum wand and adding a dryer sheet to the end to pick up the dust.

DH might not think this cleaning thing is so great because after I finished the main living areas of the house I started on the basement and the office - his spaces or at least what is supposed to be 'partially' his spaces.  Right now, he is in the basement cleaning out and organizing because frankly I couldn't even get to some of my cabinets for his stuff.  I think this is a good thing. I'm sure he would have been happy to step over and around stuff forever.

I have done some of most of the other things on the list including trying a new complex recipe that used several anti inflammatory spices. Chicken Tiki Masala was good but needs a 2nd effort to improve.

So what hasn't worked?  Having too many things to focus on each day.  My list was long and overwhelming.  For February I'm picking out one of the items to really focus on each day and continue with the cleaning and eating less red meat.

The weather has also worked against me in that I haven't gone outside to do any yard work all month.  This isn't entirely surprising but the below freezing temps for several days running is unuual  weather in NC.

On a positive note I'm making progress on a couple of other objectives I set for myself this year.  So I'm pleased with the start of 2018.

Did you set objectives or resolutions?  How are you doing?

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Pre Holiday trip part 2

The 2nd page from our Gatlinburg trip uses the same papers with a different arrangement of the photos.  This page and the last one could stand on their own except that I added the word 'and' to the title.  So you can look at this as the 2nd of a two pager or a complementary page, either one.

Here's the process video:



And don't forget that my classes are only available for purchase until noon on February 5, 2018.  Class videos will still be accessible for several months. Click on the Class tab to see classes available at the final price of $12 per class USD for several hours of video each.

Thanks for visiting!

Pre-Holiday trip Part 1

A few days before Thanksgiving, my husband, Mother and I went to Gatlinburg for a couple of days.  In scrapping this page, I used a holiday collection from Basic Grey.  I have another page coming along from the trip that is more nature oriented and the papers work for it, too.

Here's the process video:




And here is the Class Page.  Classes are available for purchase through February 5.

Thanks for visiting!

Final Class Sale

A special announcement regarding my classes...

For the last few years I have provided on-line scrapbook classes. I've truly enjoyed sharing my ideas with you.  While I plan to continue my YouTube videos as time allows, I am discontinuing the paid classes.  For the next two weeks, you can purchase any class at a reduced price of $12 (USD) per class.

Class videos and materials will be available through October 1, 2018.  If you have purchased or choose to purchase a class, please watch any videos or download class handouts before that date.  Videos are NOT downloadable.  After October 1, class materials including videos will no longer be available.

So that you will have plenty of time to view the videos, class sales will cease on Monday, February 5 at noon Eastern time.

Sketchbooks will still be available after February 5; however, the purchasing method will change.  I will provide more information on that option in February.  Sketchbooks are downloadable.  I do not plan to remove any videos linked in the sketchbooks.

I appreciate all of you who have purchased classes and/or sketchbooks.  I value your support so much.

Here is the page containing all the class descriptions -- Class Page

Good read

Last month I shared photos of bookmarks I made for my book club and mentioned that our December book was from a local author.  That author is Angela Pisel and she led the discussion for our meeting about her first novel, Love from the Inside.

The novel alternates telling the story of a mother and daughter. The mother is on death row and the daughter is leading what appears to be a wonderful life without acknowledging her mother at all.  Angela shared with us how she got the idea for the book and when she decided some important plot points.  We also discussed capital punishment particularly for the 50+ women on death row in the US.  She also told us about the writing and publishing process for a first time author.  It was a very interesting meeting and we are all anticipating her next book.  She didn't give us an exact date but I gathered it would not be that far into the future.

Love from the Inside can be difficult to read at times because of the sad nature of the story and the details of the prison system but it is definitely worth a read.  It's beautifully written capturing each character sympathetically and with grace.  One of the attendees had listened to it on audio and recommended that version as well.

On these bitterly cold days, it's good to have a book to curl up with and await spring.

2017 Resolution and 2018 Goal

One of the pages I most enjoy scrapping each year is my wrap up of accomplishments for the current year and plans for the new year including my goals and objectives.

This year I did not list out accomplishments of 2017. The year was filled with caregiving. It was also a very sad time as we lost my father in late summer.  Just as I was getting most of the estate processing finished, a tornado came through our area.  This is highly unusual for the foothills of western NC.  The mountains usually stop a storm. This one managed to travel 23 miles and was 3/4 of a mile wide.  Most of the damage was from downed trees.  It went right down my Mother's road and did quite a bit of damage around her home.  So we were very busy and my husband still is getting everything back to normal.  So, it was a painful year to reflect upon and everything I did revolved around a few major events.  I decided not to scrap the accomplishments and just look forward to 2018.

I would though like to take a moment to pat myself on the back for a couple of things.  I kept my New Year's Resolution.  A resolution is promising yourself to change a habit - drop a bad habit or form a new one.  I resolved to write in my journal every day. This is my regular journal which I type rather than write.  I can type a lot faster and it doesn't bother my hands.  And I did it!  I wrote every single day of 2017.  There were a couple of times where I had to write out my journaling as I'd already shut the computer down but every day got something even if it was 2 sentences.  Usually it was a few paragraphs.

I imagine when I look back at the journal years from now, I'll think "why did I write about all this mundane stuff?" or "boy, did I complain a lot back then," The journal was a good place to work out feelings and as well as capture memories. I also completed the 5 year journal which I talked about on my last blog post and layout.

I'm not going to make a new resolution for 2018 as I have a big goal I'm working on which I'll get to in a minute.  I want to continue to do my daily journaling.  I would like to improve my journaling and my outlook in that I look for something positive to write about each day.  Often there were positive happy comments in my journal but certainly not every day.  Even on the darkest day, I think you can find something positive, some way to be grateful.

One other thing I accomplished in 2017 was to finally lose a few extra pounds I've been carrying around the last few years.  That was on my objectives list more than a few times.  I lost a little more than planned due to stress and am at what I weighed in the 1990's.  I feel so much better.  My clothes fit better which was my main purpose.  (You know you truly hate to shop if I'd rather lose weight than buy new clothes :-)  I used Weight Watcher's old Points Plus system and it was just the right amount of structure for my lifestyle.

Now to the goal and objectives for 2018.

Perhaps it was losing my dad who I take after more than my mother or perhaps it is just my age, but I've been thinking a lot about what I will do when I'm older.  I chose not to have children - a choice that was perfect for me.  I am an only so I have no nieces or nephews either.  I have plenty of cousins and we get along but we aren't super close.  Plus I'd really like to move to another location at some point and probably won't be around my family.  I hope my husband and I have decades more together.  He is older so I have to face the fact that I might have some years alone.  Now we never know of course.  He might outlive me.  Heck, Mother might outlive me.  She's stronger than I am!

And that is another thing that has spurred my desire to make some changes in the new year.  I want to do what I can to have healthy older years so I can enjoy life, being active.

With that in mind, I came across some information recently on the anti-inflammatory diet. The one I was reading was cutting out sugar, gluten, dairy, red meat, alcohol and happiness- just kidding about the last one, sort of kidding.  I mean giving up bread and sweets?  Now this might be the best thing for me, for all many of us yet while I want a healthy old age, I want to do some living now.  So while the idea of reducing inflammation and thus medication I take for inflammation holds great appeal to me, enjoying food is also important. I think I can find a balance.

As far as I know my health is good but I know it can be better. I know that the things that cause heart disease, likely cancer and dementia are building up in our bodies for years.  Most of us need to move more and eat less - or at least less of certain foods.  I want to do what I can to prevent problems and still enjoy a full life.  The fact that my mother can lift more than I can is a bit embarrassing.  She's a gardener and truly loves nothing more than raking leaves, moving rocks around in her flower beds and keeping every inch of her yard pristine.  I do not.  She cares about making her house look perfect inside and out.  I do not.   So she is strong and I, I'm ashamed to admit, am not as strong as I should be.

Yet remember that bit about balance.  I doubt very much that at the end of 2018 my yard will look as pretty as hers but I hope it will look better.  Mostly I just hope that I am a physically stronger person.

I've come up with a list of things I can do each day to fill my stomach with healthier foods and hopefully then less of the unhealthy ones.  The list contains activities that will get me moving more.  I don't expect to do everything on the list every day, certainly not at first, but it is a goal to work toward.

In a few months, I hope to be not only stronger but have a little cleaner and more organized house and maybe even make a dent in the yard work as these chores are good places to get that increased activity.  Dh and I already walk whenever we can get decent weather.

So that's my plan and here is the layout that reflects my objective for 2018




Now I'm still a caregiver and of course I could have other issues that interfered with my plans.  I followed Weight Watchers though through some of the most hectic months of the year so I hope I can do this.   It might take 30 years to find out if it helped me but I hope I'll get a reasonably clean house and some new menu options in the short term.

Stay tuned to see how I'm progressing...

Happy New Year!