It All Started With a Simple Request ...

My Youngest Son asked if we could frame the "Certificate of Achievement" certificate he received at his Grade 8 Farewell ceremony. I said that we could do that ... then he came home the next day with an 8 1/2" X 11" picture of the Grade 8 class which was just as frame-worthy. Then ... came a "Perfect Attendance" certificate of the same dimensions.

I wandered into the photo frame department to check out the frames and see what I could do with all of these acknowledgements. One diploma-sized frame cost around $16.00! Multiply that by three?? Yikes! The cheap skate side of me could not justify the cost. Besides, he still had some photos-with-friends and the plaque that he received for his award. How could we encapsulate all of those memories without breaking the bank?

I had a brain storm. I could scan each of the 8 1/2" X 11" documents and shrink them down to a 4" X 6" size; take a picture of his award; and print off the friend-pictures and create a photo collage. I haven't gotten the frame yet but I like the effect thus far.

But what does one do with the actual documents to preserve their integrity and the memories that go with them?

An idea that a friend suggested for family memories came to the forefront of my mind. I purchased some sheet protectors and a 3" binder and a project was born.

We pulled out old report cards, class photos over the course of My Youngest's elementary years, his individual school photos for each grade, journals, cards he made ... you name it. We added it to the Memory Book. And we have the ability to add, change, remove and shuffle the memories around as the years go on. It is a book that has the ability to grow with him.

And ... in the process, we started the process of culling through a closet shelf and keeping what is important to us.

I bought a second binder for myself. I have a box full of memories that need to be culled and organized. It will be a fun project ...

But in the meantime, I am thinking that I should utilize these tools to organize that which I have collected for Dad's family's memory book. I have a box full of research which is full of unorganized information. I have 156 pages in a Word Document that need to be edited, revamped, organized and put into story-fashion. I do believe that if I put my mind to it, I could start the process of putting all of this together. Soon.

Thanks to a great idea from a very good friend ... I believe that I have found the tools that I need to start pulling these memories together and creating something to share with the family.

And all of this started because My Youngest asked for a frame for his certificate ...

Summer of 2012 ... Week One

As I find myself easing into the summer holiday/work season, I am grateful for many things:

• Feet that work! I have worked four consecutive days where I have been on my feet all day. The only complaint that I had was when I wore sandals the first day. Once I switched back into a fully enclosed shoe with the support that my orthotics needed, my feet felt tired. But not sore. They didn't throb. My bunions were a non-issue. This must be how it feels to have 'normal' feet. I'm lovin' it!! Score another one for my amazing podiatrist and the wonder-orthotics that he has working for me. At this rate, I'll eventually make my way back to the dance studio!
• Last weekend. I'm grateful that I enjoyed the days in a leisurely fashion and spent time with people that matter to me. I didn't know how this week would unfold and I'm glad that I went into Week #1 of my summer work schedule feeling ready to tackle whatever the week would bring.
• A schedule. Job #2 comes with a two-week schedule. Granted, this schedule comes with the caveat. The phone can (and does) ring and alter what I thought the day would bring. But ... I have the option to decline any changes that don't suit me. And ... I have the benefit of making myself unavailable to work as long as they receive enough notice. I feel like I have some flexibility. When it comes to the need to have a second job ... flexibility is key.
• Consecutive days off. So far, so good. These days may not land on a weekend, but that is okay. I would much prefer to have two to three days off in a row, verses a day of here, there and anywhere. It leaves me with the feeling that I can still have a life. And plan!!
• Income. I didn't know if I could afford an uncertain financial state throughout the summer if I had no idea what the fall would bring. I had high hopes that I would be have a full-time position at Job #1 this fall. Things could still change ... but I have been guaranteed one thing. A (.3) position. One and a half days of guaranteed work at the contract rate of pay. And ... I do have a second job to continue to subsidize the variable income factor. I still have a back-up-plan to fall back on. I am grateful that one year after my initial leap of faith, I didn't need to rely on the emergency back-up fund that I had liquidated.
• Hopes and dreams. Yes, I still have room to dream even though this summer isn't unfolding the way that I thought it would. I may not have endless time with little or no structure. But I see a summer unfolding where I can create what I need, with the time that I have been given.

I am one week in to summer vacation. By the end of this weekend, I will have worked six out of ten days ... followed by three consecutive days off.

It may not be a summer of leisure. But as it is with everything else in my life, I know with great certainty that when I am looking back upon the Summer of 2012 ... I will see that it was everything that I needed it to be. It always is.

It's All About Priorities

I am finding that there is a lot that I like about being on the substitute list at work. In the (almost) eleven months that I have been with my employer, I have worked at 25 different locations. For a girl who loves routine, comfort and security ... I can't believe that I'm saying this. But I have actually enjoyed the variety once I learned to relax and go with the flow.

As I worked my way through the system, I was surprised at how many people have two jobs. As a substitute, with a variable income I understand the need. But what made me stop and think, is the number of people who hold onto that second (or third) job once they are working full-time. If a person is working in a 10-month position, I get it. But those that are in a 12-month position and still juggling numerous jobs? It makes me stop and pause.

Our world is changing. It is nothing unusual for people to have a mortgage of a quarter or half a million dollars. Housing prices have gone through the roof and it takes creative budgeting to manage a mortgage payment. Then there are the bills, taxes and insurance; upkeep and maintenance; the high costs of owning and maintaining a vehicle; and our ever-increasing costs of living.

Debt loads are high. How many people own their car ... let alone their house? I hate to think of the average amount of credit card debt that is carried forward from month to month. Year to year.

Simply paying the bills is becoming a daunting task. Then you add 'wants' onto that list?? And you are looking at the need for a second income.

I have listened to the stories of those that I work with. Certainly, there are people that are doing what needs to be done. A two-income family is suddenly downsized to one income. How many people does this affect? Loss of a job; marital break-down; illness or injury. It could happen to anyone. And it does.

I get it. We do what we have to do to get by. But what if .... what if a person was working all of those jobs because their house is not a home that they want to return to? What if ... their home does not provide the sense of calmness and security that we all need?

Money can't buy a happy home. When I remember and reflect on that, I know how rich that I am.

I lead a simple life. My debt load is minimal compared to most. I just realized that I will be able to pay all of my bills with the 1.5 day position that I was hired for, this fall. Anything above that goes to cover food, gas and spending. Six days of work per month pays my bills.

I want to go home at night. I savor my days off at home. Our home feels safe, secure and I feel happy within these walls. I love inviting family and friends into our home. I want to be here. I would love nothing more than to find a way to earn a living within these walls ... I remember commenting that "Everything that I need is under this roof", when I worked from home. I long to say that again.

I hope that I will always feel this richness within. I hope that work never becomes my escape. If our house becomes a place that I do not want to come home to ... no amount of money could cover that deficit.

I am working like I don't need the money. It is a very good place to be.

It's all about priorities. I like where mine are at.

Sum-Sum-Summer Time!

When I was hired to work within the school system, visions of summer holidays danced through my mind. I didn't know how I would be able to afford two months off in the summer, but where there is a will there is a way. And I knew I would find a way.

As I step into the last half of the first week of summer holidays I do not see the summer that I was anticipating.

Work. I must be ready, willing and able to work. And I am. I am scheduled to work quite steadily throughout the month of July. While this is a good thing and I appreciate how fortunate that I am, it is disheartening because the majority of the hours are 4 hour shifts at minimum wage. I could earn the same dollar amount by working two, 7 hour shifts at my first job as I do by working five, 4 hour shifts at my second place of employment. Sigh.

What this boils down to is an erosion of the time available to work on that-which-I-planned-to-accomplish this summer.

I don't do well when I have small pockets of time to accomplish 'big' things. I know that I must relearn the art of squeezing in what I can, with what I've got. I know that once I sink my teeth into something that matters to me, I gain a momentum where I can make things happen.

I thought I would have the gift of time this summer. Time to put the challenges of the year behind me, take a breath and breathe new life into an old project. Time to dust off an old idea and pursue it. Or even making the time to clean this 'old' house!!

What were my goals before my plans were derailed?

• Take time to be quiet with my thoughts. Down time. Alone time. Time to reflect.
• Write. Write. And write some more. My dad's family history book. Some thoughtful and reflective words for the columns that I write. Write cards, notes and emails to friends and family whenever the urge strikes.
• Dejunk, declutter and rid this house of that-which-we-no-longer-need. The excess is weighing me down. I can feel it at every turn.
• A Retreat. One for myself. One with My Youngest. One with friends.
• Follow through on my plan to meet up with a cousin. I initiated this idea around the same time that a lot of my other Great Ideas got derailed. Following through with the intent that I originally had is symbolic. I have let too many passions and ideas fall through my fingers this past year. A part of me which had sprung to life and was thriving ... is dying a slow death.

I know what I want to do. I see what I need to do. I can visualize the reality of one goal bleeding into the next.

There is no limit as to where this summer could lead. No matter what I perceive my limitations to be. I just need to take one step in a forward direction.

Be Careful What You Put Out There ...

I make a conscious attempt to spend my words carefully. My mom taught me from a very young age "be careful what you put in writing ..." and for the most part I adhere to her advise.

I am more liberal when it comes to the spoken word. When we first moved to Our New City, I soon realized just how small this community is, when it seemed as though there were about two or three degrees of separation from a lot of people you talked with. I remember thinking that I would never talk about anyone, because the chances of someone knowing someone who knew that person were great. I can't say that I have never said something that I couldn't have said in front of the person I was talking about ... but I continually remind myself of this promise I once made. And I do my best.

Last Monday I posted this quote on "Watch Your Thoughts". It reminded me to start with my thoughts. If I am thinking negatively, it seeps out into my words, my writing and into my entire being.

A few days ago I read a Mountain Wings post "Beware of your SENDS". He wrote of an email that he received in error. The author of the email wrote about the person she accidentally emailed (the email was intended to go to another party) ... thankfully the words were complimentary. But this could have just as easily gone the other way. I liked how this lesson was summed up: "It teaches all of us a good lesson. Whatever you write or speak, write it or speak it as if the other person might read or hear it." It was a very good reminder of the way I strive to live.

Thanks to the words that I have found myself reading, I have been acutely aware of speaking as if the other person may read or hear it. It made yesterday's chance encounter one that makes me smile ...

I am working at yet another new location this week. There were four of us in the office. I had worked with one of the girls (for a day) before but as per usual, I was a stranger in their midst.

We got to talking and because it a rather quiet day around us, we had the chance to stop and have coffee together and visit as we worked. It was a very enjoyable atmosphere to work in and I was revelling in the day.

Primarily, we spoke of our families but we did veer off course as we discussed relationships and their demise. I kept my end of the conversation quite philosophical and distant. I've known heartbreak and disappointment and I can empathize when someone is in the raw state of healing. We volleyed words back and forth between us and I think that each of us got the feeling that the other guy 'got it'. It was just one of those times when few details needed to be exchanged. You knew. Because you had been there.

Fast forward to our next coffee break.

We were sitting around the table and as one thing led to another, two of us discovered that we were separated by only one degree of separation. We would have been sister-in-laws if I had married the man I was engaged to. How we never met in all of the years that I was seeing this man is a point to ponder. Each of us knew of the other ... but we had never crossed paths. Had our conversation not veered off in the direction that it did, we would have walked away from the day none-the-wiser.

The minute we discovered that we were 'almost related', the day flashed before my eyes. What had I said? Did I say anything that I wish that I hadn't? To my great relief, the answer was "No". I had not said anything that I couldn't have said in front of my ex.

Thanks Mom, for the wisdom of your teaching. You taught me at a very young age to be careful what I put out there. Thank you World, for bringing gentle reminders into my vision so that I don't forget.

Be gentle with your words. You never know who is listening ...

Out With the Old ... In With More of the Same!

The time had come. My purse strap was literally two threads away from snapping in half. I needed a new purse.

So ... while I was out on a 'hair save mission' (bad haircuts seem to run in three's; this was my third hair cut in ten days), I decided to dash down the mall and see if I could find a replacement purse in five minutes or less. Not because I was running short on time, but because that was all of the energy I felt like devoting to the task.

The friendly young clerk quickly came to my assistance and asked if I needed help. I showed her my purse and said that I would like a duplicate of what I already had. And voila! She found this for me:

I was over the moon! This was a no-brainer and I would be out of the store quicker than I thought. That was until ... she told me that there was "Buy One; Get the Second Half-Price" special. Oh no!

My Youngest could use a new back-pack. But I didn't dare choose one without him along with me. I could probably use an insulated lunch bag, but I couldn't find one that I could discretely slip into my 'work-bag'. I looked and looked. My five minutes were up and I was itching to get out of the store. So ... I settled on this:


Another purse of the same color.

Whew! I have saved myself the angst of having to buy another purse for at least five years or more.

The sad part? Even though the second purse was half price, it brought me well over the amount that I was comfortable spending. Whoops. Sometimes a good deal isn't such a good deal when it throws your budget for a loop.

But for me? It is always good to know that I have a spare of something that works for me.

They say, "If it's not broken, don't fix it." I say, "If it is broken and you must replace it, find one exactly the same!"

My Retro Little Life of Contentment

I do believe that the time has come for me to take a step into the current decade ...

Three out of four of our VCR's in our house do not work in some capacity. Up until last night, I could record on the VCR in the living room and play it back in my bedroom  ... but this morning, upon rewinding the tape and trying to play it, something went amiss. I heard that most horrible sound of tape getting caught up in the mechanisms and I knew that I would not be watching the last half of "Signs" today.

I may have to investigate getting a PVR or a DVR or whatever current video recording devise is on the market. I can see our video tape collection flash before my eyes. I can accept that and move on ... but it is the home videos that my brother made that I hate to lose.

My new-to-me 1997 vehicle is state of the art. It has all of the music capabilities of its time and then some. An AM/FM; cassette/CD concert sound system rocks my world where ever I go. Ever since I lost my radio in lieu of a CD player in my previous car, I am over-the-moon to have a radio ... let alone the other frills this car comes with. Yet ... what is this that I see in the newer vehicles? Satellite radio? IPods that you plug and play? A UHB port so that you can download your playlist into some computer chip in your car? Am I even close to understanding our new reality??? You can see that I am not ready to step into that brave new world.

Cell phones. Let's not even go there. I have no desire to be any more connected to the world than I already am. When I am at home, it is as though our computer has a magnetic pull and I cannot sit through a commercial, walk by the living room or sit still if I think that there is even a remote possibility that I may have received an email or someone may have updated their blog or maybe there is some new Facebook status that I haven't read. This is CRAZY!! Do I need a phone with a data plan so that I can carry this addiction with me where ever I go? I think not. Yet ... the idea of getting a plan so that my phone can 'talk' to my netbook so that I can feed my internet addiction when I am not in a Wi-Fi zone when I am away from home sounds rather alluring at times. But for now, my cell phone continues to be my electronic phonebook and a tool that I use for my convenience (my Oldest son has often chided me that all I need is an outbound call cell plan, since I never answer my phone).

Then there are our TV's. I am not fussy when it comes to televisions. We don't own a flat-screen TV (LCD or plasma or whatever other choices are out there). The TV in the living room does not even go past Channel 99 (nor does the DVD/VCR player that is connected to it as I recently tried to tune into Channel 113 and would have had to go to my room to find a device that aired three-digit channels). I am just as content to watch a 12" tube TV, as I am to watch any other electronic contraption which plays my TV programs. Since our VCR's no longer reliably record and/or play back shows any more, I watched all of the episodes of my favorite shows that I missed on the computer with its variety of delays, freezing up and having to restart from the beginning or watch another day. There is nothing quite like watching 'Dancing With the Stars', when the video doesn't quite keep up with the audio. This is how little things like pixel resolution, pixel orbiting, contrast ratio and burn-in susceptability matter to me (yes, I had to Google "LCD verses plasma" to find a vocabulary for that last sentence). I just want a TV that tunes into the channels we have available. And a remote control is nice ...

Don't even get me started on how backwards (or is it okay to call it 'retro'?) our house is! My newest addiction is tuning into the Home & Garden network (I watch this in a continual loop all day, in between checking for emails & blog updates). I cannot even begin to guess what people would have to say about our basic, tidy and barely maintained 1965 bungalow if we were to have an open house. But have no fear ... I think Mike Holmes would have the place condemned before we opened the doors. Never have I worried more about all that is hidden behind our ceilings, walls and attic space.

I was quite content living in my backwards little world until ... I woke up this morning and couldn't play back the last half of the movie "Signs". I think if I can just watch that last hour of my movie, the world will spin back on its axis and I can continue to live a quiet, content life in the backwoods.