Layouts ... a Long Time Comin'

Well, finally I'm working on May of 2006. I thought I would share my progress since the last time I posted. My album is filling up ... Nice to have 16 new pages.

Goin' Green

I have been loving the spring-like weather we've had this month. However, "Wally the Weatherman" often reminds me of how much we need rain since we are below average. Perhaps ... but being the fair-weather walker that I am, it has been so nice to be out and about walking the neighborhood without getting soaked.
This month we have been goin' green on Saturdays. As soon as we get a few household chores done, we strap on a backpack and head for downtown Tualatin. We pick up a few groceries at Haggen's, return books at the library, use a 40% off coupon at Michael's and even include a Wendy's stop (a Walt "must"). We are saving $$$ on gas, getting exercise and fresh air plus running errands that are usually taken care of by car.
On the next nice Saturday we plan to continue north from the library and walk over to Bridgeport Village. Our reward will be -->Paradise Bakery & Cafe for tea and delicious cookies. I love the many possibilities for a great walk right near our own backyard.

Birthday Card Design

What fun it was to make a birthday card for Don ... BUT even more fun ... receiving a picture that Paula snapped of him holding the card we sent.
Glad to see you are feeling better, Don and celebrating your birthday. As Paula would say ... "We're only four years from sixty." : )

Photoshop Elements Brushes

I have been wanting to create my own brushes in Photoshop Elements ... brushes are similar to making a rubber stamp. Once the brush is "stamped" on a layout it can be resized, recolored, highlights added etc. and can be used over and over again.
After watching a tutorial online at Digi Scrapbook 101 I was determined to learn this new skill. I found some verses I especially like and could use on my card projects. And I was not disappointed ... it was so much easier than I thought.
I could hardly sleep that night just thinking of everything I wanted to turn into a brush. Here's a sample of a few things I've created.


























Well, I'm off for my walk ...

A Day Off : )

It's so nice to be home today ... I really am a homebody!
This morning I worked on scrapbooking Easter 2006 and I now have about a dozen layouts to send to Costco for printing. May 2006 here I come ... I'm really moving through the calendar of events. Who knows??? I just might get caught up one day soon.
I have been spending time in the kitchen. What a fragrant aroma ... I have a couple pots of soup simmering on the stove and Oktoberfest Pork Chops cooking in the electric skillet. It will be nice to come home and have dinner already prepared for the next few evenings.
I'm hoping after the next load of laundry dries to get out and go for a walk and perhaps take an afternoon nap. I need to get energized for Bunco tonight!
Well, it's off to the kitchen to wash stacks of pots and pans. Hope you are enJOYing your day.

Because No One Should Go Hungry ...

I guess 2009 has found me MIA on my blog ... not intentionally but probably more due to trying to get life back on track after illness, busy schedules etc. Now I'm feeling better and ready to get back to those things that bring JOY to my heart.
What a great Valentine's Day celebration ... many new experiences, new tastes, new JOYs.
Our day started off at 8:00 a.m. at the TCC parking lot meeting the Tuesday @ Five group + our husbands. During our Bible studies we have been challenged to make service a part of our life. We have been wanting to find a way to put "hands and feet" to what we've taken into our hearts. Thanks, Melney for coordinating this wonderful service event. We journeyed over to the Oregon Food Bank, which just happens to be located in our childhood stomping ground ... right across from Riverside Little League.
Our group was assigned to the Food Recovery Center. It's a fast-paced, food sorting adventure. There were various job assignments ... some assembled boxes, a crew un-boxed huge boxes of donated non-perishable food, others read food labels to determine the product was peanut-free. Then the excitement began ... the food items traveled down a conveyor belt and a group stood ready to fill boxes to the brim. Finally, the filled boxes rapidly moved down the conveyor belt to be sealed and stacked on pallets. The conveyor belt brought back childhood memories of the TV show Lucy and the chocolate factory episode!
Volunteering here is quite an organized effort. I was on "tape gun" detail and became quite proficient at it : ) while Walt assembled boxes in the first-stage process -- (pictures to follow) What a fun, meaningful way to give of your time. When you have completed the day's task the volunteer team gives you statistics on what was accomplished during your shift. Each person volunteering in the Food Recovery Center fed 322 people from our efforts! It's amazing what can be done in only a few hours when people work together for a great cause.
I would definitely volunteer here again. In fact, during my summer break I would love to spend time volunteering there. They even have a garden! If you are interested in being a part of this program, call 503.972.2993 or volunteer@oregonfoodbank.org.
To satisfy our hunger our group drove downtown to Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery for a delicious lunch. I have never been disappointed with anything I've ordered off their menu. Next time I'm ordering their soft pretzel appetizer. YUM ... just a one-bite sample sold me!
Our evening was a great new experience ... dining at McCormick & Schmick's in Bridgeport with the Dehaze's. We celebrated Valentine's Day and their 33rd anniversary with a delicious meal, great conversation, and the JOY of spending time with such dear friends. The restaurant was extremely busy ... a five hour wait to be seated and they had nearly 850 reservations for Valentine dinner. Our celebration wasn't finished there ... we went over to Donna & Pierre's and played a very competitive round of Rummikub while listening to the "oldies." Pierre's decadent dessert, Creme Brulee finished off our evening.
What an amazing day! Now back to reality ... and fewer calories : )

Jello and Seeing Stars

You may find that title a little strange ... but I know my Bible study ladies will get it right away. We are studying Linda Dillow's book, Calm My Anxious Heart. It is a study on finding contentment. On page 25 a story features a young bride married to a Marine and living in a foreign country. She wrote a letter home to mom listing her complaints and unhappiness. Her mother faxed a two-line reply:
Two women looked through prison bars
One saw mud, the other saw stars.

So, how does this figure in with Jello ....
Monday morning I woke up feeling terrible. I wondered if it was due to a busy weekend or did I eat something with the ingredient: peanut butter? By late afternoon I knew I was heading into the Perfect Storm ... the flu : ( I decided early on to fore go food and stick with only a water diet. After 24-hours I was starting to feel hunger pangs. Walt brought home several snack-pack Jello cups ... and I lifted my eyes to see stars. It has been a while since I've enjoyed Jello that much. I gave thanks with each spoonful.
I'm still feeling a little on edge health-wise but I'm thankful to be in a warm house, seeing beautiful blue sky through the windows, having a hot shower, a husband who takes care of me, sick-leave from work ... and yes ... even Jello!
It has been a rough couple of days but I now feel I'm heading toward the side of restored health.
Stay Well!!!

Newness in the Air

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die
a time to plant and a time to uproot
a time to kill and a time to heal
a time to tear down and a time to build
a time to weep and a time to laugh
a time to mourn and a time to dance
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them
a time to embrace and a time to refrain
a time to search and a time to give up
a time to keep and a time to throw away
a time to tear and a time to mend
a time to be silent and a time to speak
a time to love and a time to hate
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecc 3:7

Yes ... during January my blog was a bit "silent." Readers have pointed out that I haven't posted in a while ... but now it's time to exhale, take a deep breath ... breathe ... move forward.
I love flipping the calendar to a new month ... especially February. Even though it is still winter you can see signs of spring ... new growth, sweet fragrances, bulbs reaching up through the dirt, daylight is a bit longer, occasionally you have the opportunity wear sunglasses and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. It is a time for new beginnings ... new hope.
And the first square of the calendar did not disappoint ...

• Sunday morning we were uplifted with a great service at church. Listen to "Let Down Your Nets." If you are feeling discouraged, you will find new strength in Dick's message on Luke 5:1-9.
• Had lunch with the kids/grandkids. They make even Wendy's a feast.
• Watched the Superbowl with the Gears. I'm not much in to football but I have to admit that was a great game to watch. Since I'm not familiar with the teams I usually pick the "underdog" so I was cheering on the Cardinals. What a great comeback! The Steelers answered back well to take the win. What a fun day with dear friends!

Even though Punxsutawney Pete and Wally's Weather Moment are predicting an extended winter, I feel a breeze of "newness" in the air : )