Show and Tell Friday: The Newest Addition to My Library

Scrapbooks - An American History by Jessica Helfand

Available at Amazon.com

About a week ago, I was surfing my favorite online store, Amazon.com. I found this book on scrapbooks. Its called Scrapbooks, An American History by Jessica Helfand. The book isn't an instruction book, but rather a history book on old scrapbooks. The Amazon listing had some related videos to watch as well, and I was instantly drawn in to seeing more. So I bought the book and it arrived today. I've only thumbed through it but on first glance, I can't wait to dive into it and savor it this weekend! The photographs are beautiful too.

I've often thought I needed to start keeping scrapbooks like my grandmother did, which were really more like what we refer to as journals.

Grandma (pictured at left) filled up many scrapbook journals during her long life. I was lucky to have been given one after she died. Reading it gave me such personal closeness and insight to who my grandmother was inside. I knew my grandmother well, but it was seeing this wonderful collection of mementos, clippings and reading her personal thoughts, that made her even more special in my eyes and touched my heart. It showed me that no matter how many things we accumulate during our lifetime--its the heartfelt moments of one's life that make living it and sharing it special.

Coincidentally, my dear aunt sent me a package this week and in it was a blank journal. She said she wanted me to keep one because it was a family "tradition" of sorts and wrote how special reading her recently deceased husband's was to her. In it he referred to my aunt as "the most wonderful and beautiful woman in the world". I know how much it means to her to read those words after he left this world (due to Parkinson's Disease) a few years ago. More proof that the material things in life don't matter, but the deep words from the heart and the memories left behind us, do.

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NOTE:

It got to spend some time looking through this fabulous book last night. It's wonderful! In fact I had a difficult time putting it down.

I was delighted to see photos of "ordinary" things people find meaningful and saved between the pages of a scrapbook. I feel that today's scrapbooks have more more emphasis on page design and embellishments than they do putting pieces of their heart into them--or reflecting the story of those moments. This book is giving me more direction into what should go into a scrapbook or journal. If I'm going to spend the time preserving family photos and memorabilia, I should go an extra step and write about the moment for future generations to realize my life was more than simply a series of photographs.

Show and Tell Friday is sponsored by Kelli at There's No Place Like home. Please pay her and other participating blogs here. Thank you to Kelli and all!



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Remembering Violets

I was looking at this pretty vintage postcard just the other day, and I suddenly could almost smell the scent of my grandmother's violets. They are such a lovely old fashioned flower and a sweet reminder of someone I love.

Grandma had some planted under some flowering trees in her beautiful yard. She had several acres of lovely flowers and trees. She raised mostly iris, but I can recall how sweet the violets were. The contrast of the purple shades against dark green foliage always caught my eye. The flowers spread like a cool fragrant carpet in the spring. I would pick tiny bouquets to put in the cups my toy china tea set.

I must see if I can find a place to plant violets.

• The American Violet Society
• Sweet Violets
• Growing Violets

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Violets

Under the green hedges, after the snow,
There do the dear little violets grow;
Hiding their modest and beautiful heads
Under the hawthorn in soft mossy beds.

Sweet as the roses and blue as the sky
Down there do the dear little violets lie;
Hiding their heads where scarce may be seen,
By the leaves you may know where the violet hath been.

--John Moultrie

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Signs of Spring

As I was driving home from work today, I noticed that many of the homes in the area have daffodils and crocus blooming. I've seen forsythia bushes bursting out in a happy yellow color and our neighbor has a flowering quince in full bloom. I also observed several robins in the park by the office. The temperatures are moderating and the days are getting longer. Surely spring can't be far off.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

1 cup butter
1 cup margarine
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine butter and margarine in a medium bowl and mix on medium speed. Slowly add in other ingredients and whip until everything is evenly distributed. Refrigerate before using.

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My Valentine

Valentine's Day is over but the memories of this special day will linger on. My guy made me a gorgeous handmade valentine featuring some of our wedding photos, lovely sentiments and two tickets to go see the ballet! We had a wonderful evening and the ballet was spectacular. I will remember it always.

Tell me about your Valentine's Day.
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Pretty Things Found On Flickr

a pink felt bird
a felt heart ornament
a lovely altered box
some beaded flowers
a scrappy Valentine
a decoupaged lamp shade
a wallpaper fairy wand
a Marie Antoinette fairy
a captured fairy in a jar (I have one of her captured fairies!)
fairy art card
beautiful altered jars

A little online fun...

http://www.photofunia.com

The wait is over!

Dale has a Dell. At long last, his wait is over. Dale is busy setting up his new laptop computer and loving every minute of it.

Peek A Boo!

I found Kermit hiding in my china cabinet next to a tea cup!
He's probably avoiding Miss Piggy.

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Home Alone - Just me, myself and I

Self portrait photo collage

I stayed home from work today because I wasn't feeling very well. I find that I don't like being home by myself. Even with all the many interests and hobbies I have that I often lament I don't spend enough time on, I find that I much prefer being at work with all the cheerful, happy people--or having Dale's loving presence in the room. It's much too quiet here during the day. Chip is out sunning himself in the back yard with Binx, the neighbor kitty.


I could retire in another year, but I honestly don't think I will. I much prefer working and I really LOVE that paycheck.

A Time to Read

Something amazing has happened. After many years of suffering with a low attention span and being unable concentrate for any substantial period of time--I am finding that I can enjoy reading once again. Its so great to be able to get through a magazine article or pages in a book without my mind wandering.

I really feel the reason this has happened is due to my finding such complete happiness and contentment in life--at last. In the recent past, I had so many fears and worries (real ones) that I was totally unable to concentrate on anything else--much less "escape" by reading.

I like it!