Farewell September... Hello Apples

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I realize the end of September doesn't cause apples to fall to the ground, but it has always been "apple time" of year for me.  My home town has an Apple Festival every year.  It used to be the last weekend of September and now it's the first weekend of October. Either way, it's this weekend!

Growing up in "apple country" spoiled me.  When I first moved here, I bought apples upon apples from the grocery store, almost always to toss them.  Or make them into homemade applesauce.  None were edible... at least not to me.  I guess that makes me an apple snob (among other things).  I guess, growing up where I did, it was just what you got... fresh apples off the tree. I don't remember buying them from a grocery store back home.  Perhaps we did, but I seriously don't remember doing so.  They all came from a local apple producer.  We were friends with some of them, so I remember going to their house for apples or getting apples from their roadside stand.  We had apple trees (sour apples) in our neighbor's yard.  Apples, apples, everwhere!

I've lived here for nearly sixteen years now.  I still have a very hard time biting into a grocery store apple.  We used to have a little farmer's market that would set up over the summer near my house and stay there long enough to sell apples.  I would buy a half-bushel just to get me to the holidays and my pie making season.  But they close up early now and it's early enough that they don't have apples. 

It was brought to my attention that we have apple growers on the outskirts of our city... I guess I never really realized that, having been spoiled with friends and neighbors as growers where I grew up.  I think I will eventually have to make my way to these produce producers (hah!)... I hear they grow great peaches and pumpkins too.

But this year, I think I'm going to get some apples from "home".

I truly hope they are as good as I remember them to be.

Today I Learned...

... that friends pop up from the weirdest corners, when you least expect it.
... that cyber hugs, while I give them freely, really do feel good when received (thank you my comment-givers!  You all brought sunshine into my day today.)
... that good advice from someone you trust is truly valuable... no, it's really priceless.
... that honesty received when you specifically ask for it is just as valuable as good advice, even if it's not exactly what you want to hear.
... that taking care of myself needs to happen more often than it currently does (thanks L).
... in the face of terrible things, there is beauty and sunshine to see and experience and enjoy... and in the midst of those "bad" things, it's okay to feel those "good" things.
... despite the issues I'm having with my pets, I still love them and want them as long as possible  (even if my house doesn't smell very good right now).
... that smiling, even when you really don't feel like it, really does reap rewards.
... that being super-observant is fun... because you can surprise people later on with the random things you know.
... rainy Tuesdays are worse than rainy Mondays.
... dreaming that today is Wednesday when it is Tuesday can really mess up your personal time-line!
... daylight savings time ends much later than I thought!  (November 7th)
... giving low-rated movies a chance can really surprise you with some really good entertainment!  I encourage you to watch one or two.
... if I don't write something down, or email it to myself, I quickly forget what my intentions/needs are.
... cinnamon is a wonderful fall scent.

What did you learn today?

Missing Pieces

Sometimes you meet someone you really want to be close friends with... get to know... maybe you see a little of yourself in him or her... or maybe you see someone you want to be more like.  You feel a connection.  You think they do too.  You want so much to be best buds and share the world together.  But ... sometimes these people don't want to be your friend. 

That's Hard.  But It's Okay.

I have gone through much of my life wanting to find that kindred spirit-type of friendship.  The one where you laugh, you cry, you share... all without speaking a word.  Over the years, I have met one or two of those people who just "click" when I was with them.  But for whatever reason, those friendships haven't stuck.  It's as if I wanted to be friends... close friends... with that person, but that person didn't feel the same about me, even though they appeared to enjoy spending time with me.  Over the years, I have been pretty severely hurt by this.  Two people in college... one or two friends since I moved out of state... and even now there are "friends" in my life who hold me at a distance.  Of course, we live quite a distance apart so perhaps I feel that as well.  Perhaps I hold myself at somewhat of a distance now, out of self-preservation.

But they are people who interest me to no end... who draw me in with their kindness, their passion for {insert topic here}, their creativity, their empathy, their love of life, their ... sameness... in their struggles.  I yearn to know them better, deeper... to have that kindred call answered and responded to in kind.  To find those missing pieces.

But sometimes...most of the time... I must accept that it is not meant to be.  And sometimes...most of the time... I need to accept that there is no apparent reason for this.

And it's hard, but it's okay.

Forgotten Details...

While the temperatures have dipped dramatically over the past 48 hours (it was in the 90's Thursday and Friday and today our "high" was 65), no, this photo is not from my outdoors... at least not today.

I went on a scrapbooking retreat two weekends ago now (considering I'm at the end of this weekend).  It seems sooo much longer than that and I am ready for another scrappy "time out".  I promised I'd post a few of my layouts and I took the pictures and than BAM! for some reason, the post never happened.

Well, better late than never, I always say... and I'm late quite a bit. 

This one was of an ice storm that hit us hard in 2004.  Yes, I'm a very behind scrapper.  Actually, I do not scrapbook chronologically at all, so you never know what you're gonna get out of me.  Anyway, the photos were taken five days after the actual storm, and the ice was still this thick.  The damage was crazy.  We didn't have power that entire time.  I "celebrated" getting power back by walking around the neighborhood to take these photos.  The worst part about the whole thing is the storm occurred the night before Christmas Eve.  It was, hands down, one of the worst Christmases I've ever lived through.  Despite all of those cranky memories, I am very pleased with this layout... it's very shiny in real life. 

This layout is just one more of many that I have done on Boldt Castle.  These photos are old, as well... this trip was in 2006.  My happy children were so pleased to pose for me.  Hahahahah.  Boldt Castle is a castle on an island (Heart Island) in the middle of the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands of New York.  My parents used to have a camp on a nearby lake... my heart and soul of a vacation home... and we would stay there weeks and weekends in the summers for my whole entire life.  Boldt Castle can be reached via Alexandria Bay, New York, and our cottage was near there.  This trip was my last to that vacation spot.  I knew that when I went... I went to say my "good-byes".  My dad had to sell the land, and while I wish so very much I could have bought it, I knew then it wasn't to be.  Boldt Castle has a great history... if you are ever up in the Thousand Islands area, I whole-heartedly recommend a visit to Alexandria Bay and Boldt Castle!  I know I'll go back again... it won't be the same... but I'll be there again, I know it.

Well, that's all I have for you today.  I spent most of my time working on my youngest's graduation album (each of my kids have received an album detailing birth to high school graduation).  She entered high school this year so I wanted to knock out a bunch for her book as I have a very bad procrastination habit.  I did a few holidays too, but I can guarantee you that if I posted them online, I'd have three kids hunting me down to kill me (bed heads anyone?) so those will just be slipped quietly into albums.

I got a little scrappy today, too, for SFTIO.  This month is Enlightenment and I just had to get my hands on the kit and work on one of their challenges.  That one is a little too personal to post here.  Next month's emotion is great though... perhaps I'll get a few of those knocked out and shared here. 

Keep your fingers crossed.  I am.

Super Harvest Moon and Other Lunar Tidbits...

Last night was the Harvest Moon. Actually, it was technically the Super Harvest Moon.  I took a photo of it (many times - see my previous post for details).  I wanted to thank Cheri and Bernice for their very flattering comments, I so appreciate your perspective and agree  - I really do like that photo.  It was the best one of the thousands I shot.  Thank goodness for digital cameras, right?

The reason last night's moon is the Super Harvest Moon is because it happened with 24 hours of the autumnal equinox (first official day of fall, marked by the sun's relationship to the earth's equator).  Actually, if you want to get really technical, the autumnal equinox is a "time" not a full day, but hey, we always like to make events a full day.  It's better for celebrating, after all. 

The Super Harvest Moon occurred this year only 5 1/2 hours after the autumnal equinox.

BUT.

Every year has a "harvest moon" and it is the full moon closest to the first day of fall.  Sometimes it happens before that day, sometimes after.

Why is it called the harvest moon?  Because it's light is so bright that it allows farmers to work later into the night -  by moonlight -  and get their crops harvested before time ran out and winter set in.

When I was checking my facts (yes, I do that... I'd hate to be spouting an old wives tale to my friends out in cyber-space), I discovered other random tidbits... check it out:

• The Harvest Moon occurs in September most of the time, but occasionally occurs in October, about once every 3-4 years.
• The full moon has a name (different depending on the culture) for every month...January = Wolf Moon, February = Snow Moon, March = Worm Moon, April = Pink Moon, May = Flower Moon, June = Strawberry Moon, July = Buck Moon, August = Sturgeon Moon, September = Harvest Moon, October = Hunter's Moon, November = Beaver Moon, December = Cold Moon.
• Contrary to popular believe, a "Blue Moon", as in "once in a blue moon" is not blue, nor is it called that because it is the full moon that occurs second in a month that already had a full moon.  No, it is the third full moon of a "season" of four full moons.

Are you mooned out?  I'm not.  In fact... tidbit about me... I'm a total sky watcher.  This sometimes makes me a bit of a dangerous driver.  I'm sorry.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.... tomorrow...

Sing with me... "bluuuuuue mooooon... you saw me standing alooooone... without a dream in my heeaaarrrrt... without a love of my ooooowwwwnnnnnn...."

The Neighbors Must Think I'm Crazy!

There were lessons learned tonight, but I'm not sure I can put it into a nice, succinct  phrase... so I'll just share the story.

Tonight is the Harvest Moon.  This particular Harvest Moon is a rare one, occurring within 24-hours of the Autumnal Equinox, or the first day of autumn (as a fall lover, my high holy holiday of holidays... the first day of fall).  It won't happen again until 2029 or something like that. 

The Boy said, "why is it called a harvest moon when we don't even go there anymore and don't have crops to harvest?"  He wasn't really trying to be funny.  That's the sad part of that question.  This, of course, opened up the door - wide - for me to enlighten him of the true reason why it's called a harvest moon.  I'm not sure he appreciated the "learning moment".

Okay, regardless... I wish I was a better photographer... or that I knew NOW how to use my fancy camera better.  The photo above was the clearest shot I got, but sadly the moon had risen behind a tree by then.  Thousands of photos (I exaggerate, slightly) and by the time I was getting the hang of it... Mr. Moon was behind a tree.  Maybe by 2029 I'll be a pro! 

In the middle of the impromptu photo shoot, the Boy said, "did they get a cat?" indicating the neighbor's house in the direction of which I was pointing my camera.  I look over to their window and see the blinds parting.  Whoops!  No cat.  It was a neighbor.  Apparently there was a flash/light shining brightly from my camera (until I changed the settings) and they were peering out wondering what it was.  They must think I'm crazy.  Or... perverted.  So... I stopped before I was satisfied so as not to have the police called on me. 

Mostly I got blurry shots of a beautiful harvest moon. 

And  a wet bottom.  Thank you invisible puddle of rain in the deck chair.  Thank you.

Kitty Condo?

What is it about an open linen closet door that is so inviting?

I walked away just 5 paces to pick up some folded towels off the bed, and when I turned around... THIS!

*sigh*

PS> Sorry about the mess...

I'm Just Sayin'...

I'm back from retreat as of yesterday and utterly pooped.  I accomplished a LOT (for me), and will share a few layouts with you here.... uh... later... after I've recuperated a tad bit more.  Another accomplishment is once I got home I immediately put away ALL (well, almost) of my scrappy supplies!  That felt good too.

I won't mention the pile of laundry that was waiting for me, though.

Until I get to share more, and catch up on my lessons learned, I will have to be brief.  So I shall leave you with a few quotes that hit me in the gut today...

Shared by one of my nieces:

"Tears are the safety valve of the heart when too much pressure is laid on it." ~Albert Smith

And shared by my friend Rachel:

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another!" - Anatole France

Any sayings that have hit a chord in you recently?  Please share!

Time Out!

I have had a bad attitude lately. I've been bummin'.  I've been restless.  I've been feeling empty.  I've been a horrible friend, mom, wife, worker. 

No, not really.

But I have desperately needed something to "reset" me.

So, I'm currently in a 4-day "time out". 

Can anyone say it with me?

SCRAPBOOK RETREAT! 

The trunk of my car packed nearly to the gills.  What's missing?  Can you tell?

My suitcase! I actually almost forgot it!  Hey, who needs extra clothing at a scrapbook retreat?  Right?  As long as I shower, it should be all good.  No?  Really?  Well, no worries, I 'membered it at the last minute. 

So, if I don't get back here to share with you, it's because I'm scrappin', scrappin', scrappin'.  With a little stampin' and some more scrappin' thrown in to boot.  Because I am in a time out, you know.  I have to follow the rules and do what is required of me.

Happy Dancing!  What a great time out!

I'll be sure to catch you up on my lessons learned when I return.  Enjoy!

I Wish I Had A Photo...

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It was truly a split-second moment, but it warmed me from the inside out all day. As I was driving to work yesterday, I came upon a stop sign at the end of one of the streets in my neighborhood. I typically don’t see anyone out walking at this time in the morning, except perhaps kids heading to school and the occasional parent walking with a younger son or daughter. As I was pulling up to stop, I was in a hurry. I had noticed a group of three adults walking toward the intersection where I was stopping, and I realized they would probably be wanting to cross the street in front of me. I noticed that one of them was an older man and the devil in me whispered “get to the stop sign fast, and pull out fast so you don’t have to wait for them.”

As luck would have it, there was traffic coming from both directions at the cross street, so that devil was left dissatisfied. I stopped, and immediately realized I was in the crosswalk, so leaving my foot on the clutch, I took my other foot off the break to allow my car to roll backwards a bit. As I was doing so, I watched the threesome look around the intersection as if deciding which direction to take in order to cross the road. I met the eyes of one of the women and waved her across in front of me. She smiled and mouthed thank you. The other woman grabbed the arm of the elderly man, who was making his way to walk around the back of my car, and pulled him gently in the direction of crossing in front of me. Again, I made eye contact with the first woman, who again mouthed “thank you” and I nodded and smiled, and then I glanced over at the man. He met my eyes and without warning, grinned.

I don’t know if I have words to adequately describe his smile, or the power I felt behind it. I immediately grinned back at him and nodded. The entire time he crossed in front of my car, he kept smiling at me, until the women recaptured his attention with part of their conversation.

I truly was taken aback. His smile lit up his face like… like… a young child who just got the best gift in the world and it wasn’t even Christmas. The smile wasn’t just in his mouth; it traveled all the way up his face, crinkled up his forehead and beamed out of his eyes. The power of that smile literally yanked a grin out of my own mouth, and I could feel my own smile traveling up my face and out my eyes.

His smile stayed with me through the whole drive to work. It made me think… how many times have I smiled at someone as I crossed in front of them? I know I do, but you know the kind of smile I’m talking about perhaps – the kinds where you just lift the corners of your mouth and nod a little. A polite gesture of greeting or thanks. And people respond in kind… a quick lift of the corners of their mouth and a nod back. Unimpressive. Nothing much to remember. Move on and fahgeddaboutit.

Around the end of my work day, I had a brief memory flash back to that gentleman and his smile and there was a burst of warmth inside. That smile still had power. That little, elderly ray of light probably has no recollection of me. I wish I had a photo.  But I think I will always remember him. I know I will, now that I’ve written this.

A single, sincere smile can echo through your soul.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all smiled like that? All of the time? What would the world be like?

Just Do It...

Sometimes, you have a reason to not do something. A valid, important situation, feeling or circumstance that really keeps you from doing something.

Sometimes you have an excuse. It's not really "real" but you can stuff it and blow it up and polish it to make it feel real. Then you use it as a reason.

Yesterday I had both a reason and an excuse.

I had an appointment to attend after work. It's an appointment that is important, and one that I most-of-the-time enjoy to an extent, but sometimes I just have this childish, "I don' wanna" tantrum in my head about going. Sometime mid-morning The Hubs e-mailed me and shared that he had to work late. What this means to me is I have to go straight home from work in order to let the dogs out before they mess in the house after being cooped up for 9+ hours. So, with good reason, I canceled my appointment.

Another hour passed. The Hubs e-mails me again and rescinds his earlier statement. "They" (whomever 'they' are) changed their minds and he wouldn't have to work late after all.

Dilemma.

Do I keep that "reason" as an excuse not to go, even though it wasn't valid and true anymore? Or do I suck it up, contact my appointment and ask to meet after all?

Deep in my heart, I know I should just do it. I should call and re-establish the appointment. But daggone, I have one helluva rebellious inner child.

The angel in me 'won' this time. I didn't keep my excuse.  I rescinded my reason. I went to the appointment. Afterward, I was very glad that I did.

Nike said it true...

Just Do It...

Even If You Don't Want To.

You'll Be Glad You Did.

Success

Small Successes

Motivate

Toward Larger Ones.

In a previous post, I talked about procrastination.  I'm really good at it.  And it breeds itself of itself, which makes it tough to "beat" it.

But when I truly get myself structured into a "plan" or heading toward some goal, any goal, it feels So Good when I start checking those things off my list.  One thing crossed off leads to another undertaking... then another.  I had one of those days yesterday.  And it felt so good to make progress in a few areas, if only small ones, of my life.

I have been on another... more personal... journey lately.  One that is really, really hard for me.  The motivation piece totally eludes me.  Even the small successes are only brief in motivating force... and then they quickly dwindle. 

But if I stop and really concentrate... dig deep... I can feel it.  Niggling around in the depths of my dusty corners in my brain.  I feel that little, itty, bitty swelling of "I did it!" or "I'm doing it!".  I just need to shine some light on those feelings and nourish them a bit.

Hopefully they will continue to grow.

Photog Fun

I've had my camera for a few months now... and I admit, I've used it very little.  And when I have used it, I'm embarrassed to admit I've used it as a P&S.

However, yesterday my friend and I went to the park (for those of you who have been reading for a while, you know which park I'm talking about...) and decided to play around with each of our cameras. 

I took photos of her with my camera... and she took photos of me with hers.  I will again admit that I didn't play very much with the manual settings, but she was a big help to me in answering some of my questions about my camera.

Maybe she learned a smidge from me, too.

I had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it again...

But I certainly learned that I still have a lot left to learn!

It's the Little Things (Redux)

It’s the little things we do and say

That mean so much as we go our way,

A kindly deed can lift a load

From weary shoulders on the road,

Or a gentle word, like summer rain,

May soothe some heart and banish pain,

What joy or sadness often springs

From just the simple little things.

~ Willa Hoey ~

I have posted this poem previously, but I had to bring it back today.  It is a poem that runs through my head, quite often.  It really is the little things we do or say that mean so much as we go our way!  Today I am so grateful for several "little" things that really became "big things" in my heart.

• Thank you for my stepmom who wrote me an email today and gave me a compliment out of left field, and had some lovely wishes for me that I wish too!  It was nice to have someone sharing their feelings about me to me, and they were very uplifting.  I kind-of floated along in my day after that.
• Thank you for my husband for many reasons today that I wish to not say here and now.  Just because. 
• Thank you for a friend who emailed me today when she was feeling low, asking me to listen and perhaps respond (which I did excessively, I think)... it was good to feel needed like that and I'm glad I could be a friend that she would think of to come to when need be. 

Perhaps they were all things that are "normal" and happened "in passing", but I'm so grateful to have experienced them, been aware of them, and learn a little bit more about myself in the process.

Don't Blink!

Time Marches On.
No Matter What. 

Stop!
Notice.
Be.
Feel.
Remember.

I was folding my laundry today when a breeze wafted through the window behind me and trickled down my neck.  It was cool enough to make me shiver a little... and that's saying something because I don't easily get cold.

It made me pause. 

Already?  Fall is here already?  Weren't we all just swealtering in upper 80's, lower 90's heat and humidity last week?  I did have my air conditioning on, right?

I even noticed brown leaves on the ground today and some tinges of brown in the trees.  Of course, the grass is all brown as well, but that's because we haven't had any decent rain in weeks.  But I digress...

I love fall.  It is my absolute favorite season.  But it moves through waaaaaay too fast.  Seriously, I blink and Christmas is here.  I miss it.  Every.  Year.  When winter hits, I begin to plan for next fall... time I will take off, walks in the woods, hot chocolate or chai tea lattes, pictures of the colors.  Then WHAM! Winter is back again before I realize fall was here at all.  Isn't it funny how time moves like that?  We wish the bad things would pass faster and the good things would stay longer.  We wish the heat of summer away and then we bemoan the cold of winter and wish for spring to arrive as quickly as possible when Februrary feels it lasts for years... and yet, time marches on, tick-tock, tick-tock, one second at a time.  All day, every day, seven days a week, 365 a year.

I'm not ready for fall.  I'm not ready to put away my shorts and tank tops yet.  Can we rewind back to August?  Just for a week or more.  Just so I can get ready for fall.   Please?  Someone?

I just really don't want to miss it this year.

Night Sky...

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Tonight I went outside with my dogs.  Usually I just open the door and let them out to roam the fenced yard until they start being noisy.  But it's warm in our home, and I refuse to turn the A/C back on when the nights are so cool.  So I stepped out on the deck and sat down. 

As per usual, my eyes turned skyward, which is mostly dark, what with the New Moon tomorrow.  Plus we had storms today so there were clouds breaking up.    I live near a city and an airport, so light pollution abounds, but it was darker than most nights... and I must say, it was wonderful.

The breeze was light and cool, the crickets were singing so loud I could almost ignore the sounds of the airport and traffic, and my dogs' running paws were but whispers in the grass.  I remembered how much I love the night.  I remembered how I used to lay in the front yard of the house where I grew up and stare up into the universe.  Back then, I lived out in the boonies with little light pollution compared to where I live now.  On a nice dark night, like tonight, sans clouds, you could see the Milky Way.  My friend and I would lay there for so long, we could actually track the constellations moving across the sky.

We had some of our deepest, most meaningful conversations then.  Well, as meaningful as 10-year olds can be.  And I used to let myself get lost in the feeling of small.  Not the bad feeling of small, like I am unimportant, but instead, the feeling of small in that there is SO much out there.  It would start with the rare car that would pass on the road... what was that person thinking, where were they heading, did the realize that my form was laying there in the dark in the grass (doubtful)... to what were my neighbors doing, watching on TV, thinking, feeling... and on and on until you feel the entire world just breathing and moving and you are but a speck within it.  So much life, so much activity, so much going on in nature and in human nature... and then you look up at those stars and realize how so very tiny you are...

And you FEEL that feeling of "small".

And you realize,

The Universe is Endless...

and so are your Opportunities.

And tonight, I remembered that for the very first time in a very long time.  It nearly took my breath away.

Lather ~ Rinse ~ Repeat!

There are some things that take forever to learn... perhaps they are things I will never learn.  This weekend  I once again revisited something that it seems that I never 'get' until after it's over, and then it's too late:  feelings cannot be healed/calmed/raised/stopped/fixed/suppressed with food.  And yet, it is the first thing I turn to when I am not thinking straight and need to self-soothe, appreciate, or control.

Emotional eating is a vacuum.  It does not feed the mind or body.  It only feeds itself.

I sure do wish I would fully embrace this lesson now and never have to repeat it again!

Dangerous!

Some stores you should never walk in to without a chain and padlock wrapped around your wallet.

It doesn't matter if I only need to buy tissues, I will not walk out of Target without spending at least triple...quadruple...or more...of what I intended...

It's dangerous!

Just One Foot in Front of The Other...

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Sometimes learning is a slow dawning... sometimes it's a rapid snap-flash.  Yesterday was a snap-flash.

It was just another day of feeling overwhelmed and crazed by a to-do list that feels it could stretch a mile.  Why was I overwhelmed?  Because I'm a natural born procrastinator. 

I'm good at procrastination.  That's definitely not something to brag about... but it's the truth.  Through grade school to high school to college to my personal life to my working life... any big project is enough to make me feel overwhelmed to the point of putting it off.  But... when it comes down to the wire, I almost always hit the deadline.  And it's not a piece of ka-ka... it's decent.  A lot of times it's great!

But it makes me wonder what could have been, had I not put it off until last minute when decisions to cut corners are essential in order to meet that deadline.  And the flip side of me always argues that "last minute-ness" is good, because it keeps me focused on the end-goal.

Yesterday, though, I was slapped in the face with probably the biggest truth about procrastination.

NOTHING good

comes from

procrastination.

While the end product may be reached... while the goal is achieved...it may not be the best it could be.  And honestly, the  - OMG-I-Gotta-Get-Moving-No-Time-Anymore-To-Breathe - journey outright stinks.  What's the point of getting to the goal if you can't enjoy... take pride in...savor...even sometimes loathe... the pieces and paths that take you there?

I can't say I'll stop, cold-turkey.  I'm not sure I could... I've had decades of practice.  But I'm going to start earlier... and stop avoiding. I'm done with putting off stopping my procrastination habit.  No more sitting around until I have to sprint to the finish line!  From now on,  I'm going to just put one foot in front of the other and just start walking the path. 

Back to School!

Ahhhhh... September. Back to school... the potential of all that new information you didn't have before....

The Girl is a freshman in high school this year.  She's the last of the three to be in any type of structured schooling.  As she embarks on the journey (which she so far hates) of the next four years, I decided that it's time for me to go "back to school" at 40.  Not "official" or "traditional" school, but my own version of adventures in learning.  And instead of four years of high school, I'm focusing on the next thirty days.

That book up there?  That's going to be my text book.  It's mostly blank inside... which is odd, when you think that most texts are decidedly... not blank.  This text book is the one I'm going to be writing. I'm creating what I'm learning. Or, better yet, as I learn, I am writing it down so as not to forget. 

You'll get it all here, too... as I go forth over the next 30 days with a new awareness in "what have I learned today".  In fact, you'll probably get it first, before the book is written.

My one dilemma is I did start writing in the journal in 2007... about 5 pages.  I'm not sure whether I should tear them out (and store them elsewhere) or leave them in and start my new focus a few pages in... I'm open to suggestions, please!
I'm excited.  I used to journal every day as a teen... especially the years my youngest is now enmeshed within.  I still have every one, lined up on my bookcase shelf.  I didn't scrapbook then.  I think I'm going to try my hand at an art journal.  I'm not 100% sure I know the "definition" of an "art journal" but if I can combine my journaling with some artsy embellishments, I suppose that's my own definition.

I guess I'll learn as I go.

Learning is good.

Right?