Hi -- I've been a background fixture around here for a while, and this still feels like a nice homey, safe place to me and seems to fit me well. I don't post a lot. I have done hardly any scrapbooking, other than MOC, for several years. I still love it, it just seems there are only so many pictures of landscapes, cats, and coffee that one can scrap. As much as I love a good art journal, non-photo page I just haven't felt much motivation to go there or maybe I just can't figure out how to untangle the mixture of emotions. Some of you may have seen through my pages over the years my daughter graduate college (2014), get engaged and married (2018). And what I don't think I ever posted is my husband's surgery in early 2018 - that condition and surgery has left him with some residual mobility issues 2020 has been a year like no other I could have ever imagined. With all of the interruption and changes to how we live our daily life, it has also brought: first grandchild (a boy) expected in October (with a little help from science) an earlier than planned retirement, or a semi-retirement from 30 years in aerospace -- Am I financially secure? A realization that I NEED to be closer to my daughter and her family (even though they are only about 140 miles away, my hubby and I are alone here) completion of a yoga teacher training program opportunity to purge what we once thought were those things that we might need one day which have been collected over the 23 years we have lived in this house. Much has been done over the last 3 months, but there is still more to do. The garage has me mildly panicked. Anyway, I keep telling myself that I will scrap more, but I still haven't done it, but I did print out a backlog of pages -- yay for small victories!
I say yay for any small victories! Printing out your pages is a good start. Maybe that will motivate you to scrap more. Maybe try to start be doing some of the monthly challenges right here at TLP. I know they keep me motivated. Sounds like you'll be busy with new baby pictures to scrap soon! Hang in there.
@elseepe ! I so enjoyed babbling with you on the unlimited shutterfly post and then reading this post today! My mom just moved here from over 1300 miles away, and I am so happy, I am sure you bring a joy to your daughter too, crazy to worry about your parents. Having them closer is such a relief and blessing! I live this! I am forever clearing and tossing things! one day, I hope to live in a "little house" and be all calm with much less! sometimes life is not scrappable...it just takes more out of us then it adds....and creating can be more than memories. perhaps pop over to the art journaling section, and take part in a challenge, current or old...read something that draws you in to create with the program you love...and make pages that pour out emotions just FOR YOU! my family look at my art journaling pages and nod politely, but I know that they are healing and help to my very soul! again, I am so happy you love it here, it is more than a forum for scrapbooking, we are a family and you fit perfectly!
I always try to remind myself "progress not perfection" to get me through. One step at a time and you are definitely making many of those. Good for you.
There is something so special about getting those pages printed and looking at them "in the real"! I hope seeing them helps motivate you to start creating again. And sounds like you have had a lot of life events happen in such a short amount of time. Maybe a journaling page talking about those might be a place to start! Glad you find yourself at home here. That's what we're for!
It surely has been a year like no other. I think everyone has derailed a little bit in one way or another. I love all the positives in your life and congrats on the grandbaby...there's nothing on Earth like them! We're so glad your here and part of the family, and I love seeing it grow with new babies and new adventures! Hopefully soon you will be scrapping your heart out again!!
i think everyone goes through less active periods here and it's just how life is and you're right about this year but i'm glad to hear you have had some joys and successes and realisations, and rest assured we'll be here when you are ready to scrap again - i really should print pages more often too!
I feel similarly. I don't know if I'll always scrap a lot. In fact, in the past year I have severely decreased my scrapping compared to the previous 3 years. I make a few pages a month now. But I love this forum and still check in pretty much every single day.
Those are some really exciting things that happened in 2020 Lisa! And congrats on expecting your 1st grand baby next month! Maybe those pics will be the ones to get you scrapping a page or two? It sounds like you have been more than busy! Especially the part about getting the house ready. That's no joke. Take each day as it comes .... we will be here when the urge to open PS (or whatever program you use) hits! Chatting in the forum is a perfect way to stay connected to the hobby even if you don't produce anything at the moment or are doing it less often! So we're glad you checked in and hope you stick around!
Sounds like you are in a good place. With a new grand baby on the way, moving closer will be wonderful for you both. Right now you might consider keeping a journal. When/if you decide to play with scrap again you will be halfway there if you have your thoughts and memories recorded. And as a grandmother of 17, I can tell you that a baby will give you lots of motivation to scrap. Good luck with the purging!
Yay for the new grand baby! So glad we live in a time where science CAN help us with that kind of thing. 2020 is a weird year and you are going through lots of changes. Scrapping helps me keep my head above the ground. And now with all those new baby pictures, you'll have a pretty powerful reason to scrap.
Congrats on all of those milestones! It's nice that there have been some gems in 2020. Are you planning to transition from aerospace to teaching yoga or did you get the certificate for personal enrichment? ... oh and purging is hard. I find it to be way more mentally taxing than most other things. Everything requires a decision. I'm a super sentimental person, so I generally have a hard time parting with things.
@SeattleSheri i can’t say as I know what I will do going forward. I am certain I have no desire to be back in the corporate environment. I would love to find a way to share what yoga has given me with others, but not sure how I might move forward with that in our “new normal”. Started the training thinking I would bring it to my corporate world, but it isn’t my world any more. for now, I’m focusing on what needs to be done to support our move and focus on upcoming family addition. Oddly, I miss some of the folks I worked with but not the actual work so much. It’s gets easier each week. My only worry is if I might need to work to bridge a healthcare gap, but for the short term we are secure. my yoga training is approved by Yoga Alliance for whatever that is worth, but I don’t see teaching in person for a while yet, but perhaps next year can start something. (edited to add that aerospace was good to me for more than 30 years, it gave me tons of learning and growth opportunities, but I think it has served its purpose and it is time to move beyond that industry.)
I’ve known a couple people who have transitioned from corporate roles to yoga instructors and they are both happy. Of course, to your point, our new normal doesn’t make anything an easy transition at the moment, sigh. Wishing you the best with your move and the birth of your grandchild! Hopefully you’re able to stay in touch with some of the former colleagues you enjoy ❤️
What a list for 2020! My fav is the addition to the family! So exciting! Purging and moving can be difficult, but I find I remember little stories of things when I am tossing/donating. I suggest taking a picture of the objects and when you get to it, scrap the story that comes to mind. Your daughter may find a book like that interesting. I'm the opposite. I'm an only child, and my parents are at the beach in NJ (30-40min). If we wanted to leave our state, which we have thought on A LOT, we can't. I can't leave my parents. So, in a sense, we are stuck here. Making the best of it, and I'm lucky for my friends and family nearby. Your daughter is lucky you are heading her way! You printed! I need to do that, lol! I have def slowed down my scrapping. My kids don't really want to be in photos, and I needed to realize that whatever I create is more than nothing. So, I've recently decided to focus on our recent trips. I have oodles of pages I should print. Must get on that! Good Luck with everything!
It sure has been a year, huh? I love your focus on the good things too though. I too have been feeling the need to purge some stuff from our house. I have a bunch of stuff from when my kids were little that I'm hanging on to for sentimental reasons. And I know it's stuff they won't want (most likely) even when they fly the coop and have kids of their own. For now, I just keep telling my hubby that we can never move because we have too much stuff.