| Having spent the better part of a day last week | | | | paper insert around the house in their mouth! |
| organizing last years Christmas pictures into | | | | Their stories are endless too. |
| groups of who's who and what was what, then | | | | I use the most beautiful panels the Dollar Stores |
| into the frames I had purchased some time ago | | | | in my area stock. You do not have to pay a small |
| and finally, either finding a home for them in my | | | | fortune or use up your monthly savings to |
| living room and hallway or setting them on the | | | | decorate your home with past or present |
| china cabinets and bureaus; I stepped back to | | | | remembrances. To do this properly, when I |
| evaluate my handiwork. I began to see story lines | | | | develop my films I ask for only one set, I never |
| in the individual photographs and in the different | | | | do doubles! A mat finish is easier on the wallet |
| ways I had combined them. Starting something | | | | than glossy and the one-hour wait is all I need to |
| new for 09, I decided to write the specifics with | | | | do the rest of my shopping. After I get them |
| a little detail for each for everyone to read. It | | | | home, I relax with a cup of my favourite |
| helps me to remember the nuts and bolts of | | | | flavoured coffee and set about anxiously looking |
| singular and combined photos and the stories they | | | | through them, picking out the ones I want |
| tell when we listen. There is nothing worse than | | | | duplicates of and deciding which will go into what |
| looking at them, sitting neatly arranged with such | | | | border by arranging them together according to |
| care and having no clue as to the who, the why | | | | person, place, thing and circumstance. Sometimes |
| or the where of them. | | | | I do the animal, mineral, vegetable thing with my |
| Knowing the stories behind your photos allows | | | | 'undecided' pile! I document the times and |
| you to cherish your memories and loved ones | | | | residences; the adventures and inhabitants |
| even more fully. As time moves on it becomes | | | | involved then add some minor points of each |
| more important to remember the people and | | | | occurrence. If it's a picture of my pet, I do the |
| friends that pass and have passed through your | | | | same. My sister scrapbooks all her photos, this I |
| life. I am in the process of collecting for the | | | | confess is something I have not yet tried but I |
| montage I am planning to make of the smaller | | | | will definitely be looking into. Again the Dollar |
| impressions I have had in my box for an age | | | | Stores can be your best friend, having a wide |
| now. When finished, as this will take quite some | | | | range of interesting and unique stickers, acid-free |
| time to do, it will turn out as a composition of | | | | papers, cards, ribbons, pens, stamps and whole |
| complete and partial photographs and prints that I | | | | kits for beginners... an endless array of items and |
| have gathered from various family members and | | | | for the few dollars that can be budgeted for, you |
| from my own store, superimposed to make a | | | | can walk out of there with a bag or two full of |
| blended whole picture of one aspect of my life; | | | | carefully chosen themes that will enhance every |
| my own personal section of genealogy of the | | | | snapshot and turn them into the best storytelling |
| folks, dwellings and pets that have made up an | | | | device in your home. |
| significant part of my past. Its not unlike writing | | | | I enjoy being surrounded by the rank and file of |
| your memoirs, where you would write a narrative | | | | my family and friends; I appreciate my carefully |
| of your life experiences that you have undergone, | | | | chosen and framed memories all the more |
| except its done with images. | | | | because my husband and I live in one Canadian |
| If the written word gives detail to a story, | | | | Province and our kin live in another. We do have |
| illustrations bring the words to life and arouse | | | | two relations of my husband who live in Alberta |
| keen awareness to vivid recollections of the | | | | also but the rest of his family are spread pretty |
| hallmark moments of our lives. My mother-in-law | | | | wide across Canada, ranging from BC to Ontario |
| being 91 years young has difficulty recalling, so I | | | | to PEI, while my relations live in BC. Email is a |
| always write a note concerning each one to aid | | | | wonderful way to stay in touch, is cheaper than |
| her mind's eye. Visuals make it easier for her to | | | | long-distance calling and better by far than |
| recapture past events and it is a more pleasant | | | | snail-mail but photostats really are worth a |
| way to reminisce and animate those parts and | | | | thousand words and provide a constant reminder |
| pieces that brought the most joy and the best | | | | of missed relatives. |
| out in us. I have a large multi wall casing dedicated | | | | My main New Years Resolution is to organize my |
| to my cats! Do not underestimate or forget your | | | | portrait panorama into a wall exhibit and thus bring |
| pets, they are a large part of your family also | | | | my home alive with our whole clan, then join the |
| and they give endless pleasure. Just give two | | | | current scrap-booking craze that has taken the |
| five-month-old kittens a paper bag and a small rug | | | | country by storm over the 2008. What are your |
| and watch the story unfold through my little | | | | plans concerning your Kodak moments this |
| goof-balls antics; watch as they carry a toilet | | | | twelvemonth? |