More books...

I just finished reading The Wedding, by Nicholas Sparks.  I was loaned this book by my boss.  She wants it returned, so against my better judgement, I read it.  I say, "against my better judgement" becasue I have read Sparks' books before.  They are pure works of fiction.  In my experience, real life doesn't happen at all the way his books are written.  I think I like real life, but I do take something from his books.  I do like a little bit of fantasy in my life... 

I did find a couple of quotes that I really liked from this book.  

"But love, I've discovered, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime.  Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day."

"Yes, I decided, a man can truly change."

Death...

This past week, I got news that a woman at work suffered an incredible loss on the 4th of July.  Wendy is my coworker, Max is her grandson.  In september, Max's parent's (Wendy's son and daughter-in-law) took him to the doctor, to get him checked out after noticing something was off about him.  After extensive testing, they found out he had brainstem glioma (Information I found on the interwebs about this: Brainstem gliomas are tumors that occur in the region of the brain referred to as the brain stem, which is the area between the aqueduct of Sylvius and the fourth ventricle.)  He underwent treatment, and there was hope for a short while.  However, on the fourth of July, Max passed away.  Six years old.  I don't know Max or his family personally, but I do know Wendy.  Wendy approached me this past spring and asked me to create two scrapbooks for her to give as gifts to Leanne, her daughter-in-law..  One for Max's sister, Addie, and one for Max.  I worked my tail off creating these albums.  I created pages and left spaces for journaling and photos.  It was a fun project.  Except I admit, I struggled while making Max's pages.  I knew he was sick and this affected my creativity.  I powered through, which is what I do.  At the last minute, I finished the books and delivered them to Wendy who carried them with her on the plane to visit Max and his family.  Leanne loved the books and said "they are beautiful and perfect" and also asked if I could make more for her to give others as gifts.  Of course, I can.  It's what I do, after all.

I'm going to post a couple of my faves from Addie and Max's albums:

reading and life...

I just finished this book.  I really like it.  I always find quotes in everything I read.  Here are my favorites from this Good In Bed:

"You don't have to do everything alone," he said. "There are people who care about you.  You just have to let them help."

"Help," I said again, as if I were a baby, as if this was a word I'd just learned and could not stop repeating. "Help me.  Help."

These quotes remind me so much of what someone might say to me.  I never let anyone help me, I have resigned myself to doing everything alone.  

This grand jury experience has been frightening.  It's truly opened my eyes to so much.  I am disbelieving at the amount of crime that happens in my city... when the DA says that the crime rate is down, I don't see how.  My response has been to hang out at home much more than I used to.  Opting for doing something at home rather than going out somewhere public.

Anyway, that's enough depressive chatter, but that gives you an insight to what's been running through my brain these days.  I can't wait until I can return to work.  I only have one week left of grand jury duty.  Woohoo!

I've been scrapping a bit and have to scan some pages, but will wait till I'm all the way done (some of the pages need finishing touches).  Will post them later.

I skipped out on July 4th celebrations this year.  I scrapped at home instead.  I was invited to a couple of celebrations, but don't want to do stuff alone lately (so OVER being "that" girl).

I have recently started two new "online dating" profiles, but am too chicken to meet anyone IRL.  Which is no big deal, because no one has approached me or messaged me or anything.  I will only have time for "dating" over the summer, but looks like that's not really going to happen, so I'll just use that time to scrap instead.  :D