My Memories Freebie!

My Memories has weekly freebies. I know, I have been lame and never supplied them to you weekly, but.... I guess it's never too late to work on that right?

So, Here you go! These are free until February 25th!  Aren't these a cute idea for Valentines parties, parties in general, or just to print off and have a craft day with?  I am sure that kids with wonderful imaginations and crafting abilities would love to make these! Where can you find it?  Right here just go through this link and it will take you to the project that you can download...  

My Memories!

While you are there, check out the My Memory software and all of the other tons of freebies they have for your enjoyment. 

Life's choices

Election Eve.  Facebook, email, television, internet, newspapers.  They are all about the politics! Everyone has an opinion. Levy a tax, not levy a tax.  Vote by what you like about each candidate up for election either by how they stand on their beliefs or by party line.  Everyone wants what they want.  Everyone has choices.

"At this point in your life, If someone did something for you that you thought was the most thoughtful thing that could ever happen in your life, What would that be?" - yes, this is one of the many statuses I left on my wall.

Then I started thinking.  How many of us would want something thoughtful?  But, after thinking on this a bit... How many of us would want something we needed.  Health care?  Job?  A house.  An education?

Like it's said nearly every campaign, It's always a life changing event. Historical. Two people running for the same office.  Two sometimes very different points of view. When isn't an election Historical?

Are people really looking at the "life changing event" as in life changing for the US, or rather to suit themselves.  You had better bet your ass it would be for the latter of the two.

I believe we all take things such as voting very lax.  Most of us were pretty much born and raised with already knowing we had the right at 18 whether or not we were male, female, black, white, or some other race.  We take things like voting for Granted.

I often times wonder how people come up with how they vote during an election.  I mean, with all of the mud slinging from each candidate for many different positions that are open in the world of Government, how do you really get to the nitty gritty of what's going on?  Are you going to believe everything you hear on TV?

I pray that every person in the nation who goes into that voting booth tomorrow goes in with knowledge.  Not the 411 blabbered all over the tv.  Even some of the things mentioned during debates are only half baked truths. Thankfully when I was very frustrated and emotionally drained from even thinking about the comments that these guys only want you to believe, I had a friend with a very trustworthy site she uses to sort through the rubble.  Well it's better than not checking the facts, right?

What about stating what you stand for.  Don't come up with half baked truths.  I think I would honestly love to see someone bashing another candidate and not have it turn an about face and slam the other back.  What ever happened with how you stand, back up what you are saying with your record, and standing behind it?  After all, the bashing is just mud under the Bridge.

What about all of the phone calls?  Back in September I just wanted to not pay my phone bill until after the election was over!  I mean, 5 political phone calls in the matter of 20 minutes.  Only telling us what THEY want us to know.  And I really don't want to share how I am voting.  And why do they start out as "I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is voting day" when the other 4 political calls JUST reminded you of that?!?!?  SERIOUSLY?  No joke?

I'll be praying before entering the voting booth tomorrow that I make the best decisions, not only for myself but my family, my community, and my country and the future.  I hope you do the same!  Oh and just one more thing before stepping off my soap box.  You don't get the right to bitch about the outcomes of the races if you didn't vote.

Now we are up to 7 calls. :O) But who is counting?

My Memory Suite software transfer

I Finally bit the bullet!  I decided to create more room so that I can start scrapbooking virtually again.  I have a ton of designs that I have saved to the main hard drive, and even though the program itself was rather small, it's all the kits that has eaten it's space.  I ended up deleting off anything that dealt with My Memory Suite Software and re-installing it onto my external hard drive that has a ton of room for all of the kits, photos, etc.  While it was cool to play with before, I am super excited to get back into the swing of my creations.  I love to play around and make wonderful pages.  The best part of digital Scrapbooking?  Not having to find all the parts and piecings, the paper, the embellishments, and you don't have a ton of actual scrap that ends up all over the place.  I can scrap while the kids play, the husband watches something I am not really into, and whenever I get busy, I can hit save, save it- and then come back to it.  Whenever.I.want.  ! Also, I am not spending money on 1 sheet of paper that I love and then use it only to wish I had it back again.  Once I download the kit with the paper in it, it's mine to use 20 million times.

Well back to "the move".  I was DREADING it.  I have been sitting here wishing I had done it.  But I never found the balls enough to try it.   That is, until last night.  I ended up pulling up add/remove programs on my windows XP dinosaur computer and spending some time deleting kits, and eventually the MMS program itself.  Worried?  Nah, as My Memories software keeps track of all my downloads, whether it be free or paid for!  They also kept track of my key code to register my product!  Now, I don't know about you, but I thought that was awful nice of them to do that for us!

After the uninstalls, I ended up re-downloading the MMS program.  Oh and that's on my H: drive that I was able to change while setup was actually happening.  So now I am going in and downloading all of the kits I had before, then moving them over to the H: drive to be downloaded.  PITA?  Yeah, sure, but I will get to actually start scrapbooking in the next day or so.  Ha!  Like I really have time for it?  I will make the time because it is something I actually enjoy and need to do for me.  I also like the idea of creating video out of the pages I create so that I have less clutter in the house for cleanup!  If my scrapbooking supplies were not in high demand for projects going on throughout the school year they would be GONE!

So for now, I have copied all of the files that I need to download to get me back up and running.  Oh and I'll be checking out the new freebies that I can get too.  I am planning on getting more freebies posted on this page to show you what you can do with it as well.  If you look at my sidebar, you will see the link if you want to check it out!

Well, here's for the best!  But considering that it's MMS software, I am 100% sure everything will re-install like a breeze!!!

I guess the world is bigger than we realize!

Taking care of the house, and the kids.  Ball Practices. Homework. School.  It is not opening up my reality of the world until we are traveling for softball.  Still then it's hard for me to realize how big this world is. 

It's also difficult for me to see the goodness in peoples hearts sometimes.  After all, I am a stay at home mom for many reasons.  And, often times you really don't realize what someone is going through until that turmoil hits you smack in the face with a 2x4.  Yes, sometimes it takes that smack with the 2x4 to get you to realize that everyone has things that they are going through.  Some people are cruel and do things to be deceitful.  They do things because they have so much going on within their lives that they don't want to deal with and it's easier to take that 2x4 to someone else and leave the unseen bruising and scars that hurt deep into the soul, whether they realize it or not.  That 2x4 may not look like a piece of wood as it comes in many forms.  Through words, thoughts, actions.  Simple words- words that can hurt deep into the soul and deep down into every hair follicle.  Every action from every single person has repercussions, whether it be good or bad; and it depends on so many different situations.  What's good for one, may turn out to be bad for one or many.

But today I don't want to dwell on the above statements. 

It's time to look for the good in our lives.  It's time to start living and before speaking realize that something else may be effecting others and that things not need to be said when the thoughts occur.  Sometimes it's better to step away from what you have to say.  On the other hand if something is said, maybe we need to look at it- take what we can use and leave the rest.

Recently, my son was given an assignment.  He had to bring in ONE postcard but that if it were more than one then all the better.  I facebooked the assignment for Steven.  Currently he has taken TWENTY TWO cards into his classroom to hang up and share with his friends.  And I am being told that there are others who have brought in well over Steven's 22 cards.  People have heard and seen that he needed the cards and are very proud of where they live and very happy to help him out.  And with every day that goes by he is climbing into the van at the end of the school day and asking if he received another card.  And his face lights up every time I have news of another arrival or an update that one is coming and from where.  To Steven, this assignment has taught him that the world is huge and full of life.  To me, it has shown that there are wonderful people out there who want to help him.

My son lives and deals with the Asperger Syndrome, in which he has had to deal with others picking on him in one form or another.  He now attends a school who knows how to deal with his special abilities and can foster a better learning environment rather than just teaching him how harsh this world can be.  I am grateful. 

Tears.  Yes real tears fall.  It's amazing of all of the wonderful friends I have found either surrounding me or through facebook.  It's such a wonderful feeling with all of the cards coming in that people care for Steven and this assignment.  And it's a wonderful feeling to have friends- some who have a great deal on their mind- take time out of their day to actually stop and take time to send him a postcard. 

As I try to work through my feelings, it's also an eye opener to myself as well.  That wonderful things happen just with communication.  GOOD communication.  So before opening up a can of worms that you may not realize that you are opening, please think before speaking because sometimes someone just cannot handle another stone being thrown their way. 

Another October first.

It's almost 8 AM.  Time for the morning jaunt over to drop Steven over at school.  The air is crisp, the frost laying on the grass, rooftops, trees, and plants begins to lift creating a mediocre fog randomly throughout the air.  Breathe in.  Feel the coolness in the air.  Dread getting into the cold van, getting it warmed, and attempting to wipe the dew off the windows.  It's not really cold, but enough to feel the chill- with or without the coat.

While the sun is starting to rise; looking out towards the west there is an opalescent sign that the full moon is getting ready to  rest after lighting up the night sky.  It has done it's job.  It has lit the night skies for farmers to harvest.  Light oh so very light clouds streaming fills the sky, while the lifting fog sits in the low areas in the area.  The sunrise starts to take over more, and you see the sunlight hit the tops of the trees.  The trees that once held beautiful dark green leaves has now taken on different hues of color.  Blazing reds, burnt oranges, golden yellows, fading greens.  The falling leaves are a little crispier.  Ah... Change is in the air.

All of the sudden there is an urge to smell the fall changes.  Bonfires.  Apple Cider.  Burning leaves. Some of my most favorite aromas.  Time to light the tarts and candles. 

It's also a time that smacks you right in the face.

Change.  Mother Nature is gradually changing the look of the area.  Some areas more than others, but this is a beautiful change here in my part of Ohio.  It's also a sign that we are all changing, earth included.

Change can be beautiful.  Or it can royally suck.  At least when the seasons change you know that the change is coming.  Or there can be the unexpected change that is life altering and leave you like the wood and leaves that are burning.  It all depends on how you look at it.

Positive thoughts or negative thoughts.  How you look at things.  It's all up to you.  You can make apple cider from the harvest, or you can let it rot.  It's time to start into the process of change... sometimes without even realizing it's time to, or you can plan it.  Either way, like the changing seasons I think that you always have to review and see what needs changed.   Change is a force in life; we need to with it like we tend to the changing seasons. 

It's October 1st.  What changes need to be started?  And what can I start changing for the better for myself?

Change can be hard, but with determination it can be done.  Sometimes you need to allow yourself time to do so.

Dancing along....

You probably thought I forgot about this blog eh?  Meh! I'd never do that.  I've been a busy mom.  

Things got rather wild through the summer as Katelyn AKA "Bug" was playing travel ball with Ohio High Voltage. 

Brianna AKA "pickles" found that she loves catching on her Rec ball team and still catches for The Ohio High Voltage 10 u fall ball team.

Practices. Games. Traveling. Yes that's why they call it travel ball.   Tiring and exhausting? Yes! Not only for the parents who have to get uniforms off kids after getting out of a full day of hour and twenty minute games- only to get them into a hot shower and try to get all the muddy stains out of their uniform.  

Not only does it make us parents dance through life,  it teaches the kids how to become friends with others with the same interests- even if its only ball sometimes. They feel the struggles of those players of whom the have created very strong friendships with for one circumstance or another leave the friends who become their family.  And for the same family to pick themselves up after the loss of a sister and come back to the game and still play their best game.  Why? Because of the love of the game.  

I can say that what is awesome is watching them gain a baseman and how that baseman learns dance the bases, watching their friend and team-mate who is dancing to make it home.  Back, forth, stopping and daring, diving into the dirt, stealing bases- all the while waiting for the next sister to drive that ball to get their sisters home.

They wear their colors well. The blue, silver, white.  Honor, pride, and dignity. They are family.  They are sisters.

But, the dancing.  It may be to the sounds of the chanting of their band of sisters, or those who sit here and cheer them on, or their coaches sending out hand signals and barking instructions- but it's this dance that makes the game.  And there is nothing better then the dance.xxx

If you would have asked me when the girls started playing if I saw myself here, that answer would be "no"... However, I am very happy to say that we have because the dancing of the game is teaching friendships, working as a team, and playing by the rules.

And the greatest thing... Sitting here at a fall game- watching the dance-  and watching them win- all from the dance.

To Make the Best Better

To Make the Best Better.

For those familiar with 4H.. you know this motto.

I have been thinking a lot about how this applies to not only the kids in 4H, but me and others.

Best Better. - To take the best of what you have or can offer and make it better. It's looking deep down inside and realizing the hardest reality. What can you change to make a better impact? Is it changing your attitude? Changing your routine? There are so many things that you can do to help make something better. First it starts with you (me in my case.)

My daughter plays softball. One of the things I try to do is to ask her how she feels after practice or a game. I try not to imply what me, the parent is happy with. I want her to find what she liked, didn't like, and what she could do to change it. She's a great player for only going into her second year, yet I still try to keep my comments to myself. I am proud of her, and even though I don't tell her probably often enough, I still want her to strive to be the ball player that she can be. But I am not the one who can judge where she is and if she is achieving that goal. Only she can. I mean she is on a team full of wonderful players. They are all their because they are great and they all bring something to the team. But, as the saying goes, there's no "I" in team. So, in my eyes I won't dawdle on her, I will let her tell me how she feels she is doing and figure out what she needs to do to make it better. I hope that through 4H and softball this will be a life lesson for her- and the other kids too!

But this applies to me as well. I need to look at what I am doing right, doing wrong, and what needs changed.

What do you need to look at "To Make the Best Better"?