Monday, August 28, 2006

Return to normalcy?

Wow. My head is spinning this am. Maybe I need some more caffeine.



After six days in Albuquerue, one day at home, and then 4 days away from home with friends, I will admit to a wee bit of lack of work focus this am. ("Mom? What are all these people doing in the house?"...family joke...sorry if you don't get it)

I spent the long weekend with friends at Raspberry Ridge scrapbooking retreat center. And yes, I did meet these ladies on the internet (I did keep my purse close to me at all times! >grin<). I was supposed to go on this reatreat last year, but an emergency trip to Albuquerque for my husband meant I had to stay home. I'm glad I made it this year; even thought I didn't feel entirely up to par. (Allergies? Worn out? Sleeping in a strange bed? Who knows?)

As for the accomplishments of the weekend, I did about 20 family album pages and completed two mini-book projects and finished most of my CKU-Minneapolis album (yeah, I know that was a year and a half ago). I'm happy with that, considering I wasn't really jazzed up to be actually scrapping most of the weekend. (Don't ask, it was just weird). I also sorted the scary box of pictures. The ones that have been pulled out of photo albums and never put back. Eeek! Now they are in order so I can sit down in front of all the albums and stick them back in. That felt like a real accomplishment.

But as usual, what I mostly enjoyed this weekend was finding out more about other people's lives, joys, and challenges. I got to listen to Gnarls Barkly and Corrine Baily Rae (sorry about the mis-spellings there), hear stories from a woman who was dating, meet a tortise, talk with three ladies who just started Scraploft (an online store where everything is always 5 to 15% off the suggested retail price!), spend time with a women with heart issues and kids who live many hours away, meet a women who was pumping milk for her baby back home, watch two Cricuts, and enjoy the philosophical musings of a lady who was dead once. She considers every day a gift (wouldn't you?). I also got to go on two nice long walks. With good scenery and great conversations.

Doesn't listening to other peoples' stories really change your attitude on your story? Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. We all have our challenges and struggles. They are all different. We all have come from different places, we are all headed different places. I like getting together with a group of folks that I probably wouldn't feel like I had a lot in common with outside of scrapbooking. It's like a cultural exchange. Right here in Minnesota.

I was hoping the caffeine would be well into working its magic by now. It's not. And did I mention that the system at work is requesting I change my password. Only needs to be done once a year. And today is the day they want me to do it. I have three grace log-ins, so that gives me some time to think up something appropriate.

I'm still not feeling too hepped up about this work thing this morning. Solution? Just do it. Once I get started, I'll remember how much I really do like my job and how lucky I am to have a job I like. Many of the women there this weekend feel like I do about their jobs. Some do not. It happens...we get stuck in places between jobs we love. And in times between happiness and sense of purpose. But most of life is a good go at ordinary time. And that's good.

As a friend of mine with Cancer says..."Don't live each day like it's your last. Live each day like it's the first of many days." Yep. Life is not about the big stuff...it's about the ordinary stuff. Normalcy

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