Scrapbooking, or Why I haven't been Blogging, Part 2

Somewhere along the line I became taken with the idea of having all our family memories preserved in beautiful albums that are a joy to look through. When I was a child, my sisters and I frequently pulled out the family albums to reminisce about fun times; maybe that's why I value the concept.

I had always kept my photos in albums (you know, the cheap ones with sticky pages & magnetic plastic). Then, about 6 years ago I found out about scrapbooking. I was drawn to the idea of not just putting your photos in an album, but cropping and editing them, using only the best parts of the best photos, and adding titles and comments to the pages. It seemed like a great way to preserve those cherished memories.

So I bought a kit at Costco and dove right in. At the time I was a year behind in getting my current photos into albums. I loved the result, and became addicted, as scrapbookers do, to trying the new techniques, embellishments, and do-dads.

I hoped to eventually transfer photos from my old albums, which are now known to deteriorate photos, onto new, beautifully journaled pages. But life was busy. Every time I got "caught up", getting current photos into the album, I would quit scrapbooking for a year, and then have a backlog again.

Eventually, I didn't enjoy scrapbooking anymore; it felt like a task, a chore. I had this unattainable goal I wanted to reach, and it felt like I would never get there. While I was proud of each page I completed, it felt like a drop in the bucket.

This winter, I started scrapbooking at the cabin. There's lots of free time up there, and my wonderful husband was always willing to load 3 storage totes full of stuff into the truck to lug up there and back, even if I didn't get around to working on it. I think it was Clint who convinced me to try scrapbooking up there. He feels bad sometimes that he gets to spend time pursuing his lifelong dream, and I don't have the same opportunity (well, I don't have a lifelong dream, either, just lots of little dreams).

I've continued to scrapbook since returning from the cabin. I've discovered that since the house is bigger now, I can leave my stuff out without it getting in the way. I'm trying to let go of seeing it as an unfinished project. Instead, I'm trying to see it a bit like life. It's an ongoing activity, one that doesn't really have an end. Instead of spending a month each year working on it, I can do it a little at a time, when I have the chance.

I really do enjoy the opportunity to be creative, and I love working with the photos. Maybe someday I will be fast, but for now each page unfolds slowly.

It's a learning experience. Having a project waiting in the corner tempts me to neglect my responsibilities, as does the computer, or a really good book. I have to discipline myself to take care of business before I do the fun stuff. Each day I have to choose which extra thing I can do. Will it be computer? Scrapbook? Remodeling? Taking the girls to an activity? Having to choose is the hardest part.