Stuff of Life I just went back and re-read one of my blogs which had left off with a bit of a "cliff hanger." I mentioned our trip to the West Edmonton Mall waterpark, and my MRI experience! I thought maybe I'd fill you in on the details today. First, the MRI. I decided to participate in a University of Alberta study on post-partum depression and glucose levels in certain areas of the brain (at least I think it was glucose... it was related anyways). At the time I was nearly 8 months post-partum, and I was still dealing with some of the aftereffects of giving birth in terms of finding balance emotionally and what-not. As well, I figure it's important to help where you can with research. especially if it may lead to quality of life improvements for others. The good thing about the study was that childcare was provided! I seriously would not have participated if it wasn't... if I arrange childcare myself, trust me, I am NOT using to participate in medical research! So the nurse in the office took the kiddies and played with them in a little room full of toys, and took them for a walk and even bought them french fries! They were quite happy with the whole experience. As for myself, I answered a LOT of questions about myself, my history, my family, my medical history (surgeries, etc...). I have to tell you right now that that sort of interview process reeeealy makes me look crazy on paper! The question about have you ever seen visions or heard voices in your head - my answer was "yes." Now tell me that doesn't make you think I'm just a wee bit unbalanced! Of course I had to explain that it was during a prayer experience many years ago and it wasn't so much an audible voice as a sort of understandable wordless presence... okay, I just realized that no matter how I explain it, I'm gonna look weird on paper! Oh well. That's me. It's who I am! I've been in an MRI machine before for my knee, but this was completely different because they were doing a brain scan, so as well as being inserted in a very narrow tube, I also had this visor-like thing around my head. Quite claustrophobia inducing really! They had attached a mirror to the visor so that you could see out the end of the tube to the clock on the wall, but that's about it! As well the clock appeared not only upside down, but backwards as well so tellin time was quite a brain teaser! I decided to close my eyes for as long as I could so that my anxiety about a small semi-enclosed space would decrease... what you can't see can't hurt you, right? So after 15 minutes I opened my eyes, checked the time, and closed them again. Ten minutes passed... check the clock... close my eyes... five minutes... check... five... check... I should tell you that the MRI machine is REALLY LOUD! I had earplugs in (yuck they gross me out) and those ear protectors like you see air traffic controllers on the runway wearing. But it was still a lot of banging and clicking and thumping. The magnets in the machine are really strong and basically what they do is polarize all the atoms (molecules?) in your body by spinning them with the magnets, then they "release" the molecules and take pictures while the molecules reorient themselves. Some molecules reorient slower than others so that's how they can take pictures and tell one kind of molecule (e.g. glucose) from another (e.g. protein). It doesn't hurt... in fact you can't feel anything. So there I am in the machine and I'm hearing: boom... click... kang kang kang... buh-boom... tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat... brrrrrrrrrrr... king... king... boom... And so forth. And I'm waiting for time to pass thinking this will definitely be worth the $150 bonus they give for participating (which I'm using to treat myself to scrapbooking supplies and which, by the way, they haven't sent me yet, so I'll have to e-mail and remind them). And the last time I looked at the clock there was 25 minutes left. The next thing I know there's a bright light and I'm being extracted from the machine. I had fallen asleep. That's like falling asleep next to a jackhammer! Well, it just goes to show how tired a mother of 3 can get! REALLY TIRED! Well, I intended to share about WEM, but I'm going to go take a bath gefore wrapping Christmas presents! Scrapbook Idea of the Day Another Layout for you... this time without pictures! Yes. I am the great unfinisher! Used the Symphony (I think that's the title) paper pack and some chipoard letters which i covered with the paper (see detail above). I also ran a pice of the solid paper through an embossing/diecutting machine then sanded the embossed areas to bring out the pattern (see bottom right of the left page. All in all it turned out okay. I really like the papers, but have to find pictures to match!

Boom-Di-Ada!

Scrapbook Idea of the Day

The girl is on a roll! Yesterday's More to Adore layout followed by today's Boom-di-ada Level 2 Paper Packet! I must say that Boom-di-ada is one of my favourite papers, and my sister also loves it! Something about the colours that makes me cheerful! I also had the Stickease to go with this packet (I don't always get the stickease, but the ones with this set were fun) which I pop dotted (see detail above) in two places. I love the simplicity of this layout.

In general I have to say I like simplicity over busyness. It's a trend you'll see in my layouts. Not big on more than two, maybe three patterns on a layout, and usually these must be grounded by a significant area of solid or very subtle patterns.

This time I at least got the journalling done, but sorry, no title yet. I know, it's a problem I have. I'm a great starter, but not such a great finisher. This may be why our laundry sometimes gets folded, but rarely gets put away!

Hey! She really DOES scrapook!

Scrapbooking Idea of the Day

Well, it's been a loooong time, but I finally recorded some of my layouts, and thought I'd post one today! The supplies are all Close to My Heart from the More to Adore Level 2 Paper Packet, as well as a little brown ribbon (chocolate, I think, maybe cocoa).

I know, I know, I didn't do journalling or add the title, but, hey, it's a start! Also, I used my playful flourishes stamp set on the bottom right page to jazz up the simple blush pattern.

Done and Done.

Stuff of Life The items I've done are in bold! 1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain (Mt Robson!) 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (See #12) 20. Slept on an overnight train (See #91) 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked (technically my mother hitchhiked but I went along too!) 23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (Don't tell!) 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Netherlands and Turin, AB...) 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (When teaching and single!) 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo's David 41. Sung karaoke (Rock Band counts, right?) 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (See #12) 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business (Close to My Heart!) 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Not by choice) 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten caviar 72. Pieced a quilt (I think I'm working on my eleventh now...) 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (Thanks Papa!) 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chicken pox 89. Saved someone's life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone (During my year as a substitute teacher) 99. Been stung by a bee 100. Read an entire book in one day

Confessions of a Control Freak

Stuff of Life I'm not going to do an update. Suffice it to say things have been going. Not necessarily going well, just going. Our feet are still technically under us. Barely. At the end of this week, hopefully things will start to shift. But I had to blog and share my excitement about a new project, or rather an old project in a new form. Check it out in full at the FLYlady blog (google for the link... I'm lazy). It's a whole system of keeping organized and staying on top of things that I think I might love. I'm going to try it anyways. The first part of the "Control Book" starts with "My Bedtime Routine". Seriously could be the most important part of the day because how you go to sleep can change how you wake up. On the routine she has 1) Shine sink (kitchen that is, because isn't it so great waking up to a clean sink without grubby dishes?) 2) lay out clothes (a great idea for me since I spend all sorts of time finding my clothes and the kids at the same time and am usually frustrated by the process in the morning especially when we have to go somewhere!) 3) Brush teeth (good idea!) and finally GO TO BED AT A DECENT TIME! So, other than that last one, I am starting this tonight. Okay actually I don't currently have enough clean clothes to get me out of the house, but I'll put together something reasonable for in the house tomorrow while I catch up on laundry. The sink? I plan to take all the dishes out of it, stack them on the counter, clean it and leave it. Yes, that's right, tonight I'm relocating the problem but according to her, that's okay (Stack them on the floor if you have to, she writes!) And brush teeth? That's a given. And I look forward to my Cinnamon Rush toothpaste every night! Gotta Go Be Organized!