Frame

Playdate

I am watching the kids now, which means I'm listening to them argue in Avery's room while I look at things on the computer.  Avery's favorite phrase of the moment ("You're not my best friend anymore!") has already been muttered, so the afternoon is off to a swinging start.

Impending Crash

I'm really happy and up right now.  Normally one would think this to be a good thing.  However, it makes D dread what he believes will be an upcoming crash.  I can't deny that this is usually the pattern, but when I'm in my up state like I am, I just can't imagine how I haven't gotten this depression thing licked.  I think, "I'll just be like this all the time.  It's so easy.  You just decide to be happy and you are! I'm so glad I've got it figured out now."  Then, at some point, poof.  It's gone.  At D's request, I scheduled an appointment to talk to my therapist/PMHNP while I'm in an up state to see what I can do about maybe leveling things out.  It feels ridiculous to think about talking about being too happy.  It's not like I'm manic or anything.  If I were like this all the time it would be a perfectly acceptable state.  It's just that I never remain at this state of happiness/elation/? for too long.  Of course, neither can I remember how long I do stay at this state since I don't notice it coming on nor do I notice it slipping away.

I was driving along thinking about all this today.  Among my thoughts is the usual, "Do I really want to blog about this?"  After all, people are loathe to discuss mental health issues and talk about this shit.  Admitting it's there and putting it up for the world (or all 4 of my readers) to read is reducing privacy.  But I always land at the same place: pretending this isn't something I have to deal with makes it so much harder.  And I'm not ashamed.  I'm annoyed and frustrated and pissed that my moods aren't as even as it appears other people's are, but I'd be more annoyed if I tried to hide my what? flaws? imperfections? depressions?  Whatever.

For now, I'm quite up, so it's all easy to manage.  Maybe I DO finally have it all figured out. Ha! I crack myself up.

Digital Frame

When I went to Mexico with my girlfriends, I left presents for Avery and D for each day that I was gone.  One of D's gifts was a digital photo frame.  I figured he could take it to his office and set it up there.  He never did, so it sat around in the box until I finally decided to load it up with pictures and put it in our house the other day.  It was then that I discovered digital photo frames are made for people like me.  In fact, I like it so much that I've ordered another one so we have one placed for landscape-oriented photos and the other for portrait-oriented photos.

Reasons I love the photo frame:

• The threshold for determining picture quality is lower.  If it's a snap shot that isn't a great photo, but that has special memories for me, I can load it up without a second thought. 
• The circle of subjects in the pictures widens.  I can't see myself ever putting pictures of the Gs or of our friends Vic and Mike on our walls.  Let's face it, if you don't even put up pictures of your family, you're not going to put them up of your friends. Also, it's a little weird to put up other people's family.  Yet, I love looking at pictures of Elise and Nolan and of us on vacation with Vic and Mike.  So I loaded all those up on the frame, too. 
• It's easy.  I realize that framing a photo and hanging it is easy for the vast majority of people.  For me, it is not.  It takes me over a year to hang pictures, if I ever get around to it.  Same for printing pictures / having pictures printed.  By the time I get the freakin' picture up, it's already two years out of date.  
• Variety.  Even once I have a picture up, I get bored of it very quickly.  I love the picture of D, Avery and me that we had framed, but now I pass by it so often that I'm bored of it.  
• Less clutter.  One frame = endless pictures.  Awesome.  

Chart Maker

After I made the chart for RHG & Elise, a couple of RHG's mommy friends saw it.  I had two requests to make them charts, too.  So I happily obliged putting my Silhouette to work and made them both charts and tokens.  In this process I discovered that I prefer to use the Silhouette to cut regular paper vs cutting cardstock.  I naturally gravitated towards cardstock since it makes the most sense.  However, if you're making letters to put on something, or you're cutting tokens that will be laminated, you don't need to the paper to be thick.  This means I finally found a use for all the scrapbook paper that I am oh-so drawn towards but never before had a use for.

Speaking of the Silhouette, I noticed the other day that there's a new version that cuts 12" paper (mine cuts 8").  I, of course, want it.  I will not buy it since I really, really can't justify that, but damn it! I want it.  Just like I want a letterpress after playing with one at Paper Source the other day.  Why must I love these tools and supplies so when I don't actually love the resulting products one makes with them?