Christmas Mini-Album + Other Thoughts

I've been finishing up a few projects for Memory Bound, including this little mini-album. This is the third album I've made with the WRMK 4x6 pads. Three projects almost constitute a series! :) Don't be fooled by the small size of the album. You can add tons of 4x6 photos, recipes, shopping lists, or anything else to the album: Just punch holes and insert! I'll be teaching this class on December 2. If you're in the area, I'd love to have you join me!

Here are some other (completely random) thoughts for today:

* This empty nest business is pretty strange. With Daughter away at college, things are very quiet around here. No singing, no kids sprawled all over the floor, fewer concerts to attend...not nearly as much music as usual. On the other hand, I'm not tripping over flip flops all the time, so there are some benefits, but overall it is just very different.

* Thank goodness for texting, Facebook, and Skype which allow me to at least know if she's among the living.

* The burner on the coffee maker makes a little "tick" which sounds just like a new text on my phone. As you can imagine, this causes some confusion.

* After my mammoth scrapbooking effort to prepare for graduation last May, I completely lost my mojo there for awhile. In the past couple of weeks, I have finally started scrapbooking again. I must say it's a bit more fun without the pressure of a looming deadline.

* Fall is underway. The leaves are really starting to change this week. This is my favorite time of year.

* Except for the allergies. Harvest time generates dust. I'm allergic to dust. In fact, it's a wonder I can even survive living in this house.

* Lily's new food morsels are the same size as Tinsel's food morsels. I had hoped this would stop her from swallowing her food whole, but this is not the case. She has yet to learn that this behavior causes her to go "BLOP" on the carpet.

* The fitness routine is going well. Well, at least I'm going. :) I never enjoy it but I always feel better psychologically after I've gone.

* I'm doing a lot of teaching this fall and have been busy creating projects, writing instructions, and making kits. It has been good to get back into it.

* A HUGE white cat with brown spots has been stopping by our house most every evening after dark. This cat sits on the sidewalk and peers in the window -- quite pleasantly, I might add. These visits, however, have Tinsel completely wound up. She flings herself violently at the window, growls and hisses menacingly, and tries to fight this pleasant Neighbor Kitty (who just sits there) through the window. Lily doesn't seem to care about the visitor and just looks at Tinsel like she's crazy.

* Lily's claw sharpening behavior is completely out of hand. I'm going to have to buy her a new scratching post. Any recommendations?