had to give up

I was reading the book "Bury Me Standing" by Isabel Fonseca.  It is about the persecution of gypsys in Central Europe of the 1990's.   I became interested in the subject when I went on the cruise of Italy and Greece a couple of years ago.  But I have to admit defeat.  Not that the book was boring or difficult reading, but the subject, I could feel was changing me.  Human Beings are capable of such  horrible behaviour and attitudes..  I don't know how else to put it, the 'human condition' is not noble.  I am starting to be so disgusted.  We are capable of such wrong doing and then justifying it.  I am 2/3 of the way through it, and just cannot read another word.  I was shocked that people are being killed/burned out of their homes in the 1990's...we aren't talking a hundred years ago.  And I don't think it has changed.  Our kids have a foreign exchange student, a 15 year old from Germany, who has made comments about 'Turks and Gypsies" that reflect a deep seated prejudice.

Is there a cure?   Is it Christianity, that teaches us "red, brown, yellow, black and white...they are precious in his sight?".   Is it the 'melting pot' attitude that the United States used to have.  I know, its changed to a multi-cultural 'salad'.  But wasn't the melting pot good?  The attitude that we were all Americans first.   I dunno.  I am just so disturbed by what I am reading...and seeing.

a few months ago, I read "The Warmth of Other Suns" and it was equally disturbing...but not as hopeless.

so, I've started a new Susanna Kearsley book...something I know I'll enjoy and something a whole lot lighter.

been working on ATC's, and have been  R E A L L Y  stumped...oh my, gotta go concentrate on them.

looking forward to the last installment of Breaking Dawn, cannot wait, don't know who I will be able to get to go with me...oh, and the commercials for Red Dawn...  Time to take care of some chores!

had the chance to crop, twice this week!!

I had the chance to crop twice...now, that's what I call a fantastic week.


the first was on Thursday.  DD had a business trip to our shop in Reno...so, I was able to pack a rolling cart and go to Scrapbook Paradise off of McCarran...for $5, I was able to set up and crop in the store.  Of course, had to do a li'l shopping....teehee.   For a crop like this, I do not take any embellies, as I really want to pack light and keep it down to one bag.  Also at a store, I don't pack very much cardstock.  As I will have access at the store.   I LOVED it.   So I do very simple, unadorned pages, that I bring home to embellish.  Like this one from our Mediterranean Cruise, oh, 3 years ago.   I tucked in a note to myself about where it was, so I can finish it.

Then on Saturday, I went to a 12 hour crop in Modesto.  It was a fundraiser for the California Youth Authority.   Very nice.  They had volunteers there to help you unload and load your car.  For this kind of crop, I pack a lot more...fill my li'l utility wagon and brought my cricut.  I tend to bring page kits, I subscribe to Scrapbook Circle and Scrapbook Nook (though Nook is no longer)  

 here is a 'monochromatic' layout I did of one of the statues of Achilles in Corfu.  (Michele, I'm doing Corfu pics!!!!)

I find that if I am just using the cardstock to border my pp, I will cut the center out.  This is the backside of Achilles layout.   Gives me an automatic matching matt when I use the inside!  The following gray layout also used this 'technique'.     

 and here is another layout of Old Town Corfu...made me think of my sis who uses a lot of say it with bling.

 This was my final layout, you can tell I'm getting tired when they get really, really simple.  I'll figure out what to add later.

and my stack of started, base, layouts that I need to embellish and put in books!

A few more Corfu pics, then some pics of the baked Alaska parade our last night on the ship...and then I'll be on Venice and can say I'm finally done with this trip!!   Maybe I'll do last October's Hawaii trip next...or San Franciso...or...well, you know.

Another funny thing at yesterday's crop.  They had hourly raffles, in which 5 women were called to pick their prizes off a table.  hmmmm, 20 to 30 women, 5 per hour...good odds, right?  Not for me, I was not called ONCE all day!  My table mates were each called 3 times, and for Megan, once after she left.  There were women being called 2 even 3 times during the same set of 5...in fact, the last raffle, they even announced, "Ok, we're hear to give Amber and Connie more gifts".  It was ridiculous, and at one point, I was really feeling down.   Even told my friend, I was going to start signing my ticket Tinkerbell.

Anyways, there were also 11 prizes out for a raffle, where you put your ticket in which prize you want.  I bought 6 tickets. There was one prize that I was the only ticket in the bag for...so I got hopeful, but before the draw there were 2 more tickets...anyways, I won!!  I actually won 3 of those prizes, and was esp excited to get the CTMH basket...

yay!!   So today will be a day of unpacking, hopefully embellishing...but, since I've been gone the past 3 days...probably should concentrate on housework first.