What Day Is It?

Who am I?  Where am I?

How could I forget Monday?

It was a pretty quiet morning.  Then I went to the Chirocracker's--got a massage and the tapper up and down my spine and shoulder and walked out feeling great.

Oh yes--I remember now.  I stopped at Staples to get some more special paper for my family tree/story book I am giving to my kids for Christmas.  The first box I bought in March, was $20.00 for 150 sheets.  Must have been a half-price sale back then because yesterday, it was $39.95 for the same.

YIKES!!!

I wanted this to look like a book--or a magazine.  I don't want to use a 3-ring binder.  I want it to look more like a book.  With sort of shiny paper--the kind used for brochures.

I thought these binders would work.  Holds 200 pages.  I have about 100-front and back

 After I printed out my test copy, it was easy to use a two-hole punch and put it all together.  You gotta start with the back pages first.

I thought it looked nice

But--way way into the book, the pages won't lay flat and when I forced them, the metal tabs that hold the pages together, started to twist and deform.

The paper is wonderful.  The print quality, even with an inkjet, is super.  I can print on both sides and it doesn't bleed through.  

So, I need one of these machines: Comb Binding

So I can punch those rectangular holes along the side to make a book like this with a spiral 

only a clear cover, so it will open and lay flat like this.

Then, I could use that machine to make my How To book and another one I want to make of all the children's stories I wrote, which were on my website, which is now closed.

By the time I get done with my family book, it probably is going to cost me $100.00 a book!!  Which I could have paid to have it printed and bound by a professional company, HOWEVER--I have looong (17-24") family pedigree sheets that I figured out to make in Excel and need to go into the book, hooked in the book at different places and be able to unfold them. lengthwise to see them.

Yesterday, I took those pedigree sheets that I had printed, cut and pasted together to Staples to have them enlarge or downsize to a WIDTH of 11 inches to fit along the spine of the book, and whatever length needed to get all the names and dates onto.

$2.00 a copy and I want 7.  One for each book (4), one for my sister, her son and myself.  I have four sheets to print out.  What is 4 x 7?  $28.00.  What is $28.00 x $2.00?  $56.00  YIKES!!

 GOOD GRIEF!!

So I thought and thought and tried to figure out.  I don't need to print and put them together until late November, so I have time to get the money and buy a box of paper once a month and the folders and the machine and the plastic spirals used for the spine.

At least I have the book all finished and it turned out WUNDERBAR!!!

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But today, this Precious Girl showed up and spent 3 hours here and I didn't even think about the book.

We had a great talk and yes, we talked about Luis Fillipe and I told her about Richard Spencer Dunham and about aunt Jennifer's Miguel, in Spain, and how these, away from home for the first time, summer romances can be so wonderful, but sometimes, don't turn into lifelong relationships and she is a leveled headed girl and already knows all that, but........."Gramma, I wasn't looking, really.  I was there on a mission for God and I didn't want to meet any boys, but...he is so nice and sweet and he writes songs and plays his guitar so beautifully in church and his voice is so mellow, and smooth, 

and ......................................"

Oh to be young........

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This child loves me no matter what:

"I've missed Gramma's house!"

"I love you so much, Gramma."

"I love the way you have decorated your house."

"You've always been so wonderful to me."

"You always understand everything."

on and on................

My heart is filled up to the brim and overflowing!  

I am to my grandchildren, like my grandma was to me.  I don't discipline.  I never give advice, unless they ask.  I take their side always, no matter what.  I am their biggest advocate and they know how much I adore them and think they are the bestest people I have ever known!!

I admit, it is easier when they are nice, polite, level headed kids and none have ever been in trouble (yet).  If they ever DO get into trouble, I will still be their advocate--no matter what!