Log your Memory: Weeks 36, 37 and 38!

Hi everyone :)

My Log your Memory project is well over-due for an update… but I have three finished layouts today.  It’s quite apt given the problems I’m having with my back that the September theme at Log your Memory is “Life’s Challenges”… so here we go.

Week 36

The prompt for this week is all about health and well being.  I know that I could have done a page about my current back issues but I had something a little different in mind… something that I’ve never scrapbooked before that I really wanted to include in my album. 

For some of you this may come as a big surprise but twelve years ago I survived a brain aneurysm.  For me it’s no longer an emotional thing… it’s something that happened and that I’ve recovered from.  Ask my family though and you’ll probably get a different reaction.

Was it hard?… YES!  Did it change my life?… YES!  Did it have any positive effects?… YES!

I certainly look at life differently now than I did back then.  I ‘listen’ to my body more and I’ve learned to listen to the signs for when I need to slow down a bit.

To be honest the hardest thing about doing this layout was re-discovering the notes the girls made for me in the hospital and realising how much I would have missed out on if I hadn’t lived through it. 

I wasn’t a scrapbooker when I had the aneurysm but I’m so pleased that I kept the memory box with all the ‘little things’ in it.  I kept EVERYTHING… even the little salt and pepper sachets from my dinner!

That memory box is a big reminder to me of how far I’ve come despite the surgeons prognosis.  It’s also a reminder to me to make every day important.

Week 37

Leading on from that… this weeks prompt it all about getting everything done and managing your daily to do’s and stresses.

One thing I realised after having the aneurysm was that some things won’t matter later on in life and some things really will.  My kids will never remember how often (or not) I did the vacuuming but they WILL remember me spending time with them.

Like most people I lead a pretty busy life but I’m NOT super woman!  I know I can’t do it all (although sometimes it bothers me that I can’t!)

While I can run a productive and happy classroom… run a small scrapbooking business… and spend time with family and friends there are some things that I just don’t seem to get done… and mostly I’m fine with that.

Sometimes a whole week will go by when I don’t vacuum… sometimes there will be unwashed dishes on the bench for a couple of days… and sometimes the bathroom could really use a good clean. 

But when I think about everything I have done in a day… and how much I have achieved, I’m pretty much ok with it.

Week 38

The last prompt for today is all about the headlines and news.  One of the questions was “Where do you stand on specific local or national issues of interest to you?”

Since I’m a school teacher it’s probably not much of a surprise that educational issues are pretty important to me.  I watched the news absolutely stunned the other day to hear the government proposal to close and merge schools in Christchurch.  What are they thinking???

I came across this poster on the internet and personally I think it explains things perfectly:

When I had my first opportunity to vote I knew next to nothing about politics or issues.  I’d turn on the TV to watch the political debates… and then within 5 minutes I’d changed the channel.  I was young… but I was ‘allowed’ to vote… and vote I did…. for the McGillicuddy Serious Party! 

I’m sure a few of you are smiling at that statement but let me tell you that my step-dad did NOT smile… in fact he didn’t see anything even remotely humorous about my actions! 

Thankfully things have changed since then and I am now a little more politically aware of what is happening in New Zealand although sometimes it’s really hard to fathom the ideas the government have about the educational future and opportunities for our young people.

Here’s my layout for this weeks prompt:

I will certainly be watching what the government decides to do with our education system and how they propose to do it.    When you think about it, it’s not just our kids future it’s our future too because when we all hit retirement it will be them who are running the country!  Let’s hope they make some good choices!

So that’s it from me today… I’m just about caught up again!  I hope you have all had a great week and enjoy your weekend xx