BLuebird, I have all of that in boxes. I hope to get it all organized in my empty nest. That will be an evening project that will take months, but I look forward to going back through things.

downdog, I'll be thinking of you this week. How many in her graduating class? Are you doing anything to celebrate?

My daughter gave me a scrapbook and all the trimmings for Mother's Day. She wants to do a book with me. I was so touched.

I save cards. I don't know why. I don't go back and look at them much. They're just accumulating in a box. I like to save Christmas cards. I put special cards in my journal, so it's kind of a scrapbook in a way.

Ever since we went digital with our cameras I haven't had pictures to put in the photo albums. Sad that such a convenience of advanced technology could very well bring about the extinction of photo albums.

For my daughter's wedding, all the pictures were digital. We used an online service http://www.shutterfly.com/ to have them printed out in various sizes from 8x10, to 5x7, to the 4x6 size for albums. They did a really good job.

As far as being a packrat, I plead guilty. Every few months, I try to go through things and discard as much as I can, but it still accumulates. I don't keep newspapers or things like that. But, I do have leftover supplies from my aromatherapy business that I can't seem to part with. And I have piles and piles of books everywhere that I can't fit onto my overstuffed bookshelves. I love books and refuse to give any away.

And then there's just stuff that takes up space. Like this: We bought an air pop popcorn popper for healthier snacks and I have no place to put it. So, it's sitting out on the counter and takes up space.

Just don't get me started on my office. I definitely am a packrat there. I keep these 4 inch binders full of story ideas. They're stuffed so full, I need more binders. Articles cut from the newspaper are all over the place. Waiting to be filed. I use the articles to spark ideas. My bills stack up waiting for me to scan them into the computer then I shred them.

I think I need help. LOL Isn't that the first step? Admitting you have a problem? Hello, my name is Vicki and I'm a packrat. There. I did it. Now, what's the next step?

Vicki,
Don't feel bad about the cards I do too . I love those old cards. I am happy that I saved all mother sent to me. I did get rid of some cards , but keep others in a keepsake box from Hallmark . I told my daughter to come get her stuff animals from the attic . and come get her bike from the shad and so on. I keep personal records in file folders . I have reclycled news papers and paint cans . We have to here in MD.
You can resale you old books or donate them .

Just some thoughts .

Renee

Dotsie, I don't know how many are in her class! It's a pretty big school though. Guess I'll find out tomorrow. We are having a cookout Friday night. She has alot of friends and we think we will have around 70 people here. Pray for NO RAIN! I'm going to be busy!

The scrapbooking has been fun. I didn't get into it when it first came out, but now that I've tried it I'm afraid I'm hooked. You'll have fun with your daughter. What a nice gift.

Renee, when I moved out of my parents house they said that they were going to keep my room the same for awhile. It wasn't two months before they brought over my boxes of stuffed animals to me! I guess awhile equals two months huh?!

How was the graduation? Congrats!

We went to my daughter's big senior dinner last night with the faculty, students and parents. She goes to a small school so all the seniors get roasted.

I will pray for no rain. Are you cooking for all those kids? Oh my gosh! This is fun, isn't it? Have fun getting ready.

Its all done! Yes we cooked for all those kids. Hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixin's. Went great, no rain, the kids stayed til around midnight. It was fun. 300 graduated in her class.

Small schools can do so much more individually. The roast sound fun. Are you doing a party? When's the graduation?

Glad to hear you had good weather. Now we're praying for good weather. We are having a party and it's for both of our high school seniors. It is going to be huge so we are hopin' and prayin' we can be outside.

So, are all the festivities behind you? Your school schedule is a little ahead of ours. My daughter had her last exam yesterday and my son has a couple half days this week.

All done, whew! But I enjoyed every moment of it. Hope you do too. What kind of party are you having? Are you cooking? When is it? Sounds like you could have alot of people!

While doing devotions yesterday, the author of the book I'm reading shared this term in regards to us hoarding our cares and concerns as opposed to turning them over to God.

I much prefer to unload and share my burdens with the Lord each morning. That way when I take back my issues for the day, I give them back again the next morning. I definitely don't want to be a packrat in this regard.

Very different topic, but thought I'd share.

When I first became a Christian I had a major "pow wow" with God about my kids and giving them over to him. He won, I'm glad, and now we are back there again - huh- would'a thought I would have learned! But YES unloading my burdens to Him is the answer, He is the one to take care of my kiddos, ultimately, forever, not me. Ever read C.S.Lewis's "The Great Divorce" (I think that's the one) where the mother can't make her way to the promised land because of her "maternal desires" are too strong, wrongly too strong (apparentely there is such a thing!). I have found that telling God THE TRUTH about how I'm feeling does -set me free- if I tell Him I don't want my kids to leave...I don't wan't to grow old...I don't understand...HE does answer me. And I do get peace. And you are right, you got to do this every day!