Non-Quilting Day

I realized that there are other things I want and need to do with my time than just quilting, so I set aside time to do some paper crafting projects once a month. 

When my first Granddaughter was born, I started a journal for her in the fashion those baby books are meant to be. And like many parents who start them, I started one for each new Grandchild believing that I would keep them up. Eventually, life turned away from the project and they sat for all this while.  One day, before Winter Solstice, Sami asked if I could make her a cookbook with my favorite recipes. She was the second of my Granddaughters to ask.

I found books for the first of the three grrrlie-grrrls and decided to give it a go using them to continue what was started decades ago, updating them with family recipes, my personal favorites and perhaps some story-telling.

The writers group I facilitated last Fall ended with a project where we were to decorate a journal on random pages sort of intuitively without having a real purpose. I took this one in and added to a number of blank pages. Some have recipe guides and other have pictures cut from elsewhere that caught my attention.

I've brought out my ratty 3-ring binder cookbook and started copying recipes in Sami's journal. I don't want to make it all recipes, and do want to include some of my thoughts and memories for her in it. Storytelling. Thing is, time went by so quickly as she and the others grew up, and now those memories might be altered a bit. Oh well. 

Here is the next journal for the #2 Granddaughter. It broke my heart to see so few pages written in it. Next month, I'll spend some time reading those earlier pages. 

What I realized is that this monthly work will bring back my commitment to write for these sweet kids, and what a nice gift for them someday. I'd like to think I will keep going on it, but one month at a time, perhaps to alter an old saying.

It was a good day working with paper projects from filing papers and tossing old magazines, to writing cards, making envelopes, and working on this journal. I need discipline to do something like this that takes time to do it. After reaching a burn-out-on-paper-projects, I stacked enough things to the side for next month. And probably, things will pile up.

Working with paper includes what is in my files, as well as going through stacks of books and magazines on the shelves. I will like this monthly adventure no matter where it takes me. 

I am pumped for tomorrow's once a month Winter Solstice projects. I found a box so that I can hang the pet bed form over it to serve as a catcher for fabric scraps. I thought I bought a yard of the fleece which should make two of them, one for each Grand-dog (Diamond and Kyle). Wonder what else the day holds?