Note: Last year I asked my scrapbooking friends to tell me how they deal with stress during the holidays. I received some amazing emails. So here’s Part III in our series. Be sure to join this blog on Dec. 18 for Part IV, and Dec. 23 for Part V.–Joanna
I started scrapbooking about 10 yrs ago after my mother moved to Heaven, my sister to FL. My brother to WA and my daughter to Oregon. My son back to Oregon. I had to find some way to deal with the depression that I was having. Pills made me worse or too happy to deal with life.
So I started an album of loss. Just after my mother a dear friend died, then a policeman I had adopted after being stopped by him, (no ticket) but I waved each day and prayed for him as well.
I saw his bike and the accident on the side of the freeway. On my way home from work that day.
So this album helped me deal with loss and sadness. But in a positive way. That was only the beginning.
Now when I am overwhelmed which at the holidays who isn’t? I go sit in my wonderful scrapbooking room and create something. Be it a album for each of the grandsons, or a card for an upcoming event. Always a thank you card this time of year. Once I get going I can breath again and head back to the tasks at hand. Cleaning, baking, for a house full of people to soon be walking in the door. We are having only 10 this year on Christmas Eve. I tend to bake too much, cook too much, and fluff too much and love every minute of it. I send lots home with family. But I spend the day snapping pictures and will make not only my photo scrapbook, but one for each of the kids. Small ones they can carry around with them.
Stress is just a snip, scrap, and picture away from being gone. Life is good and scrapbooking is my life.
Connie
