What makes a good site to hang out at?

I love this photo! Well...mostly. I hate that it shows how fat I really am, but I love that it shows me with my best friend in the whole world, William. :)

Anyway...on to the subject at hand. Internet communities. Interesting places, each with a dynamic of it's own.
Started at "Our Creative Companion". Let's just say that it didn't work out and leave it at that. There are still some hard feelings, I think, on both sides.
Kat started the Scrapbook Jungle, and it was home for 4 years. Was a wonderful community, until it got close to the end, and people started leaving. We tried so hard to revive it, and ended up getting burned out. Of course, we didn't have any help at all from the owner...Abby (long story, but she got the place from Kat..FREE). Water under the bridge.
So I ventured over to Scrap That Moment. Looked like a friendly, wonderful place to hang out. And it was, for awhile. Until it came to light that the owner is slightly narcissistic. Well...maybe a bit more than "slightly". And maybe just a tad.... well...nuff said. It turned out to not be the place for me, even tho there are still people there that I like, very much! Can't recommend hanging out there tho.

My new hangout? Scrapbook Chalet! Check it out. Many of the ladies that I met at STM are now there at the Chalet. I LOVE IT! It's fun, it's friendly, and it's fast paced. I'm a bit embarrassed to post any of my layouts tho...that gallery is simply intimidating! The talent there ROCKS, and my slapped together layouts just don't measure up. You can't ask for better inspiration tho, and I'm looking forward to learning a lot from these awesome scrappers!

Also need to say that it's good to be hooked up with Kat again! :) We have such fun together!

Just way cool...

Meet Deputy Joye and...uhmmmm...I forgot the other human's name, but I'd like to introduce to Deputy Missy and Deputy Narc as well. (I promise I'll find out the man's name as soon as possible....I'm rather embarrassed!) If you can detect from Deputy Narc's name, these dogs are drug sniffers. They're both pretty good at the jobs they do too, as are their handlers.

I was amazed at how playful and friendly these two canine officers were! Missy, the lab, was super hyper and Deputy Joye told me about how the dogs are really playing games in their own minds. Said even the police dogs that you see attacking perps are just playing tug o' war! I learned a lot today about them when they came to the facility that I work at and trained. It was totally cool, and I can't wait to watch them the next time they come! I was welcomed to take photos, talk, throw things at or for the dogs...so they could train them to keep working thru the distractions. Amazing! I really appreciate the job these deputies do. I don't have much use for druggies...they're leaches on society. I'm all for doing what can be done to help them clean up, and I'm all for doing what can be done to stop them from selling and using drugs in our communities! I happily told the deputies that they are welcome on our property at any time, day or night to train!

Let me share a few more photos...



Find it Missy!









Good Girl!!




Your turn Narc! Find it Buddy!!











*sniff, sniff,* This was taken just before he found the dope. GOOD DOG!!

Sweet dogs, very nice handlers. Our facility was a training haven for them, and I'm sure they'll be back soon! I hope so! I need MORE pictures! :)

It's ALL her fault!

It's all her fault, this obsession of mine with genealogy! This is Mary Ann Aitken MacKenzie. My great great grandmother. My mother's father's father's mother. My sister scanned some old photos that my mother had, this one was among them. See the "beauty spot" near her mouth? It's natural. I have it too. While I don't look exactly like her, I do have a lot of her features, and I'm guessing that from the twinkle that you can detect in her eyes, we probably would have shared a sense of humor as well! ;)

Anyway...it's her fault. My genealogy addiction. When I got this photo, I wanted to scrap it. Knew nothing about her except for her name and who she was within my family tree. So I went to my old standby, Google, and I typed in her name. I found a website that listed her, along with other family members back to the WAYYYYYYbacks! Goodness! A goldmine of information! I then wondered how much information I could find by typing in other family names. I went to www.familysearch.org. I went to Rootsweb and Ancestry.com I went to Genealogy.com. I was all over the web, and finding more information than I could shake a stick at. I even found a famous ghost in my family tree! :D (Can't wait to meet her....someday!)

It's become a mission. I *need* to find out more information. It's not enough to know that I had relatives that were some of the first "whites" in San Diego, California. It's not enough to know that I had two uncles that fell at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. It's not enough to know that William's 5th great grandfather fought with the Swamp Fox during the Revolutionary War, or that his father supplied the Fox's troops with food and horses.

I....MUST...know....MORE!

Well...here it is...

I promised photos of my little scrap space, so here they are! :)

Remember, while it may not seem like a lot, it's mine, and I'm happy with it! ;) There's still some work to be done on it, but it's at least somewhat presentable, which may not be the case after I've actually scrapped something! ~grin~

Scrapbooking is so important to me. Something I never thought I'd say six years ago, but as I become more and more involved in genealogy, the more I realize the importance of it. Maybe not to the world in general, or even to ALL of my family, but someone, someday is going to treasure the work I've done, whether it's work that can be considered stellar or not. I know this, because history repeats itself, and I'm fasinated with the scrapbooks of my ancestors!

The cabinet that you see in these photos is one that William found for me at a used office furniture store. It was dirty, dusty, and had some kind of adhesive residue on the top of it. A little elbow grease and orange oil furniture wax did wonders for it's looks! It didn't have shelves with it, so William arranged for the store to give him some extra doors that they had and he cut and fit shelves for me. I love it! My little desk? A Walmart cheapie, of course. It's going to work for me tho, at least until I can get something better. I love my corkboard with the Prima flowers around it. Super simple, and maybe not the most artistic thing in the world, but I still like it. They're bright, happy little flowers, and it amuses me to look up and see them. And finally! I draped my ribbons over a dowel hung with cup hooks. I can see what I have and not have to dig thru a drawer for them! :)

Edith Ann....nuff said!

I loved Edith Ann...Lily Tomlin's character of the 70's....such a HOOT!! :) When chatting with my friend Julie tonight, somehow Edith Ann popped into the conversation. I couldn't resist going and finding this clip! Not her funniest, but still pretty darned good!

How much fun is this?

Jozzie challenged me to post this, she got the idea from Nancy. Isn't it fun? Go find out what your birthday means!

Your Birthdate: November 8

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money. You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet. A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job. Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss. Your strength: Your undying determination Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle Your power color: Plum Your power symbol: Dollar sign Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?