Arctophiles of the world unite!

I admit it. I am an arctophile.

I cannot resist bears.

I try. I fail

I have far too many but when I see a cute one I have to bring him home (and yes - they always seem to be male. No idea why)

This is a page made with Dawn Inskip's wonderful collection called Beary Special and it is available at her store at Scrapbookgraphics and as it was released yesterday it is on special offer - so grab it whilst you can. As with all of her kits it is absolutely jam packed full. Anyway - this page is about Tiny - the lost bear. I so hope Jakki isn't reading this post as she still has nightmares about what has happened to poor Tiny (and she is even more of an arctophile than I am)

 

 and as Tiny has such a special story - here it is close up so you stand a fighting chance of reading it.

 Picture of the day has not been downloaded yet - but will follow probably tomorrow.

Today I am thankful for

• all of my teddies - large and small.

This is my page a day calendar from today

I’m in the basement, radio on, folding laundry. It’s a contemplative act, with its very own rules.

First rule: Look for towels, sheets, and blankets to fold quickly into squares. In the hands of a master, the folds fairly fly. You want to get off to a good start, to have the feeling of work being done efficiently, and the towels build up into an impressive stack of folded stuff.

Next: kid stuff. Might as well concentrate on what is most plentiful, and with three small children, there is an eye-popping number of shirts, pants, socks, hats, sweaters, sweatshirts, and diapers. With baby stuff you enter the dream zone, when your mind sails to Italy and walks the sunny rows of the vineyard, contemplating the exact right day to begin harvest, while your hands lift the shirt, snap it straight, fold sleeves in, fold belly up, reach for next shirt.

Then wife’s stuff. Mostly shirts and jeans, but, hey, here’s a bra! How do you fold a bra?

My stuff: A hundred years ago, when I was young and single, I didn’t wash anything; I’d actually leave things out in the rain on purpose. Then I started washing unmentionables. Then everything else. But what self-respecting guy folded his own stuff? Now I fold my own stuff, with affection and respect, savoring each hardworking garment, some of which have been with me half my life.

This is the prayer of the laundry room, which is really the prayer of the small daily act. And what are our days but a motley pile of small daily acts—each a prayer, if only we can keep attending to its inherent holiness.

Lord, give me the sharpness of eye and width of heart to spy Your grace and humor in what seem to be the smallest and most insignificant corners of my days. Yea, even unto the finding and folding of socks hot from the dryer.

—BRIAN DOYLE

Comments

[Scrappyjen]

Lovely page. Thanks for sharing the journalling. Have a good weekend. Jenx

[Lizzie]

Aww.. poor Tiny Bear - I hope he turns up during the end-of-term tidying!

[mary. D.]

I hope tiny Ted reads your blog, and comes back home,after his adventure.