Time Not Wasted

It started out as a simple idea.  Shortly after we returned from our trip we were invited to celebrate the birthday of one of our traveling companions.  Two days before the party I had the thought that it would be fun to print a few pictures from our travels to put in his birthday card.  In order to do this I had to load the photos into iPhoto and choose the ones I wanted to print.  This started the process of scanning through hundreds of images from over three weeks in four countries.  It began to dawn on me that there were so many memorable photos I wanted to share that perhaps I should make a little book, which made me remember I had some photo books tucked away in storage.  I found several small old-school black scrapbooks, and that kicked things up a notch.  These things always take way more time than I think they will, and grow in scope, as I get further into the process.

       When I travel I always put ticket stubs, cards from restaurants, colorful maps, brochures and any other paper memorabilia in the flat front pouch on my suitcase.  That way I can remember, recommend and return to favorite places.  Wasn’t it a grand idea to embellish the little memory book I would give Peter as a birthday gift?  How fun that sounded!  I love crafty projects and I rarely have an excuse to do them now that my kids are grown, and grandkids are getting past that stage.  Never mind that the party was now a day and a half away - I needed to edit and crop many of the photos, my little photo printer ran out of ink late at night and I had to wait until the next day to print more photos, I had to plan the number of pages ahead so that I could balance the four cities, I wanted to use a map that include our hotel for each city – the whole process got out of control.  It reminded me of the children’s book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” where each thing just leads to another, without end. 

                                     

       This project took over my time.   I was up early, used every disposable minute, neglected some chores, got take-out food for dinner, stayed up until 2:00 AM and I still didn’t finish it in time for the party.  I got half way done and gave it to Peter for a “preview” before taking it home to finish.  As with any good crafting project, you need room to leave your stuff out.  I tried to keep everything organized with a file of photos and mementos for each city, the paper cutter, glue sticks and scissors in a neat (I tried) stack on the large coffee table in front of the TV (that way I wasn’t entirely neglecting my husband.)  And like the “mouse with the cookie” the further along I got, the more certain I became that I needed to make a second book for JP and me.

               

       

       During the week or two that it took me to complete both books, I worked a little most every day, and some days a lot.  I amended our book by replacing some pictures of Rose and Peter with pictures of JP and me which meant more time finding and editing photos, trying to come up with the balance and mix I had reached with their book.  It reminded me that I really enjoy the creative process.  The whole messy, search and select series of choices that result in a finished product that started as a vague idea.  It’s often difficult to find the time but once I get started it’s hard to stop (much like writing.) Sometimes I have to put house and garden chores on the back burner, short cut the time I have for family and friends and sacrifice time for reading!  When I am in the last stages I can get particularly obsessive. 

       As I was finishing up I spent some time thinking about what I had “given up doing” to find time to make these books.  I also factored in the enjoyment I got from the process and the reward of the end product.  I can’t really think of anything I missed, some things were delayed of course, but most things really can be done later, and sometimes not at all!  It all adds up to time well spent.  I enjoyed the process, I get pleasure from paging through our book and remembering each moment captured, and family and friends are getting a real sense of where we went and what we did.  And above all, to quote Bertrand Russell, “The time we enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”