DWYSYWD

I sat across from the publisher's desk, portfolio in hand, a little nervous, and saw one of those wooden desk nameplate signs. Except it wasn't the publisher's name. The letters displayed were these:

(Forgive me, I guess I'm on a Scrabble kick. Heh.)

We exchanged pleasantries and I then asked, nodding toward the sign, "Do what you said you would do?" Bingo!

I got the job. Not so much for my intuitive skills. I was a pretty good designer.

Those were the days ... we built our
newspapers on an early '90s Macintosh Pro.

A month later I wasn't so sure I wanted it. We were launching a series of weekly newspapers, rolling out community tabloids over several months. My job was to design ads. The technology was brand-new-and-shiny, and the learning curve was, um, steep. We worked 70 hours a week for two weeks straight to meet our first deadline.

Holding that first paper in my hand was pretty sweet, though. And I stayed with that firm, working my way up to Senior Ad Designer, for more than seven years, until I moved from Ohio to West Virginia.

The reason I bring this up is because I wrote yesterday that I would post photos of the journals today. And I can't. I've made journals before, but I forgot that the book covers need an overnight to dry. So. DWYSYWD fail!

If I were really compulsive about D-ing WISIWD, I'd be finishing them up RIGHT NOW, but there's another drying period after you glue the pages into the covers and then you have to add some pretty endpapers inside the front and back covers. I've used most of a container of ModPodge on this and the coaster projects so far. Good thing the rest of my gifts involve knitting needles and a sewing machine.

So. Tomorrow. I promise. I know you're both sitting on the very edges of your chairs in anticipation. Heh.

Friday Quote Day

Focusing your life solely on making a buck
shows a certain poverty of ambition.
It asks too little of yourself.
Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon
to something larger than yourself
that you realize your true potential.
~ Barack Obama

Okay, right off the bat you’re wondering what in the heck this quote has to do with weight loss, running, health, fitness or even knitting. Aren’t you?

I thought so.

Well, the answer is ‘nothing at all.’ But it has everything to do with this:


I was a tiny cog in the great wheel of Democrats who worked hard to elect Presdient Obama last fall. I spent many hours at campaign headquarters and many more at home creating and producing posters, signs, stickers and campaign buttons, among other volunteer activities.

During an event at headquarters, a woman introduced herself to me and said she had an idea for a book, but needed help putting it together. She wondered if I’d like to lend my graphic design skills to her project. The result is Birds Nearby, which was delivered this week.

It’s a lovely book describing 36 common birds in the Eastern United States. Each bird gets four pages: two with simple clues describing the bird, then a photo page and then a coloring page. It’s suitable for elementary-age school children.

But each of my grandchildren – from 11 months to 12 years – is getting one for Easter.

If I had more time I would try to tie Obama’s quote to health and fitness, because I can see how it could be done, especially if I cut everything but the last sentence. But what I love about the quote, and how it relates to my experience, is that I really wasn’t trying to make a buck.

I was electing a President.

If you’d like a copy of the book, please let me know. Betsy’s website isn’t quite ready for orders yet, but I can put you in touch with her.