Another One Bites the Dust...

I just got an email yesterday that The Scrapbook Village in Glasgow, KY is closing. Actually, it had a new name when it was sold a couple years ago. They had moved locations and downsized. I taught many classes there. Each January, we started off the new year with my organizational class. It was always a fun class with "students" driving all the way from Nashville, Louisville and Lexington.

Besides the physical store, Scrapbook Village hosted a couple of retreats every year at the state park. A few of my friends and I always enjoyed going---and having that time for uninterrupted scrapbooking. Now it's gone.

It saddens me that just about all of our scrapbook stores have closed. There are none in the greater Nashville area. Sadder still is the number of scrapbookers that are no longer scrapbooking. Every one invested a lot of money in this hobby---tools, pretty papers and every possible embellishment. They allocated prime real estate in their homes for their scrapbook rooms. I know. I helped set up so many of them. Now they are lonely, empty---collecting dust.

I started AYM ("A Year of Memories") nearly 8 years ago. It was the natural progression from my "Making the Most of My Memories"---4 week workshop. I wanted to prove that my system for organizing photos, memories and memorabilia was the best system out there. And I did. By year three, I had 39 members in 3 groups. As the stores closed, so did the interest. Slowly the 39 dwindled to the 10 I have left today. I still have a lot of stories to tell. I also know that for the current members in my group---this one layout a month is ALL they do. That's okay as they do have a completed album at the end of the year. Still, it's a lot of money and space tied up for something you do seldom. Even with that, several have not been able to put aside time this year to do even the one layout a month.

Somehow, scrapbooking has fallen by the wayside. I'm continuing to do my part---our stories are important. I believe that. I'm passionate about that. I want to remember the stories---and  more importantly---have my family remember them. What I wouldn't give to know more about my grandmother and great grandmother's lives---if only I'd have asked! I didn't. Now it's far too late. My grandchildren and great-grandchildren are going to know me---what I loved, what I did, how I lived. It might not seem important now, because I'm here. But 50 years from now, I truly believe they will cherish this bit of family history.

I called The Sassy Scrapper in Murfreesboro, TN---about 50 minutes from here. They are still in business. Now that I think about it, I haven't taught a class there in years. At the very least,  I want to go before another one bites the dust. Are ya' with me?

Let's make a 2016 New Year's resolution: Tell More Stories!