Soooo, let me tell you about my week.
I started by organizing hundreds of pictures from Africa into my iPhoto program so I could figure out what I wanted to print. Inadvertently I manage to duplicate my entire photo library--nearly 10,000 pictures. Actually, that's not as many as you might think. My friends have tens of thousands!! Considering I go through my photos annually, I try to keep them under control.
When I realized that I had duplicated my library, it appeared as folders on my desktop. So, I threw them in the trash. OMGosh! I lost my entire photo library! I don't know how I did that. I don't know how I duplicated it and I don't know how I deleted everything. I'm pretty proud of myself---that I kept my cool. I didn't panic because I knew it was all in the cloud. I opened my photos in the cloud and figured out how to download them again. But the problem was I could not move them with the finely organized albums I had created. After doing it manually for a while--painstakingly creating new albums and folders, I stopped. It was taking so long AND I discovered that my phone would not sync with the new library. It seemed to be going from bad to worse! I decided to call for help. Gosh, I'm making this way too long. Okay. I made an appointment at Computer Pros. Then the night before my appointment, I discovered that my photo library was still in the trash--I hadn't emptied it. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that. I drug it back out and voila, I was back in business. Still, I had that duplicate, so I kept the appointment. The bottom line is the guy fixed it in less than 5 minutes. I hadn't actually duplicated the library at all. I just somehow managed to put it on the desktop! Problem solved!
I just mentioned all that to help you get an idea of what was happening amidst what I needed to get accomplished this week.
I've been planning, making lists, fall decorating, shopping, making decorations, and cleaning serving platters, plates and bowls for Morgan and Olly's engagement party on the 15th. Technically, Stephanie and Jordan are throwing it. They enlisted me because we have a somewhat "biggish" house--okay, it's big. We were more than happy to comply. I resisted the urge right then to take over! I've done a lot of big parties over the years and could practically do it with my hands tied behind my back. I've always said, "give me a stocked pantry and I could pull a party together in an hour!" While on our safari, I got the vibe that Steph wouldn't mind at all if I took over. So, I did! Saving her money is all it took!
Anyway, I want to have everything finished that I can before leaving town. When I get back, all I'll have left on Thursday and Friday is grocery shopping, flower arranging, and food prep (part of the reason I was so happy to help is that Steph is keeping it simple). Considering I already have plans for both of those days, I'll be busy. Luckily, Butch has become a great help in the kitchen! Secretly, I think he likes it! We're expecting 40-50 people--a piece of cake! I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy entertaining. The last big party we had was last year before Christmas. Now my mind is spinning with new ideas. I would love to share some pictures, but considering we want Morgan and Olly to be surprised, I can't. After the party...
On Saturday night, we had dinner with our friends, Diane and Grenville from Nottingham, England. Diane brought me some tea:
Gren keeps me supplied with the Sipsmith lemon gin--that I so love and cannot get here. But this time, Gren also surprised me with a copy of the Daily Mail.
Okay, I need to get a move on here. I have a lot to do! Actually, I'm dying to start playing with the 500 pictures I had printed of our safari. I'll be doing an interactive layout for each of the girl's albums plus our own travel album. The ideas are percolating!
One last thing. I've read several really good books lately:
Finding Me by Viola Davis--her autobiography---I love her and had no idea of the poverty she grew up in. She managed to put herself through Julliard with the help of a scholarship while overcoming family obstacles.
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist is about wrongful convictions in Mississippi. Unbelievable--with no real evidence, bogus experts were called to testify--who basically made up things and called it science.
Every Deep Drawn Breath was written by Dr. Wes Ely (side note: he's the dad of Morgan's best friend from grade school). This book is about his experiences as a critical care/ICU doctor who decided that just saving lives wasn't enough.
I only recommend books that I consider to be five stars. These books are not light reads. In fact, they are disturbing. But, they give you a lot to think about and are definitely worth the read!
It sounds as though you are busy as usual. Sorry for your technological struggles, but we all have them, don't we. I was tempted by the Viola Davis book, but I really must stick to reading things off our shelves this month (well, as soon as I finish my current audiobook).
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