Well, the forecast for thunderstorms here was right.  There were a few early in the day but late afternoon brought a ton of rain and lots of rolling thunder.

Do you remember the story about about Rip Van Winkle which talked about thunder caused by someone bowling?  The rolling thunder out here really does sound like a bowling ball rolling down the alley!

So today I'm hosting the chat for the guild.  It's begins at 1:00pm and I had that all scheduled until someone reminded me that 1:00pm back east is 11:00am here.  I sure am glad that happened.  I would have waited until 1:00pm here and totally disappointed everyone back east who were waiting for me to begin the chat!

How do you handle ideas that come to mind?  I generally write them down somewhere...but then I forget about the ideas and where I wrote them or even worse, toss out the piece of paper I wrote them on!  So, I decided that I needed another journal.  This is the second one I have made for myself.  Remember the first had to do with being out in nature, writing about it, drawing about it and saving tiny flowers for the flower press.

This new journal is a place to keep all my ideas together as well as easy to keep track of...

This is 5" by 6" so again it's easy to handle.  I used fabric to cover the cardboard cover and a strip of the fabric with velcro dots for a closure.  On the inside back cover I added a writing pad held in place with elastic.  To use it, I simply place it behind the page I want to write on...

There are five signatures each with a heavy decorative paper which have pockets on both the front and back.  There are six additional pages to write on for each signature.

I chose, again to hold these in place with elastic rather than sew them into the book.  It will be easy to add more pages and even another signature if needed...

I cut the pages for the journal out of regular copy paper and there was quite a bit of paper left over from each piece so I made a notebook...

See the piece of elastic at the bottom.  I have not stretched it but I simply taped it down on the back of the notebook and then glued a piece of the same decorative paper that the notebook cover is made out of over the elastic...

 I find it interesting that it has taken so long to actually make a journal (or two) for myself...but I sure am happy about them and I have already used both of them.

I guess the saying 'the shoemaker's children go barefoot' could apply earlier but no longer.  How about you?  How often do you make/do things for everyone else but not for yourself?  The lesson here is to understand your own needs and desires AND realize that you are worthy of those things.  And then follow through making/doing for yourself!

Have an amazing day and do something for yourself...

Talk with you tomorrow...