Last week I introduced you to our page of the week feature. In each welcome message from here on out, I'll share a layout from my personal library that has relevance for the tasks at hand.

In October of 2008, Geoff and I traveled to Big Sur, California for the weekend. I had the dazzling idea of running a trail half-marathon. I am eager to report that I will never sign up for anything with the word "trail" in front of it again. Despite this run being the hardest thing I have ever done (physically), our weekend, spent with very good friends was delightful and memorable.

I came home from this trip with dozens of photos. Forty-four made it into my fall 2008 highlights folder and I printed 13 of these as 4" x 6" photos and one as a 5" x 7". As a storyteller I have several options for using and sharing these photos.

1. I could do a page about the half marathon (I'll pass.)
   
2. I could do a page for our Places We Go album (done, see below.)
   
3. I could make a "Snapbook" at Shutterfly and send it to the Smiths (done.)
   
4. I could upload Big Sur highlights I want to share to my Go Stacy page (done.)
   
5. I could do a page or mini-book documenting weekend trips with Geoff (cool idea.)
   
6. I could do a page about our evolving friendship with the Smiths (cool idea.)
   
7. I could tell the story of how we met the Smiths and how they've become our best traveling partners-how we don't even really talk that much, but when we want to plan a grand adventure or a short get-a-way, we call Randy and Diane Smith (very cool idea!)

Library of Memories is designed to support you in some or all of the ideas that your photos inspire.

Here's what has happened with my best Big Sur photos, that I pulled from my fall 2008 storage binder after I created this layout using 8 of my prints.

1. I put three friendship photos behind the Family Friends tab in our People We Love category drawer.
   
2. I put one of the leftover ocean shots behind the Nature tab in our Places We Go category drawer.
   
3. I put the kissing photo behind the Together Forever tab in our All About Us category drawer.

For now, I'm done with these photos. I have this trip documented and in our library and I've planted seeds of future connections in my category drawers.

As you continue to work through this course with the goal of finding photo freedom, please remind yourself that change is good and that as old patterns are broken, new worlds emerge - when triage doesn't seem to make sense or your former methods are challenged by assignments I'm giving you, sit yourself down and have a little talk. Discuss the kind of scrapbooking you were doing before LOM and reflect on the reasons you committed to this process. I assume that by registering for this crazy adventure, you had an inkling that something needed to change. Change isn't easy, but it is the only way you can truly progress in life or in any worthwhile pursuit.

Telling your story is a worthwhile pursuit!

Audio: Capital "R" Reality

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Audio: The Football Fan

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Lesson 4 Assignments

Handout The LOM Blueprint Bubble Charts Bonus: The Triage Nurse Bonus: The Photo Engineer Bonus: Stacy's Categories 4.5 x 6 Index Cards 5 x 8 Index Cards (You will need Acrobat Reader installed to open these documents)