We're not Russian scrappers

By:DWalsh,Trenton,Ontario,Canada (currently Kyiv, Ukraine)

The first important point to this story is that I am not Dawn Walsh. This is Michelle Hartley, a very close friend and buddy scrapper to Dawn. And, most importantly, I can tell you just how important scrapping is to Dawn. You see she would have never found me if she was not a scrapper. It is because of scrapping that we have such a strong friendship, a mutual understanding of exactly what it is like to have to beg (oh, did I say that?) our husbands for $$ money to order scrapbook supplies from halfway around the world, and even what it feels like to send our husbands (DH's as they're known) off to the all night internet cafe as we try to win free scrapbooking supplies while residing in Kyiv, Ukraine.

I must enlighten you as to how this whole adventure began. We can actually credit Dmarie for our introduction- which took place while Dawn (pre-diplomatic status) was in Canada and I was already exisiting outside of civilization in Kyiv. It was on the Dmarie chatland that Dawn was advised to find me "Kyivscrapper" and my obsessive MB postings, before she moved to this police state that is completely beyond the ability of understanding the average scrapper or able to support our addiction.

It was a pleasure (NOT!) to advise Dawn that absolutely NOTHING scrapping was avaiable here and that she must ship absolutely everything! (Nice to hear from a compelte stranger, I'm sure.) However, upon her arrival, there I was waiting IN her apartment. Of course it was nice to meet her, but I really wanted to see what supplies she had brought. It was then I realized I had to wait several weeks for her shipment to arrive. So I had to be polite and invite her to our cropping group - which now consisted of her and I. Wow - a real group! Well our group has grown and we now have 8 scrappers from five countries.

Why is scrapbooking important? Why, it's the friendships! Well, it might be the friendships with the one that has the sizzix (yeah, Dawn!) or the one with lots of paper (me!) or Dawn (the other one) and Eva - the great kid stories! Or it might be Patricia - the Irish redhead who can make anyone laugh about anything - including life in Kyiv! Sure the scrapbooks are important, but in a third world country it is the friendships that are most important. The understanding and the support network that has formed is amazing! (So much so that although Dawn and I only live a short distance apart we must still chat online everynight - often in Dmarie chatland!). Thanks Dmarie!

PS. If you can spare an extra $100 (I'm sure this essay has already won a prize - we really are this desperate!) I'm sure the group would appreciate it!

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: Scrapbooking - Just Part of our Daily Lives, by Dena J.