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I have had the notion of writing a children’s book using my amateur photography for at least a dozen years.  I had started a draft.  When my computer did not respond correctly on December 21, 2012, I thought that someone had chosen an interesting day to introduce a computer virus into the world.  It was, after all, a date some people expected the world to end, based on a misinterpretation of the  Mayan calendar.  Without recalling the details of my troubleshooting, I came to the conclusion that my computer crash was actually a personal dilemma, not worldwide.  I was able to call in reinforcements later in the day after my husband got home.  I do not take asking for his assistance lightly. Since he works with computers all day, it’s a bit like a “busman’s holiday”.  Since I did not feel like my presence was adding much to the solution, I defaulted to something that would provide me a sense of accomplishment. I did laundry. When I was folding the clothes, I came up one sock short. So, this is the kind of day I’m having; it’s still not the end of the world, but if isn’t getting better. Even though my computer was not backed up, it’s possible that all of the pictures I had chosen were on Snapfish. I started using their services when I was still putting film in the mail and getting prints back. They were also storing the photos digitally and I could access them through their website.  The theme of observing nature is still the same, but it is not the same book as my first draft. The picture of the baby finch is the only one that predates the monumental crash. Life went on, for another eleven years.  A marketing email from Snapfish came in with an offer for a discount on creating a photo book with them that expired on an upcoming birthday. I decided to take it as a sign to create another draft. I hit the Submit button to order a few copies. In the meantime, I’ve made small alterations and hit Submit four more times.  For the most part, I have given these copies away to friends and family with small children; three have been mailed to people I know in assisted living facilities. I set a goal for 2025 that I would decide if I was going to take this endeavor more seriously and officially publish my book. As you can see, the answer was Yes. Did I find the missing sock?  Yes, but not for several months.  It was safe in the leg of a pair of flannel pajama pants that I didn’t wear again until the following winter.  I’ve decided that if I sort the socks first, prior to hanging or folding the rest of the clothes, I will know if I have to be more observant looking in shirt sleeves or pants legs before I’ve put them away.  I have seen an adorable drawing of a Sockness Monster, responsible for eating socks in the laundry. Apparently, this is a widespread phenomenon. Follow me for more laundry tips and books.