Last month, we looked at Writing about your Childhood Home. “Come with me back to my Childhood Home” was the title that my grandmother used when she left us a piece about one of the homes of her childhood in her “Treasure Chest of Memories.” (See My Story: The First Treasure Chest of Memories.) She was feeling ill and used her writing as a distraction as she took her readers back in place and time. Continue reading »
“Five Minute Friday” is a great writing exercise even if you’re not blogging your treasures (memories). Your spontaneous thoughts on a given subject can reveal your personality, daily life, beliefs, etc. If you are blogging, I encourage you to join in! If you want to connect on Twitter, use the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday.
This prompt is too rich in metaphors for a five minute session! Cue the dramatic, frenetic music!
My life is a song. It’s a pretty good one, in my opinion, but I’m not sure I deserve the credit. I have a Master that helps me compose.
It’s not a song written for performance or a Grammy. My song is just the tune that is me.
Like all lives, it has moments of harmony. Like all lives, it has its moments of discord. Even the unexpected discord is important, driving a longing for resolution into a new harmony.
New voices in my life contribute to the texture and complexity of the harmony. Some voices blend quite easily. Other voices maintain their individual tones, yet work somehow–contributing to the whole. Counter melodies race through my song. Is that my self-doubt or is my acceptance of diversity and different?
Of course, there are transitions. Gratuitous key changes. Complex movements that crescendo. Counterpoints. Tempos change. Energy shifts.
I don’t always learn my lessons well the first time, so my song boasts more than a few codas. My choruses are my family and loved one. They are the themes that bring me joy with each refrain.
My instrumentation varies with my mood. Sometimes the kettle drums are a little too much, foreshadowing the could-be’s. Luckily, I have my husband to dampen them when need be. Sometimes he even manages to give the percussionist a night off.
My song is filled with dynamics and played with expression. It’s often loud, but will go down to the softest pianississimo. A kiss. Eye contact. Treasured private moments.
I don’t know how my song will end. I feel like I’m still learning the tune and writing the words.
© Laura Hedgecock 2013
Every Friday, Lisa-Jo Baker, founder of “Five Minute Friday,” broadcasts a writing prompt, challenging writers to writer for five minutes only. In her words, “It’s not a perfect post, not a profound post, just five minutes of focused writing. “
Growing up without their grandparents has impacted my kids’ lives. Even fifteen years later after their deaths, it can be hard to write about them.
Memories of grandparents are a treasure. That’s why it’s so important to write about grandparents when we preserve our stories.
Not everyone has had the privilege of knowing any, much less all, of their grandparents. The luckier among us grew up in the same town as their grandparents and have had (or had) them as a part of everyday life. Continue reading »
Today’s post is part of the LinkedIn “May Flowers” Two-Day Blog Hop.
I hope you’ve enjoyed your hop so far and I’m glad you’re here.
If you’re on Day 1 of the hop and are coming from Krysthle Poitras’ blog Krysthle’s Designs you are in the right place! (If you landed here first and want to do the full hop, start here.) We’ve got great prizes lined up for you, so don’t forget to follow all the instructions (leaving comments on and subscribing to each blog and liking our Facebook pages) and enter the Rafflecopter at the end! (Full instructions below.)
Memories about a gardener or garden really need photos or illustrations of some sort. A scrapbook layout (digital or paper) is a great way to remember or honor the gardener in your life. Mine is digital, but yours doesn’t have to be.
This layout was inspired in part by gift to my father-in-law: his neighbor, Sharon Van Leeuwen gave him a ShutterFly photo book with a season’s worth of photos of his garden. He absolutely loves that book. I decided to see if I could utilize photos of his flowers in a scrapbook layout.
These instructions are for PhotoShop Elements, but most softwares will have similar functions. I started with a blank 12 x 12” page. Because I anticipate printing it, I set the resolution to 300. For online displays, 72 pixels per inch is sufficient.
To add the backdrop for my text, I created a new, 8 ½” x 11” sized document, then imported it into my larger 12” x 12” page. (You can size it later.)
As always, I started with my narrative. In this case, I kept it short. I edited my 100 word text in Word, then copied and pasted it into my digital layout. Pay attention to your font size.Text that is smaller than 12 pt will get lost. Text bigger than 24 pt will seem more like a headline than a narrative.
Adding the Picture: I had better, higher quality pictures of my father-in law, Larry, but I wanted to use one of him in his garden. To get the text to wrap around the photo, I divided it into separate text boxes. Hint: Once you have your photo and text situated on your “paper,” lock those layers, so you can move them around together.
Framing the narrative with flowers: You can use flowers from a kit—digital or paper. The “Natural Breeze” kit from Digidesignresort.com has some nice realistic flower options.
Inspired by (feeling competitive with?) the photo book idea, I decided to use actual photos from Larry’s garden, which I admit was pretty labor intensive.I didn’t like how the flowers alone looked as a frame, so I used this one that was included in the Natural Breeze kit.
For each flower close-up I had, I used the Adobe PSE Magic Extractor tool. (Tip: Always Preview before you hit OK. It can save you tons of frustration.
After I had several flowers isolated, I started placing them around the frame. As I placed individual blooms, I fine-tuned the background removal with the magic eraser tool.
Once the majority of my flowers were placed, I choose my background. I used a stock background called “Kimono” that came with PSE8. Ironically, I found it a tad too green for this garden theme, so I adjusted the color (Enhance -> Adjust Color ->Replace color).
After all the flowers and embellishments were added, I selected each layer and added a drop shadow (Layer -> Layer Style -> Style Settings).
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You have until May 31st to comment on all the blogs’ pages, and the winner will be announced on June 1st on here and on Elizabeth’s blog. The winner will have one week to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.
Go on over to Connie Umstead Walsh‘s blog and see what beautiful project she has prepared for you.
When we’re anticipating a milestone event, we focus on the event itself, not what is going on in the world around us. Later on, however, it’s fun to look back in context of what was happening in the world around us. For those that read about our memories decades later, such a written time capsule can increase understanding of the event itself. An understanding of the historical context will definitely help readers visualize the days surrounding the event.
Some people enjoy making an actual time capsule. If you have the time and inclination, a simple Google search will yield many instructions like this one from the Library of Congress. Another good idea is to use a Pinterest board to illustrate the circumstances surrounding the event. (See Pinterest Primer.)
You don’t necessarily need to find time to write or journal about current events while you’re planning your wedding or in between Lamaze classes. You may have to wrack your brain a little more if you’re writing to fill in historical context later, but constructing a written time capsule with the benefit of hindsight also gives you an idea of what trends and devices have become iconic. Hint: Internet search engines can be a big help if you can’t quite remember something.
Format: Of course, beautifully written, logically constructed paragraphs will always be appreciated, but this is a time when bullet lists will also work nicely.
Consider headlines in news magazines. What important events are going on in the world? Who is in office? Are there any major stories breaking locally?
Mention a couple of status quo’s. What’s the price of gasoline? How much does it cost to fly or buy a Coca-cola? What has the weather been like?
A glimpse of my mother’s kitchen.
What’s your home like? Who lives there? If you look around in your living room or kitchen, what do you see? Is it immaculate? Cozy? Uncluttered? Give others a taste.
Include fashion trends.This is easier in hindsight because we know what has really gone out of style. Just think of the 1980’s for example—big hair, big glasses, shoulder pads, etc. What styles do you favor? Is there a particular style that is absolute torture for you?
Write about friendships. We think we’ll always be close to all of our friends, but the truth is friendships ebb and flow. Who do (did) you lean on? Rant to? With whom do (did) you share secrets? Drink? Play sports? Commiserate?
Include photos if you can. Though I looked (and probably was) totally peeved at my mother taking a picture of me with a hair dryer on my head and green gook on my face on the morning of my wedding day, I like having it now (not enough to share it though). Snap a few photos or dig through your archives to shed light on the days around your big event. You can also pose some shots, like one of yourself surrounded by your favorite things (or people).
Try jotting down some notes about what was happening when you were born, graduated from high school or college, got married, or had your first child.
Do You Have Other Ideas or Comments? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
© Laura Hedgecock 2013
Seating with umbrellas
In her post today, Staci Troilio points out that unseasonal weather makes an intriguing backdrop for fiction stories. Since life is so frequently stranger than fiction, that goes double to those of us writing about and collecting family memories. Continue reading »
Video cameras are getting smaller and less expensive. Here are some great ways to use video clips to preserve and share your memories.
If you’re blogging, it’s easy to embed a clip into your blog. If you’re using paper and pin, simply transfer the recording to a disc or USB-drive and attach the case to your notebook.
You’re not looking for an Oscar or fame. Just relax and be yourself. If you don’t want to spend time editing, remember less can be more. Try simple (short) recordings.
Oh how I wish I had this on video!
This not only preserves the story, but also preserves it in your voice, with your facial expressions. Your reading will not only include your emphases, but will also probably include the way that piece was traditionally read in your family.
In Spartanburg, SC, where I grew up, a department store displayed a beautiful diorama of Clement Clark Moore’s The Night before Christmas each year. In my youth, part of our Christmas Eve tradition was going downtown to the Aug W. Smith Company’s store windows and having my father read it to us.
Years later, the diorama was restored and put on display in the local history museum. My dad visited the museum and (with permission) videoed the diorama while he read it aloud. I’ll treasure this gift always.
Hold you own poetry slam. Enough said.
Just pretend your loved ones—even future loved ones—are sitting right in front of you and start your story telling. You can include visual aids (photos, tools of the trade, etc) if you’d like, but it isn’t necessary.
You don’t need a formal setting. In fact, stories told from your favorite chair provides a great welcoming backdrop.
This is a “letter out loud.” What are the things that you want to make sure loved ones remember? What are the things that you don’t want to leave unsaid? Recording such messages can preserve the feelings of love between family members.
You can also record less momentous messages, especially for young grandchildren. If you’re packing up to go meet a new grandbaby for the first time, take a few minutes to record your activities, telling them how excited you are about their arrival. They probably won’t appreciate it for decades, but years later, it will be quite a treasure.
Here’s where the “clip” part becomes more crucial. If you record 45 minutes of Johnny’s kindergarten graduation, people will seldom find time to watch it. If it’s a 2-minute clip featuring proud Johnny with his certificate and missing tooth in front of everyone who made the ceremony, it will be fun to look at in the future.
Going back to a family homestead? Moving out of the home in which you raised your children? Take a quick video tour of the house and rooms. (See Writing about Childhood Homes.)
By now, you have the idea and don’t need me to prompt you. Have fun!
My Grandpa’s “Treasure” Chest
My actual treasure chest of memories is my brain. Since I’ve had a MRI, I guess theoretically, I could scan and embed a picture of it. However, as the radiologist’s report spelled out that my brain was “unremarkable,” I’ll spare us all the embarrassment. Continue reading »
There are plenty of unselfish reasons to write about your memories, but there’s nothing wrong with doing it simply for yourself. You can write to preserve your story while memory serves, for the joy of writing, or to work-through you past. You can also do it simply because writing your stories is therapeutic. Continue reading »
“Five Minute Friday” is a great writing exercise even if you’re not blogging your treasures (memories). Your spontaneous thoughts on a given subject can reveal your personality, daily life, beliefs, etc. If you are blogging, I encourage you to join in! If you want to connect on Twitter, use the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday.
High Ropes Course at Howell Nature Center
Jump automatically brings the expression of “leap of faith” to mind. This “leap” has always been a compelling visual image, but it came to mean a lot more to me, when I had to make a physical “leap.”
As part of a Presbyterian family camp at the Howell Nature Center (Howell, MI), we did a high ropes course. We were encouraged to “stretch” our comfort levels. Continue reading »