Family Story Keeping

2013-05-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite flower?

May is a month filled with beautiful flowers. What flowers do you remember from your life? Were there flowers growing around your home when you were young? Do you have flowers growing in your yard now? What kinds of flowers do you grow? Why do you grow those flowers? Do you like cut flowers? If someone gives you flowers, what kind of flowers do you like to receive? Were there any special times when someone gave you flowers?

When I was young I remember gladiolas growing wild along the fence. One year we planted an area in front of our house with all kinds of flowers. Sunflowers grew wild along the edges of fields, along the road and along ditch banks. The flower I thought was beautiful was the sego lilly. The sego lilly is the state flower in Utah because it provided food for the early settlers in Utah. One year there were sego lillys growing on our farm. That is when I decided the sego lilly was my favorite flower.

Flowers cheer us up. They make us feel better. Giving flowers to someone can say, "I appreciate you" or "I love you." Record your experiences with flowers in your life story and add more color to your story.

Sego Lilly Canvas Bag by TheFold
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Cut Out Sunflowers Dry Erase Whiteboards by storykeeper
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Grace Compared to Piano Lessons

2013-04-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Mormon Porn (Sex) Addict: Happy Easter: In light of the commemoration of Christ's sacrifice I have decided to add this wonderful talk that I was shown on my mission and is a gr...

Reading the blog post linked to here, I was very impressed with the explanation of grace. It is from a talk given by Brad Wilcox called "His Grace is Sufficient". The comparison of grace to piano lessons makes so much sense to me. Christ paid the debt for what we have done. He doesn't ask us to pay the debt, but he does ask us to keep the commandments and to love others. He doesn't expect us to be perfect, but he does expect that we will repent when we do something wrong and we will keep on trying. Just as a parent who pays for piano lessons for a child doesn't expect the child to pay for the piano lessons, yet the parent does expect the child to learn and to improve and to practice. A parent doesn't expect their child to be a virtuoso after one piano lesson, but the parent does expect the child to keep practicing and learning and improving.

I liked this quote from the talk: "Think of your friends and family members who have chosen to live without faith and without repentance. They don’t want to change. They are not trying to abandon sin and become comfortable with God. Rather, they are trying to abandon God and become comfortable with sin."

I thought I would share the link here since his explanation is so much better than mine.

I just found the video of this talk so if you prefer the video here is the link. http://youtu.be/yLXr9it_pbY

What talks have you listened, or what articles have you read, or what movies have you seen, or what music have you listened to that has changed the way you see things? What would you like to share with your family? Write about what you enjoyed and why you enjoyed it and include it in your story.

Vintage Piano Lessons Poster by cooltees
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Books That Have Influenced You

2013-03-11T22:12:00.002-07:00

What books have influenced you?
What books have had the most influence on you? The things you read do influence your life. Writing about what books you have found interesting and what you have learned from them can add a lot to your life story. Much of what we believe comes from what we read. There was a time in the United States when everyone that went to school read and learned from the Bible. The stories from the Bible did influence people. There are many other books that influence us. Sometimes we read just for entertainment and to relax. Sometimes we read to learn and become informed. What you have read has helped shape your life. Record about what you have read and learned from in your life story. Write about what books you found most enjoyable to read and why you enjoyed them.

I enjoyed books like "Horton Hears a Who" and "Horton Hatches an Egg" by Dr. Suess. From fourth through sixth grade we had almost an hours wait after school let out until the bus came to give us a ride home. There was a library a couple of blocks from the school so we would go there and check out books to read. When I think back on it many of the books I checked out were biographies or autobiographies. I think I read every biography in the library on the presidents of the United States. History and true stories has always interested me. What kinds of things have you read that have influenced you? Write about what you like to read in your life story.

One of the books that has most influenced my life is The Book of Mormon. I have learned many things as I have read it that help me decide how to live my life. It is something that I have tried to share with my family. I feel I should write about what I have learned from it in my life story. If you would like to have a copy of The Book of Mormon to read yourself you can request a copy here.

Write about what you have learned from the books you read and add to your life story.

Mylifeisbasedonatruestory Shirt by CreativeColours
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Recordkeeping

2013-02-20T22:45:00.000-08:00

Do you have old records?

Have you kept your old tax returns, utility bills, pay stubs, insurance records or other records? Some of your history is recorded there. Before you toss the older records go through them and record the addresses, the dates, the places worked and other information that may add to your story. Inflation has made a lot of changes in the amount we are paid and the amount we pay for things. You don't want to keep every bill you've ever paid, but a few bills kept might add to your story. When I first started work, I was earning a little less than $3.00 an hour. The cost of a first class postage stamp was 10 cents. The cost of a first class stamp now in 2013 is 46 cents. The cost of gasoline was under 40 cents a gallon. It costs about $4.00 a gallon now.

If you are fortunate enough to have parents or grandparents records you can add a lot to their stories. You can add where they lived and when, where they worked and how much they were paid, what they spent their money on and what it cost them. Most people don't have a lot of records from their parents or grandparents, so count yourself very lucky if you do have records.

Use your old records to add to your story.

$20 The New $1 Bumper Stickers by CJA_the_humorist
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2013-02-02T21:35:00.001-08:00

Letters written to family members can be an important part of your family's story. Do you have letters that your parents wrote to each other? Were they separated because of school or serving in the military or for other reasons? Did they write letter to each other? Those letters can add a lot to their story. People used to write letters more often. Telephone calls cost a lot more in the past. People would limit the time they talked on the phone because of the cost. They would write letters because it didn't cost much to send a letter. The letter could be kept and reread. If your parents or grandparents kept letters they had written to each other, you have a valuable part of of their story.

Have you kept letters that were written to you? They can add a lot to your story. When you go through papers either your own or other family members, watch for personal letters. A lot of family history may be recorded in those letters.

You may want to take excerpts from the letters and include them in your story. You may want to include the whole letter. You might want to kept the letter separate. One way would be to put the letters in sheet protectors in a binder or a scrapbook. If the letter is written on both sides of the page you could see both sides by putting the letter in a sheet protector. However you preserve your letters, they can be an important addition to your family's story.

The above image was created with embellishments from the Attic Treasures designer pak created by Scrap Wow. Check out this scrapbooking software at the link below. Copy and paste this code STMMMS62320 to save $10 when you make your purchase.

Genealogy Fan Chart

2013-01-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

Genealogy Fan Chart

If you use familysearch.org you can create a fan chart with your family history. All of your ancestor's names that are available through familysearch.org will be automatically filled in to create your chart. This is a great way to see what ancestors are known in your family history and where you need to do research to see if you can find other family members who are missing. This chart can be printed out on a 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of paper or it can be printed in larger sizes through a copy shop. It is a wonderful visual way to see your family history. With it you can see what lines you need to work on to find the names of more of your ancestors. Getting to know your ancestors helps you to know yourself better. Check out your family's fan chart at the link above.

Learn How To Research Your Family History

2013-01-09T22:21:00.001-08:00

Finding information about your ancestors is an important part of your story. What happened to your ancestors has affected your life, even though you may not realize it. Researching your ancestors is very interesting, but it can be challenging. You can take a online class to learn about researching your family history here.

Resolve to Preserve Your Family's Story

2013-01-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

Have you resolved to preserve your family's story?

Have you thought about preserving your family's story? Is it hard to do because it seems overwhelming? Sometimes I think of all the pictures that need to be organized. Then I think of all the stories that should be written down. Sometimes I think I'll never get it all done. That is true for as long as we live our story keeps on being added to. Recording your story will never be completely done. It isn't something that can be done perfectly. You may not have pictures of important events from your life. You may not be able to remember details of important events. Another family member may have a different memory than you have of a certain event. Whatever you write down is valuable for it is your perspective. Whatever pictures you do have are valuable especially if you take the time to write down what was happening and what you feel about the picture.

My family didn't write a lot down. My mother wrote a page giving a summary of her life and she helped my dad write a summary of his life up to a certain point. My sister wrote a few comments on a calendar on what was happening in her life during that year. There are letters that tell some of what happened. Photos are another source of what happened. Then there is my brother's memory of what happened. These few things trigger memories for me and are valuable to me. I write a few things at times. I try to organize a few pictures. Hopefully what I have done to preserve my family's story may some day be valuable to my children. For now it brings back wonderful memories of my family, and it helps me to understand where I have come from and why I may have become the person that I am.

Don't get discouraged if you can't get your whole story completed in a short time. Just keeping a little here and there. Write every week for fifteen minutes, or half an hour or an hour--whatever amount of time you have available. Organize a few pictures in albums, scrapbooks or online. All the little things you do will add up and create memories for you and for your family.

Family Story Binder by DoodlesGifts
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Entrepreneurs in Your Family

2012-12-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Are you an entrepreneur? Were your parents or grandparents entrepreneurs?

My family has had a lot of entrepreneurs in it. My parents ultimately decided to build a family business instead of working for someone else. There is risk in being an entrepreneur. Some fail. Others succeed. Most entrepreneurs have tried and failed, but they keep trying until they succeed. Recording the story of entrepreneurs in your family is an important part of your history. What were the failures? What were the successes? Perhaps what you record will be of help to someone in your family in the future.

I'm including a link to two videos I just watched. This 2nd video talks about the importance of teaching how to be an entrepreneur to your children. Some of your children and maybe even yourself have tried to fit into the employee mindset when you really have an entrepreneur mindset. Finding real success may take a change in the way you think. The 1st video talks about how many people who originally came to America came with very little in the way of money or possessions yet they went on to be successful in their lives. Think back on your family and record the stories of those who were entrepreneurs. It is an important part of your family history.

MyMemories Blog: Wanna win an iPad 2???

2012-12-14T21:56:00.001-08:00

MyMemories Blog: Wanna win an iPad 2???: So make sure you check out the MyMemories Facebook Page and LIKE us - we really want more new friends!! And - we want to thank you wit...

I enjoy using MyMemories software and since there is a chance to win an iPad 2 I thought I would share the link above. Also every Friday there are free downloads if you like MyMemories Facebook page.

Here is a page I made with a kit by the designer, Fly Pixel Studio, called Jingle Bells Extra.

Snow Memories

2012-12-13T11:34:00.001-08:00

What memories do you have of snow?

It snowed last night. It was so pretty this morning I had to go out and take pictures. Here are some of them:

This is actually quite a bit of snow for our town. The roads were just wet by the time I went outside to take these pictures. The snow may be pretty much gone by the end of the day, but for right now it is so pretty.

I grew up in an area where we got quite a bit of snow. At school we would play Fox and Geese which was a form of tag played with paths made in the snow. Living on a farm we didn't have sidewalks, but when it snowed we had to shovel a path to the chicken coops and corrals and out to the road so we could catch the bus and get the mail from the mail box. There were plenty of areas on our farm where you could lay down in the snow and move your arms and legs up and down and make a snow angel. Snow could mean fun, but it wasn't fun the day I got caught in a snowdrift while driving and ended up off the road. When I was living in a dorm while at college, the first snowstorm brought a lot of excitement. Christmas music was playing on the radio and we baked cookies. My children loved the snow. They liked to play in it and to make snowmen. I didn't mind shoveling the snow off the sidewalk most of the time unless there was a layer of ice under the snow, but too much snow was difficult to deal with. The winter after Mt. Saint Helens had erupted brought lots of snow. The city plowed the streets, but since my car was parked on the street it got buried. I had to dig out my car before I could go anywhere.

What do you remember about snow from your childhood? Did you get very much snow? Some places get no snow at all. If you didn't get snow, did you wish you would get snow? Did you get so much snow that you would be snowed in and school would be cancelled? Did you have to drive in snow? Did you have any accidents in the snow? Do you remember playing in the snow? How does snow make you feel? Do you get excited to see a snow storm or do you dread it. Recording your feelings about snow and stories about your experiences with it can add a lot to your story.

2012-12-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

Have you made special Christmas gifts?

Some years there isn't a lot of money to purchase gifts. My grandmother sewed gifts and the one I remember best was a full length apron. My mother made doll clothes for my fashion doll one year. Another year she and my sister sewed frog pillows that pajamas could be kept under. Over the years I tried to make gifts. Some of them turned pretty good, but some of them weren't well made. You can share your experiences with making gifts in your story. You can also write about handmade gifts that were given to you. Many handmade gifts have special meaning.

This year I am hoping to get some photo videos or maybe even some books made (if my finances will allow it). I am excited to use My Memories Suite to help create these videos or books. Here's a page I've created with family pets' photos and the Fall 2012 kit from the designer Kreations by Sparky.

If you think you might want to create a video or book with your own photos check out My Memories Suite at the link below. Copy and paste this code STMMMS62320 to save $10 when you make your purchase.

2012-11-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

When did your family decorate for Christmas?

With Thanksgiving weekend just past many people have started decorating for Christmas. It is fun to drive by houses that are lit up with lights. I appreciate the generosity of those who are willing to put up lights and pay the electric bill to share some beauty during this time of year.

How did your family decorate for Christmas when you were young? Did your family put up lights outside as well as decorating a Christmas tree? When did your family start decorating? Did your family start right after Thanksgiving or did you wait till closer to Christmas? Did you take down the decorations right after Christmas or did you leave them up until New Years or maybe even longer? What did you like best about the decorations? What kind of decorations did your community have? Did your family make any special trips to see certain Christmas lights or displays?

When I was young our family put up a tree and hung a few outdoor lights about a week before Christmas and then we kept them up until New Year's Day. We always had a live Christmas tree which was decorated with icicles, ornaments and lights. When I was about ten years old, I got a nativity scene. It was made from cardboard, but I really liked it because it reminded me of the Christmas story.

With my own children we lived in Salt Lake City and made a annual trek to Temple Square for the Christmas lights. We decorated a Christmas tree, first real ones and later an artificial one, and outlined the windows with lights. I put up my nativity scene each year. I have good memories. I hope my family has good memories too.

Temple Reflected Posters by BlueRojo
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Sharing how you and your family decorated adds to your story. Record your memories. Then write down how you decorated this year.

Voting

2012-11-08T22:08:00.001-08:00

Who did you vote for and why did you vote that way?

Another presidential election has just past. Voting is a great privilege, and it is a great challenge. Selecting the candidate who would best represent your views on how government should be is very important. Recording who you voted for and why you voted for them can be an important part of your story.

I wish my parents had written down more of their political beliefs. I remember certain things they talked about. Sometimes now when I read or hear certain things, I think about what my parents said. I would love to talk with them now about current politics, but since they have both passed away I can't do that. If I write down why I voted for the people I did, perhaps it may be of interest to my children some day.

Write down your reasons for who you voted for right after an election. Maybe it will be of help to you in the next election. Remembering how you felt in previous elections may help you in the current or future elections. Maybe some day it will be of help to one of your children or grandchildren.

Vote Print by robophoto
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Wild Animals

2012-10-25T21:57:00.002-07:00

What encounters have you had with wild animals?

Wild animals are all around us. Even when you live in a town or city you may encounter a wild animal. It may be a snake, a frog, a mouse, or a lizard; or it may be a bear, a mountain lion, or an elk. If you go camping or hiking in the mountains you may encounter wild animals. Recording your experiences with wild animals will add a lot to your story.

In the past couple of weeks here where I live there have been three or four encounters with bears in the communities in this area. Apples from an apple tree encouraged one bear to come into a yard and even up on the porch of the home. Open garbage carts enticed other bears.

When we moved to this community because of my husband's work, he warned me of some of the wildlife we would deal with. Our cat became an indoor only cat when I saw a coyote in our backyard just a few feet from the sliding glass door. I found a large scorpion in a closet which totally scared me. My daughters screamed as they came in the house after school one day. I went to see what was wrong and saw the end of a large black, red and yellow snake slithering into the side yard. By the time my husband got home the snake was gone. While going for a walk, my husband and I saw a large blue heron. I didn't realize herons were almost as tall as people.

I could keep writing about wild animals and I could add more to each experience. You probably have many stories of encounters with wild animals that you could share in your life story. Write down your experiences and share them with others.

Brown Bear Keychain by MSTCreativeCorner
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Good Books

2012-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Have you read any books that you would highly recommend that others read?

We are influenced by the things we read. Both fiction and non fiction can change our lives. Are there any books that you have read that have made a big difference in your life?

Most English classes have certain required reading. We learn from what we read. Our values and ideas are affected by what we read. Not many years ago the Bible was required reading in the schools in America. Today it would be considered mixing religion with government for the Bible to be taught in the schools. Have you learned something important from what you have read. Writing down what you have learned from what you have read may be an influence on those who read your life story. Perhaps they will want to read what you have read, so they can learn what you have learned. Since reading affects so much of our lives, then sharing what you have read is an important part of your life story.

Book Tree Poster by timfoleyillo
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Plumbing Emergencies

2012-09-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a plumbing emergency?

Major disasters made headlines on the news, but sometimes disasters happen to us on an individual basis. Plumbing is one of those things that can quickly turn into a disaster. Have you ever had a pipe break that flooded your house? Have you had a faucet refuse to turn off so water kept pouring out? Have you ever tried to fix some of your plumbing and just had things get worse. Plumbing problems can be one of the most discouraging things to happen in your life. Plumbers earn a lot of money for their skills and time. If you hire a plumber for your plumbing problem, it can get fixed rather quickly; but it will cost you significant amount. If you try to fix your own plumbing, you might end up causing something else to break and you may end up paying for a plumber any way.

When you write your story write about any disasters you may have encountered in your life. Just a few days ago, one of my outside faucets wouldn't shut off after I finished watering outside. I laid the hose next to a watermelon plant and let the water soak deep into the soil as I tried to figure out what to do with the problem. The handle just spun around without shutting off the water. I thought about using a cap on the hose or on the faucet itself to stop the water, but I didn't have a cap or a plug the right size. It was almost dark on a Saturday night. Both of the hardware stores in our town were closed. I knew calling a plumber out on a weekend and at night would really cost a lot. So I decided to have the water turned off. I had to have it turned off at the meter because I hadn't been able to get into the shut off on my side.

I lived for two and a half days without running water. Fortunately I had several bottles of water on hand which I could use. I had to wait to call the plumber on a week day and he couldn't come until the next day to even look at my problem. My bishop found out about my problem and came over to look at it Monday evening. Within an hour he had capped off the pipe and got it ready for me to have the water turned back on. I couldn't believe how kind he had been. I was truly blessed to have him just jump in and fix the problem.

Running water is a wonderful thing. Showers, washing dishes, washing clothes, washing hands, flushing toilets are marvelous things when you've lived for a while without them. Sharing your experiences about little disasters in your life may help others to appreciate the blessings they have. You may be able to share lessons you learned from your experience and maybe even be able to be of help to them when they experience a similar disaster. Write down your experiences with your disasters whether large or small.

Drippy Garden Hose Plate by ArtIsLife_LifeIsArt
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Favorite Season

2012-09-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Colorful autumn leaves reusable water bottle by storykeeper
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What is your favorite season of the year? You may live where there are four seasons or you may live where the weather doesn't change much year round. Throughout your life you may have lived in different climates. Describing the season you like best can add a lot to your story.

I think I have always liked fall. There are good things about the other seasons, but fall has the most enjoyable things for me. In the fall the weather starts to cool down. The evenings get cooler and sleep gets easier. Gardens and fruit trees are producing fresh produce. If you want a tomato or a peach you can pick one fresh to eat. The price of produce is cheaper in the fall and there is a large selection of produce available. Leaves start to change color adding much beauty to the world. I've always loved the golden color of cottonwood tree leaves against a clear blue sky.

I like fall because of the fun holidays. Columbus Day, Halloween, Veteran's Day, and Thanksgiving all are celebrated in the fall. School always started for me towards the end of summer and I always associated the start of school with fall.

There are good things about other seasons of the year such as beautiful sparkly snow, springtime blossoms and summer vacations. Adding what you like about the seasons of the year and your experiences during each season can add a lot to your story.

Political Views

2012-08-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

What are and were your political views?

With the presidential election coming up this year there is much discussion about political points of view. Part of your history involves your political point of view. Even if you hate politics and don't want to hear anything about the election still that is part of your history. Write down what you believe the government should do. Write down where you stand on the issues now and throughout your life. Write down why you chose to vote for certain people. Write down if you ever regretted voting for someone. Recording what was happening in the political world and how it affected you can be a big part of your story.

My parents felt Social Security was a bad idea. They felt it wouldn't work out well. Things did change since Social Security started and there are problems. It would be interesting to talk with my parents about what they feel about what is happening now.

Write down your opinions about politics and add a lot to your story.

USA Go Vote - Button by casi_reisi
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Dancing

2012-08-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

When did you learn to dance? What kind of dancing did you learn to do?

When did you learn to dance? Did your parents put on music and encourage you to dance to it? Did they dance? Did you learn to dance in school? Was it fun or was it hard to dance? Did you take dance lessons like tap dancing, ballet, clogging or ballroom dance? Did you attend dances such as your Junior Prom? Did you dance all night or were you a wallflower? Did you ever perform a dance? What kind of dancing do you like to do?

Dancing can be a fun part of life. When you are young you might just bounce or sway or swirl around in response to music. As you get older you may be taught different ways to dance. You may attend dances where you either wait for someone to ask you to dance or you take the chance to ask someone to dance and risk being rejected. Perhaps you danced at your wedding. Maybe you continue to dance whenever you feel like it or maybe you go out to dance. Dancing may be an important part of your story.

Over the years I've learned a lot of different dances. I still don't feel really coordinated. I've often stepped on toes. When I first learn a dance I often go the opposite direction of everyone else. But dancing is fun. Even though I'm not really graceful, I still enjoy dancing. Write down your experiences about dancing. Write down how good you felt you were. Did people stand back to watch you dance? Did you win a dance contest? Write down about special dances and whether you had a date. Write down whether you stepped on the toes of that girl or boy you finally got up the courage to dance with. Write down what dance steps you learned and what kind of music you danced too. Just think how much fun it would be to know how your grandparents or great grandparents danced. Maybe your grandchildren and great grandchildren will enjoy reading about your dancing.
swing dancer with poodle skirt and saddle shoes canvas bags by mike_jory
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How Have Other People's Problems Affected Your Life?

2012-07-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here's another question for your story:

How have other people's problems affected your life?

The answer to this question could be very extensive. You might be able to write a whole book about how other people's problems have affected your life. If you grew up with abusive parents, they affected your life. If your parents divorced, they affected your life. If your parents stayed happily married throughout their lives, they affected your life. If your spouse got a job in another city, it affected your life whether you moved with your spouse to the other city or whether you stayed by yourself where you were living. If your child used drugs or ended up in jail, it affects you. If you child graduates with honors from college, it affects you. Most of our lives are truly affected by other people. We may choose where to live because of other people such as elderly parents who need extra help, or wanting to be close to grandchildren. We may choose a career because we saw what it was like for someone else working in that line of work. We are influenced by other people in what we like, what we choose to do in our free time, what we choose to believe and in nearly every aspect of our lives.

Writing down what you did and why you did it will probably involve what someone else did and the influence they had on you. How other people have affected you is an important part of your story. Other people's influence on you can explain a lot of things in your life. Were your ancestors pioneers who traveled out west? Did their fortitude in establishing homes where there were no communities have an effect on your family that has been passed on to you? What about ancestors who were immigrants? Did their willingness to come to a new country affect your family? Did your family stay put in the same community or area for generations? How did that affect your family? Record the influence others have had on you in your life story.

Advice on the Prairie by William Tylee Ranney Postcard by MasterpieceCafe
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Do You Remember Getting New Shoes?

2012-07-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Another question for your story:

Do you remember getting new shoes?

When you were young do you remember getting new shoes? Do you remember going to a shoe store and trying on new shoes? Or do you remember ordering new shoes from a catalog. What were you favorite shoes like? Did you like them because they were comfortable or did you like them because of how they looked or were they both comfortable and good looking? Were your shoes the latest fashion? How often did you get new shoes? Did you ever wear second-hand shoes? Did you try to avoid shoes and go barefoot as much as possible?

In today's world we all have to wear shoes. You aren't allowed to go to school barefoot. You can't even go in a lot of stores barefoot. Shoes are a protection from thorns, sharp rocks, broken glass and other hazards you may find outside.

Write down what the first pair of shoes you remember wearing were like. The first pair of shoes I remember were red in color and had a strap that went across the top of my foot or could be turned back around the heel of the shoe. I liked wearing the shoes with the strap around the heel because I felt more grownup that way. Most days I wore white tennis shoes to school. I changed into older worn-out tennis shoes when I got home and did chores around the farm. Slip-on shoes were saved for Sunday and special occasions.

There's no place like print by lindseycphotography
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What Were Your Favorite Clothes to Wear?

2012-07-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here's another question for your story:

What were your favorite clothes to wear? What did you enjoy wearing? What were you wearing when you received compliments on how you looked? What clothes did you hate to wear?

What kind of clothes did you like to wear when you were growing up? As a boy did you wear jeans and a t-shirt or overalls or shorts? What did you like to wear best and why? As a girl did you have to wear dresses or did you never put on a dress? Did you like wearing dresses or did you always want to wear pants?

Throughout my school years dresses were the required attire for girls. We only got to wear pants or jeans for special days. The first time I wore pants was when our family went to an amusement park. My mother wore dresses all of the time and I never remember seeing her in pants, but I do have a photo of her wearing slacks under a dress when she was riding a horse. My father liked to wear overalls when he was working. He would wear long sleeved cotton shirts in the summer and long sleeved flannel shirts in the winter. When my dad dressed up to go to town, he would wear slacks with a button up shirt. For church he would wear a suit, shirt and tie.

The most special piece of clothing that I remember was a prom dress that my mother sewed for my Junior Prom. She had been in the hospital and had come home just a short while before my prom. Although she still didn't feel well, she managed to sew me a dress with a lace overlay. It was simple, but it was beautiful. My mother died just a short while after my prom. I have hung onto and cherished that dress because it meant so much to me that my mother had made it for me.

Write about your favorite clothing. Why did you like it? Did it have any special stories behind it? Writing about the clothing you wore adds a lot to your story.

Notebook Vintage Victorian Friends Journal Diary by layooper
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Transportation Troubles

2012-06-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Here's another question for your life story:

Have you ever had transportation troubles?

Have you had your car break down and leave you stranded? What did you do? Did you have to walk for help? Did someone stop and offer you help? Did you have your car towed? Did you fix your car yourself? Transportation troubles can add a lot to a story. Record your experiences with transportation troubles. Maybe you were involved in an accident. Maybe you were stranded in a big snowstorm. Maybe you missed your flight or train or bus. Maybe you missed something important because you didn't have a way to get there.

Sometimes transportation troubles can have a positive side. The kind person who stopped and helped you change a flat tire is a wonderful blessing. The neighbor who offers you a ride is so appreciated. The friend who loans you their car until yours is fixed is a marvelous act of kindness.

I have been the recipient of help with car problems. I have had rides offered from several people. My co-worker offered me a ride home from work today in her brand new car. She had to show me how the GPS worked and how when you went to back up there was a picture of the blind spot right behind your car there. There were so many wonderful features in her car. It was a real treat just to ride in it. Maybe it was a blessing that my car wouldn't start and I had to walk to work. Perhaps one of the greatest kindnesses I have received was when a friend who was moving gave me her car. She said she wasn't going to need a car and she wanted me to have it because my old car was developing some serious problems.

If you are writing the story of a parent or grandparent you may have some very interesting stories about transportation to include. My grandmother said she and her brothers and sisters took a horse and a cart to school. They had to take along some hay for the horse to eat while they were in school.

Including stories about transportation will add a lot of interest to your life story.

Children in Horse-Drawn Cart Iphone 3 Case-mate Case by AsTimeGoesBy
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The Empty Pickle Jar

2012-06-15T11:41:00.001-07:00

The Empty Pickle Jar

I invite you to watch this short movie about time. It makes you stop and think about how you spend your time. Watching this movie reminded me of the important things in life and how easy it is to get sidetracked with the small stuff. I especially like the comment about the chocolate milk at the end.

Fresh Pickles Label for Homemade Pickles Round Stickers by stickermad
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