A Little Advice from Me Concerning Journals

Want to keep a journal but don't have time? Me, too! I think everyone old enough to write should keep one. What I do is copy an email occasionally to My Journal (whatever year I'm writing) Not just any old email, but one in which I tell the person what I've been doing lately, and since I usually include pictures with such emails, I copy them into the journal page, too.

For instance, tonight I sent my 94 year old mom an email telling her about Audrey's party and the gifts I gave/made her. Mom doesn't have a computer, so she can't go to my blog and read, but she does have a electronic "mailbox" that allows her to receive emails and pictures from family and friends. This is the kind of email I like to copy into my journal.

When I started four years ago, I always made a hard copy of my journal pages and put them in a three ring binder. I've gotten rather lazy of late, and the last couple of years' journals are still just on the computer. But, hey! Even that is better than no journal at all. I find that I have a lot more to my journal now that I save emails. I tried to just sit down and write before, but I just didn't do that very often.

I'm a history buff and I like to read journals that people kept in the past--I'm interested in their daily life, what they thought and what they did. While your life may seem rather humdrum to you, a hundred years from now, your progeny will find it as interesting as we do Civil War journals now--hey, maybe your kids will find it interesting 20 years from now.

So, if you don't WANT to keep a journal, that's OK. Don't! But if you Do want to, and are just too pressed for time, consider doing it the way I do. And let me know how it goes.

My Little Seamstress, Audrey

Audrey is five now, as of today, and here she is with the shiny little Singer Spartan sewing machine I gave her. She loves to sew, and a Spartan, with its motor removed and a handcrank fitted on, makes the best sewing machine ever for a young child. Please do NOT buy any child a plastic (or metal, for that matter) "child's" sewing machine. Nothing will discourage them more. Find a Singer Spartan and go to TreadleOn and learn how to replace the motor with a handcrank mechanism. It's easy or, believe me, I couldn't do it!! Once you have the spoked handwheel and the crank, all it takes is a screwdriver and about five minutes of your time.

Audrey's machine was made in Kilbowie, Scotland in 1960. I found that out online. Of course, the K in its model number already told me it was made in Kilbowie. That's what the K stands for. Its serial number is what allowed me to find out when its batch was ordered.

The Doll I Couldn't Say No To

I got her for a very good price, and although I have other "Patsy" dolls, this one was three times as big as any of my others and in very good repair, too. She needs a little work, but not too much and her face is SO beautiful!! I LOVE her!