We live in an age when family members often live far apart. Years ago, before it was the norm for young adults to scatter from their homes, women cooked, canned, and even cleaned together. Families in general gathered on a regular basis, often after church on Sundays, for food and fellowship.
There are times when girls need to be girls and do something together, for one another. I planned such a day with my daughters and granddaughters after Christmas, 2010.
The afternoon began with a visit to Chocolatier Blue, where I treated them to their choice of exquisite, unique chocolates. Every once a while, I have to do something tactile. I had already decided to put together a first-sale scrapbook in commemoration of the release of Moselle’s Insurance. I invited loved ones to share in the fun, and I’m so glad I did. In creating memories for me, I hope these lovely girls took away something for themselves. We all had fun, and the final product is so much prettier and more meaningful than had I done the selections and arrangements myself.
Going back to my childhood, I saw a scrapbook for the first time when I was 12. I babysat a family of three girls who lived near our farm in Antelope County, Nebraska. The mother had glued keepsakes within the paper covers of a simple scrapbook. I was hooked. I’ve had scrapbooks, and made them for my children, ever since. In recent years, keepsakes have gone into decorative boxes or the cedar chest instead of between book covers. A woman has only so much storage
Every time I see the pictures from that day, I’ll remember the laughter and the love. For example, when I offered to show my old scrapbooks, my youngest granddaughter said, “I like to put ‘em together, but I don’t want to look at others.”
As for the tactile, I do a simple collage for my inspirational novels. My next work will probably not be a romance. I have yet to search and choose the pictures I’ll use for that collage. My inspiration will surely come from the finished Moselle’s Insurance scrapbook.
www.loreepeery.com
Rainn on My Parade coming soon
from White Rose Publishing
Moselle's Insurance
http://www.whiterosepublishing.com
What a fun time! I'm so glad you were able to get all your girls together and do something like this. Good for you. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa. It was a blessing. And I think it's good for writers to do other creative things, especially tactile.
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