"What are words worth?" by Lisa
Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 5:00AM Here's Lisa:
I wasn't quite sure what approach I was going to take with this challenge, until I started brainstorming with my husband. I realized that letters and words were a big part of my Mom's life and I wanted to document that. I used a page from her crumbling copy of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations on here and I picked the Walt Whitman page purposefully because she went to Walt Whitman High School. I also like how the title kind of makes reference to another writer, Wordsworth. I don't have too many contemporary photos of my Mom but when I saw this one, outside of a news store at the airport, I liked how it tied into the theme and journaling so I had to use it. :)
;)
Journaling reads: Letters and words were part of your life in so many ways. You anticipated the Sunday New York Times so you could do the crossword puzzle. No one else was allowed to touch it, at least until you had had a serious crack at it. Your well-worn copy of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations helped you with many puzzle clues over the years. The cover is gone, the binding crumbled, and the pages yellowed, but I cherish it. I keep it in a zippered plastic bag.
Remember your old IBM Selectric typewriter? I think it was red. It sat on a little table in the family room in Chelmsford. I loved pretending to type as fast as you. When I was older and had learned to type, I thought it was such a privilege to be able to use it.
I also remember how you used shorthand symbols to write notes when you didn’t want us to read something (like a gift list). Great way to keep a secret!
Lastly, I think of our phone calls and conversations, filled with words and laughter. I miss being able to talk to you, on the phone or in person. Memories sustain me, but only for so long...I miss you!
Please remember to link us up in the comments of the original post if you complete this challenge. We'd love to see your interpretation and always appreciate you letting us get to know your loved ones better!
Reader Comments (3)
Another beautiful LO, Lisa - love how you included the page of her book- such a nice touch!
I love this...my Grandma Rell had a crumbling dictionary that was her Crossword dictionary...she had a little blue typewriter that typed in a cursive style...I wish I still had that...and she wrote in shorthand on lists too! Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories of your mom and stirring up so many of my grandma.
Brooke, your comment about the typewriter font made me remember the little metal balls that clicked into place in my mom's typewriter, changing the font as needed. : )