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! 

I had a hard time thinking of how I wanted to tackle this challenge for my aunt.  I decided to use the alphabet as a springboard, and tell the story of how she changed her last name several years ago.  I originally was going to title the layout from W to J (her last initials) but that just didn’t flow.  After visiting Swedish relatives and seeing where our family history existed, It was important for Katherine to honor her heritage, and Kath decided to change her last name so it truly reflected that of our Swedish roots. 

Journaling: Kath & Grandma went to Sweden in June 1999… the trip changed their lives.  After she returned home, Kath decided she needed to honor her Swedish heritage, and her Grandpa.  She went from a Waters to a Johanson.

* * * * * * * * * * *

I have always called my Grandma, “Grandma Em”, so this was an easy letter to pick!  I wanted to document the story of how she became Grandma Em (despite not being an Emily!), so it worked well for this challenge.

Journaling: Before she was a Mom & Grandma, she earned a degree from UW and worked at a dairy.  Story goes that she wore an extra jumpsuit, embroidered with “Em.”  She was never Grandma Marion or Finnegan, always Grandma M.  And I’m proud I made her a Grandma.

* * * * * * * * * * *

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! 

You can read the journaling by clicking on the layout to view it larger. Beyond that, I just wanted to say that one of the things I love most about this blog is how the challenges provide a starting point. We all have so much bouncing around in our heads...often (for me, anyhow), it's figuring out where to start that is the most difficult. Once I have a starting point, things flow more easily and I'm able to capture some of my thoughts and stories about my dad. I love that. :)

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! 

Nearly every time I visited Mom, we ordered Chinese from Jade's just down the street from my childhood home. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Jade's = good Chinese food. Well, it used to anyway. In more recent years, mom mumbled about new owners and how the food just wasn't the same anymore. I digress. 
 
Because Suzi so fabulously awesome at knowing just what I need, right when I need it, she made reservations to take me out to PF Changs, a local Chinese bistro at Easton Towne Center.  Dinner was awesomely delicious, but the conversation was even better with both Suzi & her friend Diane (who also lost her mom many years ago).  
 
We talked about everything from the night I got called to the hospital, to the bingo dauber that someone put in her hand during visitation at the funeral home, and everything in between. I've never laughed as much as I did last night in my life. I'm in a good place right now with the grieving process—the memories are soft & sweet. 
 
Anywho. Back to the story.  I'm sure you're all familiar with the custom of getting a fortune cookie after eating Chinese, am I right?  
 
and you certainly know the etiquette for fortune cookies, don't you? 
 
1. always, always, always take the one farthest away from you. 
2. always add the words "in bed" to the end of your fortune, LOL. (just for fun.) 
 
Well. I'm not so sure that there is really an etiquette--but those rules sound convincing don't they? 
 
Regardless, those are the rules in our family. Rules established more out of necessity than anything. Makes the fighting, between the girls, over who gets which cookie melt away because when they all get dropped in the middle of the table you just have to pick the one farthest from you. This is serious business ya know. We've been known to measure, even. kidding. 
 
If you've eaten Chinese food as much as I have, you definitely know that the little slips of paper inside those fortune cookies have printing on both sides. Sometimes you're lucky and you get two fortunes in one. If you've never opened a fortune cookie, you should know that there is a little slip of paper inside each cookie. With typeface on both sides. 
 
One side: is your fortune---that you must read aloud & six LUCKY numbers. don't forget to add the words "in bed" on the end of your fortune reading. (just for fun.) boy have we had some funnnnnnny ones. 
 
Other side: is an English word with the Chinese translation. 
 
No joke.....this was my piece of paper inside my fortune cookie last night. (See layout)
 

I'm thinkin' I need to rush my hiney to the corner gas station and play those lucky numbers in the lottery tonight!

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! 

When the alphabet challenge was presented, my first thought was to use the entire alphabet on the layout.   Ideas were swirling and the initial idea I had envision was nothing like the end result.  I did use the entire alphabet, but as the background.  Then, I typed the words that remind me of or describe my dad and corresponded with each letter of the alphabet.  I will eventually tell the story behind each descriptive word.

There are so many words that describe my dad, but when I was tested with each letter, I was almost dumb-founded.  I could only describe my dad as dad.   Tough.  But, I am glad I have these thoughts on paper to jumpstart other layouts about him.  

Journaling:
Army. Bowling. Caring. Dad. Extra special. Fukuda. Gamble. Handyman. IOU. Japanese. Kung Fu Cowboy. Little league baseball. Married. neighbor. Oriental food. Parental. Quiet. Red socks. Sibling. Teacher. Unconditional. Volkswagen. White owl cigars. Xrays. Yardword. Z. 

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! 

Anyhow. Since March 2 is Read Across America Day (in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday), how about a challenge that deals with something essential to reading...the alphabet? Yup, for this challenge, just use the alphabet. You can interpret that any way you want. Use a single letter. Use them all. Go crazy. ;) Sometimes, though, it's simply having a starting place that leads us to the best journaling and layouts. 

Here, then, are our takes...

Marti: 

Lisa:

Jen:

Me (Amanda):

Tania: 

Sherry:

Wow. Who knew the alphabet could be so fun? ;) We hope you'll join us in this challenge and would love to see your take. Please link us to your layout in the comments of this post. (Even if you don't do a layout, btw, we'd love to hear any thoughts or stories you'd like to share! We love comments!) Thanks!

Don't forget to check back for the stories behind these layouts in the coming days...

I want my kids to know their TutuMan, my dad, so I continue to document stories about him.  One that sticks out in my mind was my dad's love for red socks.  I distinctly remember the second large drawer of his dark wooden dresser filled with his red socks, each neatly folded and placed within.  

Journaling: For as long as I can remember, Dad has worn red socks. I know it hasn't always as he couldn't wear them in the Army. But, it seems like he always had them on. The story behind his socks, as told by Dad, was the he was tired of missing socks, often "borrowed" by the kids. So, he chose to wear red socks and would know who borrowed them. Clever. It soon became a "signature" part of Dad and we had fun many years searching for the perfect pair. Hearts. Golf. Striped. Snoopy. Plain. He loved and wore them all, as long as they were red. 

Please remember to link us up in the comments of the original post if you tackle this challenge! We'd love to share in your story and see what you come up with! And, don't forget to check back on Monday for a new challenge!

I heard this song on the radio and it just touched my heart so much. It was like she had written it just for me. I downloaded it from iTunes and listen to it quite often because it is such a comfort for me to know that he is in a better place and is enjoying being free.

YOU WOULDN’T CRY
(ANDREW’S SONG)
by Mandisa

All you saw was pain
All you saw was rain
But you should see me now

Moments filled with tears
Lasted all those years
Disappeared some how

You never said goodbye
On your knees you cry
You’re still asking why

(Chorus)

But blue has never been bluer
True has never been truer
Honey never tasted so sweet
There’s a song in the breeze
A million voices in praise

A rose has never smelled redder
The sun has never been brighter
If I could find the right words to say
If you could look at my face
If you could just see this place
You wouldn’t cry for me today

What you think you see
Isn’t really me
I’m already home

You’ve got to lay it down
‘Cause Jesus holds me now
And I am not alone

Your faith is wearing thin
But I am watching Him
And He is holding you too

(Chorus)

Oh what may seem like years
Will just be a moment
Oh the day will come
When I’ll show you where you’re going
I can’t wait to show you

(Chorus)

You wouldn’t cry for me today
You wouldn’t cry for me today
You wouldn’t cry for me today

Journaling reads: I love this song. It always reminds me that you are in a wonderful place - and that you are whole. I imagine you playing and jumping in the clouds - enjoying all the things you missed, but in a much more glorified state. I know I wouldn't cry for you anymore. But, I also think that most of my crying is for me - and all of the times we'll never share together this side of heaven. This song reminds me that we will have a chance to do all of those things later. I do promise to try not to be so sad, and to just look forward to the day when I can finally hold you. I love you, my little Q . . . and I am counting the moments. 2/2010

Please remember to link us up in the comments of the original post if you tackle this challenge! We'd love to share in your story and see what you come up with!

I was actually planning to do a page using the blueprint of my Mom's headstone, but I can't find it (pretty unusual for me because I'm uber organized). I have plenty of other memorabilia to work with, so I chose the cover from the memorial service held by the hospice house my Mom stayed at.

Journaling: Mom, four months (there's a typo on the tag I have to fix) after losing you, my grief was still so raw. This memorial service was a comfort to me, especially as I lit a candle in your memory. 

Please remember to link us up in the comments of the original post if you tackle this challenge! We'd love to share in your story and see what you come up with!