Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Grandma's Diaries: A Remembrance

My latest writing project, a biography based on my Grandmother's diaries, has proven to be quite a monumental project. Yet it is also a project that has provided wonderful rewards with countless tales filled with both laughter and tears. I don't regret a minute of time spent pouring through the diaries, or typing up the entries. Yet in reading her notes from so long ago, sometimes the stories from the past bring me so much sorrow....so I have to take a "break" and write in a different venue--hence my blog posts or even Facebook for a change of pace. I take a break, and come back refreshed and ready to start anew.

My Grandmother Newton (on my Mother's side) passed away about 4 months after I had given birth to my first child, Daniel. Danny was her first great-grandchild and she saw photographs of him send to her in the mail, but was never able to hold that precious baby boy. To this day, that breaks my heart.

On a lighter note, since this project is based on Grandma Newton's Diaries....my Husband came up with a great acronym: The GNP....The Grandma Newton Project. My husband always has a way of making me smile (or sometimes groan and hit him in the arm.)

Next month I travel to visit my Mother and collaborate with her on this venture. She provides so many insights on events and things about her mother that I never knew. She is also invaluable for identifying people my Grandmother referred to that I have no clue who they are or where they fit in with the scheme of things. Also, she has several old photographs that I am anxious to sift through and choose some for the book.

The diaries span from 1969 to 1985. If she kept diaries as a younger woman, the family is not aware of that....these are from the time period when she was a Grandmother.  They don't show her early life on the farm, but they still are quite interesting and shine a light on a perspective of a person from an  older generation. Some of the entries portrayed a certain sadness of how people treat "old people".  It is my hope that people reading this book will come to the realization, or pleasantly reminded, that we can always learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before us.

So, I guess I have diverted my attention enough from the project for today....I should get back to it.....1973 awaits my attention.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

A Time for Renewal

The anticipation of Spring brings with it a hope for renewal. Waiting for the snow to melt, the grass underneath to green and the trees to bud. Sometimes I reflect on this time of year as a more perfect time to make resolutions to renew and grow as individuals, as opposed to the traditional time on the calendar of January 1.  As a Christian, this time for renewal lends itself to the Easter season when we reflect on the resurrection of Christ and the miracles surrounding this joyful time in this season of rebirth.


I am encouraged at this time of year to look forward with hope at the upcoming beauty of spring.  So many of my contemporaries don't understand why I still choose to live in a place with what some consider "harsh" winters. I love the beauty of snowfalls and the crunch of snow beneath my feet. Nothing beats a hot cup of tea, a cozy fire and a cat on your lap. I love the crispness of Fall and the colors that it brings. Besides if you have a long winter, it helps you appreciate the coming of Spring that much more. And appreciate it I do; by this time of year I can hardly wait for the daffodils.

So I view the coming of spring as a chance for new beginnings. I have created several new "resolutions" for myself including the traditional resolutions of exercising more and eating right. I also have a tendency to look back at past mistakes and hope that I can learn from them. Looking at my past frequently brings to mind a poem that was sent to me during a very difficult time of my life, a divorce, and it inspired me and lifted me up. It still inspires me to this day:



Comes the Dawn
After awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul. And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company doesn’t always mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises.
And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead, with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans, and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much—so you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong, and you really do have worth.
And you learn and you learn.
With every goodbye you learn.
                                                            Veronica A. Shoffstall



The Magic in Mentoring

 I really wish I had a mentor. I could use some  technical assistance and at least some moral support on my current project.  I am in the pr...