Writing your history- Journaling for list makers, a book of lists

Here is an idea to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

I mentioned last week that I am list maker. I discovered The 52 Lists Project by Moorea Seal two years ago. There are 52 lists, one for each week of the year with and action to take at the conclusion. It usually takes me more than a week to develop a list as the list-making prompts have really made me think.

One that I really enjoyed was “List 40” which is to make a list of your twenty mood boosting songs.

Writing your history- Journaling for list makers, a listing of books read

Here is an idea to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

I come from a family of list makers. We have the general “to-do” lists, grocery lists, and chore lists. We do break out the spreadsheet apps for larger projects; I have been know to make spreadsheets for Christmas lists, potential car purchases, and trips to Disney World. All of these are meant to be disposable and not meant to be a record of my life.

I do make lists that I intend to keep. I regularly keep a list of books that I have read at the back of my journal. I frequently forget books that I have read, so it is a nice reminder to me of what I have finished reading, I once got 3 chapters into Stargirl before I realized that I had read it previously. It is also a record of how my life has changed as the type and number of books change.

Books read in 2021 so far.

I have been thinking a lot about how my journals can give my posterity a view of what life was like for me and the books that I consume gives not only a glimpse of my life, but a window to my mind at that particular time.

Writing your history- Then & NOW- Thanksgiving 2020

This is the last in the Then & Now series of journal prompts about your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?

Did you meet at your home, a relative or friends? Was that different from your regular traditions?

How did you feel in the lead up to the holiday? Did you take extra precautions?

Did you eat a your traditional dinner? Did you have trouble acquiring any needed items?

Did you do any virtual calls with family or friends?

My family has eaten with our nuclear family for a number of years. We had our regular Thanksgiving dinner, although, I would have preferred to have a turkey breast or smaller turkey, but I could not locate one. Many years we have gotten together to play touch football with friends, go bowling or run a 5K, all of which did not happen this year. We had hoped that a nephew who is stationed nearby could come for the weekend, however, all passes were revoked just prior to Thanksgiving, so we “ate” dinner together over an app and then streamed the same holiday movie while on our call.

Tagged: Journaling, Writing Your History, Thanksgiving, Holidays, Childhood

0 Likes Share

Writing your history- THEN & Now- Thanksgiving

Through the middle of December, there will be a series of journal prompts regarding your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving as a child?

Did you meet at your home, a relative or friends, or dine out?

How was the mood during the time together?

Who prepared the food?

Did you eat a traditional turkey dinner?

What was your favorite dish? Was there a dish that was traditional for your family?

Did you have other traditions around the holiday weekend?

It seems as though most years my family hosted Thanksgiving dinner. This is at my parent’s home when we lived in Northern California. This was one of the few years that there were 4 generations of our family gathered, with people from both sides of the family. When we moved to Oregon, some family followed us there and we usually hosted them for dinner, as well as, some good friends of our family. You could correctly infer from the photograph that there was a “kids’ table”, which we had for most years. After dinner, the kids would often play board games and then once driving was a possibility, the kids would head off to a movie.

Writing your history- Then & NOW- Pets

Through the middle of December, there will be a series of journal prompts regarding your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

Do you have a pet?

If no, would you like one? What type?

If you do, how did you acquire it?

While I was away three years ago, my younger kids found a female toad and declared it their pet. Mrs. Toad has a nice tank in our living room with plenty of places to hide. My younger son claims her as his own and feeds it meal worms and keeps her abode nice and damp. They do not feel as though they have a “real” pet and constantly pester me for one with fur; however, it seems like all options someone is allergic to.

Who takes care of it?

Is it your ideal pet?

Write about an interesting incident regarding your pet.

Writing your history- THEN & Now- Pets

Through the middle of December, there will be a series of journal prompts regarding your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what was it?

Who took care of it?

Did you experience the death of a pet? If so, how did you handle it?

Was there a pet you really wanted, but couldn’t?

We only had a very short amount of time that we had a dog when I was a child, my parents were afraid that a dog could get loose and hurt a neighbor’s animals. We had a barn cat named Mama Kitty and we had cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, and ducks. These were our first cows, the black one was afraid of my dad and tried charging him while he was sitting on the tractor. After these we had a black and white (possibly a Holstein) that we called “Annabelle” who we really felt was a pet. My dad even called to cancel the butcher on the day she was to meet her fate, but he was a little too late.

Writing your history- Then & NOW- Your Family

Through the middle of December, there will be a series of journal prompts regarding your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

Who do you live with?

Are you currently married? If not, have you ever been married?

I live with my husband of 26 years and three living children. They are pictured above heading out for our Grand Biking Adventure., which was 170 miles this year. Our three youngest learned to ride bikes at age three, our oldest saw her brother on his bike and asked that her training wheels taken off and rode without them the same day.

Our last bikepacking trip all together.

Are your parents or grandparents alive? How are your relationships with them?

Do you have any children?

Do you live near your family?

Our family decorating my oldest daughter’s grave for Dia De Los Muertos this year. When she passed away we decided to have her buried in the closest plot to her high school, which is on the other side of the row of trees and 5 miles from our house. We live 1,500 miles from our extended family and wanted to have her buried close to us, rather than in our family cemetery in Oregon.

Writing your history- THEN & Now- Your Family

Through the middle of December, there will be a series of journal prompts regarding your life now and as a child. These prompts are about your life today.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about you and your experiences. This is your history and writings of your individual experiences.

As a child, who did you live with? Were your parents married? Did you have siblings at home with you?

How were your relationships with each parent?

Did you live near your extended family? How often did you see them? What are special memories with each?

Maternal Grandparents: Merlin & Lois

I had THE best grandparents in the world. They lived in California, but I saw them frequently. The would often come for 4 weeks at a time and stay at two local camp grounds; their campers got nicer over time. We would raft with Grandpa down Hell Gate Canyon, grandma would pick us up in the SUV and drive us back to the boat launch. Grandma was a prankster and loved to do sewing and crafts. Occasionally, they would visit in the winter and during those trips grandpa taught me how to snow ski. In all of their travels around the world, grandma always sent me a postcard.

Grandpa Bob at my wedding

I happen to be blessed with multiple sets of grandparents on my father’s side. Most of my childhood, Grandpa Bob lived in Colorado, but for about a year, he lived near us. He and his wife have always been there for big events in my life. He came to be with us when I got married and before that to see me off to college. As I kid, I loved when he visited and not just because he had a supply of Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper.

Me with my great-grandma, who we called AA

AA is the only great-grandparent that I sent time with. I only remember her after she had had a stroke and her speech was limited. She was always full of smiles and would call me and my siblings “the good one”, which is the phrase she used if she liked you. My youngest daughter is named after her.