Keeping a Journal in a Recipe Box or . . .

GRAB A PENCIL AND TAKE A MINUTE!

Mom's are busy!
Time is precious!
Memories are jogged randomly!
And, unfortunately, unrecorded memories fade!


Journal-ing in a box allows you to write a journal----
a minute at a time.

Using 3x5 or 4x6 "index" cards allows thoughts or memories to be recorded as they occur without needing to find an effective way to fit them into a journal or getting a journal out of chronological order.

File cards can easily become permanent inhabitants of your purse, immediately at the ready for jotting down something one of your children said or did, a quote, an idea, a memory from the past, or notes from an inspirational talk.

Usually one card will hold your thoughts but if you occasionally need more room,
just number a card #2 and keep going.

If more than one of you are using this system, each can use a specific color card
for personal entries and white to record general items or happenings of the family
and children.

We kept our cards in one inexpensive plastic file box (like the type you use to hold
recipe cards), although separate boxes could be used.

We labeled blank index file dividers with a variety of topics, and filed the cards under the appropriate topics.  At the end of this post, to give you some ideas, are categories we had in our box.

NOW . . . and LATER
These journal cards are ready to be enjoyed at any time just as they are. Or ideally, at a later date when time commitments are less hectic, they can serve as effective memory-joggers for writing your life or family history.

Possibilities for DIVIDER LABELS

• My birth
• Early childhood
• Brothers and sisters
• Baptisms and confirmations
• School Experiences
• High School activities
• Dating days
• Employment
• Military service
• College activities
• Courtship
• Marriage
• Early marriage experiences
• Our children
• Fun times with family and friends
• Accomplishments
• Church involvement
• Community involvement
• Vacations
• Holidays
• Traditions
• Goals
• Retirement
• Family vital statistics (birth weight, length, time, illnesses and injuries)
• Relatives and ancestors
• Grandchildren
• Favorite books and authors

And, maybe even a section labeled "memory joggers" where you can write one or two lines on something that comes to mind at a time when you don't even have 3 to 5 minutes to get it all down. Warning: If you use this category be very careful not to let too much time pass or let this section get too full!)

Please don't let your memories pass you by.