March 2019 – Remembering the Time

Invasion of the Introspectors

March 30, 2019March 30, 2019

So—what do you really think? Can you identify your three main life values or beliefs? If you had one page to pass on your most important thoughts about your life and how you think about the world what would you say?

This is called a life legacy letter and very well could become your children’s and grandchildren’s most precious possession. It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to come from your heart.

Love this life quote:

One life on this earth is all we get, whether it is enough or not enough, and the obvious conclusion would seem to be that at the very least we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can.

Frederick Buechner

Want to explore this thought further? Take a look at his essay Only One Life

Looking for some resources to start your letter or even a full length life story? I can help you with a boost in the right direction.

Or, here are 3 books to inspire you in this most important communication:

The Book of Myself, Carl and David Marshall–this is a great, fill-in-the-blank style with excellent prompts to get you thinking about your life story.

Living Legacies, Duane Elgin and Coleen Drew

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing a Memoir, Victoria Costello–don’t take offense, it’s really an easy to follow guide that covers the nuts and bolts.

Whichever option you choose be encouraged that you can do this. You need to and your family will love you for it!

Karen

New Mexico Spring–a Tale of Kites, Dirt and Snow

March 20, 2019

by Karen Ray

New Mexico is many beautiful things. One thing it is never is boring! The past few days—mind you, just before spring officially began–brought an incredible variety of weather. San Augustin Pass, our route over the scenic Organ Mountains, was closed due to wind and hit a 104 mph gust. That is comparable to a Category 2 hurricane people! Then it closed again due to a snowstorm. The plows were dusted off, literally, and sent up the mountain to scoop away the white stuff.

Spring winds here are normal and remind me of the fun my brother and I used to have building kites out of newspaper and bamboo. My dad used to egg us on with stories of the six foot kite he built that really did tug him off the ground. Fired up by the lure of flight, we’d trek to the drainage ditch to cut down long dry bamboo poles. After dragging them home across plowed fields, we’d collect newspaper, glue, rags and string from Mom, then turn the living room floor into a kite factory.

A couple of hours later we’d ease our creations out the door and head to the pasture or the dirt lot behind the house to see if we could achieve flight. Oh, sweet anticipation! We’d yell with the thrill of feeling the wind pull and snap those ragged homemade kites up like sails. Feeling the string yank the tethers on our scrawny wrists, we were sure that with the next gust we would fly.

We never did but we sure got close a few times!

May your spring be joyful and tug at your soul,

Karen

Granny and the Case of the Missing Comma

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019

by Karen Ray

Let’s eat Grandma! Yikes, I’m sure you smart folks out there caught the oops. This should read “Let’s eat, Grandma!” Yes, indeed, correct grammar saves lives. Lack of confidence in the grammar department is one of the most common reasons I hear from folks about why they are hesitant to write down their stories.

Never fear, dear reader, it’s not a fatal flaw.

There are some reading this who will probably find grammatical errors I’ve made and let me know. Touché! However, for the rest of you–let me encourage you that the grammar police don’t have your address and won’t be looking over your shoulder.

Grammar, spelling, even structure can all be fixed. Most people just want to read a well-told tale. Your only job is to tell the stories! I can help with this, easily guiding you through the story telling, drawing out the memories that are most important to you. I’ll prompt you with intriguing questions and encourage your mind to recall specific people, places and events as well as the emotions and history surrounding them.

The process is fun, I guarantee!

Give me a ring to just talk about your life story and how you’d like to tell it. During this free consult I’ll give you some tips to get started. Know someone else whose story just begs to be told? Share this blog post with them.

I’d love to help!

Karen

575-323-1048