In 1936 Grandpa Lipscomb purchased three lots on Priest Lake in north Idaho. Having three children, he gave one to each of them, my father receiving the final parcel where the two of them cut and notched logs, hewn beams and shingles, and constructed the most fabulous cabin on earth. As my dad was a teacher and coach, every summer he, my mom, and sisters moved out of rented housing and into our cabin to save money so that they could eventually build their own home. The magic of Priest Lake filled June, July, and August where we swam, hiked, boated, identified flora and fauna, roasted hotdogs and marshmallows, watched does, fawns, and bears, and created family memories.
Being here again, writing this article by the lake, I am inundated with the presence of my mom and sister Carole. They both loved this place and being here makes me feel close to them. There is the outdoor shower where Carole and I struggled in the dark with Alzheimer's clouding her mind and tears filling my eyes. The picnic table by the beach where we played family gin rummy still awaits the shuffle of cards. The huckleberries call, the forest beckons, the trails sing, and my heart rejoices in this remarkably, beautiful place. Gone long before I was born, I thank my grandpa for making this special locale.
Gather with your loved ones and talk about the memories that the family holds dear. Where was Grandma's favorite vacation spot; what did Grandpa do during this time off; why did Aunt A and Uncle B always have black and tan hounds named Moon? You may know some of the answers, but when possible contact the sources to discover just how things turned out as they did.
Now go on the photo tour. With camera in hand and your loved ones in tow, head out and snap pictures of where Great Uncle C's house used to stand. Click a photo of the creek where Cousin Sue fell in but Moon IV jumped in and rescued her. Find favorite restaurants, parks, cars, and picnic places and relive the moments while taking a few snapshots. After 20 or 30 pictures, head home to scour old photo albums. When you spy the shot of Great Uncle C's original home, scan it in for a side-by-side comparison of "then" and "now". While you are digging out favorite photos, you may find recipes, poems, letters, and other memorabilia to scan, copy, photograph, and transform into appropriate form, then organize your about-to-be-designed family memory book.
Download your pictures and the scans of every important document and arrange them in an order you like: chronological, by person, by event (like a birthday or reunion), or whatever suits the moment and your fancy. You are about to publish an heirloom that everyone will treasure. You may want to add stories as well. It always fun to hear the version variations of the same event!
Now remember, you are simply the historian, collecting family memories from near and afar. Some family may request a change of order, a re-write of a story or recipe, or complain about too many pictures of Cousin Sam and not enough of Aunt Fern. Smile, extend the width of your brave shoulders, and work on. You are about to create a marvel.
My two favorite self-publish establishments are www.createspace.com or Shutterfly. Both have fairly simple step-by-step instructions including size, shape, number of pages, photo and document lay-outs, areas for written comments, and more. Be sure that you select full color - this book will be such a gem. Add text, drop in pictures, rearrange, add, or subtract pages, and pretty much let your artistic talents flow. You can work today, rest tomorrow, gather more artifacts over the weekend, and then back to work.
When you feel confident (reread several times to check), you can order one copy. Shutterfly always has great sales so be on the lookout for these. Createspace is a bargain at just about any time. Order only one because even though you have reread many times, there are always silly errors. So instead of being money out on multiple copies, you have just purchased one. After more proofing and notes, you should be ready to order copies for everyone. Imagine the joyous reflections in the eyes of those you love as they travel down memory lane. Even cloudy dementia cannot hide the happiness of family memories.[[In-content Ad]]
