I'VE BEEN A LITTLE CONCERNED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MY BOOKS WHEN I'M GONE. THE BOOKS THAT CONTAIN MY HISTORY ARE FILLED WITH LOTS OF THINGS THAT MY FAMILY WOULDN'T NEED. THINGS LIKE CALLINGS IN MY CHURCH, MY DAY CARE, SPECIAL CARDS AND LETTERS THAT MEAN SO MUCH TO ME, FRIENDS THROUGH OUT MY LIFE, ETC.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MY DAUGHTER TASHA ASKED ME IF I COULD ABRIDGE OUR FAMILY HISTORY IN TO 5 BOOKS. THIS WAS QUITE A CHALLENGE BUT IT SPARKED AN INTEREST IN ME SINCE I KNEW THAT NO ONE WOULD WANT ALL THESE BOOKS. HOWEVER, AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF THE CLEVELAND'S HISTORY WOULD BE VALUABLE TO ALL OUR DAUGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. I WOULD HAVE TO BE SELECTIVE IN TAKING PICTURES FROM MY JOURNALS THAT ONLY PERTAINED TO MY FAMILY AND WOULD TELL THE STORY.
IT HAS TAKEN ME A YEAR TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL. I WASN'T ABLE TO DO THIS IN 5 BOOKS BUT IT DID REDUCE OUR HISTORY TO 9 BOOKS (AS OF 2011). WHAT A FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT DOING THIS PROJECT, I HAVE A PEACE OF MIND THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO MY JOURNAL SCRAPBOOKS. WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO MY FAMILY THEY NOW HAVE ON THEIR COMPUTERS. WHAT THEY DO WITH THIS IS UP TO THEM.
YES, THIS HAS ADDED 9 BOOKS TO MY HISTORIES BUT IT'S WORTH IT. WILL I CONTINUE WITH MY OWN PERSONAL SCRAPBOOK HISTORIES? OF COURSE! I LOVE DOING THIS AND I'LL CONTINUE AS LONG AS I CAN. AT THE END OF EACH YEAR I WILL JUST ADD TO MY ABRIDGMENT BOOKS.
THE TOP BOOKS ON THE SHELF ARE MY INDEX BOOKS THAT HIGHLIGHT WHEN AND WHERE I CAN FIND AN EVENT. THE SILVER BOOK CONTAINS THE FIRST 25 YEARS OF THE CLEVELAND'S HISTORY AND THE GOLD BOOKS CONTAIN THE REST OF THE YEARS. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT OF BEING ORGANIZED. I'VE ALWAYS LAUGHED WHEN I SAY I HAVE A LOT OF STUFF BUT AT LEAST IT'S ALL ORGANIZED!!
