Journal-Keeping: 612 Days (and counting) on Record

My Grandpa Ray kept a calendar journal.  He used the annual free wall calendars from Hoffman’s Hardware store.  Each day, he’d jot in the weather, and maybe a note.  For instance: “Cloudy. Cort called.”  Or “Rain-1 in. Morgann here.”  He might state a doctor appointment or if he filled the gas tank, but always the weather.  I love these calendars, and I wish I had them (or just one of them!) to browse through. I really admire his consistency, and his simplicity.

On January 1st of 2013, I decided to start a daily journal.  Just a few lines each day recording minor happenings, and things the boys said.  It was all in an attempt to remember our days, and allow for better documentation and storytelling for our family book (which is my version of Project Life™ that includes stories + photographs).  I wasn’t sure if I would stay on track with the journal.  I have always kept small books for jotting down ideas, and lists, and memories, but I had never had success maintaining a daily journal.

086 copy

At the end of February, I’d filled the first journal, and moved into Book Two…which lasted through mid-May, and so on.  I kept the journal on my night table.  By adding the day’s happenings each night, I got into a great habit, and it was so satisfying to have one full journal.  It made me wish I’d started the practice years ago.

075 copy

I use journals that had been lying around empty.  My handwriting in these books is downright messy compared to a thank you note or even my grocery lists.  I just wanted to capture the essence of the day, with my filter, mark our course as a family.  Sometimes, I forget a few days.  I take the journal to the dinner table, and we all four chime in and recollect those events.

It turns out that I’m particular about the size.  I think this has to do with the content I’m writing down.  I want to fill a page or two.  And 4X6 inch books are near-perfect.  I happily use lined, unlined, gridded mid-weight paper.  But I always customize the covers.

076 copy

I am feverishly repurposing some journals that I have had for a while.  I deconstruct the hardcover, split the too-thick book into thirds, and re-bind in soft cover.  (This process is a whole other story that I’m happy to share).  I don’t need for these journals to last forever because it seems that the very act of writing it down helps me remember things more clearly.

085 copy

The journals have become excellent argument enders.  For example, when did we see that Stephen King opera? (Saturday, September 28th).  Who’s turn is it to host a holiday? (Up for grabs).  We also charted our progress through Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.  After starts and stops through Book 1, we pulled out Book 2 on Monday, October 14th and read almost nightly through Book 13 on Sunday, February 23rd.  Whew.

079 copy 081 copy 084 copy

There are days that only have lists of watercolor paint names, or Oscar nominated films we should watch, or notations about the weather (still no rain; we are in a drought!), or what I cooked.  There are lists of what we’re reading, if we see family or friends, and whether the Giants won.  There are days that don’t get recorded, and that’s okay.  To me, it means we’re living.

082 copy 077 copy

Every once in a while, I interview my boys, time-capsuling their favorites; the simple things that they are enjoying right now.  And sometimes my own favorites.  This may seem vain, but here’s the thing.  I would love to have a record of this daily-ness from my mom or my Grandmother.  I’d love to know her go-to nail polish color or how often she met up with her friends.  I’d love to know her small triumphs (forced amaryllis is blooming!) and her challenges (car battery died…again).  Even though I don’t go into much depth, I think you can tell what’s constantly on my mind: my family of four, and the orbit we’re on.  Daily.  And simple.

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3 thoughts on “Journal-Keeping: 612 Days (and counting) on Record

  1. rsmixtur says:

    Great idea! I’m doing Project Life since last year. This year on a monthly basis but I’m about to return to a weekly documentation because I lost many details; that was okay for me this year but I want to try again to capture more details. A journal with a habit to jot down little things every day is a great idea. It seems more practicable for me than writing directly on cards for the album. I tried this but it didn’t work out very well for me and I was looking for another way to capture the details of everyday life. So thanks for this post.

    • clspillane says:

      Hi rsmixtur,
      Thanks for reading! I use to journal onto the PL cards too, but I’d always lose track of them when it came time to assemble a page. I like to make big paper-y messes, and it’s easy to misplace…but now I underline in my journal what should be a PL story, or I write a small P if I have a really great photo. It makes collating the stories + photos much faster–especially when one is several weeks behind.
      Cheers! Cortney

  2. andrea says:

    I kept a journal for many many years (there is already a blog post planned for the future 😉 )
    Right now, I don’t keep one anymore. I don’t know, I just can’t find the time anymore.
    Love this peek into your journals. Thanks for sharing.

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