Journaling...

[Spinning]

As some of you know I lost a very dear friend this past fall. I am now ready to scrap our trip to Disney! I have actually scrapped these photo's twice. Once for her but left the journalling up to her (which unfortunately only a little bit got done, I know I need to sit down and compose something) and then I did it again but as a grandparent book for her mom.
Now I am making my album.
How do I journal this? In the present tense? past tense? I don't want to put a negative tone on the trip. What I want to do is one big journal explaining how the trip came about but I also want to add that this was the last big thing she did in her life.
I am very stumped. any suggestions?
I am ok for the daily pictures. But it is that intro to the trip......Never thankfully had this problem. And hope to God I never go through this again.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Wow, this is sad, but also so very important. I would simply do a very nice detailed and most likely lengthy for me page that had all the details that you want included about it being her last big adventure or the like. You could list as many details about your friendship, this important trip, etc. Then as I did each page I would simply state what/where/when, etc. Hope this helps and good luck with such an important album.
Lisa
Tiger Fan

 

[Twigs]

I like what Lisa mentions above about doing a page with the details about her last big adventure. If I were doing it, I would probably make that my last page. I think that I would scrap the pages in the present tense so that it would appear as if you were both telling the story of the trip, that way it would not have the negative tone that you want to avoid and I think would help you "relive" the trip as it happened. Just some of my thoughts. This must be a very hard project for you to do.
Joyce

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

I think that I would take Tiger Fans' suggestion on this one - even though I find that my own journalling tends to fall into past tense more than present. And sometimes I actually mix tenses! Arrgh! Don't tell my students.

Spinning - however, you do this it is going to be tough. Earlier this month I did a series of pages in my DS's book on the loss of his grandmother (my mom) last spring. Those were the hardest pages I've ever done. I was glad I was able to work on them with no one else around and a very large box of tissues at my elbow.

Deb

 

[wtpclc]

Spinning - I agree with what Twigs said. Scrap the whole book in present tense and then do a final page, maybe as a tribute stating how important the trip was. Good luck!

 

[Cruise04]

I started some pages on my mom and her breast cancer and things I've participated in since her death and I have found myself using both the past and present as well but it depends on what I'm actually scrapping. This is a good question because in the next year or so I want to start scrapping her pictures from her growing up until she died. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[JudithM]

Spinning, how did you do Grandma's book? I would write an introduction & probably put it in the beginning of the book - sort of how & why this trip & this book came about. You could include how happy & excited you were to be able to share this trip with your friend & her family. I just got back to scrapping last night (put aside during the holidays) & scrapped some photos from 20-25 years ago. I found myself writing in the past tense. I suspect either past or present or both would be fine!

 

[Spinning]

Thanks everyone. I have been working on a lenghty "story" about our trip and how it came to be. I think I am going to put it at the end of the book. I will do the front page as I always do which is a small journalling square in the middle of the book with the dates, list of days and general info then surround it by 2x2 picture squares. That way it stays in the format of my other books.
Certain pictures that are my favorite of Vicki I wrote some small thoughts about the day. Happy thoughts.
The Grandparent book I kept very simple. Mostly 5x7 pictures that were of her mom with her or the grand kids. Very few pictures of my family, enough so they will know who they went with. I did very little journalling. Left spaces for her to put her thoughts.