Family Recipes

Almost every family has a treasured recipe, beloved as much for the memories it evokes of family get-togethers or a special family member, as it is for its taste. Most families have many such recipes, handed down through generations, taught to children, or squirreled away on index cards or scraps of paper. These make great additions to add in between your organized photos. You might even have pictures of loved ones actually making the dish. You could journal memories of times spent cooking and/or eating together.

Items to Include on a Recipe

* Name of the recipe
* Name of the person contributing the recipe
* Name of the person who originated the recipe (if different from the submitter)
* The history of the recipe (Where did it come from and why is it special?)
* Ingredients and quantities needed, in the order in which they appear in the directions
* Cooking directions
* Prep time and cooking time
* The number of people the recipe serves
* Any special cooking tips or advice

Winter Wonders

Snow-capped mountains, snow angels, freshly fallen snow, snowmen, a newly sculptured snow buddy . . . Are any of these captured in your photographs? How about a thrilling sledding excursion, a snowball fight, or a skiing expedition? A theme idea is evolving and photographs can be organized with this thought in mind. Delight in the winter season with choosing pictures that pay tribute to all things frosty and fun.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The love of my life is a four-legged furry friend, my beloved dog Nike! She just turned 91 this week (13 in dog years). She doesn't look that old in her picture, does she?

My Dog and His Love
He's with me 24 hours a day.
And never a word is able to say.
But he can say more with a look or two,
such as I Love You, My Whole World Is You!

As I do my chores throughout the day,
He's by my side, every step of the way.
When I stop to eat, you can bet he's there,
sitting of course, in his favorite chair.

And if some night I decide to go out.
He'll hang his head, and kinda pout.
He sits by the window, until I come home.

Sits there and waits so patiently.
Hoping to catch a glimpse of me,
can't wait till I put the key in the door.
He's barking and jumping, and barking some more.

Then as I lay me down to sleep.
He's there by my side, his vigil to keep.
And I thank the Lord, in the heaven above.
For My Best Friend, my dog, and his love!

Author Unknown

Culture

My cousin Sean shared his wedding from September 2003 DVD and I developed a few photos to put in my albums. The photographer did such a remarkable job of capturing the event that I felt I was actually there. Sean wore a kilt he had made from material shipped from Scotland and his wife Sarah wore a beautiful dress fashioned after the Scottish design.





I learned a little bit of culture in viewing these pictures which is one of the benefits of organizing photos from the past. Sean wore a white shirt and knee socks which the Scottish wear for weddings. My beloved aunt, his 'Gram', passed away last year in October, and Sean wore the traditional black shirt and dark knee socks.





The picture that brought tears to my eyes captured Sean's future in-laws in an embrace reflecting the joys of marriage. They had been married almost thirty years by the time the wedding occurred. My own beloved parents were married for 54 years before my daddy passed away in 2002. I selected this photo particularly since Valentine's Day is near and love floats in the air more at this time of the year.