Dear Diary

Remember when you were a young girl and you used to keep a diary?

It was a place where your innermost secrets were stored.   I remember

keeping one for a few years.  Although I no longer have those early ones

I recall that the pages were filled with where I went and who I saw and

of course my latest crush.  Back then it was so much about the "boy 

du jour".  

But as I got older I no longer took the time to record my every move.

I kept the boys in my life around a bit longer and eventually decided on 

the one who would be around permanently.  Then the diary creeped back

into my life.  I received this one for Christmas I believe.  The opportunity

for entries was limited, but that was fine with me because the book was 

filled with lovely images created by Mary Emmerling.

I took the time to make brief entries each day.  There was not much soul 

searching done.  It was more of a listing of daily events.  I went to lunch

with ... or we attended a party at this house ... or I saw this movie.

Quite dull now that I read back through those entries.  Yet I learned so

much about the young woman I used to be.  She was growing and

exploring despite the self absorbed entries there were glimpses of a

woman who was developing new interests and taking the world head on.

Relatives still gave me desk calendars in the years to come, but I was

too busy to write in them.  Obviously someone had discovered I 

thought Mary Engelbreit's work was charming and I received a few

these diaries.  There were some half hearted attempts to jot down some

notes, but nothing else.  It is a shame because it would be fun to go down

memory lane.

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Of course we don't call them diaries anymore.  We are far more

sophisticated than that.  They are now called journals.  So much is

devoted to the craft of journaling.  There are magazines, and beautiful

leather bound journals.  We are told that journaling will lower stress 

levels.  Kids in grades schools must make journal entries.  I think these

are all fine and I am impressed at the creativity expressed in these

journal entries.

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You can really create whatever you like within your journal.  You can

free your inner artist while pouring out your soul.  It's your choice.

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But for me, I believe I have evolved beyond the "selfie" stage of diary

keeping.  Now I love to read journals about the daily life of others.  I become

absorbed in the commonness of chores and the rhythm of life that includes

gardening, cooking caring for children and pets.  

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These have inspired me to go out a purchase a spiral notebook, or perhaps

even better, a spiral art book with blank pages to record the little and 

wondrous things and events that occur each day.  The ones we don't 

always take the time to notice.  Or to perhaps record all of the newness

that I am experiencing here in Texas.  The sayings, the customs the

personality of this new home.

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Sarah Turnbull did it so very well in her travel memoir.

If you have not read this yet, please do.  It is delightful!

That's it for my ramblings today.  Maybe I should start keeping

a journal about Bentley's days.  He is so fascinating!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley