Okay, I’m the kind of gal who LOVES stories. The minute the words, “Once upon a time. . .” are heard, I’m pretty hooked. This has been true ever since we four siblings spent evenings on the parent’s bed, listening to stories my Mum read to us.
Now we are facing another year, and my thoughts always turn to what it might bring. I’m presently engaged in going through a long history of family memories, photos, letters and making the hard decisions about what goes and what stays. Having lately come into some story-writing myself, with the publishing of my first book (‘Following Claire’) – I find the bags of letters that were written between my mother and her many relatives and family back in Australia interesting. Mayhap I should consider reading them and piecing the story together? If only for the sake of the ones in our family for whom the story will otherwise be lost.
I look at the photo montage I put together a while ago, of the women in the family going back some generations, and wonder what those early lasses experienced and what they were like. Who else has studied the crags and furrows in ancestral faces and tried to read ‘between the lines’ so to speak? 
I’d LOVE to know, but few ever write their story down. Like us, they don’t see it as extraordinary, and so it is only ever hinted at in letters. Well, we’ll see if this year it becomes a firm project of mine. Much depends upon whether I get the work I’m hoping to, which will allow me some time to pursue some other creative possibilities.
And speaking of narratives, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying piecing this fun ‘Gabeaux Tapestry’ together of the Outlander book. Using the Bayeux Tapestry as a foundation, it’s quite a nice way of telling the story – without words. Where would we have been without that amazing long stretch of embroidered work?
I’ll finish this post with the strips of story – it is just a start, but has great potential, yes?
Hen & Ink 
You should write your story ,Jenny! I wish some of my family were still around to tell me more.As for the tapestry, please keep going! i will collect them all!xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I’d love to write it, but TIME will determine how good a job I make of it. 😘😘
LikeLike
Thanks Jenny! This was lovely! I have bags of old photos but so many of them have nothing written on the back, no names, dates or locations! Sadly there is no one left to ask! The tapestry is wonderful, please keep going. Good luck with your book!👍👍👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Shirley! Yes – many of mine are blank too, but I think there are details elsewhere that might help. Glad you like tapestry
LikeLike
Hi Jen, Once again a thoroughly enjoyable Hen and Ink — I love getting up in the morning and finding them in my email and look forward to reading them. I too being the eldest left in our extended family have a lot of family photo’s and no idea who most of them are. I sent a lot to my Uncle in England before he died so he could piece the story together now I am in contact with a cousin I have never met but feel the connection to and between us we are doing our paternal ( Welsh) family story 🙂 Its fun. Happy writing XX and we will all want to read your book you know 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel as if there’s a small table of us having coffee together and talking about ‘life’. I’m not sure how interesting the story I might compile would be to people outside the family, but we’ll see. Thanks – hope you get to find out more about yours.
LikeLike