When all of those age and grade facts are in place it is time to place those random facts as they crowd your memory. You might start with old photos, as I did. Fortunately, my mother penciled dates on the backs of most photos... ONLY dates; no names or places. Many of those photos, though, bring up memories I can add to the table.

1948	I was 10 in 5th grade at Lincoln Elementary, Mrs. Crane, Mother 40, Dad 44, my brother, Jim born 8/9
1949	I was 11 in 6th grade at Lincoln School, Mr. Brown, Mother 41, Dad 45 - Moved to 4310 9th St., Charleston, W.Va. got puppy, Puddles, 3/6
1950	I was 12 in 7th grade at Truax School, Mother 42, Dad 46, Jim 2, Grandma Rose moved in with us 4/14.

Soon the table is looking more like an outline for the Great Biography but it IS your biography. Some cells will grow to 10 or more lines. That’s OK. Just keep adding notes. Keep the notes short, but include every fact you can place. Maybe you remember an incident, but you may also need to call someone else to get the date. With this table you can change dates you remember better at another time. The point is to keep it up.

1948	I was 10 in 5th grade at Lincoln Elementary, Mrs. Crane, Mother 40, Dad 44, my brother, Jim born 4/9, vacation at Bass Lake 8/12-16 with Aunt Martha, Uncle Jim, Sam and Nancy. Got first bike (red) for Christmas, Dance Recital 5/13 (red ballet dress), week at Grandma Rose’s and Grandpa Sam’s 4/8-15, Halloween Party at Jenny Smith’s, Swimming with Daddy 8/14
1949	I was 11 in 6th grade at Lincoln School, Mr. Brown, Mother 41, Dad 45 - Moved to 4310 9th St., Charleston, W.Va. got puppy, Puddles, 3/6
1950	I was 12 in 7th grade at Truax School, Mother 42, Dad 46, Jim 2, Grandma Rose moved in with us 4/14.

*NEXT: Using the facts.