My adult children came to me one day after I had been scrapping a few years and asked me to start on MY childhood photos "while you still can". At first I was insulted, then amused, then I got busy and started my childhood album. That was when I started The Table.
When I journal those old photos I don’t use as many heartfelt stories as I can on the more recent layouts. First I get the facts right, and then I add feelings or stories as they come to mind. Now I am also doing an album for my friend and facts are ALL I can get from him. His mother offers a few stories, but the facts are often in dispute as relatives look at the album and debate time and place for some of the photos.
Here is how I used several cells in his table to do the journaling for a layout.
| 1943 | 2 years old 3/31, Jane born 10/16, Mother 24, Dad, 27, lived on Spruce(Wyandotte), Wolas’ on Polk(River Rouge), Witeks on Omaha(Detroit), remember staying with Babush and Jaja Wolas when Jane was born |
| 1944 | 3 years old 3/31, Jane 1 10/16, Mother 25, Dad, 28, lived on Spruce, Wolas’ on Polk, Witeks on Omaha, Dad joined Navy 5/15 and shipped out to? (place) ?/?(date) on the (ship)?. |
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The journaling reads:
"My sister, Jane, was born on October 16, 1943. I was 2 ½ years old. Mother was 24 years old and Dad was 27. Dad had not joined the Navy yet, but was, in fact, duck hunting the day of Jane’s birth.
"We lived on Spruce Street in Wyandotte when she was born. My father’s parents lived on Omaha Street in Detroit. My maternal grandparents lived on Polk Street in River Rouge. I stayed with "Babush" and "Jaja" Wolas when Mother went to the hospital to have Jane."
