As many military families say good-bye to loved ones who are off to fight the war on terror, it brings a closer understanding of what it must have been like when our fathers and grandfathers went off to live abroad during the Vietnam era. 

So, when I found this post card from Germany, it peaked my interest. My mother-in-law wrote to her mother from a small village in Germany where they were stationed. I loved the story behind the letter she wrote and wanted to preserve the memory of the way things were, since she is no longer with us. After reading the post card and taking a closer look, I realized she had drawn an arrow to the apartment in which they lived. So, I decided to blow up the post card. It looked nicer than any patterned paper I’d found, but more than anything, the location had meaning. The story would mean something to my sister-in-law, who was the baby she spoke of. Then, I made a copy of the post card itself. I wanted to preserve the original hand writing and I loved the old postage stamp. 

When I shared this layout with the family, it meant so much to them. So many times this postcard only received a glance. Now, blown up and showcased in this manner made it stand out and brought meaning to it. That is what scrapbooking is all about for me.