Keeping a journal. . . .

 

A peep into my world. . . . . extracts from my journal  . . . .

I keep a “travel” journal and rather than buy a postcard of  places I have visited or as an “aide memoire” for special days,  I will do a sketch either at the time or later when I get home to remember the day.  Sometimes,  I sketch straight into the book or sometimes on a bit of paper and it is later glued  into place.   It is not always necessarily a “view” it can be something that to me means that place and time.  Somehow, it makes the memory far more vivid and personal – or it does for me anyway.   “My visual diary”.   I suppose in a way it is a bit like “memory boxes”.   On occasion I will also use the sketches to illustrate this blog (you may have seen some of the pictures here previously).

A similar thing , I guess, could be achieved with photos and bits and pieces if you are that way inclined.  I used to have  spasmodic spells of keeping a written diary but my teenage ones I destroyed . . . .  which is a shame as I would quite like to have read them again now.   But, so far, since I started it,  I am quite disciplined in keeping my visual diary as I enjoy doing it so much.

 

For instance, last Sunday we had a lovely day with my son and his wife.   Out and about in the Cotswolds with a pub lunch in “Slad” home and resting place of the late Laurie Lee (if you have never read “Cider with Rosie” I would highly recommend it!)  Everywhere about was the bright lime  and emerald greens of early spring leaves and fresh grass.  Being that much further south and nearer sea level than us in the high marches the countryside looked very lush and full of blossom and flower.

So the latest addition to my journal is……… ( and as the current book is nearly full so it is good I was given a new one for my birthday……..).