Thank you Bill Moore, Rose Mungaray, Gail Saucedo, Linda Teather, MamaCarole, Diane Burley, Marian Beaman, and so many of you for joining Kathy Stone, and me today. I can’t tell you how much it means to me here on the American Pacific coast to see all of you joining from the UK, the continent, across the American states and Canadian provinces. Your thoughts, comments, and encouragement are the glue that holds this community together. The little ❤️s you drop keep us motivated and give this series a little more visibility. Feel free to create clips from this post to share with your friends. Projectkin programming is offered free thanks to the kind support of our generous patrons around 🌏 the 🌍 world 🌎. Of Quilting Bees and Scrapbooks This Solstice weekend was a little different from your ordinary weekday break. I’m updating these notes after my drive home from a getaway with my husband in a secret location in the Sierra Foothills. Kathy used the livestream as a break from her marathon Zoom sessions with scrapbooking friends, keeping each other company while scrapbooking. This modern twist on the quilting bee had Kathy thinking about how we tell our own stories. She’d recently lost a dear friend whom she’d gotten to know when her kids were little. Like Kathy, her “mom-friend” was the family storykeeper. She was the one who collected the kids’ stories, treasures, and mementos. With her passing, the family struggled to collect remembrances. Losing her friend was a wake-up call. It’s time to focus on her own stories. Or, as Kathy’s guest in May, Lori Olson White puts it, it’s time to “tell your own damn stories.” The quiet mountain air, dazzling starlight, and the chatter of woodpeckers, wrens, and ravens have a way of focusing the mind. The Sierra foothills of California were where gold was discovered in 1849, irrevocably changing the region's history. Exploring small museums and historic parks, I came away more committed than ever not only to “being a good ancestor.” I’m concerned about more than my own story. I also want my descendants can appreciate our connection with history. Whether as witnesses to nature before fire, floods, and plagues, or as testimony to moments in history, our stories tell our descendants about where they came from. As with all Kathy’s Corner programs, we’ll get down to the brass tacks, sticky tape, and acid-free options. We might even cover topics like converting and preserving media, links, and objects. ⮕ As a bonus this week, Lori will be back as a special guest to share an update on her progress with her “Bridge to 2076” project. Who knows, you just might be inspired to start one of your own. Hmm… Here’s an idea: * If you’re getting started on a big project and need a little encouragement to keep going, why not join one of our Mission: Genealogy gatherings and let’s talk about it? It’s not quite a quilting bee, but it’s a way to gather with friends and “do Genealogy together,” talk through a storytelling approach with like-minded supporters, or ask for help in research. * Just sign up on Zoom. We’ll see you there! As Projectkin, we’re here to help families tell their stories in any form. I feel strongly that our collections of photos and other artifacts are key to our memories and, in turn, our stories. If you have a publication of your own, and you think your friends might find this interesting, why not let your friends know with a recommendation? These are public posts, and our events are free because sharing your stories is that important. Let’s get this started! See all coming events in our calendar at Projectkin.org/events. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe
