Wednesday 27 August 2014

Whatever makes you happy

http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Project-Morning-Aristotle-Generally-ebook/dp/B002VJ9HRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409126907&sr=8-1&keywords=the+happiness+project+by+gretchen+rubin
Possibly 2 years ago I read "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. Now I am not a non fiction reader by choice - my usual poison is fiction but this came highly recommended by more than one person. I have to say that I flew through it taking into account that it is non fiction and that my habit of reading about 3 books at a time fuels my fiction reading. I enjoyed the book a lot and would recommend it for all. And while possibly most of her items on her happiness list can be added to mine if I ever had the time and chance (and money) to do a full year of happiness project - I may change say 2 of them, the one that I most associated with was her item as "Memory keeper of the family"

I have always since childhood been into photography on whatever level I could practise it at the time. I am not sure if my fascination stems only from the actual technicalities of a good photo or from purely the memory it captures. 

While all three are possibly nice enough photos it's the memories that they capture that makes them so very special. For instance the last one brings the holiday it represents immediately to mind - the boogie board, the sarong and the tiara - all so much part of that holiday (our first in Mtunzini).

In the past I made photo books of every year. Over the last year and a half I have tried to keep up with Project Life - for a long long time it went really well and easy. But ever so often I would get behind and most recently the shoulder op really caused me to fall way behind.

I am so enjoying catching up on it though - using before work, lunch times and whatever I get at home to go through this years photos and notes (at least I kept taking photos which makes it a lot easier). It just made me realize once again that for me this is an essential part of my happiness - not only making but keeping those memories - be it here in the personal blog, on Facebook (mostly shared for the sake of the grandparents) or then in Project Life which in it's very real touchable format brings not only joy to me but hugely to the kids as they page through and recall.

Are you a memory keeper and in which formats? I am interested if this is mainly a female thing - anybody knows a passionate male memory keeper?

12 comments:

  1. I would love to be more up to date with the photos. Ever since I lost a great deal of our photos with the theft last year, I have not been able to get everything running as smoothly again. Just organising all my photos is such a pain. I would love to make photo books!

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  2. Usually it is the mothers who are the memory keepers. I do have an ex colleague who does the photo keeping in their family and it fascinated me because we assume men are not interested in the pictures, but I'm finding it they're just a lot quieter about it.

    Keep on keeping on my friend.

    Hugs
    W

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  3. My excuse is my blog is where I keep my photos! I have such a nice album for Nicky's first year, and then after that... it's all digital I'm afraid...

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    1. I also used to do that but the kids actually love to look at the prints

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  4. I am...but I am VERY behind with the actual printing of photos.
    Nope, personally I don't know of any male memory keepers.

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  5. Just start where you're at. And once you get one layout (maybe a monthly one for this year just to not get behind) done, start the one previous, and so on.

    PS do you still have that mosaic Connor? I keep forgetting to ask!

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  6. Love your photos, what a wonderful way to record memories. I take loads of snapshots and they all end up on my computer. I have a photo book voucher that I have paid for.... and it needs to be completed by the beginning of October. Just got to figure out how to do it! :-)

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  7. I love the idea of the photobooks, but I have so much to get through, I never want to start.

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  8. Beautiful photos...they just say so much. You are so good at capturing these moments. Yes...I am a memory keeper too...in photos and scrapbooking.

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  9. I take many many photo's and have loads printed for frames in the house. BUT I am terrible at updateing and swopping out for newer stuff ;-)

    That said when my uncle passed away recently we were all sitting in my aunts house going thru their old photo albums and I kinda want that for my kids! Must get finger out bum and start putting our memories into a tangible form for them.

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  10. Great pictures and thank you! You've reminded me that I've really wanted to read The Happiness Project after I graduated. I'll have to go see if I can download it to my iPad.

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So what's on your mind?