Article #160 Binding Your History

Depending on the length of your story, I would recommend including the following in your bound book in this order: (1) a title page with the title, author’s name (you), place of publication, name of printer, and date printed; (2) a preface or dedication page-optional; and (3) a table of contents with page numbers for various chapters or parts-optional. All of these pages can be numbered i, ii, iii, etc. then comes (4) the actual story starting with page number 1, 2, 3, etc.; (5) an Appendix-optional for extra materials or photos not wanted in the main body of the story; and (6) an Index-optional but helpful for those who want to look up certain people or events in your history. (Many word processing programs will make an index for you.)

Now comes the fun part taking the information from your title page and designing your cover. You’ll probably need help with this project. Your cover should entice the reader to want to read the history. A catchy title helps and a photograph of the person or other artwork usually works nicely. Don’t forget your name as the author. Generally I use the same title page that I put in my book, but with a photo added with a border around it. Many copy centers will help you with ideas for cover designing.

A decorative cover can be printed in different ways. I have never published any of my books as hard-bound copies with a stiff cover and sewn pages. It’s just too expensive. I prefer paperback books with a cardstock cover-front and back, sometimes covered with clear plastic sheets. For my “Family Home Evening Book for Empty Nesters and Singles,” I took colored photos of several FHE groups and made a collage frame for the title with a soft yellow background. Then some clipart was added from http://www.clipart.com.

As for binding, I prefer coil, but there are other options: (see above l-r) velo, tape, perfect bound. coil, and stapling. Check with your printer or copy center for prices and availability. Perfect bound gives you a professional looking final product like a glued paperback. Your manuscript should be 65-100 pages to use this last type of binding. You can lengthen your story by only printing on one side rather than double sided. Work with your copy center to get the look you want. It’s all your preference.

Another month is almost over

Where does the time go whether or not you are having fun?

Each moment is so precious and important, yet we waste lots

of our life dilly dallying...whatever that means, perhaps trying

to decide what to focus on and how best to live each precious day.

Priorities surface as inspiration reminds us of the importance

of making time for family to interact, listen and reach out.

In our modern society that takes effort and time to do, but

how better to use each day than strengthening our family.

Grandparents, if still around, are to be visited, siblings contacted,

children hugged, grand children listened to, spouses cherished.

It all takes time and focus to remember why we are here as part

of a larger family of man. We are all brothers and sisters.

Time Expands

After several full days of TRAVELING in a car

what a LUXURY to be at home with TIME on my hands.

I am the MASTER of my fate, my life lies before me

in the daily little DECISIONS I choose to make.

Will I EXERCISE this morning? What shall I COOK?

Should I READ the paper or my scriptures?

Which PROJECT demands my attention, what

do I really WANT to do? Maybe a NAP wins out!

IT DID!

Back in the saddle again

Re-adjusting after vacationing is interesting...

first there is the tremendous relief of being home

safe and sound, then the realization that all your

underwear is dirty-so off to the washer you go.

A few hours later, with clean and dried clothes

you are ready to shower and relax for the night.

Off to bed, on that wonderfully comfortable bed

that seems to have shrunk from king to queen size.

Reaching out I can find my husband and the

other side of the bed without a search party.

And the pillow just fits my head-hurrah!

We had six tiny pillows on our motel king bed.

Decisions of which pillow to use are over and

also waking up in the middle of the night

with urgency then trying to remember where

the toilet is in your darkened motel room are solved.

Home sweet home with its familiarity and comforts

is never better than after a three day road trip or

a week or ten days away. Gratitude for an empty nest

after many hours of grandchildren's excitement is a relief.

Why would we ever want to leave this lovely place

to take another vacation or trip we think? Then comes

the realization of routines to re-establish: shopping

for food, planning menus, cooking and cleaning.

Life continues....with its welcome familiarity!

Nevada Sights

Traveling across Nevada's vastness,

space opens to receive nature's bounty.

Cloudbursts unleash moisture,

filling gullies to over flowing.

Hurling hail against hard surfaces

bounces back into empty air and clouds.

Unlimited mountain ranges frame a beauty

unlike no other. This is the wilderness

yet to be tamed and settled by mankind.

Alone, it rests in pristine beauty

untouched by man's ugliness.

We're home safely with lots of great memories of a memorable vacation.

See above-The sounds of a waterfall in the Casades of Washington

Almost home...

Baby pine trees grow up under the protection of their mother trees.

Water in abundance, everywhere will soon be a memory as we return to the desert.

Rain forests and moss plus a few mosquitoes make this place unreal.

Soon time to say goodbye to coolness, water and trees of Cascades in Washington.

After too much travel in our car-three days from Seattle to St. George-we'll be home later today. My husband suggested maybe next time we could take a train, lol-there isn't one that goes directly between these two places, but there are airplanes that make our three day driving time in 1.5 hours. I remember old days of taking the train or Greyhound bus from Los Angeles, California to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Article #159 Publishing Options

So, your family history or biography is written, edited and ready to be published. You’re probably sick of reading it, looking for mistakes to correct or ways to improve what you have written. If you aren’t rushed, it’s good to take a break and set it aside. Go back in a week or a month with new eyes and read it again. When you’re satisfied, then it’s time to publish your work.

Now what do you do? Hopefully before you started this project you decided how you planned to share your history with your family and friends. The main options for publishing are: (1) a printed book, (2) sharing online and/or (3) viewing as a computer, video or audio file. I prefer to always make a printed book with an attractive cover and binding, but it’s your decision.

You can print your history on your own printer. If you want more than a few copies, I would recommend having it done professionally at a copy center. No need to use up all your expensive ink cartridges plus wear out your printer. Most colored pages are about 29-79 cents/page while black and white copies are around 6-7 cents/page at a copy center. It is cheaper to print out colored copies at home, but at some point you’ll want help binding your story.

When you take your computer file to be printed make sure you’ve back it up or stored a copy somewhere safe off your computer. Always convert your .doc file into a PDF portable document file. (For those who are computer illiterate, find someone in your family to help you with this process.) A PDF saves all your formatting and placement of photos, so it looks like you planned it. If you give a copy center your original doc file, their computer can change the formatting of your file and move things like words and photos around, which can be disastrous.

I like PDF files because I can view a copy of my complete story with my photos IN COLOR on a personal computer, but if I have my story printed off I can print the colored photos in BLACK AND WHITE for less expense. Save color printing for an attractive cover. With a PDF file, it’s possible to email a copy of your finished history as an attachment to others to print their own copy to read.

Pioneer Day in Utah

I have almost all Utah Mormon ancestors except for a few hardy miners coming this way to find gold in California. Every area of the world has its early pioneers who settled the land and raised families. They had many physical challenges just to survive, grow crops and make irrigation canals. Traveling then and now was so different. Here's a link to some info on St. George pioneers. Tell us about pioneers in your area.

Washington views

Yakima valley with Cascade range in the distance.

Fertile valley east of the Seattle area.

Gorgeous forest as you enter the rainy area.

Hostess Sarah and her brother-in-law to be Raymond

Alicia and kids: l-r Kalib, Anya and Abbie

Catherine and family: l-r Ashley, Gabriel and Breana

Allen and his four daughters: Alicia, Sarah, Katherine, and Deborah

Idaho to Washington

Crossing the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho

Lots of growing things-corn, potatoes and grains.

Beautiful barns and lush farmland.

Fun fruit stands in Washington state.

Antiques to buy.

We bought some luscious cherries, grapes and apricots.

Historic Mining Town

Blue skies and vast distances of Nevada.

Pioche, Nevada is a still working mining town.

Lots of fun restored old buildings.

Downtown still has businesses.

Old mining equipment in the city park.

Mining structures decorate the area.

Nevada sights

Stark desert beauty at Cathedral Gorge Park near Panaca, Nevada

Water erosion carves interesting canyons.

Blue blue sky and mild temperatures in the 80s.

Cedar trees and sage brush with mountains in the distance.

Off AGAIN!

Another family REUNION calls, this time to the NORTHWEST where it's cool and green. All the FLOYD daughters and their kiddies are converging in the SEATTLE area at Sarah's new house. So, we'll make the two day drive through the deserts of NEVADA and IDAHO into OREGON and WASHINGTON. Looking forward to seeing FAMILY and hanging out together. Will also see my son Brook and meet his girl friend Corrine. VACATION here we come...

FAMILY REUNION

Early morning sun on the Mt. Timpanogos temple

Temple day with cousins: Cheri, Aunt Ethel, Bill, Mimi and Doug

Finally all the living Johnson cousins together:

(l-r) Jody, Lin, Douglas, Marion and cowboy Bill

My grand daughters (l-r) Heather and Emilee helped decorate tables

Pizza party with son Jeff, grand daughter Lorien and dg-in-law Rachel

Youngest grandchild Lorien or Rory-she's a cutie!

Eating cantaloupe with grandsons: (l-r) Nathan and James

Daniel making homemade salsa for the reunion.

I appreciate everyone's help to make the reunion such a success!