The First Blank Book

I found this book in a local art store in my high school home town.  I liked to visit this store all the time. I have used the book as a homemade yearbook, scrapbook journal type book of inspiration. It holds materials, messages and pages designed by friends and students.  Its name is written on the cover. Since I started it back on July 16 of 1994 it has grown to be an old book. And like many of my books, remains unfinished. 

Many years have passed since I have updated it or even shared it with anyone. You can see from its condition it is warn. It had been repaired once (note the green/gray thread along the left side) many years ago and is really starting to show its age. It is in need of more repair both inside and out.

I have bought another blank book that was to be a newer verson of the this type of book but I have not started. 

Another blank book for the collection. I dont know if I can give up in quite yet.  

Last interior cover:

     In high school my art teacher really liked my book. She thought it was a great idea. I thought wow she actually likes something I did. But much to my horror she like it so much she made it a extra credit assignment. I didn't bring it in for people to copy it. I wish I had not shared it. 

 GUrrrrrrrrr... SO other people copy my ideas and not in their style but in a exact style. It wasn't like the did it on their own. I did not get any credit for my book. It didn't count as a sketch book for me. 

I was offended. 

Opening page:

       The opening page has the date and year written in pen and ink. It is decorated by paint using the negative space from a doily to create a design. One of my favorite flowers in the right hand corner. The last page of the book has the actual doily and will hold the fin

ish date. The pages are filled with celebrations of the books birthday, friends and memories. The things, events and people I want to remember

        Lots of the pages include 4-H experiences since it was a big part of my life in the early years of this book. One of my memorable pages is this :

I love this book. But I have not written in it for many years. The last entry was Dec 20th 1999 on my way to Florida to spend christmas with my mother and grandmother. That was the last time I saw my grandmother. She passed away in February 2000. The last friend who wrote in it was MCC. My friend and I have not spoken in over a year. My last 4-h camp was Diversity camp in 1998. I loved this camp. Seems the last few entries are sad.  

      But even more sad is how out of date it has been. Do you think that ten years of nothing is enough to claim the book dead? Should I finish this one? or start the new one? 

I hope to restore my love for this book in the coming year and regenerate its previous happy memories. Either in this book or a new one. 

Front Interior cover: