Montage BioGraphics

I'm thinking warm thoughts of Christmases past. A fresh, aromatic pine tree, glittering with those big, old-fashioned lights and hung with tinsel, is strategically placed on the highly polished wood floor in front of our large picture window. The base of the tree is swathed in white to look like it is standing on a mound of snow where a few wrapped gifts are nestled. Definitely not all of them, as Santa always delivered most after I went to bed, leaving a trail of tiny packages that fell from his bag as he moved from the fireplace to the tree.

There were pies and cookies and fudge and divinity. Ooh, I loved the divinity! But while everyone else was enjoying all that, I was limited to eating dry toast! Why? Because I always got an upset stomach the day before Christmas, and nothing else would stay down. After this happened a couple of years in a row, Mom and Dad finally decided it must be the excitement. They thought, what if we let her open one gift on Christmas Eve? Will that make it better? Absolutely! It did the trick!

As your families come together this holiday season, consider starting a new tradition: ask everyone to share a Christmas memory from their childhood. The key phrase here is "from their childhood". In this way you will get little glimpses back in time and maybe learn something new about your mother, your father, your grandparents. You may even be surprised at how different your memories are from those of your brothers/sisters. And what a great opportunity to find out what your kids remember most!

Wishing you all a warm, wonderful holiday season! May it be one to remember!

This is beautiful visual, and a sentiment I totally share!

"Storytelling is part of human continuity."

- Robert Redford

Well, I've finally come up for air! It's been a l....ong time since I posted. So much to do, so little time! It took one year and three months, but, finally, the latest Montage BioGraphics project has been completed!

It is the biography of a German war bride. Many times our projects are intended solely for family consumption, but once in a while one comes along that is a natural for publishing more broadly. No Enemy of Mine (the title) is one like that. If you're interested in the history of WWII, you might want to check it out. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/177-9215017-9248751?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=No+Enemy+of+Mine

Connections with other people. They can be so rewarding.

I hate it when an opportunity to connect slips by unrealized. The other day, my son and I went into a restaurant to have lunch. As we were being seated, I noticed a woman sitting alone with her back to the room, facing the window. Do you ever just have a feeling about someone? I sensed despair, loneliness, isolation.

My son and I sat down and ordered our meal. Meanwhile, the woman was preparing to leave. Listlessly, she got up and went back to the restroom. Her eyes were downcast as she approached our table on her way back, but she raised them just in time to see me smile at her, even as she was dropping her gaze again. Apparently, it took just a fraction of a second for my smile to register with her. Then, her eyes flew back up, and I swear there was a glimmer of surprise and hope in her eyes. It was as if she’d just discovered she was not invisible!

But, still, she passed and continued out the door.

The urge was strong in me to dash after her and learn all about why she seemed so sad. Undoubtedly, I will never see her again, but we did connect, and I'd like to think she felt a little lighter, at least for a while.